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‘All Day Breakfast’ Category

  1. Buttermilk Biscuits V2

    December 30, 2023 by Lisa

    I’ve been struggling with biscuits. Every recipe says they are “so easy” but I can assure you they kind of aren’t. This version isn’t perfect, but it’s getting there. A few things helped. One, freeze the butter, grate it then put it back in the freezer. Two, use Tipo 00 (or T45 pastry flour) for a softer biscuit. Three, make sure the baking powder isn’t out of date (d’oh!). Don’t use the fan oven setting – conventional heat seemed to work better. Finally, use a high-sided dish when cooking the biscuits so the sides keep the biscuits from spreading. I used a 28cm deep dish pie pan and got about 8 biscuits in there.

    Ingredients:

    • 250g Tipo 00 flour
    • 1 tbsp baking powder
    • 1/4 tsp baking soda
    • 2 tsp sugar
    • 1 tsp salt
    • 85g frozen, grated butter
    • 180ml buttermilk

    Instructions:

    Preheat the oven to 220C. In a large mixing bowl, whisk the dry ingredients together well. Add the frozen butter and use a pastry cutter to mix until crumbly. Add the buttermilk and mix gently. Turn out onto a floured surface and work together into a ball (don’t overwork – you don’t want the butter granules to melt). Pat the dough into a rectangle about an inch thick and fold the short edges in. Turn and pat down again. Fold and turn another couple of times.

    Pat into a rectangle about 1.5cm thick and using a floured biscuit cutter, cut into 8-10 rounds. Arrange the biscuits in the high-sided pan with each biscuit touching. Bake for 15-18 minutes until golden brown.

    Category All Day Breakfast, Side Dishes, Uncategorized | Tags: | No Comments

  2. Mexican Chorizo

    March 2, 2012 by Lisa

    I get confused looks in the UK when I wax lyrical about Mexican Chorizo and its uniquely greasy properties. Unlike Spanish Chorizo, the Mexican sort is a fresh sausage that’s rarely eaten in sauasage form (at least I’ve never eaten that way, though a friend mentioned barbequing them). Of course there’s nothing like it available here, so I have to make it myself.

    Previous versions have had neither the colour, flavour nor requisite greasiness for me and this one isn’t quite right either so check back for improvements. This version uses dried Guajillo chilis, but you can just as easily use Anchos. Try the Cool Chili Company for mail order or you can pop into Taqueria, their little restaurant in Notting Hill.

    You could use pre-ground pork, but I like the way the ingredients grind together when done this way. You also have more control of the quality of the meat and the amount of fat you use. By all means, use less fat, but it won’t be as good!

    Ingredients:

    • 750g fresh pork, heavy on the fat – about 20%
    • 4 dried Guajillo Chilis
    • 1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
    • 1/2 small onion, chopped finely
    • 4 cloves of garlic, chopped or pressed
    • 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
    • 1 teaspoon cumin
    • 1 1/2 tablespoons paprika
    • 1 teaspoon oregano
    • 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
    • 1 tablespoon chili flakes
    • 1 tablespoon Habanero Tabasco
    • 2 teaspoons salt

    Make sure all your ingredients, bowls and blades are cold before starting – this will help prevent your grinder from clogging up. Chop the pork into 1 inch cubes and lay on a tray and freeze until very cold, but not rock hard or it’ll never go through the grinder.

    Soak the dried chilis in hot water until soft and remove the seeds and stems. Place them, the vinegar and the other spices in a blender or food processor and combine until they form a thick red paste. Chill the mixture as well.

    Spread the spice mixture on the pork and grind together. Refrigerate for an hour or longer (the longer you leave it, the more intense the flavours.

    Fry with egg and serve wrapped in a flour tortilla. Traditionally accompanied by skillet fried potatoes, but I also like it with Mexican rice.

    Category All Day Breakfast, Miscellany | Tags: | No Comments

  3. American Pancakes

    January 16, 2012 by Lisa

    Being American, I’ve been making pancakes in the American style since I was allowed near a stove, but using English flour and baking powder to make them here in the UK has always been a slight disappointment. Here’s a very good version that makes enough for 3 people, or two fairly hungry people. About 12 pancakes.

    Ingredients

    • 140g self-raising flour
    • 1 tsp baking powder
    • ½ tsp salt
    • 2 tbsp caster sugar
    • 150ml milk
    • 1 egg
    • 2 tbsp melted butter or vegetable oil

    Mix the flour, baking powder, salt and caster sugar in a large bowl. Mix the milk, egg and melted butter or oil in a seperate bowl.

    Pour the liquid mixture into the dry ingredients and beat until you have a smoothish batter.

    Heat a non-stick frying pan over a medium heat and add a knob of butter or oil. Pour in a ladle full of batter. When the top of the pancake begins to bubble, flip it over and cook until both sides are golden brown.

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