Today we are at one of his cooking schools and food shops at Clapham Junction in London. This place is amazing with an array of ready to take home meals for the busy person to cook or reheat, but all from local foods and with no preservatives.
But boy is it hot here today , it is 30deg and for London that is a heat wave and they don't do fans let alone the A/ C thinging here as it is so rare to get this sort of heat.
Every one is commenting that we are Australians aren't we used to the heat, it's may only 30 deg but so humid and it is a different heat to back home.
The heading in the paper this morning was that the government needs to establish what temperature that worker can't go to work and they are thinking 30 deg is that temperature, well if that was in Tamworth we would not have to work very often !
So back to the class, it is a 3 hour Mexican street food class that we have signed up for and one of his instruction chef is situated in the middle of a massive island and the class class consisting of 12 people at your own station.
It is a lot more lay back than the kitchen that we worked in Italy that's for sure.
But today is about a bit of a fun approach to the whole cooking class, Jamie is trying to put fun into the whole approach and to help the average person to cook good healthy and easy to prepare food, to stop the excess use of junk and prepared food in England
The whole concept store is just a J..me approach and a massive marketing tool and so well set up.
They do breakfast every day and we are lucky enough to sit in on one class last week doing French toast with berries, mascopone and caramel soooo yum. Anyway back to today's class we are set at our own section with the ingredients all set up ready to cook. The class and food was simple but the experience was great. We made our own tor
Mini Corn Tortillas ( makes 10 )
Ingredients
125g fine polenta
1⁄2 tsp salt
150 - 200ml hand hot water
Dash of oil (for frying)
Method
Put the flour and salt in a bowl, and mix well. Pour in the hot water (use only as much as you need to combine the mixture) and mix together vigorously with a wooden spoon until it is firm dough. Cover with cling film and rest for 20 minutes.
Shape the dough into balls ( one should weigh about 25 g ).
Don’t make them too big or they will spill out of the tortilla press – experiment until you get it right.
Open the press then, place a piece of cling film onto the base. Place the dough ball into the middle of the bottom of the press then top with another piece of cling film (this will stop the dough sticking to the press or the rolling pin. Close the top lid and press the dough until flattened.
If you don't have a press use a rolling pin, roll or press till about 80 mm dia.
Put a thin layer of oil in a fry pan heat on a medium heat, then fry off the pressed tortilla until golden brown on each side. Remove from the pan and drain on kitchen paper.
Roasted Corn Salsa ( sharing for 4 people )
1⁄2 red onion finely diced
1/3 red chili – or to taste
zest and juice of one lime – to taste
extra virgin olive oil
fresh coriander – to taste
100 g sweet corn, frozen and defrosted or fresh
Dash of oil for frying corn
Salt and pepper if needed
Method
Makes approximately 14
Get a frying pan and add a dash of oil. On a high heat, fry the corn until golden brown. Remove from the pan and allow to cool a little. Meanwhile, put the finely diced onion, finely chopped chili, lime zest and juice, and chopped fresh coriander into the pan and just heat through about 1 minute.
Add the onion mix to the roasted sweet corn and enough extra virgin olive oil to make a sauce. Taste and add salt and pepper as desired. You may need more chili or lime to taste.
Chipotle Chicken ( enough for 2 people ) this was real yumo.
Ingredients
2 chicken thigh, skin on, bone in (remove the skin if you want to be healthier)
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp whole cumin
1 clove garlic
1 small dried chilli
250ml passata
1 tsp caster sugar
1 tsp white wine vinegar
1 tsp smoked chipotle chilli - mashed up Dash of oil for cooking
Salt and pepper if needed
Method
Put the oregano, cumin seeds, garlic, chili and a pinch of salt into a pestle and mortar and grind it until it is a paste. Rub this into the skin side of the chicken and leave to marinate for about 20 minutes.
Heat a small pot on a medium heat then add a splash of oil, place the chicken in the plan skin side down and pan fry till golden on both sides.
Add the passata, castor sugar, white wine vinegar and the chipotle chilli to the chicken. Stir well, then turn the chicken and cover the pan with a lid. Cook over a low heat for 10 -15 minutes until the chicken is cooked through and the sauce is thick and shiny.
In the same pan shred the chicken from the bone ( discard the bone, well suck it clean first as it is so yummy then you can bin it ) mix well with the sauce, taste. Add some salt and pepper if needed. Enjoy on top of your soft cooked tortillas.
Spinach and Feta filling for taco (serves 4 on small tacos)
Ingredients
1 small red onion – finely diced
1⁄2 tsp cumin seeds
1⁄2 red chili – finely diced
2 sprigs of fresh thyme
200 g chopped tinned tomatoes
250g fresh baby spinach
Few leaves of fresh mint
Few sprigs of fresh tarragon leaves
1 lime – juice and zest
50 g feta
Oil for cooking – dash Salt and pepper if needed
Method
Heat a pan and add a dash of oil, gently fry off the diced onion, cumin seeds, chili and thyme stalks until soft. Add in tinned tomatoes and fresh baby spinach.
Cook till wilted but still bright green. Add in the ripped up mint leaves and tarragon leaves then add some lime zest and juice. Stir then taste.
You may need to add a little salt and pepper but be careful with seasoning as the feta cheese is salty. Top tortillas with the spinach and then crumble feta over to garnish.
Guacamole ( serves 4 people as a dip )
Ingredients
1 avocado
1⁄2 red chilli
1 lime
A little fresh mint
A little fresh coriander
1 spring onion
Salt and pepper if needed
Method
Halve the avocado and carefully remove the stone with a spoon. Scoop the flesh onto a board and roughly chop. Put the avocado into a bowl squeeze some lime juice over to stop it going black.
Finely chop the chili and add this to the avocado, roughly chop the herbs and spring onion and add this also. Carefully mix all of these ingredients together until you obtain your desired consistency. Add in the extra lime juice and season to taste. Add a little salt and pepper if you need to.
Tomato Salsa ( serves 4 people as a dip )
Ingredients
4 medium tomatoes
2 small cloves of garlic
_ red chilli
2 strips of spring onion
1-2 limes
Small bunch Fresh mint leaves - add to taste
Small bunch Fresh coriander leaves - add to taste
Salt and pepper if needed
Method
Finely dice your tomatoes, red chili and garlic. Put into a small bowl. Then thinly slice your spring onions. Add to the tomatoes then add in the juice from 1 lime, add in the fresh chopped herbs and season to taste, drizzle in a little extra virgin olive oil.
Mix well then taste. Add more chilli or lime juice to your taste and salt and pepper if you need it.
Sit back with friends and enjoy with a long cold beer, and we did....
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