Wagon Wheel Skillet Dinner

I love skillet dinners. They are a terrific way to get a home-cooked meal on the table with minimal cleaning up required, tend to be quick and easy to make, and are always well received. This Wagon Wheel Skillet Dinner hits all three of those points with ease. Of course, you can also use any other short pasta shape, but these rotelle seemed perfect to the southwest theme. If you like a saucier texture, more like a chili mac, feel free to double the salsa, or add a cup of crushed tomatoes.

This recipe relies heavily on the fresh chorizo for its seasoning, but you can always add additional cumin, chipotle, ancho, and Mexican oregano if your sausage is very mild.

Wagon Wheel Skillet Dinner

Serves 4

300 grams fresh Mexican-style chorizo
200 grams short pasta, such as rotelle/wagon wheel shape
2 cloves garlic
2 jalapeño peppers
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
250 mL frozen corn kernels/niblets (about a cup)
250 mL prepared tomato-based salsa, heat level of your choice
3 tablespoons tomato paste
500 mL water or chicken broth/stock, plus extra water if needed
225 grams cooked black beans (eg. a 400 gram can, drained)
1 red bell pepper
Tabasco pepper sauce to taste
Shredded cheese of your choice, to finish
Cilantro and/or avocado to garnish, if you like

Set a large skillet to warm on the lowest burner setting while you prepare the ingredients. Remove the chorizo from its casing and chop roughly. Mince or crush the garlic and set aside. Remove seeds from jalapeños and finely chop. Measure the cumin. Measure out the corn and the salsa. Drain the black beans in a sieve, and rinse them well if using canned ones. Measure the tomato paste. It's a time-saver to heat the stock or water, but not essential.

Turn up the heat under the skillet, and let it come up to medium-high. Add the chopped, skinless chorizo, and fry it in its own fat, stirring periodically, until the meat starts to turn golden brown (about six to eight minutes). Add the minced/crushed garlic and stir through. Add the jalapeños and the cumin and stir through. Cook and stir for about a minute, and then add the frozen corn kernels, and stir them through, too. Give them about a minute on their own, and then add the prepared salsa and the tomato paste, and stir through. You can immediately add the pasta and the broth or water, and stir everything carefully together.

Bring the mixture up to almost boiling, then cover the pan and turn the heat to medium-low. Cook for about 10 - 15 minutes, stirring periodically, until the pasta is tender. The length of time is really going to depend on which pasta you are using, so test the pasta as needed. While the pasta cooks, dice the red bell pepper and grate the cheese.

When the pasta is almost tender, add the drained black beans and the diced bell pepper, and stir through. Bring the temperature back up to a simmer, and if it is looking too dry (it should be just slightly saucy) add extra water - maybe half a cup or so, as needed, to get a pleasingly consistency. Reduce the heat again, and simmer for another five minutes to heat the peppers and beans through. Remove the lid and sprinkle Tabasco sauce over the skillet, and then gently stir it through. Turn the burner off. Taste the pasta to confirm that it is cooked through, and if necessary add 1/4 teaspoon salt (probably not necessary if you have used broth - it depends on the existing saltiness of the chorizo, the beans, and the salsa).



Sprinkle with cheese and cover briefly cover again to let the cheese melt. Serve with cilantro if you like (we were out, and so we served it with diced avocado to squeeze in an extra vegetable.



This dish heats up very well in the microwave (add a bit of extra cheese if you're feeling frisky) and so makes an excellent lunch.

Black Bean Soup

This is based on a Mayan recipe for a very simple black bean soup with big, striking flavours. It is easy to cook the beans the day before, and start from there. It is quite filling as a main dish, but half-sized portions make a terrific starter. The soup shown in the picture above includes finely diced ham, which is a purely optional add-in to a recipe that is otherwise completely plant-based.

Black Bean Soup

Serves 4

1 cup dried black beans (no need to soak)
water to cover beans
5 cups water (extra) or stock of your choice
2 tablespoons canola or corn oil
1 onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped or pressed
1 teaspoon dried pequin (aka piquín) chiles, crushed
1 medium or large tomato, peeled, seeded & diced
1/2 teaspoon dried epazote
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/4 cup dry sherry
salt
Freshly ground black pepper
cilantro to garnish

Part 1 - Cook the beans

Rinse the beans well - you don't want grit or dust in your finished dish. Also give them a quick look-over to make sure there aren't any cunningly disguised little rocks in there - sometimes you find little tiny stones or other debris in dried beans.

Cover the rinsed beans with fresh water, up to about 5 centimetres above the beans. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook until the beans are quite tender, stirring occasionally. This can take as little as an hour or as long as two or two and a half hours, depending on how old your beans are. Play it by ear, but don't let the beans boil hard, or they will split and turn quite mushy. Most of the time, I find that dried black beans are ready in just one hour. Once the beans are tender, you can add a little salt - if you will be using stock in the second part, make sure you don't over-salt at this stage. You can also skip salt entirely until Part 2 and then adjust to taste. Note that if you have hard water (or beans of dubious age), a scant pinch of baking soda added to the water when you begin to cook the beans will help soften them more quickly. You can make the beans a day ahead, and then proceed from this point when you want to serve them. If you will be making the soup at a later date, allow the beans to cool and then refrigerate in their cooking liquid. Once they are completely cold, you can freeze them if you like.

Part 2 - Make the soup

If you are making the soup straight away after cooking the beans, you can prepare and sauté the vegetables while the beans simmer in Part 1 above. 

Remove two thirds of the beans to a blender or food processor and puree. If you have an immersion blender, you can certainly use it right in the pot, but in that case you will want to remove about a third of the whole beans before pureeing (they will be stirred back in later, after the vegetables are added).

In a medium frying pan, preheated over medium heat, heat the oil and sauté the finely chopped onion, chopped garlic, and the pequin chiles until the onion is soft. Add the prepared diced tomato, epazote and cumin and stir until well blended. Add the onion mixture to the black bean purée and purée the mixture again until as smooth as possible. Combine the whole beans and the puréed mixture in the soup pot and add the five cups of extra water (or stock) and simmer gently, stirring frequently until the soup thickens and its components integrate. This takes only about five to ten minutes, in my experience.

If you want an even heartier soup, you could at this point add smoked tofu, diced ham, or diced chicken, as you wish, and simmer gently to heat the new additions through, stirring frequently. Remove any thick stems from the epazote that might have escaped the food processor. Add the sherry and stir through. Taste the soup and add more salt if needed, and it's ready to serve. Add cilantro to individual servings, or substitute finely sliced green onion if preferred.

I like to serve this with crispy baked flour tortilla-crackers, and sometimes a drizzle of contrasting hot sauce to add brightness. You can also top the soup with a scoop of salsa (preferably not cold from the fridge).

The soup also freezes very well, as do the cooked beans from Part 1.

Biff à la Lindström: Swedish ground beef patties

We've just moved to Sweden, and I am currently cooking in a furnished apartment with a minimalist kitchen, but I couldn't wait to dive into Swedish cuisine. This little gem caught my eye right away, and I'm really glad we tried it.

Biff à la Lindström isn't an ancient dish by any means, but it has become a beloved classic nonetheless. Its origins trace unanimously to an artillery captain named Henrik Lindström, whose family purchased the Hotel Witt in Kalmar, in Southeast Sweden. This dish was added to their menu shortly thereafter. Henrik Lindström was raised in Russia, which is suggested by the inclusion of chopped beets and pickles in the meat mixture, but as far as I know there isn't an analogous Russian dish. Those of you familiar with the French dish Steak Tartare will note a number of similarities in the ingredients and preparation...up to the point where these ones are dropped onto a hot skillet (although the "aller-retour" version is indeed lightly fried). Interestingly, the term "tartare" also suggests a Russian heritage, but again, no true link In any event, these days it makes a frequent appearance on Swedish restaurant menus, and is just as frequently made at home. It's very easy.

You can choose to make small patties, as I have here, or larger, more hamburger-sized patties. In fact, there's nothing at all stopping you from turning this into a burger complete with bun and condiments (I think I'll give that a go myself, in fact). If you're serving it in the classic Swedish mode, with boiled potatoes, you can also add a fried egg on top.

Biff à la Lindström

Adapted from Tasteline

Serves 4

500 grams ground beef (or mixed beef and pork)
125 mL / 1/2 cup finely chopped fresh breadcrumbs (not packed)
45 mL / 3 tablespoons cold water
1 large egg
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoons ground black pepper
100 mL / 1/2 small onion, finely chopped
3 cornichons, finely chopped
6 slices pickled beets, finely chopped (about 1/3 cup chopped)
2 tablespoons drained capers
1 - 2 tablespoons butter (for frying)

If desired, a cup of hot stock, broth, or water, and a spoonful of pickled beet juice to make a pan sauce.

Mix the breadcrumbs and water and let it rehydrate for about 10 minutes, while you prepare the rest of the ingredients. Finely chop the onion and sauté in a teaspoon of butter for about 2 minutes, or until softened but not browned. Remove from the heat and let cool. Beat the egg with the salt and pepper in a small bowl. Chop the cornichons, beets, and capers, and set aside.

Combine the ground meat with the cornichons, beets, and capers. Stir in the seasoned beaten egg, and then the damp breadcrumbs. Shape into 4 or 8 patties. If you can, let them stand for an hour, covered, in the fridge, for the flavours to meld.



Fry the patties in a tablespoon of butter over medium heat for (about 3 minutes per side for small ones, 6 - 8 for larger/thicker patties).



If you are making a pan sauce, remove the patties to a platter.



Whisk the stock, broth or water into the emptied frying pan. Add a spoonful of the beet juice if you like, for extra colour. Add a teaspoon or two of butter and boil, whisking until slightly thickened. Spoon over the patties on each plate.

Serve with boiled or mashed potatoes and salad or other green vegetable.

Jalapeño Cheddar Cornbread - small batch

Sometimes, you don't need a big batch. Sometimes, you just need a half-pan of cornbread. That's when a wide 12.5cm/5" wide loaf pan is the perfect size. Excellent news, however, for those who do want a bigger batch — when you're feeding a crowd, or have an adequate freezer — this recipe doubles beautifully into a 23cm/9" square baking pan.

What kind of cornbread is this? Well, I'd place it in the Soul Food category of Southern cornbread, as it has a little sugar and some flour (unlike other Southern cornbreads, which are all cornmeal and completely unsweetened), but is not sweet tasting (unlike Northern cornbread), and uses buttermilk rather than sweet milk. But your mileage may vary, and I am not an authority on Soul Food.

Naturally, you don't need the jalapeños or the cheddar if you don't fancy them - this cornbread is just as good straight up.

Jalapeño Cheddar Cornbread (Small Batch)

125 mL (1/2 cup) all-purpose flour
125 mL (1/2 cup) cornmeal (white, yellow, or blue)
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoons kosher salt
30 mL (1/8 cup or 2 tablespoons) canola oil (or melted butter, or bacon fat)
1 egg, lightly beaten
175 mL (3/4 cup) buttermilk

Optional extras: any or a combination of:
60 mL (1/4 cup) finely chopped pickled jalapeño peppers
60 mL (1/4 cup) shredded cheddar or pepper jack
pinch of ground cumin seed
60 mL (1/4 cup) corn kernels

Preheat oven to 220°C/425°F with a rack in the middle or lower middle slot. 

Lightly spray with canola oil, or grease lightly or line with baking parchment, a 5 inch wide loaf pan.

Mix all of the dry ingredients in a medium mixing bowl. In another bowl, beat the egg lightly, and add the buttermilk and oil. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients (and add any optional extras) and stir rapidly with a fork just until moistened through, with no dry streaks. Do not attempt to remove every last little lump! Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 20 minutes (25-30 for a double batch in a square pan), or until the top starts to turn golden brown. Test with a skewer or tooth-pick to ensure it is cooked through (the toothpick should come out clean). Allow to cool for 5-10 minutes before slicing.

PS: You can also drop dollops of raw batter on top of hot, thick, gently simmering chile con carne (or sin carne, of course, or indeed any thick stew) to make cornmeal dumplings. Cover, and let cook gently for 15 minutes without lifting the lid. The dumplings won't brown, of course, but they will be delicious.

Lamb & Okra Stew (Persian Inspired)

I didn't experience Persian cuisine until I was an adult, and took to it immediately. The deeply flavourful, slow-cooked stews and luscious pilaffs made me want to immediately start incorporating recipes into my repertoire, and I've been gradually adding them ever since.

This particular lamb and okra stew came from researching which flavours would have dominated some of the common stews before the introduction of tomatoes, which have been thoroughly adopted into many dishes. The intense flavour of dried limes/lemons was the obvious answer, in combination with the typical fragrant and nuanced blends of spices. This recipe does contain potatoes, optionally, which is also an introduced ingredient, but otherwise draws on some of the most traditional flavours of its region.

Go ahead and use fresh okra if you like, but try to get the small ones.

Persian Inspired Lamb and Okra Stew
(Khoresht e Baamieh)

Serves 4

500 grams stewing lamb, diced
1.5 tablespoons canola or olive oil, divided
2 medium yellow onions, finely diced
5 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
1 teaspoon turmeric
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
2 - 3 cups water/vegetable broth/light stock
3-4 dried limes
400 grams frozen petit okra
200 grams waxy nugget potatoes, halved or quartered (optional)
2 branches rosemary
2 tablespoons chopped dill to garnish (alternatively sumac)

In a medium-large soup pot over medium heat, heat one tablespoon of the canola oil and add the onion and garlic. Stir and sauté until the onion is translucent and just starts to stick to the bottom of the pan, and then add the lamb. Sprinkle with salt, pepper, turmeric, cumin, paprika, and cinnamon (if using), and continue to sauté until the lamb colours slightly. Add the water, and bring to a simmer. Add a couple of dried limes if you like, hammered open. Reduce the heat and cover, and then simmer for an hour and a half, until the lamb is tender.

Rinse the okra and set aside. In a separate skillet, heat the remaining half tablespoon of oil until it shimmers, and then add the okra into the hot skillet. Stir fry the okra until they are bright green (add an extra pinch of salt as you fry them), about 3 minutes. Pour the okra into the stew, and add a bit of lemon juice or sumac, especially if you are not using dried limes. Stir through, cover the pot, and reduce the heat to low. Simmer for about 45 minutes, until all of the flavours permeate the okra.

Serve with plain rice or flatbread.

It reheats very well, in fact it's even better the next day. Freezer friendly, if properly sealed.

Ginger Snaps

These are classic cookies - suitable for the holidays, with their fancy spices, but down-home enough that you can make them anytime. Plus, they're adorably, perfectly round cookies, which makes you feel like you've mastered something tricky. I use plain granulated sugar throughout the year, but during the holidays, red sanding sugar (or green, or silver, or gold...) feels suitably fancy. Do as you please!

My original recipe had only the cryptic instructions "Mix and bake for 10 minutes at 350" and assumed that I would know the rest. Frankly, I'm a little surprised it bothered telling me I had to mix the ingredients, since it was making a lot of other assumptions. Here's a teensy bit more detail:

Ginger Snaps

Makes 40 - 50 cookies, depending on size

2 cups all purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup canola oil
1 cup sugar
1 egg
1/3 cup blackstrap molasses
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon ground ginger
1 big pinch of ground cloves

Extra sugar for dusting - either granulated sugar or colourful sanding sugar such as the sparkly red shown here.

Preheat oven to 180°C/350°F with a rack in the middle.

In a medium mixing bowl, beat the oil and sugar together. You don't need a mixer here, a wooden spoon is fine. Add the egg, and beat until smooth. Add the molasses* and beat until smooth. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt and spices. Whisk until thoroughly combined, and then dump it into the molasses mixture. Stir slowly as the dough stiffens up into a thick paste, being sure to incorporate all of the flour. You don't want any white streaks in the dough; it should be a uniform dark brown.

Use a teaspoon to scoop up a walnut-sized lump of dough, and roll it between your palms until it is nice and round. Dip the top of it in white granulated sugar and place it on a lightly greased cookie sheet. Leave some room between each cookie, as they will expand.

Bake for about 10 minutes - they should be a little soft (underdone) when you pull them out, or they will get very, very hard and be useful only for dunking in coffee (which is not a bad way to go, really). If your oven is a little slow, feel free to crank it up to 190°C/375°F to ensure that the cookies develop their characteristic crackled tops. Remove to cooling racks immediately, and get the next batch in the oven. Try not to eat them all at once.

*a nifty way to make sure you get all the molasses out of the measuring cup is to use the same cup that you measured the oil in. The molasses will just slide right out.

Stuffed Pumpkin

Everyone can enjoy a beautiful centrepiece main dish that is as fun to make as it is satisfying to eat. Plus, it's even easier to make than a carved jack-o'-lantern, since you don't have to carve a face (I suppose you could, though...) The use of a pumpkin makes it terrific for Thanksgiving or other harvest feasts, but it would be beautiful on a Christmas dinner table, too.

Naturally, you could use any stuffing you like in your pumpkin, but I've chosen my mother's classic bread stuffing with bacon, sage, and onions. If you're feeling extra, go ahead a spoon a little mornay over the top to help seal in the moisture, but that's purely optional, especially if you're serving it with gravy (recommended).

You can use a larger pumpkin if you're feeding more people, although it might take a little longer in the oven. I'd actually suggest two medium pumpkins, baked side-by-side if you want more servings. Of course, if you have lots of other dishes on the table, you can certainly cut smaller slices.

The pumpkin part is so easy that it's almost not a recipe, but I'll give you the stuffing recipe at least. I've used a French "Muscade/Musquée de Provence" pumpkin, but a cheese pumpkin would work beautifully, too, as would any firm-fleshed winter squash with a spacious cavity and fleshy walls.

Stuffed Pumpkin

Adapted from Epicurious

Makes 1 medium stuffed pumpkin - 4 to 8 servings

1 medium fleshy pumpkin (1-1.3 kg/2-3 lbs)

To prepare the pumpkin, cut the top off and hollow out the seeds and strings the same way you would for carving a Hallowe'en jack-o'-lantern. Brush a little canola oil or melted butter over the inside of the hollowed out pumpkin, and set aside while you make the stuffing.

Preheat your oven to 170°C/350°F with a rack set low enough to accommodate the tray with the pumpkin on it. Prepare the tray (baking sheet, pizza pan, or similar) by lining it with foil for easiest clean up. You could theoretically bake it in a Dutch oven (or a French oven) but you'll have a much more difficult time getting it out, so I wouldn't recommend that approach.

Stuffing

4 large slices French bread, preferably stale or left unwrapped for a few hours
1/2 medium yellow onion
2 medium stalks celery
1 leek, sliced
2 - 4 pieces dry cured bacon, diced
2/3 cup hot chicken stock or broth
1 egg, beaten
2 teaspoons dried sage
1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
1/4 cup chopped fresh sage leaves
1/2 teaspoon white pepper
1/8 teaspoon ground celery seed

Dice the bread, toss with a teaspoon of dried sage powder, and set aside. Dice the onions, leek and celery, and bacon.

Fry up the bacon in a big skillet until crispy, then remove the bacon pieces to a plate and fry the onions, celery and leek in the bacon fat. Once the vegetables start to turn translucent, add the bread and stir it all around. Add the rest of the seasonings, and stir around. Empty into a large bowl. If you think it wants more sage or even a little more thyme (go easy on the thyme!), sprinkle a little more of the herb of your choice over the mixture, and stir through.

Add the bacon to the bowl and stir to distribute the pieces throughout. Add the beaten egg and stir well with a fork until combined. Pour the chicken stock over the bread mixture and stir again, vigorously.

Immediately spoon the stuffing into the pumpkin, packing it in gently until the pumpkin is full.



Top with the lid, and bake the pumpkin for about 1.5 - 2 hours, or until a wooden skewer (or dry spaghetti strand) inserted into the fattest part of the pumpkin slides in easily and comes out clean.



Serving can be done in a variety of ways: you can slice it, as we have done here, or you could scoop the stuffing and squash out with a spoon, as either separate items or mixed together. Either way, pass the gravy!

Tiger Balls

This was one of our family's favourite snacks when I was a child, and boy did we go through a lot of them! Much like many of today's "energy bites" or protein bars, it's based largely on nuts and seeds, is lightly sweet, and can actually quell a rumbling tummy between meals. It's extremely versatile, so you can feel free to substitute ingredients as you please: sun butter or almond butter for the peanut butter, for example, in addition to the suggested alternative ingredients below. The first ingredient in each case shown was the original we used back in the day.

If you like your treats to be sweeter and more candy-like, double the honey (in which case you will probably need all of the powdered milk as indicated.

Tiger Balls

Adapted from "Tiger's Candy" from Diet for a Small Planet
by Adele Davis

1 cup / 250 mL natural-type peanut butter
1/2 cup / 125 mL fine shredded coconut, plus extra for rolling
2 tablespoons / 30 mL toasted sesame seeds, flax meal, chia meal, or hemp hearts
2 tablespoons / 30 mL rolled oats or chopped sunflower seeds
2 tablespoons / 30 mL honey, agave, or date syrup
1 tablespoon brewers yeast (optional)
6 - 8 tablespoons / 95 - 125 mL non-instant skim milk powder, as needed

In a mixing bowl, layer all of the ingredients except for the skim milk powder, in order shown above. Use a fork to thoroughly combine everything, making sure there are no dry spots in the dough, and then add half the milk powder. Stir that in with a fork, and gradually add enough of the remaining milk powder that you get a stiff dough that you can roll into smooth balls without breaking and falling apart.

Using a cookie-disher or spoon, form small balls, rolling them between your palms until smooth, and then roll them gently in the extra shredded coconut. Place them in a sealable container in the fridge until needed. I note that we never refrigerated these, they just sat in a cookie tin for their (very short) lifespan, as we gobbled them up mighty quickly. These days, I refrigerate them for safety and freshness.

The ones shown here are rather large - a full tablespoon disher was used to portion them, but a half-tablespoon size is a more perfectly sized snack for me (and comes in at around 90 calories). Fortunately, you can also cut them in half later if you make them too large.

Plum Cobbler

I originally started recipe blogging to preserve and share my family's recipes, and this one is from my childhood. I've never had another cobbler topping that tasted remotely as good as my mother's. This was always my favourite plum dessert.

You can use any kind of fruit you want...plums, peaches, blackberries, rhubarb...just vary the amount of sugar you use in the fruit mixture accordingly. Mom used rhubarb or plums, mostly, as other fruit tended to have different culinary destinations. For Prunica domestica (aka Italian prune plums or Zwetschge), I needed only 1/2 cup of sugar. You can start with the lower amount and adjust for taste before adding the cobbles.

Old Fashioned Plum Cobbler

Serves 6

Preheat the oven to 190°C/375°F with a rack in the middle.

Fruit base

500 grams (3 to 4 cups) of cleaned, prepared fruit (for plums, quarter them, removing the pits)
1/2 cup sugar (sweeter fruits) 3/4 to 1 cup sugar (rhubarb), depending on taste
1 teaspoon cinnamon (or combined spices, such as 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, 1/4 teaspoon ginger, and 1/4 teaspoon allspice)

Toss the fruit with the sugar and spices and place in a dry, medium skillet (there should be no bare spaces in the bottom of the skillet, however, you can layer the fruit thicker or thinner, as you like. Heat the fruit and sugar mixture over medium heat, stirring gently as needed until the fruit softens slightly and the sugar has melted and formed a thick syrup with the juices. Taste the syrup (carefully! it will be extremely hot, so best to let it cool for half a minute on the spoon, than to burn your tongue). If it is not sweet enough, or wants more spice, adjust accordingly. Turn the heat to the lowest setting while you make the cobbles.

Cobbler topping

60 grams (1/4 cup) butter, softened to room temperature
125 ml (1/2 cup) sugar
1 large egg
180 ml (3/4 cup) all purpose flour
8 grams (1 3/4 teaspoons) baking powder
pinch of salt

In a medium mixing bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until smooth. Beat in the egg. In a small bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, and salt, stirring well. Add this mixture all at once to the mixing bowl with the butter/sugar/egg mixture, and stir rapidly with a fork to combine into a thick, sticky, dough-like batter.

Use a tablespoon to drop dollops of batter, with a little space between each one, into "cobblestones" on top of the hot fruit syrup mixture in the skillet. You can use big dollops or little ones, and if you want real uniformity of size, you can use a small disher to portion the batter out. Do not try to smooth the batter lumps in any way, it will take care of itself in the oven - the cobblestones will flatten and connect to each other as they bake. Place the skillet, uncovered, in the oven, and bake for 25 - 30 minutes, or until the cobbles are golden brown and delicious.

Serve warm or cold, plain or with ice cream, whipped cream, or even just a drizzle of thick cream.

Quail Scotch Eggs

Okay, here's the thing. Quail Scotch Eggs are really no different than regular scotch eggs, other than the obvious: quail eggs are smaller, so... they're smaller. So, if you already make a killer chicken egg version, here's just the suggestion to try using quail eggs instead. Perfect for parties, picnics, bento, or any other time you want a delicious savoury treat.

Essentially, a scotch egg is an egg-stuffed glorified meatball. Traditionally they are deep fried (as these are), but you can bake them in the oven, too (although the longer cooking time may lead to the meat shrinking away from the egg in places). So again, if you have a favourite meatball flavour profile, you can simply go ahead with what you already know and love. That being said, I do find that chicken, turkey, pork (or a blend) tend to work best with these little quail eggs, because they don't overwhelm the delicate flavour in a way that beef or lamb might. Your mileage may vary.

Quail Scotch Eggs

Makes 12

12 quail eggs

Meat layer
500 grams ground meat (shown: 60% pork/ 40% beef)
2 shallots
1 clove garlic
1/2 teaspoon coarse salt (eg. sea salt or kosher)
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
pinch of chile flakes if you like

Coating:
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1 (chicken) egg, beaten well and seasoned with a pinch of salt
1 - 1 1/2 cups bread crumbs (I use panko style breadcrumbs)

Oil for deep frying

First you will need to cook the quail eggs. Heat water in a small pot, and when it comes to a simmer, carefully lower half of the eggs into the pot and set the timer for 2 minutes (3 minutes if you want the yolks firm), and then remove them to an ice bath to cool them and stop the cooking process. Repeat with the other half of the eggs. I like to use my skimmer to raise and lower the eggs out the boiling water, because it's broad and I can load six quail eggs onto it at once no problem. A spider might also work. Timing is important here, because if you dither about getting them out, they will probably overcook. Not the end of the world, but the yolks won't be soft, and they might even get those nasty grey rings.

While the eggs are cooling, mix up the meat layer: break up the meat using your finger or a fork, to aerate it and make it easier to introduce the seasonings. Finely chop the shallots and garlic (or press the garlic), and sprinkle the herbs and spices over the meat. Use a fork, or your impeccably clean hands to distribute the seasonings throughout the meat without packing it down too much. Just like you would season meat for making burgers or meatloaf. If your meat is very lean, you can always add a bit of beaten (chicken) egg at this stage, too, but I don't find it necessary. Set the meat aside for the flavours to meld while you peel the eggs.

Very carefully tap/roll the eggs to break the shells, and peel them using a small teaspoon to help ease the shell away from the egg. Place on a clean plate to one side until they are all peeled. This will take a few minutes, so be patient.

Divide the meat mixture into 12 portions

Dip each egg in flour, and shake off any excess; this step is important, because it will help the meat layer adhere to the egg. In the palm of one hand, flatten out a portion of meat into a thin patty. Place a floured egg in the middle, and shape the meat up around the egg, enclosing it completely. Pay extra attention to make sure the seams where the meat comes together are strong. Set aside, and repeat with the other 11 eggs.

Prepare your deep fryer, or in my case, a pot with a couple of inches of oil in it. Heat the oil to 370°F/185°C. While the oil heats, use the time to coat the meatballs. Dip each meatball in the flour, dust/pat off anything but the thinnest of layers, dip briefly in the beaten egg, let drip a moment, and then roll in breadcrumbs to coat. Set aside.

When the oil is ready, fry the scotch eggs in batches until the coating is golden brown and delicious looking. Remember, the centre of the meatball is the already-cooked quail egg, so these babies fry up very quickly, since the heat doesn't need to penetrate the centre. Mine took about four minutes to cook, turning them over from every minute or so. Use a metal slotted spoon or spider to remove them to a clean plate lined with paper towels.

Serve hot, room temperature, or cold...with your choice of dipping sauce. I've used everything from aioli to hot mustard to tonkatsu sauce, depending on the flavours in the meat seasoning. We had three apiece for dinner, with potato salad, and then three apiece for lunch the next day.