Deceptively Simple Luxury Supper

Thursday night, we went out for dinner (3 courses: goats cheese starter, mussels in cream sauce and ice-cream) with wine. I would review it but I was sadly under the influence and it might well turn into a rant about rude harridans who should watch their wagging tongues in restaurants. Friday night we went out for beer and ended up eating kebab (not dirty, dirty kebab off of a van, mind. It was from the finest of kebab houses in Harrow and has a proper waiter service, sober people eating there and proper wooden tables. But it's still kebab).

Saturday we were feeling rather full-of-tummy and empty-of-purse. So we took our kitty (literally a Hello Kitty piggybank) down to the local coinstar machine and got ourselves a little mini-wad to treat ourselves to a night in: a nice bottle of sauvignon blanc, some seafood for a yummy (but dead easy) dinner and some comedic DVDs.

We had one of my favourite quick-but-it-tastes-luxurious suppers: udon broth with seafood. Of course, you can make this with any meat, tofu or veg instead of the seafood:

Ingredients:

• 2 packets of 'fresh' (plastic sealed) udon noodles. Most supermarkets stock these but you can also find them in oriental supermarkets and online
• 2 good handfuls of prepared seafood of your choice or thin strips of cooked beef/chicken or tofu or mushrooms
• Some 'greens' as my gran would call them (pak-choi, or cabbage/spinach)
• 2 sliced spring onions
• A fresh chilli of your preferred heat, chopped
• A finely sliced clove of garlic
• A small knob of ginger, smashed up a bit (and some lemongrass if you have it)
• Soy sauce
• Stock to match your main protein (i.e. seafood, beef, lamb or veg stock). If you are a superb chef, you will have some home-made and stashed in the freezer. If you are prepared, you'll have some nice stock bought in. If you are me, you'll use a cube innit.
• Water to make the stock fill two bowls of suitable size

Method.

1. Simmer the flavourings (soy, ginger, garlic, stock, chilli, onion) with the stock and water for about 5 min. Taste it and adjust it at this point, till you feel it's a refreshing broth, enough flavour but not too salty. If you are cooking with raw chicken/beef, poach it in the broth now.
2. Add the udon noodles and green veg, simmer for 5 more minutes. If you are using seafood, tofu or mushrooms, add them after 1 minute, they should poach in 4 or 5.
3. Fish out the big ginger knobule. Serve in bowls.

Love the way it focusses in on the wine.
Nice one camera.

I love this recipe because it seems summery, a little luxurious and it takes one pan and ten minutes.