Sunday 27 February 2011

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.

9 comments:

  1. Hi my dear-what a quick and very delicious recipe, I must try this out!! Hope you're having a good weekend xxx

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  2. this looks lovely..I love seafood.

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  3. That looks delish, I've always got tofu in so I'm definately going to give that a try.
    Hoorah for Coinstar! It's our annual treat. xxx

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  4. Coinstar is ace! They gave us an 80s style wad too: it was like being loadsamoney!

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  5. Oh that looks delicious! Yummy, I mihght have to try that!

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  6. That looks great. Seafood and comedy DVD's sounds perfect xx

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  7. Looks good and Margaret at Penny Dreadful introduced me to Udon noodles so I know what they are now and where to get them!!

    xx

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  8. This has made me so hungry and just before bed too. I don't know!

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  9. YUMMO!!!! That's right up my alley.......x

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Let me know what you think!