Venison Stew

Venison season is beginning. We often find the flavour too strong or are not sure how to treat it. This recipe for a comforting stew made with young venison, is the best place to start.

serves 3

Ingredients
750g Amsterdam 'damhert' venison or young venison for stewing
1 onion
2 cloves garlic
1 carrot
2 sticks celery
2 sprigs thyme
1 bottle dark beer
1 chicken stock cube
1 jar baby onions with ‘appelstroop’
250g penoni pasta
1 small bunch flat leaf parsley
5 tablespoons olive oil
salt and pepper

Method
Preheat an oven to 150°C. Finely chop the onion, garlic, carrot and celery.

Heat a pan over medium heat with 2 tablespoons olive oil. Dry the venison on kitchen papier and season with salt and pepper. Fry in the hot pan until browned. Don’t overcrowd the pan. It’s better to fry the venison in two batches. Place the browned meat in a bowl and set aside.

Add the chopped vegetables to the pan with 2 extra tablespoons olive oi and sweat for 7-10 minutes. Add the thyme sprigs, beer, chicken stock cube, 750 ml water and black pepper to the pan. Bring to the boil and add the meat. Cover with a piece of grease proof paper and place the pan in the oven.

After two and a half hours, add the baby onions and 1 tablespoon of their juices to the stew. Return to the oven for a further 30 minutes until the meat is soft and tender. Bring a pan of salted water to the boil.

Cook the pasta for about 10-12 minutes until al dente. Drain the pasta and return to the pan with 1 tablespoon olive oil. Finely chop the parsley. Mix the pasta through the stew and half the parsley. Divide between 3 plates, sprinkle with the remaining parsley and serve.

Nederlands

voor 3 personen

Ingrediënten
750gr Amsterdams damhert stoofvlees
1 ui
2 teentjes knoflook
1 peen
2 stengels bleekselderij
2 takjes tijm
1 fles bok bier
1 kip bouillonblokje
1 potje zilveruitjes met appelstroop
250gr penoni pasta
1 klein bosje bladpeterselie
5 eetlepels olijfolie
zout en peper

Bereiding
Verwarm een oven voor op 150°C. Snijd de ui, knoflook, peen en bleekselderij fijn.

Verwarm een pan op medium vuur met 2 eetlepels olijfolie. Dep de stukjes hert droog met een stukje keukenpapier en bestrooi met zout en peper. Bak ze rondom goudbruin. Bak niet te veel in een keer. Het is beter om het hert in twee keer te bakken. Doe het vlees in een kom en zet opzij.

Voeg de gesneden groenten toe aan de pan met 2 extra eetlepels olijfolie en smoor 7-10 minuten. Voeg de takjes tijm, het bockbier, het kipboullionblokje, 300 ml water en wat zwarte peper toe. Breng aan de kook, voeg het vlees toe. Leg een stukje bakpapier op het vlees en zet de pan in de oven.

Voeg na een uur de uitjes samen met het vocht uit het potje toe aan de stoof. Zet nog eens 30 minuten in de oven totdat het vlees zacht en mals is. Breng een pan water met zout aan de kook.

Kook de pasta in 8 minuten beetgaar. Giet het water van de pasta af, doe terug in de pan en meng met 1 eetlepel olijfolie. Snijd de peterselie fijn. Meng de stoof door de pasta samen met de helft van de peterselie. Verdeel de pasta over 2 borden en strooi de resterende peterselie er overheen.

 


Merguez Sausages with North African Aubergine

North African cuisine is typified by the use of spices and herbs. This dish is fragrant, spicy, fruity and above all, easy to prepare. It's worth spending a little extra money on good quality sausages. Find a good local butcher who makes there own.

English

Serves 2

Ingredients
4 merguez sausages
1 large eggplant
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin and ½ teaspoon ground cardamon
1 clove garlic
2 tomatoes
10g harissa
25g sultanas
1 small red onion
1 small bunch each coriander and mint
6 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon tomato ketchup
salt and pepper

Method
Finely slice the red onion into half rings. Place them in a bowl. Finely chop the mint, add to the onion with some salt and pepper and set aside. Cut the eggplant into 2 cm cubes. Finely chop the garlic clove. Chop the tomatoes into small cubes.

Heat a frying pan over medium heat with 2 tablespoons olive oil and fry the sausages for about 12-15 minutes until golden brown and cooked through.

Heat a second frying pan with 4 tablespoons olive oil. Add the eggplant to the pan and fry for 3-4 minutes until golden. Add the spice mix and garlic and fry for a further 1 minute. Add the tomatoes, harissa (to taste), tomato ketchup and sultanas to the pan. Cook gently for about 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

Finely chop the coriander and stir through the eggplant. Divide the eggplant between 2 plates. Serve with the sausages and the onion relish.

Nederlands

voor 2 personen

Ingrediënten
4 merguez worstjes
1 grote aubergine
1/2 theelepel gemalen komijn en ½ theelepel gemalen kardemom
1 teentje knoflook
2 pruimtomaten
10g harissa
25g gele rozijnen
1 kleine rode ui
1 bosje koriander en munt
6 eetlepels olijfolie
1 eetlepel tomatenketchup
zout en peper

Bereiding
Snijd de rode ui in dunne ringen. Doe ze in een kom. Snijd de munt fijn en voeg toe aan de ui samen met wat zout en peper. Zet opzij. Snijd de aubergine in blokjes van 2 cm. Hak het knoflook teentje fijn. Snijd de tomaten in kleine blokjes.

Verhit een koekenpan op medium vuur met 2 eetlepels olijfolie en bak de worstjes rondom goudbruin in 12-15 minuten.

Verwarm een tweede koekenpan op medium vuur met 4 eetlepels olijfolie. Voeg de aubergine toe en bak voor 3-4 minuten goudbruin. Voeg het specerijenmengsel en knoflook toe en bak nog eens 1 minuut. Voeg de tomaten, harissa (naar smaak), tomatenketchup en rozijnen toe. Laat zachtjes 10 minuten stoven. Breng op smaak met zout en peper.

Hak de koriander fijn, meng het door de aubergine. Verdeel de aubergine over 2 borden. Leg de worstjes er naast en serveer met de uienrelish.


Steak with Green Peppercorn Butter

An absolute classic and the prefect dish to serve during the weekend. Always make sure to purchase the best meat you can find and afford.

English

Serves 2

Ingredients
2 beef steaks, cut of your choice, about 150g per portion
50g butter
1 garlic clove
1 tablespoon green peppercorns
250g green beans
1 sprig rosemary
5 roseval potatoes
6 tablespoons olive oil
salt and pepper

Method
Preheat the oven to 200° C. Top and tail the beans. Cut the potatoes into 4 or 6 wedges, depending on their size. Place them in a roasting tray with 3 tablespoons olive oil, the leaves from the stripped rosemary sprig, salt and pepper. Place a pot of water on to boil for the beans.

Place the potatoes in the oven for 20-30 minutes.

Cook the beans in the boiling water for 5-6 minutes, drain off and season with salt and pepper. Add 1 tablespoon olive oil and keep them warm.

Heat a grill pan over high heat. Drizzle the steaks with 2 tablespoons olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Grill the steaks for 1½ - 2 minutes on each side. Remove from the pan and set aside to rest.

Add the butter, green peppercorns and the finely chopped garlic clove to the pan. Fry gently for 1 minute.

Divide the potatoes between 2 plates. Lay the green beans next to the potatoes and slice the steaks. Lay the steaks on top of the beans and spoon over the peppercorn butter.

Nederlands

voor 2 personen

Ingrediënten
2 biefstukjes a keus a 150g per stuk
50g boter
1 knoflook teentje
1 eetlepel groene peperkorrels
250g sperzieboontjes
1 takje rozemarijn
5 roseval aardappelen
6 eetlepels olijfolie
zout en peper

Bereiding
Verwarm de oven voor op 200°.  Snijd de puntjes van de boontjes eraf. Snijd de aardappels over de lengte in vieren. Leg ze in een ovenschaaltje met 2 eetlepels olijfolie  en de naaldjes van 1 takje rozemarijn. Zet een pannetje water op voor de boontjes.

Zet de aardappels in de oven voor 20 tot 30 minuten. Kook de boontjes voor 5 tot 6 minuten, giet het water af, maak op smaak met zout en peper en houd ze warm met een beetje olijfolie.

Verhit een grilpan op hoog vuur. Wrijf de biefstukjes in met olijfolie en bestrooi met zout en peper.

Gril de biefstukjes voor 2 minuten aan elke kant. Zet opzij

Voeg de boter, groene peperkorrels en het fijngesneden knoflookteentje toe aan de grilpan en bak lichtjes voor 1 minuut.

Verdeel de aardappeltjes over 2 borden. Leg op elk bord een biefstukje en sperzieboontjes. Lepel de peperkorrelboter over het vlees.


Steak Sandwich

Everybody loves a good steak sandwich. Make sure you use the best quality meat that you can afford and cook it medium rare for the best results.

English

Serves 2

Ingredients
300g entrecote
2 ciabbata rolls
75g rocket
2 tomatoes
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
4 tablespoons olive oil
salt and pepper

Method
Slice each tomato in four. Heat a grill pan. Drizzle the tomatoes and entrecotes with 2 tablespoons olive oil and season with salt and pepper.

Briefly grill the tomatoes on each side until lightly coloured. Set aside.

Grill the steak for about 1-2 minutes on each side until medium rare. Set the steak aside to rest.

Slice the ciabbata rolls open and lay, cut side down, on the grill until they are lightly toasted.

Spread 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard on each roll. Dress the rocket with 2 tablespoons olive oil and place on the rolls. Lay the tomatoes on top.

Thinly slice the entrecote into strips and lay over the tomatoes. Top with the remaining half of the ciabatta roll.

Nederlands

voor 2 personen

Ingrediënten
1 entrecote van 300 gr
2 ciabbata broodjes
75g rucola
2 tomaten
2 eetlepels Dijon mosterd
4 eetlepels olijfolie
zout en peper

Bereiding
Snijd beide tomaten in vier schijven. Verwarm een grillpan. Besprenkel de tomaten en entrecotes met 2 eetlepels olijfolie en breng op smaak met zout en peper.

Grill de tomaten kort aan beide kanten totdat ze licht gekleurd zijn. Zet ze op zij.

Grill de steak voor ongeveer 1-2 minuten aan elke kant voor medium rare. Zet de steak opzij om te laten rusten.

Snijd de ciabbata broodjes open en leg ze met de gesneden kant op de grill totdat ze licht geroosterd zijn.

Smeer elk broodje met 1 eetlepel Dijon mosterd in. Meng rucola aan met 2 eetlepels olijfolie en plaats de rucola op de broodjes. Leg de tomaten er bovenop.

Snijd de entrecote in reepjes en leg ze op de rucola. Plaats de andere helft van het broodje er bovenop.


Lamb Chop with Hummus and Feta

Spring is here and lamb is now at it's best. It lends itself well to many different cooking methods and flavours, the most well known being mint, garlic and rosemary. Here we've taken a  mediterranean influence to our dish, with flavours the really compliment one another.

Serves 4

 Ingredients
4 lamb chops
2 aubergines
2 red onions
2 tins chickpeas
1 lemon
100 g piece feta
1 bunch mint
2 tablespoons olive oil
6 tablespoons sunflower oil
salt
pepper

Method
1
Slice the aubergines and finely slice the red onions. Place the red onion in a bowl with lemon juice to taste, 2 tablespoon olive oil, salt and pepper.
2
Drain the liquid from the chickpeas and place them in a jug or tall container. Crumble in half the feta, add 2-4 tablespoons water and blend with a stick blender. Heat a frying pan with 3 tablespoons sunflower oil and fry the aubergine slices until golden. Season with salt and pepper.
3
Heat a grill pan with 3 tablespoons sunflower oil. Season the lamb chops with salt and pepper and grill for about 3 minutes on each side.
4
Pick the mint leaves and finely shred. Mix through the red onion relish. Divide the hummus between 4 plates and lay a lamb chop on top. Serve with the red onion relish and aubergines.


Chicken Tikka Masala

Chicken Tikka Masala

Serves 4

Ingredients

sunflower oil
2 large onions, peeled and sliced
1 red or green chili pepper
5 cm piece of fresh ginger, peeled
2 cloves of garlic, peeled
1/2 teaspoon of chili powder
1 teaspoon turmeric
2 teaspoons garam masala
1 tablespoon of brown sugar
1 small can of tomato puree
2 tins of peeled tomatoes
1 kg chicken thighs, cut into cubes
10 curry leaves (optional)
4-6 tablespoons yogurt
Bunch of fresh coriander, finely chopped
Steamed rice, Naan bread and poppadums, to serve

Method

Slice the onion. Heat 2 tablespoons of sunflower oil in a pan. Add the onions and fry on a medium heat for a good 15-20 minutes until they are soft and caramelized. In the meantime finely chop the chilli ginger and garlic. Add to the onion and fry for 2 more minutes.

Add the chilli powder, turmeric, garam masala and sugar to the onions and fry 1-2 minutes. Add the tomato paste and fry for another 1-2 minutes. Add the tomatoes and allow to simmer for about 10 minutes. Place the sauce in a bowl and blend with a stick blender until smooth.

Add 1 tablespoon of sunflower oil to the same pan and fry the pieces of chicken until they are lightly coloured, about 5 minutes. Pour the sauce and curry leaves, if you using them and some salt and cook gently, cover for about 20 minutes until the chicken is cooked and tender.

Stir the yogurt and half the chopped coriander through the tikka masala. Garnish with the remaining coriander and serve with steamed rice, Naan bread and / or poppadums.

 


Lamb Cutlets with Lentils, Coriander & Mint dressing and Masala Yoghurt

A modern dish inspired by the flavours of India. Lightly spiced and complemented by coriander and mint, two of the best pairings with lamb.

Serves 4

Ingredients
2 lamb racks
salt
pepper
olive oil
200 g beluga or puy lentils
2 shallots
3 sprigs thyme
1 bunch coriander
1 bunch mint
250 ml natural yoghurt
1-2 tablespoons garam masala
coriander cress, to garnish

Method
Begin by making the coriander and mint dressing. Place the herbs in a blender. Add enough olive oil and blend to a dressing. Season with salt and pepper and set aside.

Finely chop the shallots. Heat a pan over medium heat with 2 tablespoons olive oil and sweat the shallots for 5 minutes. Add the lentils and thyme and fry for a further minute. Add water to cover, bring to the boil and simmer gently for 15-20 minutes until the lentils are cooked but still have a bite. Drain off the water, season with salt and pepper and about 2-3 tablespoons olive oil. Set aside.

Season the lamb cutlets with salt and pepper. Heat a frying pan over medium heat with 2 tablespoons olive oil and fry the lamb, fat side down until the fat has rendered down as much as possible and is golden brown. Turn over on to the meat side and fry for a further 1-2 minutes. Transfer to an oven tray and roast in a 200  oven for 15-17 minutes. Remove the lamb from the oven and allow to rest for at least 10 minutes lightly covered with a piece of aluminium foil.

Mix the natural yoghurt with garam masala to taste. Season with salt and pepper and 1 tablespoon olive oil.

Slice the lamb racks into cutlets. Divide the lentils between 4 plates. Lay 3-4 cutlets on each plate. Spoon over the coriander & mint dressing, masala yoghurt and top with the coriander cress.

 


Sumac Veal Schnitzel with Cauliflower Salad

Serves 2

Ingredients
600 g cauliflower
2 Tablespoons tahini
1 lemon
2 veal schnitzels of 150 g each
2 Tablespoons sumac
50 g rocket
40 g  almonds
40 g raisins
50 g panko breadcrumbs
olive oil
salt and pepper

Method
Preheat the oven to 200° C. Cut the cauliflower into florets and place them together with the almonds in a roasting dish with 2-3 tablespoons olive oil, salt and pepper. Roast in the oven for 25 minutes, stirring now and again.

In a small bowl, mix together 2 tablespoons tahini, 2 tablespoons olive oil, lemon juice to taste and 6 tablespoons lukewarm water. Season with salt and pepper. This is the dressing.

Rub the schnitzels in with a drizzle of olive oil, salt and pepper. Mix the panko and sumac together in a bowl. Run the schnitzels through the panko mixture, pressing the crumbs well on to the meat. Heat a frying pan with 3 tablespoons olive oil and fry the schnitzels until golden on each side. Remove the cauliflower from the oven.

Add the raisins and rocket to the cauliflower. Divide the schnitzels and salad between 2 plates, drizzling the tahini dressing over the salad and serve straight away.

We, the Amsterdam Flavours chefs, hope you enjoy this recipe as much as we do. If you have any questions on how to prepare it or just want to send us your feedback, you can reach us here Contact Amsterdam Flavours


Lamb Racks with Chimichurri

Serves 6

Ingredients
50 ml soy sauce
50 ml sunflower oil
tablespoons sherry
garlic cloves, minced
racks lamb chops, french trimmed
tablespoons cumin seeds, toasted
tablespoons Szechuan peppercorns, toasted
tablespoons salt
tablespoon coriander seeds, toasted
1/4 teaspoon red chili flakes (optional)

Coriander Chimichurri
1 cup coriander leaves
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
1 pinch red pepper flakes
1/2 lime, juiced
2 tablespoons fresh jalapeño or green chilli, chopped
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
80 ml olive oil

Method
Begin with the coriander chimichurri. Blend all ingredients without the oil. Then drizzle in oil with the machine running. Season to taste with salt.

Mix soy sauce, oil, sherry, and garlic together. Cut lamb into 6 equal pieces and marinate for 6 to 8 hours.  Grind cumin seeds, peppercorns, and coriander seeds. Mix with salt and chili and sprinkle liberally over lamb. Heat a grill pan over medium heat and grill until rose inside. Let rest about 5 minutes, then slice each piece in half. Serve with the coriander chimichurri.

We, the Amsterdam Flavours chefs, hope you enjoy this recipe as much as we do. If you have any questions on how to prepare it or just want to send us your feedback, you can reach us here Contact Amsterdam Flavours 


Sausages Rolls

Ingredients
500 g sausage mince
1 egg
1 cup fresh breadcrumbs or panko
40 ml Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon tomato paste
sea salt and cracked black pepper
250g puff pastry
1 egg yolk, lightly beaten
sesame seeds to sprinkle

Method
Preheat the oven to 200°C. Combine the mince, eggs, breadcrumbs, Worcestershire sauce, tomato paste, salt and pepper. Roll out the pastry to 3 mm thick and cut into 12cm x 24 cm pieces or cut each ready-rolled pastry sheet in half.

Divide the sausage mixture into six equal portions, roll into sausage shapes and place down the centre of each piece of pastry. Roll to enclose, placing the pastry seam underneath.Cut the sausage rolls into thirds and place on a baking tray lined with non-stick baking paper. Brush with the egg yolk and sprinkle with sesame seeds.

Bake for 20–25 minutes or until golden and cooked through.

We, the Amsterdam Flavours chefs, hope you enjoy this recipe as much as we do. If you have any questions on how to prepare it or just want to send us your feedback, you can reach us here Contact Amsterdam Flavours