Escoffier’s “Piments pour Viandes Froides”
I actually found the recipe in Elizabeth David’s “Salt and Spices in the English Kitchen”, and she gives it as being from Escoffier’s “Ma Cuisine”, which I happen to have in the English translation published by Hamlyn. Enough of that – they both like currants or raisins, which I think are horrid in this sort of thing. They do not have either the ginger or the chilli, which I think are important, or the orange peel. Everyone has been polite about it so far anyway. It was first made to go with baked camemberts at the Foxes on Boxing Day 2007. It looks very attractive in pots – amber gold and bright red.
2 very large round white onions (between the size of a cricket ball and a croquet ball
4 or 5 ripe red peppers
2 x 3” red chillis – the sort that the Singaporeans use – not blazing hot – or a dried hot red chilli that you will fish out at the end
A piece of dried orange peel (or fresh if you have run out of your dried)
1 heaped dessertspoon of sugar (I use demerera but caster will be fine)
2 big fat cloves of garlic or a big fat chunk of fresh root ginger
About half a 200gm tub of chopped stem ginger (messy job to do yourself – best use Sainsbury’s
Teaspoon of coriander seeds
White wine vinegar
Glass or two of Rose
Olive Oil – a couple of tablespoonfuls – Escoffier uses 1¼ pints, which I tried the first time and had to pour most of it away at the end
Salt
A lime (if you have one)
• Peel and halve the onion and cut it into neat matchsticks by cutting it downwards as finely as you can then across about three times.
• Cook it slowly with about a coffeespoonful of salt very slowly in a stainless, enamel or non stick pan – not aluminium! Keep stirring – it must not catch.
• Take the stalk off the peppers, deseed and chop into similar sized strips, and add to the onion.
• If you can be bothered to roast and skin them, the flavour will be even better
• Do the same with the chillis (do NOT wipe your eyes during this process!)
• Slice the cloves of garlic or the root ginger as thinly as you can (don’t use a garlic press – horrible things!) and add
• Stir stir stir
• Add the sugar, allspice, orange peel, the dried chilli if you didn’t have any fresh, the chopped stem ginger and about a coffee cup of vinegar (taste for the sweet sour ratio)
• Cook for 1 ½ to 2 hours over the lowest possible heat. I use a Bain Marie as the gas hob is too hot and I don’t have a pot for the oven with a lid that is the right size.
• Allow to cool, squeeze in the limejuice (optional but good) and stir well.
• Put into pots and label. Make good prezzies at Christmas time as it would be very good to jazz up cold turkey or ham or cold roast pork.
My own Onion and Coriander Salsa
This was made at the same time as the Pepper, Onion and Ginger one above. Quite different. Unexpectedly, most of it disappeared before lunch as a dip with Pringles (it wasn’t in my house!), but it would also do well with cold meats.
1 very large round white onion (between the size of a cricket ball and a croquet ball
1 x 3” green chillis – the sort that the Singaporeans use – not blazing hot
White Balsamic vinegar (Sainsbury’s) or white wine vinegar sweetened with a bit of caster sugar
A big bunch of fresh coriander
A teaspoonful of Salt
The juice of 1 lime
• Dissolve the salt in the liquid
• Peel and chop the onion as finely as you can.
• Chop the coriander leaves as finely as possible. I destalk first.
• Mix together and leave in the fridge for at least two hours. There should be just enough liquid at the end so that you see some if you tilt the bowl to 45.
• Done!
I actually found the recipe in Elizabeth David’s “Salt and Spices in the English Kitchen”, and she gives it as being from Escoffier’s “Ma Cuisine”, which I happen to have in the English translation published by Hamlyn. Enough of that – they both like currants or raisins, which I think are horrid in this sort of thing. They do not have either the ginger or the chilli, which I think are important, or the orange peel. Everyone has been polite about it so far anyway. It was first made to go with baked camemberts at the Foxes on Boxing Day 2007. It looks very attractive in pots – amber gold and bright red.
2 very large round white onions (between the size of a cricket ball and a croquet ball
4 or 5 ripe red peppers
2 x 3” red chillis – the sort that the Singaporeans use – not blazing hot – or a dried hot red chilli that you will fish out at the end
A piece of dried orange peel (or fresh if you have run out of your dried)
1 heaped dessertspoon of sugar (I use demerera but caster will be fine)
2 big fat cloves of garlic or a big fat chunk of fresh root ginger
About half a 200gm tub of chopped stem ginger (messy job to do yourself – best use Sainsbury’s
Teaspoon of coriander seeds
White wine vinegar
Glass or two of Rose
Olive Oil – a couple of tablespoonfuls – Escoffier uses 1¼ pints, which I tried the first time and had to pour most of it away at the end
Salt
A lime (if you have one)
• Peel and halve the onion and cut it into neat matchsticks by cutting it downwards as finely as you can then across about three times.
• Cook it slowly with about a coffeespoonful of salt very slowly in a stainless, enamel or non stick pan – not aluminium! Keep stirring – it must not catch.
• Take the stalk off the peppers, deseed and chop into similar sized strips, and add to the onion.
• If you can be bothered to roast and skin them, the flavour will be even better
• Do the same with the chillis (do NOT wipe your eyes during this process!)
• Slice the cloves of garlic or the root ginger as thinly as you can (don’t use a garlic press – horrible things!) and add
• Stir stir stir
• Add the sugar, allspice, orange peel, the dried chilli if you didn’t have any fresh, the chopped stem ginger and about a coffee cup of vinegar (taste for the sweet sour ratio)
• Cook for 1 ½ to 2 hours over the lowest possible heat. I use a Bain Marie as the gas hob is too hot and I don’t have a pot for the oven with a lid that is the right size.
• Allow to cool, squeeze in the limejuice (optional but good) and stir well.
• Put into pots and label. Make good prezzies at Christmas time as it would be very good to jazz up cold turkey or ham or cold roast pork.
My own Onion and Coriander Salsa
This was made at the same time as the Pepper, Onion and Ginger one above. Quite different. Unexpectedly, most of it disappeared before lunch as a dip with Pringles (it wasn’t in my house!), but it would also do well with cold meats.
1 very large round white onion (between the size of a cricket ball and a croquet ball
1 x 3” green chillis – the sort that the Singaporeans use – not blazing hot
White Balsamic vinegar (Sainsbury’s) or white wine vinegar sweetened with a bit of caster sugar
A big bunch of fresh coriander
A teaspoonful of Salt
The juice of 1 lime
• Dissolve the salt in the liquid
• Peel and chop the onion as finely as you can.
• Chop the coriander leaves as finely as possible. I destalk first.
• Mix together and leave in the fridge for at least two hours. There should be just enough liquid at the end so that you see some if you tilt the bowl to 45.
• Done!
