astudio cooking sessions....
At this week’s cooking session astudio’s CEO Richard Hyams demostrated how to cook Wagamama’s Katsu Curry. A recipe that has recently released by Wagamama especially for lockdown cooking sessions.
Ingredients:
For the Sauce:
2 tbsp. vegetable oil
1 onion, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, crushed
2 pieces of ginger, peeled + grated . Approx. 5cm
1 tsp. turmeric
2 tbsp. mild curry powder
300 ml chicken or veg stock
100 ml coconut milk
1 tsp. light soy sauce
1 tsp. sugar, to taste
For the Chicken & Rice:
120 g plain rice
2 skinless chicken breasts
50 g plain flour
2 eggs, lightly beaten
100 g panko breadcrumbs
75 ml vegetable oil, for deep-frying
Recipe
For the Sauce and Rice: Turn the oven on to 160 degrees C. Chop your onion very finely. Add the oil to the frying pan on a medium heat and add the onions cook until soft. Start cooking the rice - boil some water and it to a pan with the rice, place on a medium heat cook - keep an eye on the rice and stir occassionally. Add the ginger and crushed garlic to the pan cook for 1 min then add the turmeric and curry powder. Add the spoonful of flour and a few spoonfuls of stock to the pan, gradually add the rest of the stock a bit at a time, then add the cocunut milk to taste, soy sauce and sugar, and stir. The consistency should be fairly fluid - it should not be too watery and not too gloopy. Turn down to a low heat mark 1 or 2. Check on the rice - once the rice is for the most part cooked leave with the lid on to steam through.
For the Chicken: prepare 3 bowls, the first with flour, the second with egg and the third with breadcrumbs. Use a hand whisk or a fork to lightly beat the egg. Cut each chicken breast in half height wise. Place each chicken breast in the flour, then in the egg, then in the panko breadcrumbs. Heat another pan with oil until sizzling - test by dropping a few breadcrumbs in. Place the battered chicken in the pan and fry on both sides turning when golden. Once cooked place in the oven until cooked right through. Whilst waiting for the chicken to fry/cook in the oven add the sauce to a blender, hand blend, or sieve until smooth.
To Plate: add a portion of rice to one side of the plate. Prepare the chicken by cutting each piece into slices by placing your knife blade at a 45 degree angle cutting straight across the width of the chicken (90 degrees to the long edge) and diagonally down through the chicken, repeat at 2cm intervals down the length of the chicken breast. Add the sauce: Wagamama and Rich both poured there’s down the centre, however you can add your own flair, as Maryam did with her’s (see picture). Finish with contented smiles afterwards.
If you’d like to see the Wagamama tutorial check out the link here.
Ronnie LVB invites us to find out the secrets behind his Cookies, often brought in to the studio as a treat!
Ingredients:
250g plain flour
½ teaspoon Bicarbonate of soda
½ teaspoon salt
170g Unsalted butter,
Melted 200g dark brown soft sugar
100g caster sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 egg
1 egg yolk
325g chocolate chips
Recipe: Turn the oven on to heat to 200 degree C. Measure the flour into a baking bowl add the bicarb and salt into a bowl. Sift into another bowl. Melt 170g of butter in a pan / microwave. Mix both the dark brown and caster sugar into the butter add the egg and yolk. Add the vanilla essence. Mix the wet and dry ingredients together and add the chocloate chips. Prepare a flat oven tray line with grease proof paper or grease with butter. Spoon amounts onto the baking tray. This mixture makes approx. 24 small cookies or 9 very large ones! Cook for 8min for softer cookies, or 17 min for crispier cookies. Check after 8min. When ready turn out onto a cooling rack.
Karen M, invites you to try her Banana and Oat pancake recipe with berries, banana, ice cream , almond and seed topping.
Ingredients:
1 cup fine rolled oats
1/2 cup almond milk
2 tablespoons maple syrup
1 ripe banana
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 teaspoon salt coconut oil, or oil for cooking
Your favourite toppings e.g., fresh fruits, seeds, ice cream or yoghurt
Serves 2.
Tip: If cooking for more than 2 turn the oven on - you can store pancakes in there until they are all cooked and ready to serve. Alternatively you could use a couple of pans to cook multiples all at once.
Recipe: Peel the banana and place it in a glass bowl. Mash the banana until it is smooth without lumps.
Add the cup of oats, cinamon, vanilla, and a pinch of salt to the bowl and mix. Pour the milk a bit at a time until you have a consistency that is moist enough to spoon into the pan and form a pancake approx 0.75cm thick. Add oil to the frying pan and heat for 3min on a gas mark 6. Spoon the mixture to the pan and shape into medium sized pancake. Cook until golden on both sides. Whilst waiting for the pancakes to cook prep any fruit/wash slice etc. Add your favourite toppings.
Matteo P. cordially invites us to create cocktails and a mocktail
Polar Mist
an astudio cocktail, presented for deltalight @Designweek
Ingredients:
45ml Gin
15 ml Fresh lemon juice
3 Dashes Sambuca or Ouzo or Star anise
Ginger beer
Ice Cubes
Icing sugar
Cucumber + Fresh mint
Squeeze a quarter of a lemon into a 15ml measure. Add to a medium sized tumbler glass. Add the measure of Gin and Ginger beer, then add the 3 dashes of Sambuca. Use a cocktail stirrer to mix. Serve: Select a medium sized tumbler glass add ice cubes and then arrange the cumber slice so that it stetches the length of the glass fro top to bottom pour in the cocktail mix and add a sprig of mint.
Seasonal Sour
(Shaker or blender required)
Ingredients:
45 ml Gin
30 ml Fresh grapefruit juice
15 ml Simple Syrup or Honey or Maple syrup or Agave nectar
1 Egg White
3 Dashes Bitters (optional)
1 sprig of Rosemary
Squeeze grapefruit into a small cup and measure 30ml. Add the measure of fresh grapefruit juice, measure of gin, and squeeze of honey/syrup into a cocktail shaker. Crack an egg and then use the egg shell to pour the egg white only into the shaker. Put the lid on the shaker and then shake the mixture vigourously for one minute. Place a strainer on top of a small glass and then pour the cocktail into the glass. The strainer will catch any lumps of egg white. Add 3 dashes of bitters and a sprig of rosemary to garnish.
Seasonal Sour - spirit free
Ingredients:
50 ml cold tea
50 ml fresh grapefruit juice
15 ml Simple Syrup or Honey or Maple syrup or Agave nectar
Soda
1 sprig of Rosemary Grapefruit zest
Boil water and then add to a cup add a teabag and leave to brew.
Once brewed chill in the fridge once cold add the 50 ml measure of grapefruit juice and 15ml of syrup .
Add the soda water and dress with rosemary and grapefruit peel spirals.
Ready to serve.
Maryam invites us to make Takda Curry made with Moong Daal + Masoor Daal
Ingredients:
A cup of masoor daal red split lentils
Two small onions
2-3 cloves garlic
A fat green chilli
Fresh coriander
Basmati rice
Spices and seasoning: half a teaspoon turmeric, 1 teaspoon cumin seeds, Salt, half a teaspoon of red chili powder
Recipe:
Place the cup of lentils in a sauce pan and wash four times Cover with water and bring to a simmer. Add a teaspoon of turmeric and a teaspoon of ground chilli and the big fat chilli. Keep watching the lentils throughout and adding more boiling/hot water to make sure it remains fluid.
Place the 3/4 cup of rice in a pan and rinse. Place on a medium heat.
Prepare onions by chopping them into semi circular slices. Add oil in a frying pan and place on a medium temp. Add the onions and other veg Maryam recommended traditional peas and potato. Fry until onions are soft add 2 cloves of chopped garlic and then last of all a teaspoon of cumin seeds.
Add your rice and water to the frying pan with the onions, garlic and cumin seeds. Bring to a low simmer until all the water is absorbed. Add more hot water if required.
Whilst the other two pans are simmering away add oil to another frying pan and place on a medium heat. Chop your second onion into semi circular slices again until starting to brown. Add the third clove of chopped garlic, add another small teaspoon of cumin seeds. Cook for 2 min then add to the lentils. Chop a handful of coriander and then add this to the lentils. Save some coriander to garnish. This is then ready to serve. Add coriander garnish or a fresh chilli. Serving suggestion a spoonful of butter on top!
Nina invites us to cook Spanish Tortilla
3/4 cup of Olive oil
Sides: Red Peppers
Recipe:
Turn the oven on to heat to 200 degree C
Prepare the peppers take out the top, centre core and seeds. Place the peppers in an oven dish and then cover in olive oil and a bit of salt. Put in the oven an set the time for 30min.
Pour some olive in a frying pan and heat on a high/medium heat on the hob.
Peel the potatoes and then slice thinly on a grater or to 1cm thickness. Cut into small chunks, When the oil is hot and bubbling place the potatoes in to fry. Keep on stiring whilst you start cooking the onion. Skin and chop your onion into thin semi circle slices.
Heat some oil in another frying pan on a medium heat until soft.
Crack all the eggs into a glass bowl. Add the potatoes once cooked to the egg mixture. Add the onions when soft. Mix together.
Check on peppers. Remove when they are soft.
Place some kitchen paper on a plate and then put all the fried potato on top. Place another piece on top and press lightly to remove excess oil.
Wipe the pan used to fry the onions leaving to clear any fried remains. Add egg, potato and onon mix into a thick even layer. Fry for a few min until the egg mixture is partially cooked.
Free up the base of the tortilla using a spatular and then using a plate the size of the saucepan flip the tortilla upside down onto the plate.
Cook the other side until a light golden.
Prepare the peppers by removing the skins and cutting into segments.
Cut the tortilla into segments and then serve with the peppers.
Marco Federigo invites us to cook, Asparagus Risotto, a dish popular in the spring in his native Italy
Ingredients:
A bunch of Asparagus (approx 6 stalks per person)
2 small cup of Rice (arborio, carnaroli or vialone nano)
1 Onion, Butter, Parmesan, White wine, Oil, Salt & Pepper, Vegetable Stock Cube + water
Serves 2.
Recipe:
Boil 2 litres of water. Place 1.5 of boiling water in a pan, add the stock cube and then bring to a light simmer on a low heat.
Prep the asparagus stalks by removing the outer layer with a knife. Cut the heads and ends off. Keep the heads to add later. Then cut the aspargus into bitesize pieces.
Cut the onion Heat a frying pan with a little oil and add both the aspargus and the onion. Cook on a moderately high heat until the onions have softenened.
Whilst the onions and asparagus are cooking dry fry the rice in a frying pan when the rice for about 5min on a moderately high heat.
Add the onions, aspargus and rice together. Add half a glass of wine along with 2 ladels of vegetable stock water.
Cook until there is little fluid in the pan. Add some more vegetable stock water and wine and repeat the process until you have a risotto with a creamy consistency. Taste and add seasoning accordingly.
Heat some butter in a pan and cook the asparagus heads. Mix some of the heads into the mix.
Serve a portion of the risotto on each plate with a sprinkle of parmesan and the asparagus heads placed as decoration.
Nick Gazanis invites us to cook a recipe from Greece, a traditional Chicken and Lemon Soup
Ingredients:
1 chicken breast
2 lemons
2 eggs
A small cup of arborio rice
2 litres of water
1 chicken stock cube Olive Oil + seasoning
Recipe: Bring the 2 litres of water to boil. Pour the 2 litres of boiling water into the pan.
Cut the chicken up into bite sized bits. Add the chicken to boiling water.
Add the rice, stock cube olive oil (generous glug) salt and pepper to the water.
Juice the lemons into a bowl. Crack the eggs into a large glass bowl .
Mix the lemon and egg together with a whisk or a fork.
Using a ladel spoon water a bit at a time from the pan into the egg and lemon mix mixing together after each spoon of water with a fork or a whisk.
Do this until you have 1/3 of the water from the pan in the bowl with the egg and lemon.
Return mixture gradually back to the pan using the ladel stirring as you do so. Cook until the arborio rice is to the texture desired. Ready to serve