Like new season lamb, kid (young goat) is a traditional Easter treat in the South of France and the milky white meat lends itself to Provençal flavours. My preferred way to cook Kid is to poach it first, then grill it on a charcoal grill or barbecue. Otherwise cook the kid in the oven and finish it under the grill to get a lovely and crisp golden brown exterior.
Serves 4-6
Ingredients
1 leg of Kid on the bone
1 shoulder of Kid
1 onion peeled and quartered
4 bay leaves
1 bunch of Sarriette (summer savory)
1 garlic bulb
1 piment d'Espelette (whole dried chilli)
1 bunch of parsley
1 tsp ground piment d'Espelette (chilli powder)
2 tbsp acacia honey
60g green olives, pitted & chopped
60g black olives, pitted & chopped
200ml olive oil
6 salted anchovy fillets chopped
zest & juice of 1 lemon
2 spring onions thinly sliced
2 sprigs of rosemary
salt
black pepper
Place the leg and shoulder in a pan, cover with cold water and season with salt. Add the onion, 2 of the bay leaves, the sarriette, 6 cloves of garlic, the dried chilli split in half and the parsley stalks, saving the leaves for later. Bring to the boil, then turn the heat down and simmer the meat very gently for 10 minutes. Take the pan off the heat and leave to cool.
Chop the remaining garlic and bay leaves and put them in a bowl with the chopped parsley leaves, chilli powder, honey, green and black olives, olive oil, anchovies, lemon zest and juice and spring onions. This should make a thick sauce, but add a little of the cooking liquid if you need to moisten it.
Blitz a third of the sauce to form a paste in a blender - I like to leave the rest chunky to serve with the meat. Remove the kid from the stock and pat it dry.. Lightly score the skin with a thin-bladed sharp knife and rub some of the paste onto the meat. Cover and repeat after an hour.
If using a charcoal grill or barbecue, it's important to cook the meat slowly and gently. Dip the rosemary fronds into the remaining paste and use them to baste the meat with regularly, until it's golden and crisp on the outside and succulent within. Over a gentle heat it should take no more than 45 minutes. If cooking on the oven, cook at 200º C/Fan 180º C/Gas 6 - the time will be about the same.
Serve with some roasted baby new potatoes and a few salad leaves. The sauce will be sufficient dressing.
Moules Marinière
I don't think there can be any better way to enjoy mussels, with a steaming creamy broth to dunk a piece of fresh bread in and a glass of muscadet wine, this is the ubiquitous French brasserie classic.
Serves 4
Ingredients
3kg mussels
1 large onion, finely chopped
4 celery sticks, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
1 tablespoon butter
400ml dry white wine
200g crème fraîche
1 bunch of flat leaf parsley
salt and pepper
Wash and scrape the mussels, discarding any broken ones. Sweat the onion, celery and garlic in the butter in a large tall saucepan. Pour in the wine and bring to a rapid boil. Add the mussels and cover.
After about 3 minutes shake the pan and stir the mussels. Cover again and continue to cook for about 7- 8 minutes or until the mussels have opened.
Remove the mussels with a slotted spoon and put them in a large tureen or individual deep bowls. Continue to boil the liquid in the pan. Add the crème fraîche, chopped parsley and seasoning, and as soon as the liquid has come back to the boil, pour it over the mussels. Serve at once.
Fried Bananas and Rum
A fast and delicious dessert that everyone likes. We often make these on the spur of the moment to satisfy the craving for a sweet end to an informal family meal. Emily uses less butter and rum than I do, but the important thing is not to burn the caramel.
Serves 3
Ingredients
1 tablespoon butter
3 bananas, skinned
2 tablespoons caster sugar
lemon
dark rum
Melt the butter in a large, non-stick pan. When it's frothy, add the skinned bananas. Turn them when they have started to take on a brown colour.
Now sprinkle on the caster sugar and gently swirl the pan to help the sugar mix and melt. Turn the bananas once more and lower the heat. The caramel and bananas should now be golden brown.
Add a squeeze of lemon and a very generous splash of good dark rum. Flambé and bring to the table immediately. These are best served with some good quality ice cream - from a tub of course!
