Roasted Figs in Pomegranate Molasses

The fig tree at my parents' is a pretty big deal for me. As kids, my sister would nimbly leap from one branch to the next, hoisting herself up through the top canopy of leaves and balancing on the highest branch in seconds. I, on the other hand would take one branch at a time, cautiously testing every step. I would move past up her penknife carvings with such triumph, but never dared balance at the top. It is here that I hid in when I learned that my grandmother had passed away. I sat on my 'thinking branch' for what seems like hours, in utter despair. It was my grandmother that carved the trunk at the base from which to venture.

Nowadays, I pass by and pick the odd fig, tear in half to expose the soft flesh and devour with sticky fingers. I am also very fond of a chilled fig, but they don't last long in the fridge. A couple of days ago, I found myself inside the tree, with my niece on my shoulders with a breadknife, reaching for those cracked skin. We popped them in the fridge and by happy coincidence a fig recipe landed in my inbox via the Ottolenghi newsletter. I'm so glad I made the little effort to make these figs: we had everything on hand, except the mascarpone but they are delightful with Greek yogurt. I halved the cooking time, as I wanted to keep the form and texture of the fig. They were delicious warm, but equally good cold.

Ottolenghi Roast Figs
3 tbsp of pomegranate molasses 
1 tbsp of lemon juice
3 tbsp dark muscovado sugar
4 thyme sprigs
skin of 1 orange, in strips
8 fresh figs, cut lengthways
100g mascarpone 
100g yogurt
icing sugar
pinch of salt 

Put together in a large mixing bowl the pomegranate molasses, lemon juice, 1 tablespoon of the sugar, 2 thyme sprigs, 1 tablespoon of water, the orange skin strips and a pinch of salt. Mix well to dissolve the sugar and then stir in the figs. Set aside to marinate for 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, whisk together in a small bowl the mascarpone, yoghurt and icing sugar until smooth. Keep chilled.
Remove the figs from the bowl (keeping the marinade) and arrange them snugly inside a small baking tray, roughly 20x20cm, the cut side facing up. Sprinkle the figs with the remaining sugar and put under a hot grill, clearing about 15cm from the grill. Grill for 10 minutes, or until the sugar has caramelised and the figs softened.
Meanwhile, pour the marinating liquids into a small saucepan, bring to the boil and then simmer for 2-4 minutes or until the sauce is reduced by half and has a consistency of runny honey.
Transfer the hot figs to serving plates and spoon over any leftover syrup from the baking tray, then drizzle over the sauce reduction and sprinkle with picked thyme leaves. Place a spoonful of the yoghurt cream on the side or on the figs and sprinkle over the remaining orange zest. Serve at once.

If you can get hold of fresh figs, with a bit of 'give in the squeeze', please try this recipe, it's a good one and the figs last a while!

Peach in my salad?

Sam and I made empanadas to help bridge that tummy rumble of a gap between lunch at 2pm and dinner at 10pm. It totally makes sense to me that the Spanish eat so much later, what with having a Siesta and the air being much cooler and more bearable later at night. The problem is, it does make me snack! I would normally make a sort of ragu type filling with just beef but Sam added some morcilla (Spanish blood sausage) and it was kind of revolutionary. I will make them again, jot down the recipe and post it here because I don't want anything else to accompany a cold beer ever again. (I exaggerate.)

 Meet Billy, our new pup. He's adorable but has little teeth like needles and loves a little nibble on your skirt/ankle/towel. The wafting scent of beef empanadas gets his tail wagging.

 

To counteract such fried delights there have been plenty of salads this week, I haven't snapped many but this one was too pretty not to. I roasted the plum tomatoes with garlic and thyme and griddled the aubergines dry. Meanwhile, the mound in the middle was quinoa, chickpeas, pinenuts, peppers, tomatoes, slow cooked onions, coriander, mint and WHITE DONUT PEACHES. They were looking wrinkly, so tossed them in and the little bursts of sweetness were a surprise delight!

Speedy doughnuts

 I had a real craving for dougnuts. It was one of those that came on all of a sudden and was nagging me something silly. I googled 'quick doughnuts' and there it was, a total du-darrr moment. Dan Lepard comes to the rescue again with these creme fraiche beauties, link here. I followed the recipe exactly, and they were lip smackingly delicious. The only change I made was with the sugar, I just love that caster sugar kiss when your lips hit a doughnut, reminds me of the games you would play as a child where you weren't allowed to lick your lips!

I leave you with one of my favourite Oscar Wilde quotes

“Between the optimist and the pessimist, the difference is droll. The optimist sees the doughnut; the pessimist the hole!”

Well, I must be somewhere in the middle, because I saw the holes and fried those too.. and then skewered them and drizzled salted caramel all over. Oh yeaaaaah!

Malaysian Supper Club in Putney

If you love food (I'm guessing that's why you are here) and you haven't been to a supperclub, you need to get yourself a seat pronto. There are so many new and exciting nights out there. I have been with friends and I have toddled off on my own, it's a great way to meet new people with similar interests and an even better way of tasting authentic food you may not find in restaurants. 


I first tasted May's cooking at her Malaysian Supper club hosted by Luiz @thelondonfoodie in his beautiful Islington home. I was really blown away with the effort, presentation, taste and generosity of the evening. My friend and I left groaning with our bellies full of the most delicious home style cooked Malaysian feast. A few months later, May emailed me saying that she was cooking again, but this time closer to home in Clapham, so off I went and it tasted every bit as good as I had remembered. We got chatting after supper and decided that Putney needed a dose of May's Beef Rendang!

What with hosting my first Supperclub over two nights, there wasn't a lot of time for pictures as May and I had to move furniture, shop and cook but here are some Iphone pics to tempt you into booking our next one. I missed a pic of one dish (the clams)

Setting up the first table, oooh the excitement

May making the chilli paste to stuff the mackerel 

Elderflower cooler as soft alternative to prosecco welcome drink

 
Wood ear mushroom, poached chicken, shallot, chilli and lime canapé

Guests seated..

Gado Gado salad
 
Stir fried prawns with curry leaves

Chilli stuffed mackerel


Beef Rendang
Sambal eggs (and aubergine, not pictured)

 Pineapple salad

 Coconut and toasted peanut rice

Meringues with rose cream and tropical fruit salad

Oh and on the second night there was a birthday, so we made a monster of a chocolate, meringue and raspberry cake served with raspberry coulis and salted caramel brownies.
 
Look out for upcoming Dates on my twitter @milliskitchen or from May @malaysianbymay 

Mountain Walk and Polenta Cake

I know this post isn't strictly foodie, but I really want to take you on a walk through the Spanish mountains of Torrealqueria. Plus, walks sometimes end in cake.

As soon as the heat dropped this evening, we headed out for a walk. Can we call it a hike? I broke a sweat, so we'll call it a hike. We rambled up the mountains for a couple of blissful hours,it was an evening away from the kitchen, moments spent totally in awe of the vast landscape and ever-changing dramatic light.

My friend Emily is working for my parents at Rancho Del Ingles. 
I have popped over for the week to cook for a yoga retreat,so we got a chance to catch up and act silly up a mountain.

Emily wanted to swim, so I begrudgingly filled the pool with pails of water from the well. It took forever. ;)

I'm going to have to work out how to upload a video here because the chorus of bells rattling from these goats' necks is one my favourite sounds and I want you to hear it.

We reached the top and turned back to the most incredible view over the mountains and sea, that would you believe, I forgot to take a picture of. There's something to be said for enjoying the moment and taking it in through your eyes and not a lens.

On our descent, we took a wrong turn but made little discoveries we wouldn't have made otherwise. It's easy to feel philosophical up a mountain and we agreed that our walk was like a metaphor for life. Although a  struggle to get up there to the top, it felt like an unknown journey, richly rewarding at times but with the odd wrong turn or rocky slip up on the way.

Excuse me for the iphone pics and who knows if I captured the beauty of this walk for you guys, but if you want to recreate the post walk-let's skip dinner-orange and polenta cake I have made it here before. I added a little set blood orange curd and cold Greek yogurt with thyme flowers as a nod to our escape into the wilderness.

Awesome avocado dressing

Fancy kicking about amongst the flowers and picking avocados with me? A good avo brings me such happiness.

If you visit my parents you will go home with avocados.

If my brother visits London and doesn't bring me avocados and lemons, he will be in my bad books. Unbelievably he's 'not too fussed either way about them' so I felt I owed it to him to win him over. Would it be cheating to start my mission with a juicy steak?

Avocados have a lot of calories in them and their fair share of fat yadda yadda, I can't believe this stops people from eating them. They are SO GOOD FOR YOU. Full of antioxidants and good for your eyes, heart and unborn baby in wombs everywhere. They also taste delicious and the cold, smooth, buttery texture is like nothing else. Slather in your hair, on your toast, or blend it into a dressing. You can make it thinner than mine to coat your lettuce leaves but I've made mine like a loose guacamole.

Avocado dressing

Blend the below in a food processor, taste and season accordingly.

2 ripe avocados 

1 tbsp chopped chives

2 tbsp coriander

1 lemon, 1 lime juiced

1/2 tsp Chilli pepper / cayenne pepper

Lots of Maldon sea salt

Pepper

Splashes of rice wine vinegar

You can finish with olive oil or water or more lime if you like...