A day in the life of an Aga

As I've already mentioned, our new house has an Aga in the kitchen. The news has been met with a mixture of excitement and trepidation from my husband and I, wedded as we are to the happy combination of gas hob and electric oven. I've always loved the idea of an Aga but have, at the same time, been slightly wary of the reality. No set temperatures, a permanently hot kitchen, no cooking smells to warn you when your cake is starting to burn... On the other hand, I love to see dogs snuggling up to the Aga after a wet and wild walk on a chilly winter day. I love to see sheets carefully folded on the Aga knowing that they will require no ironing. And I love the concept of popping a casserole in the simmering oven and leaving it for hours, knowing it will come to no harm.

Keen to have a go at befriending our new appliance, we decided to visit our local Aga store in search of tips. We were interested to discover that the store held a varied programme of events, cooking demonstrations and classes. I was particularly drawn to a class entitled 'A Day in the Life of an Aga' and yet more delighted when I discovered that it only cost £7.50 to attend (prices seem to vary according to location).

Aga toast: crisp on the outside and soft in the middle

So, on Tuesday night, the two of us turned up at the Aga shop eager to learn whatever we could about Aga cookery. I am pleased to report that it may well prove to be the best £15 ever spent! The evening was ably hosted by Marcia Poole who started by asking each of us to describe our Aga situation. There was an audible gasp from the audience when we mentioned that we had a solid fuel fired Aga and we felt a little more nervous about what we are letting ourselves in for. Oil or gas-fired would definitely be simpler it seems...

Marcia then set to work showing us how to get the best from the Aga. What followed was quite miraculous and highlighted the versatility of Aga cooking. Although she was using a four-door Aga, she did most of the cooking in the roasting and simmering ovens so that those of us with a mere two doors didn't feel too left out. At the peak of her performance she managed to have the following items cooking simultaneously in the ovens: a full English breakfast, a roast chicken, a plum crumble, sweet potatoes, carrots, cauliflower, white sauce for the cauliflower, rice, shortbread, a vegetable curry, an apple sponge cake, two salmon steaks and a quiche. All these items were cooking along happily yet the Aga didn't look as though it was doing a thing. For good measure she also whipped up some Chelsea buns and cooked drop scones and a stir-fry on the hot plates.



The food, almost all of which was cooed in (rather than on) the Aga



This is the trick to successful Aga cookery. Using the ovens as much possible and keeping the lids down in order to keep the heat in. Root vegetables should be started on the hot boiling plate and then should be drained of their water and transferred in their saucepans to the simmering oven where they happily steam away slowly until you are ready for them. The beauty of the simmering oven is that it is very hard to overcook things - you can do the veg ahead of time and stow them out of sight in the oven until your roast is ready. No last minute stress getting hot and bothered over pans of boiling veg! The Aga ovens are deceptive too - they go back a long way and you can fit a surprising number of pans inside. Marcia had six saucepans in the simmering oven at one point.

The simmering oven containing six pans

Another favourite 'trick' she showed us was how to cook a fatless ' fried' egg on the cooler of the two hot plates. You take a sheet of bake-o-glide, crack an egg into the middle and then put the lid down over the egg. In a few minutes, lift the lid to find a perfectly cooked egg without the need for oil or butter. Toasted sandwiches can be made this way too.

'Fried' breakfast with no added fat

We watched in awe as she raced through the method for cooking perfect rice and pasta and listed carefully when she explained that Aga casseroles need less liquid than usual. I was particularly interested in the way she cooked her quiche - no need for blind baking as you can fill a raw pastry case and place it on the floor of the Aga ensuring a perfectly crisp pastry on the bottom.

After the whirlwind session we were allowed to sample the food - delicious, all of it - and had a chance to ask further questions. We'd learnt a huge amount in a short space of time and returned home totally sold on Aga cookery and ownership and dying to get our Aga up and running (we are currently waiting for a chimney sweep to come and clean the flue and check it over as it hasn't been used in an age).

Drop scones cooking directly on the simmering plate

We are slightly dismayed to find that our Aga does not come with the standard bits of Aga equipment and it looks as though we are going to have to start saving as the roasting tins, kettle and toast rack are fairly essential (and not exactly cheap). The Aga saucepans are cleverly designed to stack on top of each other in the ovens to make most use of the space and certainly a desirable extra but sadly a little expensive for us (and we do have very good new pans which can go in the ovens).

Overall, we are more excited than ever about the Aga and, with a little practice, firmly believe that cooking on it will be a great pleasure. If you own an Aga, or are thinking of intalling one, I would thoroughly reccomend the in-store classes. This was a basic class for 'beginners' really but could be a useful refresher for seasoned Aga cooks. However, there are many other sessions to choose from including classes on baking and cooking the Christmas lunch!

Berry gratin

Just a quick little post about a rather scrumptious pud I whipped up last week. It had been a sunny, summery day and we decided upon a last-of-the-season barbecue. I had a craving for something sweet to finish with and happened to have some raspberries sitting in the fridge. The hedgerows round us are bursting with blackberries so I whipped out to pick a few of those to mix with the raspberries and then took to the internet in search of a quick recipe that would fit the bill.



Before the grilling!



I had in mind a rather delicious dessert I've enjoyed in France a few times - berries baked in a runny custard mixture which is then flashed under the grill to create a slightly crisp top layer. Very simple and completely delicious.

I looked at quite a few recipes - most involved ingredients I didn't have to hand. But then I landed upon a spectacularly simple recipe from La Tartine Gourmande. It took moments to prepare and only a few minutes under the grill to cook. It tasted just as I was hoping and I know I'll be making it again. The subtle flavour of cardamon is a real winner and compliments the berries just beautifully.

As I am rather greedy, I have to confess to making this recipe for just two people in rather large ramekins. As such it took a little longer to cook...

I won't reprint the recipe here as you can find it here with photos far more beautiful than mine (...it was dark, I was in a rush to eat it!).

Rosemary and black olive soda bread

As one of our wedding presents, we were lucky enough to receive a bread maker. I was absolutely thrilled. Successful bread baking is an art that has long eluded me and despite people waxing lyrical about the stress-reducing powers of kneading bread, I just can't get enthusiastic about it. I love the idea of it all but when it comes to the process, I just find myself if a sticky mess. I'm usually left feeling rather disappointed with an equally disappointing (and frankly indigestible) loaf in my hand.

Fellow bloggers may well feel I'm letting the side down and that I should persevere. But I'm afraid that now I have my lovely bread machine, it may take me a while to get back in the bread-making saddle. There are many other people making wonderful bread so I shall leave it to them for now.

I have, however, had more success with soda bread which is far easier to make. I love the slightly different texture and find it goes brilliantly with hearty autumn soups or toasted and spread with a really good marmalade.

I discovered this particular recipe in a Weight Watchers cookbook. Don't let that put you off - it works brilliantly and tastes fantastic. Today it is chilly, damp and distinctly autumnal and a wedge of this bread went very nicely with a bowl of butternut squash soup.

Rosemary and olive soda bread

Makes 6 wedges

Ingredients

200g self raising flour

pinch of salt

1/2 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda

30g pitted black olives

2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary plus a few small sprigs to decorate

100g low fat natural yoghurt

1. Preheat the oven to 200C.

2. Sift the flour, salt and bicarb into a mixing bowl and stir in the olives and chopped rosemary.

3. Mix the yoghurt with 3 tablespoons of water and then add to the flour mixture. Stir with a table knife to bring the dough together into a clean ball. You may need to add a little more water to achieve this.

3. Lightly grease a baking tray and then press the dough out into a 15cm/6 inch disk on the tray. Mark into six wedges with a knife, taking care not to cut all the way through. Stick a rosemary sprig into each each 'wedge'.

4. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until the bread sounds hollow when tapped underneath. Cool on a wire rack before cutting into wedges and enjoying!

Notes - this is best eaten on the day it is made. However, it does freeze well.

Aga saga

I've had a fairly serious break from blogging. The past 18 months have seen some fairly serious changes in my life and, to be honest, I haven't much had the time (or inclination) for my blog. First there was the flower-sender. We met just 19 months ago, were engaged after four months and in May we got married...

Prior to the wedding, we took stock and decided that we both needed to lose weight. We've lost over 6 stone between us and I am feeling decidedly lighter on my feet. Our diet is certainly much healthier but, fear not, I still enjoy the occasional treat! For some reason, I didn't much feel like blogging during this period. I wish I had though as I miss having all my recipes in one place for reference.

In the midst of the wedding preparations, Sinbad arrived. Deeply naughty, very cute and completely lovable, we were totally unprepared for the chaos that comes with an eight week old puppy. We wouldn't have it any other way though and he is now a fully-fledged member of our pack.

Whilst all this was going on, we decided it would be a good idea to move house. I've lost count of the number people who told me that moving house is one of the most stressful things one can do and was I really sure that getting married, changing job and moving house all in the same year was a good idea. I suspect they may have had a point. Particularly as we were moving to a whole new area. From start to finish the process took almost a year but I'm pleased to say that we've finally sold my London flat and are now renting a house in a chocolate-box village in the Cotswolds.

In London I woke to the sound of planes coming in to land and opened my curtains to the charming view of a brick wall. Now I wake to the sound of silence and open my curtains to this...

The trees in the garden are laden with apples, pears and plums. I finally feel like I can breathe out after all the mahem of the past year. Above all, I feel reinvigorated and newly inspired. I can't wait to gather in the autumn produce from the garden, forage in the hedgerows which are laden with blackberries and sloes and install myself in the kitchen.

The kitchen. The new kitchen. It is twice the size of the London one, plus it opens out onto a large dining area. It is a proper, sociable kitchen which is flooded with light. I look out onto the garden. Installed in the 1970's, it is not the most attractive kitchen in the world but I love the feeling of space.

There is however, one rather large problem standing between me and a coruncopia of culinary delights. Let me introduce our Aga...

Many people dream of a kitchen with a range such as this. Until we moved here, I considered myself one of them. What could be nicer than a permenantly warm stove? The heart of the home. I pictured myself as domestic goddess extraordinaire gliding around the Aga with the dog at my feet, casserole in the bottom oven simmering away. Life would be good.

But then I realised that I didn't actually know how to use an Aga. It couldn't be too complicated, surely. My husband kindly gave me a book on the subject for my birthday. I read that the secret to successful Aga cooking seems to lie in never opening the top lids and investing in a whole new set of expensive pans. Not good.

I'm being unfair. This isn't really the case. I'm certainly not buying new pans just yet (especially as we were lucky enough to receive some extremely smart ones as a wedding present). But I do need to learn the Aga way of cooking. It is different. I find that I am allowed to open the lids and cook on the top after all. I just have to understand that when the lids are open, I'm losing heat from the ovens. The 80:20 rule is apparantly what I need to follow. 80% of cooking should be done in the ovens, a mere 20% on top. Follow this 'rule' and I will, so I'm told, learn to love my Aga. I don't doubt it. Anyone I've ever met who has one is completely wedded to it. I suspect I will be too in due course.

We are lucky enough that there is another oven to use as a backup and we're waiting for the temperature to drop a little before we fire up the Aga. I'm excited about the challenge and looking forward to sharing the results of my efforts here. I hope you'll enjoy reading about them!

Chocolate brownies with roasted plum sorbet

It has been months. And months.

I've been cooking. But I haven't felt like blogging. A variety of reasons I suppose. Two burglaries last year meant that I was without a decent camera for a while. The laptop was also stolen and took a while to replace. Our wedding is fast approaching (eight weeks to go) and preparations have taken up much of my time. We've also been dieting. My passion for all things bad for me finally got to a point where I felt the need to take action (...the prospect of looking reasonable in my wedding dress had nothing to do with it, of course....!). Between the flower-sender and I, we are now nearly five stone lighter. Quite an achievement certainly, but I guess I just haven't felt like blogging about it all.

Anyway, today I'm back in the mood. Or at least, I was in the mood until I discovered that blogger has changed and uploading and positioning photos has turned into something of a nightmare. Bring back drag and drop!!

The arrival of this little fellow on Wednesday, means that I am pretty much housebound until he has his second lot of jabs, freeing him up to go and explore the world. Currently, he is spending most of his time sleeping (during the day), chewing our shoes (in the evening) and howling (at nighttime). Not ideal, but he is adorable all the same... I hope you'll agree!

Months of healthy eating have left us deprived of good cakes (low-fat cakes hardly ever cut the mustard with me) and I'm also not good at the whole 'just a small slice' thing so it has been better not to have them sitting in the cake tin in temptations path. But we have been making exceptions when we have people round. It is a great excuse to bake something naughty and delicious and enjoy it knowing we've been good the rest of the week.

A few weeks ago, I fancied something chocolately. I'm still on a quest for my 'perfect' brownie recipe and whilst flicking through a Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall cook book, I was drawn in by a photo of divine brownies topped with a vibrant plum sorbet. I dug out the ice-cream maker (doesn't tend to get much use in the depths of winter) and set to work. The sorbet is simplicity itself - and it contains no raw egg white so is 'safe' for pregnant guests or anyone else who needs to be careful. The plums are roasted with vanilla and sugar before being pushed through a sieve (a bit time-consuming, but hardly arduous) and then churned until set. Served on top of warm chocolate brownies, it is perfection. The contrast of cold and warm and the sweetness of the brownies next to the slight bite of the plums is quite excellent. Well-done Hugh for an inspiring combination!

Use your own favourite brownie recipe (though Hugh's was rather good). You can find the original recipe for the sorbet on p360 of his excellent book 'River Cottage Everyday'. Here is my version.

Roasted Plum Sorbet (with chocolate brownies)

Ingredients
1kg plums
2 vanilla pods
100g caster sugar (plus more if the plums are sharp, but don't overdo it)
1 batch of your favourite brownies, warm from the oven

1. Pre-heat oven to 200C.

2. Halve and stone the plums and place in a roasting tin. Split the vanilla pods and chop into small pieces - add to the tin. Sprinkle over the caster sugar and add 250ml water. Roast for 30-40 mins until the plums are very soft and blistering round the edges.

3. Push the contents of the roasting tin through a sieve - this is time consuming, but hardly arduous. And it is worth it, I promise!


4. Taste the puree and add more sugar if required. You want a little bite to it though! Chill for a couple of hours before churning until thick in an ice-cream machine (or freezing in a shallow container and beating by hand every hour, three times to prevent ice crystals).


5. Enjoy with warm brownies!

Rabbit and artichoke paella

The past month has seen me spend little time in the kitchen. I've been struck down with two tummy bugs which seemed extremely unfair. I'm just getting over the second one and after five days of consuming nothing but dry toast, mashed potato and plain pasta, I'm finally hankering after something a little more interesting (...and nutritious!)

Back in September, the flower-sender celebrated his birthday. Like me, he is a fairly keen cook and one of his signature dishes is paella. Until earlier this year, I had never enjoyed a paella. I can't eat shellfish and as all paellas seemed to involve mussels or prawns or clams, I assumed it was a treat I'd ever enjoy. How wrong I was. On an early date, the flower-sender wowed me with a special shellfish-free paella made with monkfish, chorizo and a variety of vegetables. This delicious dish now makes a fairly regular appearance in our household. His only complaint was that he didn't really have the right equipment to make an 'authentic' paella. So, for his birthday, I decided to invest in a proper paella pan. I chose a kit including special 'La Bomba' paella rice, saffron, pimento and other bits for making the perfect paella. I also invested in a book all about the famous Spanish dish.

The book is actually really rather interesting - much of it talks of the techniques and tools required to make a good paella and the other half is full of great recipes. What interested me most was the number of these which did not contain shellfish, or even fish for that matter. I was allowed to choose the first recipe cooked in the new pan and selected an interesting sounding rabbit and artichoke paella.

This really worked very well - it was delicious. The rabbit was moist and tender and the rice perfectly textured and flavoursome. The only problem we had was the instruction that we shouldn't stir the paella. This was not really a goer as the food soon started to burn on the bottom of the pan. We eventually added more stock but unfortunately a few burnt bits did make their way into the finished dish (...as you'll see from the photos).

We asked the butcher to joint the rabbit for us and halved the recipe. We also used chargrilled artichoke hearts rather than preparing our own fresh artichokes, so I've adapted the recipe to take this into account. Make sure you hang onto the rabbit's liver - pounded together with almonds, it makes a delicious addition to the paella (although it was so delicious I almost ate it all before we got to the stage of pounding it in the pestle and mortar).

Please excuse the 'wide-screen' nature of the photos. New camera and I'd hit the wrong setting by accident!

Paella de conejo y alchachofas
(Paella with rabbit and artichokes)
From 'La Paella' by Jeff Koehler
Serves 6

1 whole rabbit, cut into 12 pieces, keep the liver
6 tbsp olive oil
6 artichoke hearts (we used ready cooked hearts and washed off as much preserving oil as possible)
1 red bell pepper, cored and chopped into 1-inch square pieces
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
4 medium ripe tomatoes
1 tsp sweet pimenton
8 cups chicken stock
2 pinches saffron threads
3 cups short-grain rice (buy special paella rice or look for a brand such as La Bomba)
handful of tomatoes
handful of chopped parsley

1. Toast the saffron to release extra flavour. Do this in a dry saucepan until the saffron starts to change colour and then crumble onto a piece of paper (or pound with a pestle and mortar).

2. Season the rabbit with plenty of salt and pepper. In a large paella pan (or large wide saucepan), heat the oil and brown the rabbit for around 5 minutes, along with the rabbit liver. Set aside.

3. Pound the rabbit liver with a handful of almonds in a pestle and mortar and set to one side.

3. Grate the tomatoes. To do this, cut the tomatoes in half, remove seeds with your finger and grate on the widest setting on a stand-up grater. Discard the remaining skin.

4. Cook the pepper in the pan over a medium heat for 5 mins. Add the garlic and tomatoes and a couple of pinches of salt and cook until the tomato starts to darken (about 5 minutes). Return the rabbit to the pan along with any juices and cook for another 5 minutes. This base is called the 'sofrito'. According to the author, it should look 'pasty' at this stage (...though I'm not sure how pieces of rabbit can look pasty!).

5. Sprinkle in the pimenton and stir to combine. The add the chicken stock, bring to a simmer and simmer for 10 minutes. Add the artichoke hearts.

6. Sprinkle in the saffron. Taste and add seasoning if required. Increase heat to high and bring liquid to a boil. Sprinkle in the rice and with a wooden spoon, push rice to ensure it is evenly distributed.

7. Do not stir again but cook, uncovered for 10 minutes over a high heat. After 10 minutes, reduce the heat to low and cook for an additional 8 minutes, or until the liquid is absorbed and the rice is 'al punto' (with a slight bite to it).

8. Remove paella from heat, sprinkle over the ground rabbit liver/almond mixture, cover with paper towels and leave to rest for five minutes.

9. Before serving, sprinkle with chopped parsley.

Guilt-free sticky toffee puddings!

It has been a long interlude! When I last posted in September, I didn't for a moment think that it would be November when I finally returned.

The reasons for my blogging absence have been various. It has been a busy few months with much change on the horizon for me and I just haven't felt like blogging. So much has been up in the air and I suppose I've been concentrating on all those other things. Finally, my plans are all out in the open and I feel able to think about other things. I won't bore you with details of these plans but essentially they involve a big move (out of London to the Cotswolds). The big move also involves a change of job as I won't be able to commute to Hertfordshire from that area. As yet, I'm not sure what this will be as I'm not sure when we will be able to move (it depends on the sale of my flat). So, exciting things ahead but also an air of uncertaintly. I've handed in my notice with nowhere to go next and I have to say that it is a little scary! In between getting my flat ready for sale, planning our May wedding, looking at properties in the Cotswolds and looking for jobs I've had little time to blog. That's not to say I haven't been busy in the kitchen, I just haven't felt inclined to grab the camera as much as usual.

I'm hoping to get back to normal now though I suspect the next few months may be a little erratic. Please bear with me - once the move has taken place, I suspect to have much more time on my hands (...in theory!).

Anyway, with a very lovely wedding dress to show off in May, I've succombed to the inevitable pre-wedding diet. I've been very overweight for years - my love of puddings, cakes, pastry, cheese and butter are entirely to blame (...along with my total lack of enthusiasm for most forms of exercise). I finally decided that with something to aim for, it was time to reign it in a bit. Fortunately for me, the flower-sender is equally keen on pastry and decided that he should also get on the bandwagon. So, one stone lighter than I was in August, I'm feeling quite pleased with myself. It has been challenging though and there is still a way to go.

The biggest problem for me has been puddings. I'm the sort of person who doesn't feel that a meal is complete unless it ends on a sweet note. And by this, I don't mean a piece of fruit. I like proper puddings. Lunch isn't a problem - I'm happy with a yoghurt. But in the evening, I want things to end properly. The trouble with most low-fat dessert recipes is that they are generally what I call 'non-puddings'. Fruit salads. Poached pears. Compote of plums with greek yoghurt. These things are all perfectly nice, but they don't really satisfy the craving in the same way that a crumble, sponge or treacle tart would.

I've become almost desperate in my search for low-fat puds to satisfy my sweet tooth and have come to the conclusion that the whole point of a dessert is that, by its very nature, it is something indulgent and that a low-fat pudding is really something of an oxymoron.

In the meantime, I have found this rather nice little recipe. It is, if such a thing can exist, a low-fat sticky toffee pudding (...did someone say something about oxymorons?). Usually someone who extols the idea that a thing is only worth doing if you do it properly, I decided to give it a whirl.

It is a recipe from BBC Good Food - a website useful for dieters as each recipe is accompanied by the full nutritional information. I made these as a treat one Sunday night after our weekly roast. Sticky toffee pudding is perhaps a bit of a stretch. It isn't really the same pudding at all. But it was rather good despite this. It had good date flavour and whilst maple syrup is hardly a substitue for a good toffee sauce, it is still rather delicious. My craving was completely satisfied and I'd definitely make these again. It is a very simple recipe and individual puds look so pretty for a dinner party. Ideal for the colder nights!

Guilt-free sticky toffee puddings
Makes 4 individual puds
Original recipe here

175g pitted dried dates
150ml maple syrup, plus extra to serve
1 tbsp vanilla extract
2 large eggs, separated
85g self-raising flour
Low fat greek yoghurt or custard to serve

Individual pudding moulds
Food processor

1. Pre-heat the oven to 180C.

2. Place the dates in a saucepan with 6 fl oz/175ml water. Bring to boil and simmer for 5 minutes.

3. Tip the dates and water into a food processor with 6 tbsp of the maple syrup and the vanilla extract and blend until smooth. Transfer to another bowl and then mix in the egg yolks.

4. In a spanking clean bowl, whisk the egg whites until stiff. Fold into the date mixture.

5. Grease the pudding moulds and then pour 1 tbsp maple syrup into the base of each. Then divide the pudding mixture evenly between them. Cover each tightly with foil and place in an ovenproof baking dish.

6. Pour hot water into the baking dish until it comes half-way up the sides of the pudding. Place carefully in oven and cook for an hour (until skewer comes out clean).

7. Turn the puds carefully out onto plates - you may need to loosen with a palette knife. Serve with yoghurt, custard or ice-cream and an extra drizzle of maple syrup if desired.