Changing Food… One Meal At A Time!
Spring
Jan Fullwood Food Consultant
(aka JamJarJan)
NOTES FROM A CHAOTIC KITCHEN
Welcome to day to day life in a chaotic well used kitchen…..
A constantly evolving kitchen: always busy, full of cooking and creating (dinner, treats, mess) for work and for play, for family and friends.
Let me introduce myself and my family:
- A Food and Recipe Consultant who is ‘never knowingly under-catered’, I’ll whip up a five-minute muffin mix at a moment’s notice. I’m constantly creating, evaluating and eating, always cooking and learning something new.
- Long-suffering Hub who just wants a clutter-free kitchen (and longs for a bit of peace and quiet). Happiest in the garden.
- Eldest cheffie son and his patisserie chef girlfriend who cook catering quantities of delicious food at every opportunity for us to sample (hard job, but someone’s got to do it)
- Protein & carb obsessed younger son set for uni (cooking not his forte - self survival skills urgently required)
We all eat to live. Let me help you live to eat.
What's in Jan's Pan?
March 2025
FLIPPIN' ECK! PANCAKES GALORE!
Welcome to March - a celebration of saints with St David and St Patrick waving leeks and shamrocks. But as Easter is late this year, Lent begins in March. This means that my favourite food themed day, Shrove Tuesday, falls on 4th March so I plan to eat pancakes aplenty all month long.
Everyone needs a good pancake recipe up their sleeve, so this month I've given you the basic, 'Core' recipe. If you wish to 'Level-Up' try a chocolate crepe stack cake as favoured by Student Son (anything with chocolate hazelnut spread is always a winner in his books), and once those recipes are under your belt you can 'Go-Pro' with classic Crepe Suzettes. Totally retro but perfect for showing off your cheffy skills.
In theory, pancakes are the easiest thing to give up for Lent (the treat is enhanced ten-fold if you only have them one day a year) but that's never going to happen in this house of pancake fanatics. Go on - get flipping!
Read on for pancake memories, nutty carrot and cauliflower salads from Jan's veg box, and quick easy chapatis from Jan's air fryer.
And raise a glass of Guiness on 17th March for me!
What's in Jan's Pan
Food can conjure up so many memories - the smells and tastes that instantly take us back to our childhood, particularly 'treat' foods that you may only have once a year. Certainly that was the case with pancakes in our house back in the day. Happy memories of Mum making pints of pancake batter and Dad assigned as head chef for the day, standing over the stove frying and flipping, churning them out as my sister and I wolfed them down hot from the pan as fast as he could make them. Traditional lemon and sugar was always the topping of choice. Pancakes also conjure up memories of Little Chef service stations - we would always choose the pancake option, laden with butter and syrup, to help us along the way on our annual journeys to the West Country every summer. Happy days. Memories of my first trip to America in my 20's too - International House of Pancakes and Denny's, whole restaurants dedicated to my favourite foodstuff! I was in heaven, but soon found that having them on tap lessened the treat factor (soo much sugar - such huge portions).
Of course, it goes without saying that pancakes have been a big part of the boys' childhood too. If there is one thing that Student Son has learnt to do is to cook these treats, so he was designated pancake flipper for his uni mates this year. Typical student, he filled them with reduced-price chicken goujons served wrap style. Followed by American style pancakes for his fellow house-mates. He too was suitably stuffed.
He says he can't smell pancakes frying without instantly being taken back to the pancake days he had as a child too. We would always invite friends and cook savoury pancakes filled with cheese, ham and sweetcorn followed by sweet pancakes with chocolate and fruit, the day known forever after as Jancake Day (of course).
Pancake making for Cheffy Son is a doddle of course - he's used to making vast quantities of anything in record time, and he'll whip up a batch at a moments notice for a mid morning snack.
This year's pancake day was the day after Dad's birthday, I took him out for dinner at The three Horsehoes Laleham (our favourite local) so were pleased to see them on the menu and not miss out on the annual ritual. He claimed he was 29 again, or so he told the waitress, 'as a left hander who reads backwards'. She got the hint and they rewarded him with his own special platter, scribed with Happy Birthday across the plate in chocolate. It was good to have them made for me once again, and I'm sure dad felt the same as we reminisced over those pancake days of old.
Core Recipe - Basic Pancake Batter
Makes approx 8
125g plain flour
1 egg
300ml milk
Put the flour in a bowl and make a well in the middle.
Crack the egg into the centre and gradually whisk it in along with the milk.
Cover and set aside for at least 20 minutes (or overnight in the fridge). This allows the starch grains to swell and soften, and avoids lumps.
Heat your pan, 20cm makes a good sized pancake, and add a drizzle of oil.
Once hot, pour in just enough batter to coat the pan and allow it to cook and set for about a minute.
Once the edges start to lift, flip the pancake over and cook for a minute or until golden.
Tip onto a plate and keep warm, then repeat with the remaining batter. Don't worry if the first one's not a success - this one is chef's perks, practice makes perfect!
Level Up - Chocolate Crepe Cake
For this creation you will need to double your batter mix.
While the crepes cool, make a chocolate hazelnut spread (a certain well known brand could be used of course, but it's full of rubbish so I prefer to make my own)
Melt 100g milk or dark chocolate chips in a bowl over a pan of hot water, or in the microwave on high for a minute to melt. Stir in 50g toasted hazelnuts, finely ground or chopped, and 1-2tbsp double cream.
Spread between each pancake and stack it high!
Drizzle with more melted chocolate, hazelnuts and chocolate buttons. Serve generous wedges with cream or ice cream.
Ring the changes by mixing melted chocolate with peanut butter, or perhaps use lemon curd for layering and sprinkle with zest.
Crepe Suzettes
Melt 25g butter plus 1tbsp orange liqueur such as Cointreau or Grand Marnier and whisk into the basic recipe. Make your crepes.
Heat 125g each of butter and sugar in a large pan and cook until melted and syrupy. Add the juice and zest of an orange with 2tbsp of liqueur.
Fold the crepes into quarters and add them one at a time to the sauce, coating each well.
Now the fun part. Heat 4tbsp liqueur in a ladle or small pan. Pour it over the pancakes, stand well back and set it alight (no singed hair please!). Baste until the flames die down, then serve immediately with lashings of whipped cream.
Crepe Suzettes are classically orange flavoured, but why not try Limoncello for a St Clements style twist, or pineapple and rum sprinkled with coconut. Raid your drinks cabinet and let the flames fire your imagination!
What's in Jan's Air Fryer
Hub decided that he wanted to test his chapatis in the air fryer so I let him loose. He usually fries them on the hob, then helps them to puff by cooking directly over the gas burner flame which gives extra flavour, but to be fair, these were a great success and possibly easier to make.
This recipe makes 4
160g chapati flour (we use Atta flour which we found in Sainsbury's but plain will work too)
125g water
1/2tsp salt
1 tsp oil
Bring together to a ball (no need to knead), cover and allow to rest for 30 minutes.
Divide the dough into 4 balls and roll out to a circle approx 10cm diameter
Preheat the air fryer (we found this made a difference and helped them puff up) then cook one at a time 240C for 3 minutes each until cooked through.
Spread with butter or ghee and serve warm.
I tasted Karobis ghee at one of last year's Great Taste sessions and was instantly hooked. It deservedly received the highest accolade of 3 stars, justifiably so as it is not only delicious but also handmade in the Cotswold's. Try the ginger, turmeric or roasted garlic to add instant flavour. Delish.
What's in Jan's Veg Box
cauliflower, lamb's lettuce, carrots
Nutty carrot and cauliflower salad
I had a cavalry of carrots building up so I whipped up this quick salad using these and a couple of other ingredients from my veg box.
I roasted chunky roll-cut pieces of carrot then added some cauliflower florets to crisp and char. I was reminded of this particular cutting technique whilst looking for inspiration from fellow Guild of Food Writers member Ceri Jones' lovely vegetable book It Starts with Veg , which celebrates vegetables as the hero ingredient.
Cheffy Son learnt the roll-cut method when he worked at Soho's iconic Quo Vadis during his college training (he has been lucky enough to learn from some of the best chefs). Keen to show off his new skill he passed the method on to me (the benefits of having a professional chef in the family, there is always something new to learn). You cut the carrots on the diagonal, then roll the carrot 180 degrees and cut on the diagonal once again. Continue along the carrot in the same way to make chunky triangular pieces. Lots of surface area to cook, much more interesting than your bog standard carrot rings.
I was tempted to try Ceri's recipe for peanut sauce. It's a quick version of satay sauce, consisting of smooth peanut butter, maple syrup and soy sauce to make an incredibly moreish dressing. I drizzled this over the salad and sprinkled some roasted mixed nuts with dried olives (our latest favourite find from a certain German supermarket). It was surprisingly filling and satisfying for such a simple salad.
I've still got plenty of carrots, so I made an quick salad to go with the slow-roast lamb I cooked on Sunday to serve with the air-fryer flatbreads (see What's in Jan's air fryer).
Grate carrots, along with some fresh ginger, mix in some pumpkin seeds and dress with the juice of half an orange, a tablespoon of pomegranate molasses and a glug of EVO. This cut through the fatty lamb perfectly, and went well with hub's chapattis too (see What's in Jan's Airfyer).
What's on Jan's Must Visit Restaurant of the Month?
Friend: ‘A friend of a friend has opened a new restaurant. They’re doing a soft launch. Do you fancy trying it out?’
Me: 'Do Brussels Sprout??? You know me, any excuse for a meal and a catch up - I'm in!'
So last Thursday evening we found ourselves wandering down Baker Street, seeking out Berut Bistrot, hidden down a small side road behind abandoned roadworks. Not knowing what to expect I checked the website which promised 'a celebration of Beirut , a city that endures, inspires and always finds a way to thrive. We can’t wait to share Lebanon’is bold flavours rich traditions and unshakeable soul with you.' Mmm, I love Lebanese, my mouth was already watering.
We turned up with a bottle of red and a bottle of white having been told it was BYO, but soon discovered that as it was Ramadan alcohol was strictly off the menu, so quickly hid those (booze? what booze?). Not to worry, the food was our main concern on a weekday night in London (I'm a cheap date these days).
The friend's friend's friend, the owner himself, welcomed us, and sat us at a little table for two. There was also a small area around the bar where you can sit and eat casually - perfect for a lunchtime visit. We arrived at six and the restaurant soon filled up; busy and buzzing with a casual and relaxed atmosphere. He explained that the menu comprised mainly sharing dishes, which is right up my street, (purely professional interest here of course). This was his second restaurant opening, after Covid thwarted his first attempt, and we wished him the best of luck agreeing that 'footfall should improve as soon as the roadworks clear.'
The menu is divided into Dips, Salata, Skewers, Small plates, Bigger plates and Sides, We asked for his recommendations, and he suggested we had about five of the smaller dishes to share and soon our little table was struggling to support our spread. I'd happily have delved into every dish on the menu, so a return visit is a must.
The Baba Ganouj and red pepper dips were divine, and the Fattoush was fabulous - such a simple salad but sumac and pomegranate molasses propels it into another orbit. We tried the Makenek too - Lebanese sausage heavily spiced with tongue tingling cloves and nutmeg amongst other sweet spices, reminiscent of a savoury Christmas pudding. We loved the crispy Batata Harra, spicy saute potatoes, alongside the Aubergine fatte with chickpeas smothered in yoghurt and tahini and sprinkled with pomegranate seeds. All washed down with a hot mint tea - we couldn't fit in the offer of complementary dessert.
The service was still in its early stages of development, I would say, probably training was still in process and we had to ask again for a few of our dishes that didn't materialise. They may also have been distracted by the Ramadan feast that they were preparing when they kindly asked us if we wouldn't mind leaving our table at 7:30pm. I’m not sure we ever got our mini pickles either, or perhaps we forgot to ask for them, but I would definitely go back to try them on my next visit along with all the other dishes we couldn't fit on our table (or in our stomachs), and recommend that you do so too whether for a feast or a light lunch.
Berut Bistrot
32 Paddington Street Marylebone W1U 4HE
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