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An oil change Eli Farrington, of Farrington Oils, reveals the versatility of cooking with its MELLOW YELLOW rapeseed oil.
Beetroot and chocolate cake Rich, dark and moist ‒ best eaten with a fork! Ingredients: • 30g cocoa powder • 115g plain flour • ½ tsp baking powder • Pinch of salt • 150g caster sugar • 240ml MELLOW YELLOW • 1tsp vanilla essence • 3 eggs, beaten • 200g plain cooked beetroot, well drained and grated • 150g plain dark chocolate, chopped
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FINE FOODIES AUTUMN 2012
Method: • Preheat the oven to 375ºF/ 190ºC/Gas mark 5. • Sift the cocoa powder, flour, baking powder and salt into a large mixing bowl and mix in the sugar. Add the rest of the ingredients and mix well. • Grease a 7-inch cake tin with butter and line with greaseproof paper. Pour in the cake mix. • Bake for one hour, until a
skewer comes out clean. It will be fairly moist and fudgey in the middle. • Allow to cool for a few minutes in the tin and then turn out onto a rack to cool. Can dust with icing sugar or cocoa and serve with a dollop of crème fraiche. Or if you re a chocoholic like me, you may prefer it neat.
Oil inspiration There are so many ways you can cook with rapeseed oil. Why not give some of these tasty suggestions a go?
CRISPIEST ROAST POTATOES
Using three tablespoons of MELLOW YELLOW per pound of potatoes: • Peel and cut the potatoes into even sizes, pour boiling water over them, salt, and simmer for about 10 minutes so you are part cooking them. Drain and put the lid back on the saucepan. Shake the saucepan vigorously to roughen the edges of the potatoes (this makes them floury and then gives them a crisper surface when roasted). • Meanwhile, have the oil heating up in the roasting tin at 220ºC or in the top oven of an Aga. It is essential that the oil is very hot when the potatoes are added so that the outsides of the potatoes are seared on contact with the oil, giving them a wonderful crispy surface and preventing them becoming too greasy. To ensure that the oil remains hot when adding the potatoes, place the roasting tin on the hotplate, whilst tossing the potatoes in the oil. Ensure that their surfaces are all lightly coated before returning the tin to the oven to roast. They will take about 45-55 minutes to roast and will need turning over half way through cooking. • Serve as soon as possible as roast potatoes don t retain their crispiness well when kept warm.
PESTO/ PESTO DIP
Pesto is a great way to use up the summer surge of basil or other herbs, and will keep for weeks in the fridge and also freezes well. • Using either a blender or a pestle and mortar, pulverise one tablespoon of pine kernels, one large clove garlic and 2oz (50g) basil until you have a smooth purée. • Stir in the salt and 1oz grated Parmesan cheese followed by the very gradual addition of the MELLOW YELLOW until a smooth consistency is achieved.
ROASTED VEGETABLES
A simple family favourite... great mixed with couscous. Also good with winter vegetables, such as sweet potato, potato, onion and carrot into chunky 1-inch pieces. • Simply drizzle with MELLOW YELLOW, season well, and toss everything around to get a good coating. Cook for around 40-plus minutes for the winter vegetables on 220ºC until the vegetables are soft and browning. The flavour of the roasted vegetables infuses into the MELLOW YELLOW making the summer vegetables great mixed with couscous.
ELI S TIP: It is wonderful that so many of you want to adapt your favourite recipes to use MELLOW YELLOW instead of butter. When I substitute butter with MELLOW YELLOW rapeseed oil, I add a little less, about 80 per cent of the total weight required, and make up the remainder with a liquid such as milk, rice milk or soya milk. This is to account for the milk part and the fat content of the butter. If substituting for margarine, the MELLOW YELLOW rapeseed oil would need to be less still, about 75 per cent (and more milk) as there is a higher water content in margarine. I am afraid that it is a little trial and error as recipes all vary, but that is usually my starting point. Good luck, we would love to hear about your results! Visit www. farrington-oils.co.uk or email sales@farrington-oils.co.uk