My Boeuf Bourguignon - thanks to Knorr

I was sent all the ingredients to make a delicious Boeuf Bourguignon by Knorr and Forman and Field.  You can enter to win a hamper of ingredients, just like the one I received to cook with, by filling in the Rafflecopter form here.

I decided that the recipe by Marco that we were given from Knorr wasn't for me as I wanted to use my slow cooker instead of the oven, mainly because my oven was being used for baking.  So I took the general theme from Marco's recipe and made up my own suitable for cooking in a slow cooker.



The delicious ingredients I received



I decided to try and make the casserole stretch over two nights, and succeded, by adding loads of vegetables including 2 peppers that needed using up.  I know adding peppers is probably sacrilage but they needed using and we don't waste anything so I put them in the pot.  Here's the recipe I used:

My Boeuf Bourguignon

4 rashers bacon, chopped
750g brisket/stewing steak, cut into a large dice
4 Tblsp flour
4 Tblsp vegetable oil
12 baby onions or shallots, peeled
4 carrots, peeled and sliced
3 leeks, sliced
3 sticks celery, sliced
2 peppers, diced
250g mushrooms
500ml boiling water
1 rich beef stock pot (Knorr)
300ml red wine
125ml port
2 cloves garlic, crushed
3 sprigs of thyme
2 bay leaves
salt and black to taste
1 Tblsp cornflour, optional

Put the slow cooker on hight to preheat whilst you prepare all the ingredients.  In a large frying pan cook the bacon and onions until the bacon is slightly crispy and the onions have a little colour on them.  Put them in the bottom of your slow cooker.

Put the beef in a plastic food bag, sprinkle in the flour then closes the top and give it a good shake.  This means that the beef get an even and light coating of flour without leaving too much mess to clean up.  Heat the oil in the frying pan over a moderately high heat, and cook the floured beef in small batches to caramelise it and get some colour on it.  Add to the slow cooker.  Use the wine and port to deglaze the frying pan then tip the liquid into the slow cooker.

Add all the vegetabes to the slowcooker.  Mix together the boiling water, stock cube, garlic, thyme and bay leaves and pour over the meat.

Season well and put the lid on the slowcooker.  I cooked mine for 2 hours on high then 4 hours on low.

Once the Boeuf Bourguignon is cooked, remove the lid and thicken the sauce slightly if necessary.  Mix the cornflour with a little water to make a paste then add to the slowcooker and stir through.  

I served our Boeuf Bourguignon with steamed savoy cabbage and well seasoned mixed mash (sweet potato and normal potato cooked then mashed together).  I may have also had a couple of glasses of the delicious red wine to finish off the bottle that was sent in the hamper and used in the Boeuf Bourguignon.  Like I said, we don't waste anything! ;o)

1 comment Beef, Dinners, Knorr, Slow Cooker

Onepot Cooking Masterclass with Marco Pierre White

Knorr Stockpots which were used in the Masterclass and which I use at home

I've cooked with the lovely Marco before, it was the first ever PR event I was invited to.  You can read about it here.  I was SO nervous and maybe slightly terrified.  I needn't have worried though.  He was really lovely, the event was relaxed, and the PRs were fab. 



Neil and Jen - the PR Dream Team!

I now know the PRs really well, have been to many more events, and this time when I was invited I wasn't nervous at all - just rather excited LOL

The Masterclass we were invited to this time was Onepot Cooking. I love Onepot Cooking because it saves on washing up and most dishes cooked this way are warming and comforting. Perfect for a rain battered, gale force wind filled May and June ;o)

Marco, as always, was amazing and gave us loads of cooking tips and tricks!

The Masterclass was once again held at Stamford Bridge, yup the football ground, home of Chelsea Football Club.  Marco's restaurant is really glamorous and gorgeous - as you would expect.



We had a cuppa and a delicious pastry in the restaurant before the Masterclass started.



Once we had been fed and watered it was time to start the Masterclass.  We all watched intently as Marco explained his recipe for Pumpkin Soup, using  Knorr Stockpots.  The secret is to use freshly prepared carrot juice as it brings out the sweetness of the pumpkin.  Don't use carrot juice in cartons or bottles as the ingredients they add to stop it oxidising alters the flavour.  You will need a juicer.  Unfortunately, I don't have one! (HINT!) 

Marco often uses juices in his stews and casseroles - prune juice in his Guinness and Beef Stew, apple juice with Slow Roasted Pork Belly and of course carrot juice in his Pumpkin (or Sweet Potato) Soup.  The juices help build and balance flavours and add sweetness to the dishes making them flavoursome without being heavy.  Great tip from Marco!



Marco telling us how to make Pumpkin Soup his way



As Marco was showing us the recipes he was also writing them down.  You can find his recipe for Pumpkin Soup here.  He also steamed some pumpkin in the microwave then reduced the liquid from the cooked pumpkin.  It was an amazingly sweet syrup which you could use to top a cake or loaf. 

Pumpkin Syrup - so amazingly sweet!

Once the pumpkin soup had been made it was time to devour it taste it.  I had a heavy cold and the pumpkin soup was the perfect warming and soothing starter to have.  It was so smooth and flavoursome, Marco suggests passing it through a fine sieve to give the soup a silky texture.

Delicious Pumpkin Soup with Parmesan

The next dish on the Masterclass menu was Asparagus Risotto, made Marco's way.  He uses the trimmings and woody ends from the asparagus to flavour the stock so that nothing is wasted.  He also blanches the tips separately and serves them on top of the risotto to give it more flavour and another dimension of texture. 

Top tip from Marco:  When your risotto has been made and you add the butter and Parmesan to finish it off, don't stir it straight away.  If you do then the texture will be tight and not creamy.  Let the cheese and butter melt in for a couple of minutes with the lid on and then stir it in.  You'll be able to tell the difference!  You can read Marco's Asparagus risotto recipe here.



The risotto was outstanding! Lovely al dente texture and comforting but not heavy at all



Our last course was a Chicken Casserole which Marco makes using preroasted chickens as the meat is more moist and flavoursome.  You could cheat and use a cooked chook from the supermarket if you were in a hurry ;o)  Marco made a blond roux using stock made with a Knorr Stockpot instead of milk.  You can follow his recipe and make your own Chicken Casserole here.

We were also served a stunning Raspberry Souffle for dessert with hot Raspberry Sauce.  OMGness it was SO absolutely delicious and light.  There were some rather interesting noises being made as we ate it, oh yes, it was THAT GOOD!

The Raspberry Souffle tasted even better than it looked, totally amazing!

I also found out Marco's pet hate in the kitchen - wooden spoons left in pots whilst you're cooking.  We had an amazing day and thoroughly enjoyed ourselves.  Marco was his usual charming self, very generous with his knowledge and his time. 

Some of us lucky bloggers with the man himself!

Thank you so much to Knorr for the fabulous day, and of course to Neil and Jen who are most lovely too. 



I hope I didn't give Marco my cold LOL

You can find more recipes and cooking tips on the Knorr website.

2 comments Basics, Chicken, Dinners, Knorr, Masterclass, Meatfree Monday, Microwave, PR Event, Rice, Soup, Vegetarian

Marco's Quick Lamb Stew

I received a delicious box of Seasonal Produce in association with Knorr and Foreman and Field late last week.  There were lovely vegetables, smoked trout, London cure salmon and some large Lamb Neck Fillets.

There was also a mouthwatering recipe for a Quick Lamb Stew, using Knorr's NEW herb infusion stock pots, that Marco Pierre White has come up with.

The Exclusive recipe by Marco wont be available on the Knorr website until September, but I of course have it right now!  Better still, I'm allowed to share it with the readers of my blog.

There's also huge range of delicious recipes using Knorr products on their website.  There's plenty of hints, tips and video Masterclasses from Marco himself too *swoon*

I've made Marco's Quick Lamb Stew and it was delicious.  Everyone had seconds and my husband was most annoyed that there wasn't enough for him to have a third helping. You can add whichever vegetables you have available, just blanch them.  I used thin green green beans and celery as well as the vegetables that came in the produce box because I had some in the fridge that needed using up.  I also served the stew with fresh homemade crusty bread rolls to mop up the juices but you could serve it with mashed potato instead.

Without further ado, here's the recipe:

Marco’s Quick Lamb Stew

1 Knorr Herb Infusion Pot

2 tbsp olive oil

800g neck of lamb, cut into 16 pieces

25g butter

8-10 baby leeks, blanched and refreshed in cold water

10 baby carrots, blanched and refreshed in cold water

3-4 large spring onion bulbs, blanched and refreshed in cold water

200g peas, blanched and refreshed in cold water

a couple of bay leaves

a few sprigs of thyme

A dash of gravy browning (optional)

Mix the Knorr Herb Infusion Pot with 600ml of boiling water, stirring until thoroughly dissolved. Stir in the gravy browning, if you're using it.

Heat a heavy-based frying pan. Add in the olive oil, heat through well and add in the pieces of lamb.

Fry for 2-3 minutes, then turn the pieces of lamb over and fry for a further 2-3 minutes, so that they brown nicely on each side.

Meanwhile, in a separate saucepan, heat 400ml of the diluted Knorr Herb Infusion together with the butter.

Add in the blanched leeks, carrots and spring onions, cover and bring to the boil.

Simmer the vegetables for 2 minutes, then add in the peas and simmer for 1 minute. Strain the vegetables and keep them warm, reserving the cooking liquor.

Add the remaining diluted Knorr Herb Infusion and the strained liquor from the vegetables to the browned lamb in the frying pan, making sure that all sediment from the base of the pan has been mixed in.

Bring to the boil and boil for 2-3 minutes to reduce slightly.

Transfer the lamb and the gravy from the frying pan into a preheated, shallow, heatproof serving dish.

Top the lamb with some of the poached vegetables, serving the rest of the vegetables on the side.

Optional: Garnish the dish with the bay leaves and thyme sprigs.

Serve at once.



1 comment Basics, Knorr, Lamb, Masterclass

Masterclass with Marco Pierre White - Courtesy of Knorr

I was enormously excited to receive an email inviting me to a Masterclass with 3 Michelin star chef Marco Pierre White at his Stamford Bridge restaurant Marco, thanks to one of  the most versatile ingredients in our kitchen store cupboards . . . . .

After a rather interesting and slightly torturous (overcrowded trains, totally packed underground trains, and several confusing tube line changes) journey, I made it to the venue and had the most AMAZING time!  To be truthful a stampede of wild horses closely followed by the All Blacks scrum wouldn't have kept me away.

Celebrity chefs promote loads of products these days and I thought it would be interesting to see if Marco did indeed use Knorr products.  Not only does he use them but he's deliciously inventive in the way he incorporates them into recipes.

He shares many of his recipes on the Knorr website and we were lucky enough to be able to watch him cook a few of them. 

We all paid close attention to the culinary genius at work in front of us.  He was very charming and lovely, politely answering all our questions as we stood there swooning from both the heat in the kitchen and the fact that he was cooking just over a metre away from us.

Here are a couple of recipes from our Masterclass.

 Chicken Breast with Lemon and Thyme 

You just mix one or two Knorr chicken stock cubes with olive oil and finely chopped rosemary and then massage it into both sides of chicken breasts with the skin on. 

Marco put the chicken into a COLD pan - skin side down and let it heat up slowly. The fat starts to cook which ensures a crispy skin but the chicken cooks slower so still stays moist.  He then turned the heat up before turning the chicken over. To finish off cooking the chicken he put the pan in the oven for about 5 minutes.  Marco was careful to check the chicken was cooked through, if its not then return it to the stove top for a couple of minutes and check again.

Once the chicken was cooked to perfection it was dressed with a squeeze of lemon juice and a drizzle of olive oil.  He then served it to us all and there was unanimous agreement that it was superb.  

The next recipe that Marco cooked for us was:

Grilled Tuna Steaks ‘a la Niçoise’

A tuna steak smothered in a paste made with a Knorr chicken stock cube and olive oil. Cooked on a griddle pan and accompanied by olives, capers, fresh basil, coriander and cherry tomatoes all dressed in a lovely light dressing.

As a comparison Marco cooked one tuna steak without massaging in the Knorr stock cube paste and one with the paste massaged in.  The tuna steak that was cooked with the paste on was much tastier and it really bought out the flavour of the tuna.  Needless to say the Tuna Steaks a la Niçoise looked and tasted absolutely stunning!

We also had a lesson on how to cook the perfect steak.  Marco again used a Knorr stock cube paste to enhance the flavour of the steak.  It was so tender you almost didn't need a knife. Oh my word it was beyond scrumptious! By far the best steak I had ever tasted.  He also showed us a special technique for finely chopping an onion and herbs.  I learned so much from him, loads of tips and tricks that I will most certainly be using at home in my tiny kitchen.

Our Masterclass was filmed by a camera crew who got more hot and bothered the longer the class went on as the ventilation in the kitchen was turned down so the sound of the fans wouldn't affect the recording.  Poor blokes were beetroot red by the end! All for a good cause though.

We had a stunning lunch with a choice of  either chicken, tuna or steak for mains and a gorgeous side salad and new potatoes.  Dessert was the most scrumptious chocolate truffles which left us weak at the knees, they were so good. Thankfully we were still sitting down! 

I can barely articulate how awesome the day was and how lovely, charming and gracious Marco was.  I was hugely grateful to have been able to attend.  I came away with some great Knorr products to use in my cooking (I usually use Knorr anyway), a signed apron . . . . . .

And a photo of me with the 3 Michelin star chef himself . . . . . .

My sincere thanks to Marco Pierre White, Knorr, the lovely Jen, Alistair and Neil from GolinHarris for an absolutely fantastic and unforgettable day.

Oh and just to tempt you even more, next month on the Knorr website Marco will be cooking Curried Chicken with Watercress.  I was given the recipe at the Masterclass and cooked it for both us and our neighbours who asked to try some.  It was simple, quick  and delicious.  Here's a pic of the dish courtesy of Knorr, because we all devoured ours before I remembered to get a photo.  

5 comments Knorr, Masterclass, Review