So would you believe I actually managed to find lamb shoulder! Nothing excites one more than a Sunday roast dinner. Although finding big joints of meat like we get back home is ever so tricky. Even the chickens here are anorexic, not like the big juicy ones mummy always makes at home. I found this meaty delightfulness at The National Market just opposite the main FFM in Itaewon. They have a much bigger range of meats, including leg of lamb and chunks of stewing lamb for only 13,000 a kg. My shoulder cost 17,000, as it was just over a kg. Plenty of meat for four people. We are only a twosome though,  so we used the left overs to make a stew. I decided to serve up this dinner with two different kinds of potatoes as The Fat Boyfriend is Irish and that’s just what they do.

Ingredients

1.1kg of lamb shoulder

2 onions

5 potatoes

4 cloves of garlic

A little olive oil

1 tablespoon of rosemary (fresh if possible)

A pinch of salt and pepper

500ml of chicken stock.

Potato Cake 

6 potatoes

2 eggs

100g of cheese

50g of butter

100ml of milk

A pinch of salt and pepper

Oil for brushing

Directions

1. Fully defrost the lamb. I did mine in the sink overnight.

2. Preheat your oven to 140 degrees Celsius. Stab holes in your lamb and push pieces of garlic into them. If you have fresh rosemary put some in too. If not use a little dried. Rub the top with a little olive oil and season with salt and pepper.

3. Finely slice your potatoes and arrange on the tray. Then slice an onion and place in the middle. Pop the lamb on top and pour 500ml of chicken stock into the bottom of the pan and then tightly cover with foil and put in the oven for 4 hours.

3. After about four hours the lamb should be tender and come apart easily. If it doesn’t you can still cook it for another hour or so. Sadly I forgot to take a picture of the lamb after it came out of the oven. Clearly I was far too keen to eat it.

4. Pour of all that leftover stock and lovely lamb juices into a jug, as you will use this to make your gravy. Pop the lamb on a plate and cover loosely with the foil and leave to rest. Turn up the oven to 200 degrees Celsius and put the potatoes and onions back in to get crispy for about 10-20 minutes.

5.  To make the mash potato cake. Boil your potatoes in salted water until they are just about to fall apart. Meanwhile line a pan or dish with baking paper. Then strain. Mash them with the butter and milk then add the cheese and seasoning. Allow to cook slightly before mixing in the beaten eggs. You don’t want them to cook. Pop them into your pan and brush the top with a little olive oil and bake in the oven at 190 degrees Celsius for about 20 minutes.

6. To make the gravy melt a knob of butter in a pan, then add 2 tablespoons of flour and mix to form a roux. Pour in your lamb juices and stock and keep whisking as you bring to the boil .It should thicken up as it heats up. Boil for a minute or two then serve.

6. Serve your lamb with your two kinds of potatoes, extra vegetables and your lovely gravy.

You may be well aware by now that we are big lamb lovers in our house. We just can’t get enough of that sheepy goodness. However, lamb options in Korea are sadly rather limited. So when I discovered a bag of New Zealand leg of lamb shavings in the Foreign food mart, I just had to have it. I would more or less describe them as lamb sam gyub sal. It cost about 10,000 for 1kg. I decided to make some home-made lamb gyros and they went down a storm. Quick and easy to make, a great dinner on a hot summers eve.

Ingredients

Gyros

500g of frozen lamb shavings

1 teaspoon of cumin

1 teaspoon of coriander

A pinch of chili powder (or as much as you like)

4 tortillas

1/2 a red onion

1 tomato

1 small handful of lettuce

1/2 a cucumber

Tzatziki

250g of plain yogurt

1 teaspoon of lemon juice

1/4 of a cucumber

1 clove of garlic

12 mint leaves

A small pinch of salt.

Directions

To make the tzatziki put the yogurt in a bowl, add the lemon juice and salt, and stir. Finely chop the mint leaves and cucumber and add to the yoghurt. Crush the garlic and  stir into the tzatziki. Leave for about 20 minutes to marinate.

Wash your salad leaves and slice the tomato, onion, and cucumber and set aside. In a dry frying pan, fry the lamb shavings for a minute or two before adding the cumin, coriander and chili powder. Fry until the lamb has cooked through. Warm the tortillas by cooking on each side for one minute in the frying pan.  When everything is ready, assemble and devour. Voilà homemade lamb gyros.

When it rains it pours, and these past few weeks it’s been raining falafels. First Zayd started selling them over at Med food in Korea. Then I had some over at El Grecos. Then finally I made some myself and they are so good that I just can’t stop. I have been making them by the truckload lately and having them in all manner of salads and wraps. I also took a batch a down to the vegan potluck and the whole plate had disappeared within minutes. They are actually surprisingly easy to make if you have a sturdy blender.

Ingredients

2 cans or 800g of soaked chick peas (this is the weight once they have been soaked in water)

1 onion

5 cloves of garlic

1 lemon (zest and juice)

A large handful of parsley

A large handful of coriander (cilantro or 고수 found in many korean supermarkets)

1 -2 tablespoons of cumin

2 teaspoon of ground coriander

1 teaspoon of salt

1 teaspoon of black pepper

2-3 tablespoons of flour

1 teaspoon of baking soda

Oil for frying (I use soybean because it’s cheap)

Directions

If using dried chickpeas, soak them in lots of  cold water overnight. Drain the chickpeas and blend until they resemble cous cous or bread crumbs in consistency. Next you need to blend the parsley, garlic, and onion. I did this in the blender too until it made a green onion smoothie. Mix together with the chickpeas, then add the salt, pepper, and spices. Add the juice and zest of the lemon and mix.  Stir in the flour and baking soda then cover with cling-film and leave in the fridge for about an hour. When the mixture has had time to rest remove from the fridge and form into ping-pong sized balls. Heat your oil to a medium heat then fry the falafel, they should take about 3 minutes on each side. If the oil is too hot they will not be cooked on the inside. Once they are done let them drain on a piece of kitchen towel to remove excess oil. Enjoy fresh from the pan with lots of hummus and flatbread. They can also be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for a few days. Voilà fabulous falafels.

For many years now I have always started my day with a bowl of muesli. For me there is no better weekday breakfast than a bowl of fruit, topped with yoghurt and muesli. However when I first came to Korea, finding a good and nutritious breakfast was rather difficult. All the cereal that you could buy easily was full of sugar, and muesli was very hard to find. Times have changed since then and muesli is more widely available, you can buy the Tesco brand at Homeplus and they even have Dorset Cereal at the Foreign Food Mart in Itaewon. However I started making my own a while back now and haven’t looked back since. As well as being much healthier,  it’s cheaper and tastier too.  Not just a bag of oats with a few raisins thrown in for good measure.

Ingredients

300g of oats

100g of bran/wheat flakes (i-Herb / High Street market)

100g of pumpkin seeds

100g of raisins

100g of sliced almonds

75g of other mixed nuts (optional)

75g of prunes

75g of dried apricots

Directions

Chop up the prunes and apricots into small pieces. Then measure out all of your other ingredients and mix together in a large bowl. Store in an air tight container. Serve on top or fruit and yoghurt or just with milk. Voilà an easy, healthy, and cheap breakfast.

For a reasonably small store the Pinoy Mart is very well stocked. They have a huge variety of foods and ingredients. I have tried to take as many pictures as possible to show what they have.

For the bakers among you they have various baking supplies such as powder sugar, chocolate chips, pie crusts, sprinkles, flavoured extracts, food dyes and plenty of Betty Crocker boxed mixes and ready-made icing.

They also have a refrigerator chocked full with  dairy products including, cream cheese, ricotta,  cottage cheese, butter, cream, half and half, spray cream and a large variety of cheeses. My dips and hummus can also be found there.

There are snacks and candy galore, including Peanut-butter Cups, Twizzlers, Tim Tams, Cheetos, Sour cream ruffles and plenty more.

The drinks selection hosts a wide variety of beers and soft drinks. They also have some pre-made mixers such as Margarita mix and Bloody Mary mix, which I can personally vouch for. They have cans of Clamato, the Canadian’s favourite beverage. They also have a freezer filled with goodies, along with canned and dried food and a large selection of herbs and spices, as well as other goods.

If there is anything you want and they don’t have they will try their best to get it for you. So pay them a visit and stock up on my goodies if you are in the area.

The Pinoy Mart is located in Hae Bang Chon. Take a train to Noksapyeong station (line 6) . Walk straight out of exit 2 for about 200 meters and take the first left and walk straight along the road with all the kimchi pots. Keep walking along that road for about 200 meters. You will pass by Noa, HBC Galbi Jib, and Burgermine. Its on the right just next to a chicken restaurant and opposite Fix. You can call them on 010-2664-2221.

I’m rather partial to goat’s cheese. The creamy taste, the velvety texture and the gooey inside. Sadly in Korea its not all that easy to come by. In fact I don’t think I have bought any since I have been here. Luckily I visited Hong Kong last week and picked some up. I pondered what to make and decided I would use up the pastry I had sitting in the freezer and would make some tarts. You just cant beat a goats cheese tart. The pastry and cheese are such a winning combination. I always choose this if it’s on a menu.

Ingredients

1/2 a round of goats cheese (about 100g, I think they sell in it in Shinsegae department store)

8 squares of puff pastry. ( I found mine at the foreign food mart in Itaewon in the freezer section)

250g of spinach

4 rashers of bacon(optional)

150ml of tomato sauce (I always keep a jar of homemade in the fridge.)

Fresh parmesan

1 beaten egg

2 tablespoon of onion jam (you can find mine at the Pinoy mart)

A knob of butter

Directions

If using the bacon cook on high in an oven until its very crispy, I had some to use up, which is why I added it, but I think it worked rather well. Finely chop the spinach and then wilt in  a pan in a knob of butter. Once the spinach has wilted take the pan off the heat and crumble in the goats cheese and bacon. Grate in some fresh parmesan and stir well. Add in in a couple of tablespoons of onion jam and tomato sauce (homemade or store  bought).

To make my tomato sauce finely chop an onion and about 5 cloves of garlic. Fry off in a little olive oil until softened. Throw the onions into a blender along with 5-6 tomatoes or a can of tomatoes. If tomatoes are cheap I use fresh, in the winter its usually canned. Add a tablespoon of mixed herbs and blend. Pour the sauce into a saucepan and cook for about 10 minutes. I usually add a tablespoon of tomato ketchup at this point too, to sweeten it up. I also add glug or two of red wine if I have some open. I change the sauce slightly depending on what I’m making but this is a basic I would use for lots of things.

Take the pastry square and make 4 slices down the middle of two of the pieces being careful not to cut through to the end. Put a few tablespoons of the goats cheese spinach mixture into the piddle of the uncut pastry square leaving a the edges free. Brush the edges with the beaten egg then place the scored piece on top. Press down the edges to make sure it’s joined together. Then brush the beaten egg over the top. Bake in an oven at about 180 degrees celcius for about 15- 20 minutes or until the pastry has cooked through. Be careful to check the bottom layer as its easy to have this under cooked.  If you notice mine on the picture it is a little underdone and I had to put them back in the oven for another 5 minutes. If the tops are getting too brown cover the tarts with foil. Enjoy on their own or with a side salad. Voilà easy goats cheese tarts, a food I never though I would enjoy in Korea.

‘Tis the season to be jolly, tra la la la la la la la la! Usually the most effective way to make me jolly, is to ply me with booze. So with that in mind, I though it was time to get stuck into the Christmas spirit quite literally and get some Christmas themed booze down my neck as soon as humanly possible. What’s more festive than a glass or 5 of mulled wine? Sourcing the ingredients for mulled wine can be a little tricky if you didn’t bring any from home, but it is certainly possible. The main thing is to get the wine, sugar, and oranges. Then just use whatever spices you can get hold of. They have quite a good selection in the foreign food mart in Itaewon. But various things can be found at Home-plus and E mart so don’t worry if you don’t have everything, just use whatever you can find. The wine is the main feature here.

Ingredients

2 bottles of red wine (nothing fancy here, time to break out the Carlo Rossi)

200g of white sugar

2 oranges

1 lemon

2 cinnamon sticks (Pinoy Mart, foreign food mart)

8 cloves (found at Bangsan market)

2 star anise (foreign food mart)

1 teaspoon of mixed all spice

1/2 teaspoon of Nutmeg

Directions

Pour a glass or two of wine into the saucepan along with the sugar and spices. Bring to boil for about 5- 10 minutes until it has thickened and formed a syrup. Once it has become syrupy, add the rest of the wine and continue to heat until it is simmering. Once it is simmering, reduce the heat to very low. Pour your wine into a glass and enjoy. Repeat until cheeks are rosy and you are full of festive joy and cheer. Merry Christmas!

Since I have discovered the lamb mince at the Foreign food mart in Itaewon, I have decided it is about time to get a little bit more lamb in my life. Last week I was really craving a nice big juicy lamb burger, so I planned to make these for dinner. I even got up a little early and make some homemade buns to put them in. It was one of the best dinners we have had in a long time and I’m so glad I made that extra effort to get out of bed so we could have fresh bread. It really did make all the difference. I even whipped up a batch of my onion jam to go inside them. Which is now available to buy at the Pinoy Mart. If you want to make your own bread rolls too, just follow my recipe for herby garlic bread but shape them into rolls instead of one big loaf. The other day I was even lucky enough to find fresh coriander in my local Korea supermarket so keep an eye out for it.

Ingredients

1kg lamb mince (bought at the foreign food mart in Itaewon)

1 onion

4 cloves of garlic

1 large bunch of coriander (local Korean mart, if you cant find it use the dried)

1 1/2 teaspoons of cumin

1 egg

100g of panko crumbs

Directions

Finely chop the onions and garlic then fry off in a little olive oil for a few minutes until translucent. Mix the mince lamb with the cumin, chopped coriander fried garlic and onion. Then stir in the panko crumbs and beaten egg. Form into burger shapes (I made 4) then fry or bake them in the oven until they are cooked through. This may take a while in a frying pan so its best to keep them on a low heat to stop them burning. Once they are done pop them into a homemade bun with a slice of cheese and some onion jam. Serve with homemade potato wedges.

To make the potato wedges cut a few potatoes into wedges. Toss with a little olive oil and some sea salt then bake in the oven for 20-30 minutes. Voilà the best ever homemade burger and chips.

So after month and months of thinking and considering if this is a good idea, I  have finally decided to bring out a few of my culinary creations to sell. I will only be making them on a small scale, I am not a production line! They will be sold at the Pinoy Mart in HBC. I chose the Pinoy Mart for two reasons, number one it is very close, and number two the lady there is very lovely (basically she let me). I have lots of ideas for things I will be selling, depending on the time and season. First up is my Onion Jam and Tomato and Herb Focaccia bread. So be sure to get down there quick and secure yourself some before its all gone.

Here’s a sneak preview of my bread and jams. Are you impressed with my label making skills? Who would have thought I’d had it in me, certainly not me after the great christmas cookies decorating dilemma. Clearly I do have a slight touch of creative talent somewhere within me. For those of you not familiar with onion jam, it is amazeballs for want of a better word. Sticky, sweet and slightly sour oniony goodness. Goes amazingly on burgers, cheese and crackers, and cream cheese bagels.

I also decided to sell my tomato and herb focaccia bread, mainly because I think it’s pretty damn good and one of the best things I make. Incidentally it goes perfectly with the onion jam.

So if you would like to stock up on some Fat Girl Onion Jam or Focaccia bread then head to the Pinoy Mart in Hae Bang Chon. To get to the Pinoy Mart take a train to Noksapyeong station (Line 6). Walk straight out of exit 2 for about 200 meters and take the first left and walk straight along the road with all the kimchi pots. Keep going straight along that road, you will pass Noa, Burgermine, and a chicken shop. The Pinoy Mart is just on your right opposite Fix.

I had never made a lemon meringue pie before. I’m not all that sure if I’ve even eaten many. However all that changed today when I made my very first one. In one of the books I have been reading with my students the main character makes a lemon meringue pie and I haven’t been able to get it off my mind ever since. I had seen ready-made pie crusts at the Pinoy Mart but when I went to get one they were all sold out. Undeterred my lust for this lemony treat lived on, and I finally picked up some ready to roll pie pastry at the foreign food mart in Itaewon. It was actually quite cheap, 6,500 for a pack of two. Yes I could have made my own pastry, but it’s not really the easiest thing to make and frankly life is just a too short. However I will have to master it sooner or later if I wish to achieve my dream of winning The Great British Bake off! I have to say, that considering this was the first I ever made  one and it was cooked in a toaster oven I nailed it! Watch out Mary Berry….

Ingredients

Pastry

Ready to roll pie crust (if you want to make your own, then good luck to you)

Lemon Filling 

3 lemons (zest and juice)

100g of white sugar

4 egg yolks

2 tablespoons of corn flour

85g of butter

100ml orange juice

100ml of water

Meringue

4 egg whites

200g of white sugar

2 teaspoons of corn flour

Directions 

Take the pastry out of the packet, unroll it and fit it into your tin. In an ideal world my tin would have been bigger but C’est la vie. Bring the pastry over the edge and trim off the excess. Using a fork prick the surface of the pastry all over the pie.

Bake in the oven for 5-10 minutes. The instructions said 12-15 minutes but mine was done in a about 8, so keep an eye on it.

To make the lemon curd put the corn flour, sugar, lemon zest and juice into a saucepan and stir. Add the orange juice and water then turn on to a medium heat. Continue stirring, until it starts to bubble. Turn off the heat and add the butter. Continue to stir until the butter has melted, then whisk in the egg yolks one at a time. When the mixture has completely combined, turn the heat back on to low and stir continuously until the mixture begins to thicken and bubble.

To make the meringue, whisk the egg whites and a small pinch of salt until they have quadrupled in volume and form soft peaks. Add your sugar to the egg whites 2 tablespoons at a time and keep whipping on your highest setting. Some folks have enough elbow grease to do this by hand but I am not one of them. I got my mixer from Gmarket for a mere 27,000 and it’s the best thing I ever did. When all the sugar has been incorporated they should form stiff peaks which are shiny and glossy. Whisk in the cornflour then set aside. Warm up the lemon curd until it just begins to bubble. Then put the warm curd into the pie case and put blobs of the meringue all around the outside of the pie making sure to cover the crust. Cover the middle last so it doesn’t sink.

Put the pie in the oven and bake for about 20-30 minutes. I did 10 minutes on 150 then another 10 at 100. Your oven times will vary but this worked for me. Just keep an eye on it to make sure you don’t burn the top. When the pie is done take it out of the oven and leave to set for 2 hours. I was a bit of an eager beaver so my lemon curd was not perfectly set but it tasted damn good and that’s the main thing. Voilà there you have it scrummy yummy homemade lemon meringue pie.