A little while ago, Hans, our Managing Director received a letter from a customer, expressing how much she loved our ever-popular Lasagne. She noted, however, it was a pity that her vegetarian daughter could not share her enjoyment. It wasn’t long before I was tasked to the development kitchen to see what I could cook up…
It was important for us to keep the same generous approach to ingredients when making our NEW! Vegetable Lasagne. Therefore, it is as exceptionally packed with fresh vegetables as our original Lasagne is with meat. After much experimentation, we selected the finest Mediterranean vegetables – peppers, courgettes, tomatoes and large Portobello mushrooms – picked at the height of ripe perfection, and slow-roasted them to bring out their full, sunny flavours.
We melded the vegetables in a herb-rich, satiny tomato sauce, and layered them with plump sheets of hand made whole egg pasta. Then, we topped it off with our creamy béchamel and a delicious combination of Red Leicester and Mature Cheddar cheeses. They even cook from frozen in just 50-55 minutes too.
So voilá – no vegetarian need ever feel left out from a Donald Russell family meal!
Happy eating,
Stefan
Wild Lemon Sole has a light, fresh flavour and it’s perfect for a speedy meal. We leave the bones in for flavour, but they are easy to remove after cooking – let us show you how to cook and serve Whole Lemon Sole in just 15 minutes!
Step 1
Rinse the fish briefly under cold running water, then pat dry with kitchen paper. Lightly coat both sides of the Lemon Sole with plain flour, tapping off any excess. Heat 1-2tbsp of olive oil and 10g-20g butter in a large frying pan over a medium heat. Place the fish in the pan and sear for 4-5 minutes without touching, then turn the fish and sear for a further 4-5 minutes. Lift onto a warm serving platter or board.
Step 2
Remove the lateral bones by running a knife or a spoon around the outside of the fish. Then run the knife or spoon down the middle of the fish and gently ease the fillets on both sides away from the bones.
Step 3
Using the knife, loosen the bones at the tail or head end, take hold of the bones and lift carefully from the flesh. The bones should come away easily and the fillets be left, ready for serving.
Step 4
Serve the fish on a serving platter, or arrange on preheated plates with accompaniments of your choice. For a delicious sauce, combine some melted butter, a splash or lemon juice and some chopped parsley, and spoon generously all over the fish, then finish with a sprinkling of rock salt.
So there you have it, from pan to plate in just 15 minutes!
Happy cooking,
Stefan
With our Celebration of Steak in full swing, we thought we’d ask our friends at Virgin Wines to come up with some tasty wine suggestions to match with our Sirloin Steaks. Here’s what they had to recommend…
A piece of beef or steak naturally needs a tannic, powerful wine to complement the texture of the meat, so this is the perfect occasion to bring out the big hitting reds. A good bottle of Bordeaux would make a classic match for a Sirloin Steak but this cut of meat will also naturally stand up to something a bit more fruit forward and juicy. Australia is the home of this style of wine, in particular Shiraz, but a New World Cabernet Sauvignon, Californian Zinfandel or Argentinean Malbec would all make a tasty alternative.
Here are a few of our top choices:
Perez Cruz Cabernet Sauvignon Reserva 2009
This is one of our best ever selling wines. You only need to take a glance at its ratings to see how popular it is. The wine is a wonderful Chilean take on top-flight Bordeaux. It’s a rich and textured Cabernet at its best, with beautiful, sweet oak flavours. It is lavish and decadent and will be the perfect accompaniment to a succulent sirloin steak.
£9.99
Fincas del Sur Malbec 2011
A relatively new wine to our range and already going down a storm. Made exclusively for us by our friends at Familia Zuccardi, this is a rich, full-bodied red with swathes of damson and blackcurrant fruit. It has perfectly integrated toasty French oak and majestically ripe tannins that deliver a silky smooth finish. The wine is a full-throttle red, which will work a dream with juicy cuts of steak.
£12.99
The Black Pig Single Vineyard Clare Valley Shiraz 2010
Another customer favourite, this is a brilliant example of a value driven Aussie Shiraz. Teamed with sirloin, the rich meaty texture of this wine will work wonderfully in harmony with the steak. Named after the winemaker’s tribe of black pigs, this is a delicious smooth and mouth filling wine which is full of intense dark fruit.
£10.99
All these wines can be purchased at www.virginwines.co.uk
