A pie is a thing of love, never to be rushed. Cornish pasty has just been awarded protected status from European commission. Only pasties made in Cornwall to the traditional recipe can be labelled ‘Cornish pasties’. Cornish pasties should be a ‘D’ shape and crimped on the side, never on top, says the Cornish Pasty Association. Below is the Hairy Bikers version of the Cornish pasty, taken from their television series, but curiously  not featured in their Cookbook The Hairy Bikers Perfect Pies.

For the pastry:

225g  plain flour, plus extra for dusting
1t  baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
60g unsalted butter
1 free-range egg, yolk only
60ml water
1 free-range egg, beaten, for glazing

For the filling:

50g finely chopped swede
150g  potato, peeled and cut into cubes
50g onion, finely chopped
100g rib-eye steak, cut into small pieces
1T  chopped fresh parsley
salt and freshly ground black pepper

Pastry

• Pulse the flour, baking powder, salt, butter and egg yolk in a food processor until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs.
• Gradually add the water, a tablespoon at a time, mixing continuously until the mixture just comes together as a dough. (You may not need to use all the water.) Roll the dough into a ball, then wrap it in cling film and chill in the fridge for an hour.

Filling

• Bring a pan of salted, boiling water to the boil. Add the chopped swede and potato and cook for 4-5 minutes, until tender, then drain well, refresh in cold water and set aside.
• Preheat the oven to 180°C.
• Roll the chilled pastry out onto a clean, floured work surface. Cut a large disc from the pastry using a dinner plate as a template. Place the onions in a line down the middle of the pastry disc. Spoon the chopped steak on top, then spoon the cooked potato and swede over it. Sprinkle with the chopped parsley and season, to taste, with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
• Brush the edge of the pastry disc with some of the beaten egg. Draw the edges of the pastry together and crimp them with your fingers to seal so that the seal sits on top of the filling. Using a knife, make a small hole in the top of the pasty and brush all over with the remaining beaten egg.
• Place the pasty onto a baking tray and bake in the oven for 25-30 minutes, or until golden-brown.

Wickedfood Cooking School runs cooking classes throughout the year at its purpose-built Johannesburg cooking studio. Cookery classes are run in the mornings and evenings 7 days a week (subject to a minimum of 12 people). The venue is also popular for corporate events and private functions – teambuilding cooking classes, birthdays, kitchen teas, and dinner parties with a difference. Our cooking lessons are hands-on, where every person gets to participate in the preparation of the dishes. They are also a lot of fun where you not only learn new skills, but get to meet people with similar interests. For corporate groups and team building cooking classes these events are a novel way of creating staff interaction or entertaining clients.

Wickedfood Cooking School, SUNNINGHILL

Information & bookings (076) 236-2345  sunninghill@wickedfood.co.za

Hi all,

Hope you all  had a deserved break and are now raring to cook, with some delicious ideas for more hearty food.   Our cookbook of the week, The Hairy Bikers Perfect Pies, features some really delicious baking ideas, ideal for the cooler weather now on its way.

The June programme is now up on the website and open for bookings.  Once again we take you on a tour of the world, from France and Portugal to the exotic spicing of Asia.

Find us on Facebook and Twitter – just search for Wickedfood and you will find us. We update the blog on a daily basis and publish it through Facebook and Twitter.

Looking for info on food?

If you have any food-related questions, or a dish that you just can’t get right or even a certain recipe that you are looking for, but just can’t seem to find, then contact us and we will do our best to answer it as soon as possible. Click Here for more information. Hope to hear from you soon.

Wickedfood Cooking School news

The Cooking class programmes for  May and June are up on the internet. Wickedfood Cooking School runs cooking classes with a minimum of 8 participants and a maximum of 12 giving everyone hands-on experience and keeping the cooking class small enough for maximum learning. These cooking classes are conducted by our senior instructors who have extensive experience in the food industry and share a variety of additional cooking tips throughout the cooking class.

• Sunday 06 May at 4pm  - Cajun – tastes of the deep south (R410pp). Cajun Food originates from the French-speaking Acadian or “Cajun” immigrants in the Acadiana region of Louisiana, USA. It is often called a rustic cuisine and locally grown food predominates with simple preparations. This Cajun cooking class is a spicy blend of classic recipes from America’s deep South, including gumbo, blackened fish and pecan pie.
• Monday 07 May at 6pm – Quick & easy 30 minute vegetarian meals (R410pp) In this vegetarian cooking class we teach students how to put together well balanced, quick and easy meat-free meals including courgette and feta fritters, sweet potato soup, onion and potato frittata, Thai green vegetable curry, fried eggs on a vegetable ragout, falafel burgers, and ricotta and tomato tart.
• Tuesday 15 May at 6pm – Sushi 1 – The basics of sushi making (R430pp – maximum 18, so book early) The increasing popularity of sushi around the world has resulted in many more people wanting to learn the basics of sushi making, this Sushi cooking class shows you how to do the following – cutting fish, making rice, California and maki rolls, nigirizushi (finger), and hand rolls.
• Sunday 20 May at 4pm – Easy to prepare Indian dishes (R410pp). Indian food is a diverse and extraordinary one, reflecting a complex layering of cultures through history and based on religious beliefs, geography, climate and availability of ingredients. India’s range of cuisine can amaze even a connoisseur. Different regions in India offer their own specialties with their very own taste, subtlety and aroma. The exotic tastes, hues and textures of Indian food have ensured a steady growth in popularity in the West. Join us in discovering these incredible dishes in our Indian cooking class. Authentic easy Indian dishes including potato patties, tandoori chicken, pumpkin cream curry, pulao and sago pudding.

Cookbook of the week

The Hairy Bikers’ Perfect Pies

The Hairy Bikers have become a regular feature on the cooking channels.  Their book on pies packed full of British classics as well as some innovative pie recipes, in all, over 150 recipes.  Pies range from the sweet and savoury, deep and small, and to the pies that are puddings . … Click here to read more.

Click Here for reviews of all our cookbook reviews.

Food quote of the week

“Vegetables are a must on a diet.  I suggest carrot cake, zucchini bread, and pumpkin pie.” – Jim Davis, “Garfield”

Recipes of the week:

Cornish Pasty

The Cornish pasty has just been awarded protected status from the European commission. Only pasties made in Cornwall to the traditional recipe can be labelled ‘Cornish pasties’. This is the Hairy Bikers version of the Cornish pasty . …. Click Here for all our recipes.

Wickedfood Cooking School runs cooking classes throughout the year at its purpose-built Johannesburg cooking studio. Cookery classes are run in the mornings and evenings 7 days a week (subject to a minimum of 12 people). The venue is also popular for corporate events and private functions – teambuilding cooking classes, birthdays, kitchen teas, and dinner parties with a difference. Our cooking lessons are hands-on, where every person gets to participate in the preparation of the dishes. They are also a lot of fun where you not only learn new skills, but get to meet people with similar interests. For corporate groups and team building cooking classes these events are a novel way of creating staff interaction or entertaining clients.

The Hairy Bikers are David Myers and Simon King, two guys from Northern England with a passion for cooking and food. They began their TV careers working behind the scenes, Si as a first assistant director and locations manager for film and television and Dave as a BBC make-up artist specialising in prosthetics. It was on the set of a TV drama that they first met and became friends.

They first appeared in front of the camera for their pilot Hairy Bikers series, filmed in Portugal. No strangers to travel before they started working together, the lads embraced the opportunity to seek out new dishes from around the globe when their show took off. Since then, they’ve travelled to Namibia, India, Vietnam, Argentina and Mexico as well as sampling the cuisines of places nearer to home.

The Hairy Bikers’ Perfect Pies: The Ultimate Pie Bible from the Kings of Pies is packed full of British classics as well as some innovative pie recipes, in all, over 150 recipes,  compiled by  The Hairy Bikers.  Featuring an extraordinary range of pies – from the sweet and savoury, deep and small, and to the pies that are puddings. With top tips on pastry, fail safe methods, secrets and cheats, the guys  explain how to choose the right type of pastry and filling for any occasion. In addition there is a whole chapter on pickles, relishes, sauces and side orders to turn a pie into a complete meal.

Apart from the mouthwatering recipes, the book is also well illustrated throughout.  For anyone who enjoys baking both savoury and sweet, this book is a must, full of great ideas, especially with winter at hand.

Interested in buying this book? Visit - Red Pepper Books – The South African online bookshop, is able to offer you great prices on any book you are looking for, and they deliver to your door. Pay only R431 for this book (Recommended Retail Price = R504)! Red Pepper Books is offering Wickedfood Cooking School subscribers an EXTRA 10% off this book. Simply type in the promotional code WICKEDFOOD on the shipping page of the checkout process and your purchase will be reduced by a further 10%, a total saving of R72.

Wickedfood Cooking School runs cooking classes throughout the year at its purpose-built Johannesburg cooking studio. Cookery classes are run in the mornings and evenings 7 days a week (subject to a minimum of 12 people). The venue is also popular for corporate events and private functions – teambuilding cooking classes, birthdays, kitchen teas, and dinner parties with a difference. Our cooking lessons are hands-on, where every person gets to participate in the preparation of the dishes. They are also a lot of fun where you not only learn new skills, but get to meet people with similar interests. For corporate groups and team building cooking classes these events are a novel way of creating staff interaction or entertaining clients.

Winter is fast approaching, and with it the joy of slow-cooked stews.  It is well worth investing in a set of casserole dishes that can be used either on top of the stove or in the oven.  Most of them these days have a facility for setting a predetermined cooking time.  This is ideal for stews and casseroles.  With a little planning you can create a delicious family meal.  Prepare a meal the night before, store overnight in the refrigerator, then place in the oven and set.  When you get home you will have a delicious meal, what could be easier?

This recipe, from our cookbook of the week’s author’s website, is perfect for casseroling (see afoodieliveshere.com for more of  Sarah Graham’s recipes). A spicy robustness of the chorizo, blended with the silkiness of the slow-cooked onions, and comforting roast chicken pieces, with the punch of the cider to round it all off. A real one-pot meal. The whole dish can be made a few hours in advance and re-heated under the grill just before serving.

8 chicken thighs, with skin or 1 whole chicken jointed
1t  thyme
2T  olive oil
1T  butter
3 medium-sized red onions, cut roughly into sixths
1 chopped fresh chilli, de-seeded or 1t dried chilli flakes
2 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
1x 225g (or thereabouts) stick of chorizo, sliced
300ml cider (a bottle minus a sip or two for yourself)
2T  chopped fresh parsley, for serving

1. Pre-heat oven to 180°C. Season the chicken pieces with salt, pepper and the thyme.
2. Heat an oven-proof casserole on the stove, add the olive oil and butter and brown the chicken for about 3 minutes on each side. Remove and set aside.
3. Add the onions to the pan, fry for about 3 minutes, stirring often, and then add the garlic and chilli, and fry for a further 2 minutes.
4. Add in the chorizo, cook for about 3-5 minutes.
5. Remove the pot from the stove, add the chicken back in on top of the onion and chorizo, pour in the cider, put the lid on the pot and place in the oven for 40 minutes.
6. Switch on the oven’s grill setting, remove the pot lid and grill for about 5-10 minutes to crisp the chicken skin.
7. Sprinkle with fresh parsley, serve onto warmed plates and enjoy.
8. Serve with creamy sweet potato mash.

Wickedfood Cooking School runs cooking classes throughout the year at its purpose-built Johannesburg cooking studio. Cookery classes are run in the mornings and evenings 7 days a week (subject to a minimum of 12 people). The venue is also popular for corporate events and private functions – teambuilding cooking classes, birthdays, kitchen teas, and dinner parties with a difference. Our cooking lessons are hands-on, where every person gets to participate in the preparation of the dishes. They are also a lot of fun where you not only learn new skills, but get to meet people with similar interests. For corporate groups and team building cooking classes these events are a novel way of creating staff interaction or entertaining clients.

Wickedfood Cooking School, SUNNINGHILL

Information & bookings (076) 236-2345  sunninghill@wickedfood.co.za

Hi all,

Autumn is definitely here, and the time is fast approaching for more robust food, succulent roasts and stews, and sticky steamed puddings. They may take a long time to cook, but are usually fairly quick and easy to prepare.  Invest in a set of casserole pots and learn to use the pre-set functions on your oven and you could walk in to a delicious meal every evening.  Our recipe of the week is a perfect example of one-pot cooking, enjoy!

The May programme is now up on the website and open for bookings.  Our Cajun cooking class has some great slow-cooked comfort food recipes.

Find us on Facebook and Twitter – just search for Wickedfood and you will find us. We update the blog on a daily basis and publish it through Facebook and Twitter.

Looking for info on food?

If you have any food-related questions, or a dish that you just can’t get right or even a certain recipe that you are looking for, but just can’t seem to find, then contact us and we will do our best to answer it as soon as possible. Click Here for more information. Hope to hear from you soon.

Wickedfood Cooking School news

The Cooking class programmes for April and May are up on the internet. Wickedfood Cooking School runs cooking classes with a minimum of 8 participants and a maximum of 12 giving everyone hands-on experience and keeping the cooking class small enough for maximum learning. These cooking classes are conducted by our senior instructors who have extensive experience in the food industry and share a variety of additional cooking tips throughout the cooking class.

• Sunday 22 April at 4pm – Outdoor Cooking – poultry (R390 per class). Learn the secrets of outdoor cooking on Cadac kettlebraais and gas barbecues. Dishes covered in this cooking class include whole roast juicy chicken, how to smoke a chicken in a kettlebraai, tangy tomato marinade, chicken kebabs, quick and easy bread pockets, grilled vegetables and bananas with a chocolate sauce.
• Tuesday 01 May at 6pm  – The tastes of Spain – (R420 for the class). Spanish cooking has popular roots. It is the people’s cuisine. Most of it is down-to-earth, uncomplicated food, based on the ingredients available locally or the crops grown regionally. One thing is for sure, food in Spain is fresh, abundant and full of taste and the Spanish love their food dearly. Join us for this Spanish cooking class, an introduction to Spanish cuisine including tortilla Espanola, salt cod fritters, gazpacho, paella, and almond tart.
• Sunday 06 May at 4pm  - Cajun – tastes of the deep south (R410pp). Cajun Food originates from the French-speaking Acadian or “Cajun” immigrants in the Acadiana region of Louisiana, USA. It is often called a rustic cuisine and locally grown food predominates with simple preparations. This Cajun cooking class is a spicy blend of classic recipes from America’s deep South, including gumbo, blackened fish and pecan pie.
• Monday 07 May at 6pm – Quick & easy 30 minute vegetarian meals (R410pp) In this vegetarian cooking class we teach students how to put together well balanced, quick and easy meat-free meals including courgette and feta fritters, sweet potato soup, onion and potato frittata, Thai green vegetable curry, fried eggs on a vegetable ragout, falafel burgers, and ricotta and tomato tart.

Cookbook of the week

Bitten: Unpretentious Recipes From A Food Blogger

One of South Africa’s more active food bloggers,  Sarah Graham, has just released her first cookbook . The book includes a selection of the more popular recipes from her blog.  Many of the recipes draw inspiration from food moments with her family. For the large part, they are unpretentious recipes aimed largely at the novice cook.  Most recipes in the book are supported by full page photographs of the dish. . … Click here to read more.

Click Here for reviews of all our cookbook reviews.

Food quote of the week

“After a good dinner one can forgive anybody, even one’s own relatives.” – Oscar Wilde

Recipes of the week:

Chicken with Chorizo and Cider

A spicy robustness of the chorizo, blended with the silkiness of the slow-cooked onions, and comforting roast chicken pieces, with the punch of the cider to round it all off.  A real one pot meal. …. Click Here for all our recipes.

Wickedfood Cooking School runs cooking classes throughout the year at its purpose-built Johannesburg cooking studio. Cookery classes are run in the mornings and evenings 7 days a week (subject to a minimum of 12 people). The venue is also popular for corporate events and private functions – teambuilding cooking classes, birthdays, kitchen teas, and dinner parties with a difference. Our cooking lessons are hands-on, where every person gets to participate in the preparation of the dishes. They are also a lot of fun where you not only learn new skills, but get to meet people with similar interests. For corporate groups and team building cooking classes these events are a novel way of creating staff interaction or entertaining clients.