Jan 20 2008
Simple Lunch for Four
Lunch: brought to you by the denaturing power of Lemon!
- Tuna and Beans
- Linguine with Lemon, Garlic and Thyme Mushrooms
Both of these recipes were firmly in my ‘not so sure about these’ category, and so it might seem odd that I cooked them so soon in the year, or indeed when we had friends coming for lunch. Their crime was, in both cases, containing an ingredient about which I am firmly sceptical- or downright negative.
In the case of the Tuna and Beans, this was the red onion. I am not a fan of raw red onion. In a restaurant I will sit and pick out slivers of red onion from salads in what I am sure is a most irritating fashion. However I decided to press on with the dish because a) I liked the general premise of beans and tuna fish, very Italian, and b) the onions had to steep in lemon juice for some time and that can make raw onion edible (think of the ones you put on poppadoms).
Whilst eating it, I enjoyed the salad. Dougal wasn’t a fan; the borlotti beans fell into his category of beans which don’t seem properly cooked (too firm with tough skins). Unfortunately, the onion was simply too raw. I spent the rest of the day burping horrendously and complaining of indigestion. So I think we’ll give that one a miss in future (unless I’m asked to do a salad for a barbeque, because I do think this is a salad other people would enjoy).
I was sceptical about the pasta because it calls for mushrooms but then does not cook them. Raw mushrooms are in fact used by the CIA as an implement of torture. They are just wrong, wrong, wrong. However, I went along with it, partly because Helen at AOYP (fellow challenge-ee) has made it and enthused, and because I reasoned that if I sliced my mushrooms very finely perhaps the heat from the pasta really would cook them adequately.
What I hadn’t reckoned on was the power of the lemon juice over the mushrooms. The finely sliced mushrooms got a wee bath in some lemon juice and olive oil and hot damn if that lemon juice didn’t ‘cook’ the mushrooms nicely. Nigella suggests that the mushrooms in their juice might make a nice salad and I’m inclined to agree.
I do wish though that I had had fully faithful ingredients for this. Despite the lunch date being planned a fortnight in advance I didn’t get round to planning the meal till the morning and so shopping was done locally. I would have liked to have had proper linguine (I find the shape very satisfying to eat) rather than spaghetti, and whilst Nigella says not having Chestnut Mushrooms is not an excuse to not make this dish, I’m annoyed I didn’t. Without cooking, button mushrooms are somewhat insipid in colour. Chestnut mushrooms would have made this dish generally more appealing on the eye. Nevertheless, a surprise hit.
You can see some of Dougal’s yummy little rolls (from Feast by Nigella Lawson) by the side.
So you can get the nice crunch of raw onions but without all the eye-watering harshness by blanching them before use. Cut them, chuck in boiling water for 10 secs and then straight out into cold (iced if you’re being poncy) water.
Hmm. I remain unconvinced that raw onions (aside from proper French salad onions) are ever meant to be eaten. At least not by me. But perhaps I can give the above a go.
I don’t mind raw red onions, but the raw mushroom thing I have to agree with you on.
Those rolls look lovely!
Raw Red Onions are of the devil. They make me physically ill for the better part of a day if I eat even one in something. I pick all raw onions and scallions out of dishes, it’s really annoying if they’re tinily sliced scallions. I have a mild allergy to raw onion, perhaps you have the same? I love, love LOVE cooked onions though. Sauteed onions, garlic and mushrooms make a steak complete.
Baby portobello mushrooms would also look lovely in that.