Well, dear reader, the Meatloaf was, if I may make so bold, a triumph, leaving me to now suspect I am somewhat of a culinary genius.
DH arrived in from work to find me flushed and busy working on my masterpiece; wearing a floral shift dress (Boden) and an apron decorated with cupcakes. It wasn't deliberate, but I did suddenly realise I was morphing into a 50's housewife.
Apart from my lack of Worcestershire sauce and oregano (for which I substituted garlic/chilli sauce and parsley) rosemary sprigs, paprika, and vinegar, I had all the ingredients and even tried to follow the directions.
DH was practically moved to tears as he ate, begging: 'please cook like this all the time', perhaps he should marry Jamie.....
The children were less impressed (as before, dinner was served too late and they were tired and wound-up, a bad combination) and took a lot of threats and cajoling to get them to eat (four-year-old boy would only eat the mash potatoes).
Jamie's Meatloaf
(the ingredients and instructions are very precise because I've cut and pasted from his website. As you can imagine, nothing was measured or weighed by me, I just vaguely followed the instructions and it worked a treat)
ingredients
• 1 onion, finely chopped• Olive oil
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 heaped tsp ground coriander
• 12 Jacob’s cream crackers
• 2 tsp dried oregano
• 2 heaped tsp dijon mustard
• 500g good-quality minced beef
• 1 large egg
• 2 fresh rosemary sprigs, leaves picked
• 12 slices of smoked bacon or pancetta
• 1 lemon, cut into wedges
Tomato sauce
• 1 onion, chopped into 1cm pieces
• Olive oil
• 2 garlic cloves, sliced
• ½–1 red chilli (to taste), finely sliced
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• 2 tbsp worcestershire sauce
• 1 x 400g tin of chickpeas, drained
• 2 x 400g tins of chopped tomatoes
• 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
main courses | serves 4–6
1. Preheat the oven to full whack. Place the onion in a large frying pan over a medium-high heat with 2 glugs of olive oil and season. Add the cumin and coriander and fry, stirring every 30 seconds, for around 7 minutes or until softened and lightly golden. Remove to a large bowl to cool.
2. Wrap the crackers in a tea towel and smash up until fine, breaking any big bits with your hands. Add to the bowl of onion with the oregano, mustard and minced beef. Crack in the egg and add a really good pinch of salt and pepper. With clean hands, scrunch and mix up well.
3. Move the meat mixture to a board, then pat and mould it into a large, rugby-ball shape and rub over a little oil. You can either cook it now or put it on a plate, cover, and refrigerate until needed. If cooking now, place the meatloaf in a casserole-type pan or baking dish, put it in the preheated oven then immediately reduce the temperature to 200C/gas 6 and cook for half an hour.
4. Meanwhile, for the sauce, place the onion in a large frying pan on a medium-high heat with 2 glugs of olive oil and a pinch of salt and pepper. Add the garlic, chilli and paprika and cook for around 7 minutes, stirring every 30 seconds, until softened and lightly golden. Add the worcestershire sauce, chickpeas, tomatoes and balsamic vinegar, bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Taste the sauce and season if needed.
5. To finish and serve your meatloaf, put the rosemary leaves in a bowl. Remove the meatloaf from the oven and pour all the fat from the pan over the rosemary, mixing well. Spoon your sauce around the meatloaf, lay the slices of bacon or pancetta over the top and scatter over the rosemary leaves. Put the pan back in the oven for 10–15 minutes, until the bacon turns golden and the sauce is bubbling and delicious. Serve with a mixed leaf salad and lemon wedges for squeezing over to add a nice sharp twang.
1. Preheat the oven to full whack. Place the onion in a large frying pan over a medium-high heat with 2 glugs of olive oil and season. Add the cumin and coriander and fry, stirring every 30 seconds, for around 7 minutes or until softened and lightly golden. Remove to a large bowl to cool.
2. Wrap the crackers in a tea towel and smash up until fine, breaking any big bits with your hands. Add to the bowl of onion with the oregano, mustard and minced beef. Crack in the egg and add a really good pinch of salt and pepper. With clean hands, scrunch and mix up well.
3. Move the meat mixture to a board, then pat and mould it into a large, rugby-ball shape and rub over a little oil. You can either cook it now or put it on a plate, cover, and refrigerate until needed. If cooking now, place the meatloaf in a casserole-type pan or baking dish, put it in the preheated oven then immediately reduce the temperature to 200C/gas 6 and cook for half an hour.
4. Meanwhile, for the sauce, place the onion in a large frying pan on a medium-high heat with 2 glugs of olive oil and a pinch of salt and pepper. Add the garlic, chilli and paprika and cook for around 7 minutes, stirring every 30 seconds, until softened and lightly golden. Add the worcestershire sauce, chickpeas, tomatoes and balsamic vinegar, bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Taste the sauce and season if needed.
5. To finish and serve your meatloaf, put the rosemary leaves in a bowl. Remove the meatloaf from the oven and pour all the fat from the pan over the rosemary, mixing well. Spoon your sauce around the meatloaf, lay the slices of bacon or pancetta over the top and scatter over the rosemary leaves. Put the pan back in the oven for 10–15 minutes, until the bacon turns golden and the sauce is bubbling and delicious. Serve with a mixed leaf salad and lemon wedges for squeezing over to add a nice sharp twang.
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| Jamie's |
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| Mine (OK, so the dish is burnt, but still...) |
