This tomato, olive and caper sauce is the perfect accompaniment to the delicate flesh of the lemon sole. A sprinkle of parsley and flaky sea salt is all that’s needed to add the finishing touch. Serve with seasonal steamed greens or a salad on the side.
Add a knob of butter to a nonstick frying pan and gently fry the onion, garlic and anchovies until the anchovies have started to melt into the butter and the onion and garlic is soft and translucent.
Add the capers and fry for a further minute.
Add the tomatoes and olives and simmer on a low heat until the tomatoes collapse into a sauce.
In the meantime, lightly dust the fish with flour on both sides and season.
Place another nonstick frying pan over a high heat and add a splash of oil. Once hot, carefully place the fish, top-side down, into the pan. Cook for around 3 minutes or until the fish is starting to turn golden round the edges.
Flip the fish over and cook for 2–3 minutes before adding cubes of butter. When the butter is melted and foaming, tilt the pan towards you and use a spoon to baste the butter back over the fish.
Remove the fish from the pan and drizzle over the browned butter. Leave to rest for a few minutes.
To serve
Taste the sauce and add salt if needed (the anchovies will have seasoned it to an extent). Stir most of the chopped parsley into the sauce then spoon out onto a serving plate.
Top with the fish and a further sprinkle of parsley and flaky sea salt.
We had the pleasure of meeting some of the Belazu staff at Taste of London this year and we teamed up with them recently to give you the chance to win some amazing prizes. Belazu have been so generous and have sent us extra quantities of their lovely products so that the Team here at ProWare could taste and enjoy them too!
We wanted to see what all the hype was around the company that has been bringing Mediterranean & Middle Eastern ingredients to tables since 1991.
Here’s what we thought to the wonderful pesto, pastes and vinegar that we have had the pleasure in trying out:
Anyone could be fooled into thinking that this is a basic Italian basil pesto. Belazu describe it as a classic and we agree, no kitchen should be without a jar! The aroma of the basil is fantastic and even used for a quick and simple snack with linguini the Parmigiano adds a rich nutty flavour which compliments the pine kernels beautifully.
This sun-dried tomato pesto is blended with sweet oak smoked paprika to give it an amazingly rich flavour. It went down a storm when we used it as a dressing with roasted vegetables and can be used between layers of potato gratin to create a wonderful side dish.
Bold, fruity and smooth this sweet and sticky Balsamic Vinegar is fantastic. We enjoyed it with a bit of oil on focaccia bread and to drizzle over caprese salads but can be used for dressings, marinades and sauces.
We used this Verbena Harissa to add a real zing to freshly cooked new potatoes and they went down a storm at a family barbecue alongside Portuguese spiced chicken, lamb kebabs and salad. Yum!
Last but by no means least we tried this Rose Harissa Paste which is one of Belazu’s signature ingredient and best seller. It really did add a kick to plain cous cous and a simple yoghurt dip, the slow burning chilli will add depth of flavour to any dish.
INTRODUCTORY OFFER: 20% off all our Frying Pans this August Bank Holiday Weekend!
With prices starting at just £35 you will never be without the right tools for the job! Check them out here.
20cm – Perfect for smaller hobs, individual omelettes, toasting nuts and seeds.
24cm – Easy to handle and ideal for 2-3 servings, frying eggs and proteins such as fish, chicken, and vegetables such as asparagus and corn on the cob.
28cm – Versatile pan when cooking for a larger family. Perfect for cuts of meat and fish for sharing.
Not only do they look amazing these induction compatible pans are designed with a perfectly flat base to ensure maximum contact with your hob surface.
The three-layer construction provides superior heat distribution for precise cooking control.
They have a highly polished stainless steel exterior and are dishwasher and oven safe to 260°C*.
The handles are attached using heavy duty stainless steel rivets which provide lifelong durability and have been designed to stack perfectly taking up less room in your pan drawers!
They come with and without Platinum Plus Non-Stick coating to cater for all of your culinary needs.
The recipes we brought to you by Mark Dodson and Great British Chefs for our summer feature have been so enthusiastically received that we thought we would ask the experts at Amathus Drinks to recommend three wines to accompany each of the dishes.
The wines have been carefully selected to compliment each of the dishes and also to fit any budget.
This wine has a powerful smell with aromas of eucalyptus, black fruits and toased notes. It’s around and concentrated wine, with a nice balance of spice and fruit, a woody nuance and good length.
Golden delicious apple, pear, pineapple, honey, graham cracker. biscotti. almond and vanilla with citrus, lemon cream, green apple, pear, mineral, toasty oak and vanilla.
Fresh and intense. Mineral aftertaste, vibrant acidity and salinity that, along with the carbonic remains, make the wine fresh and young without being aggressive.
Château De Chausse AOP Côtes De Provence Rosé 2017 – £19.95
Pale pink colour. This very beautiful cuvée reveals elegant aromas of white fruit, enhanced by pure minerality. Delicate and aromatic.
Vintages with hotter conditions stand out for the honey-like, floral and muscatel aromas. However, in fresher vintages, the characteristics of the wine remind of tropical fruits, white flowers and high acidity.
This delicious sweet wine balances flavours of baked peach, vanilla and grapefruit with a delicate, lingering sweetness that never overpowers.
Château Hout-Mayne Sauternes 2011 – £38.80
The nose is mineral with a hint of citrus fruit. The mouth is rich but well- balanced with candied fruits and peach aromas. Long length with subtle spices flavours.
We have all been there, standing in the wine aisle at your local supermarket, hundreds of different bottles staring expectantly back at you, beckoning for your attention. You glance in your basket for inspiration. ‘Prawns… a white then… that one is on offer… it’ll do’. You get home and find the juggernaut of a Californian chardonnay you bought because it was a quid cheaper than usual, stomps all over your fresh, fragrant bowl of prawn linguine. It’s too big; rich and creamy on the palate, with enough oak to build an ark it leaves your dinner crushed and cowering in it’s wake. Evening ruined.
This, however, needn’t happen. We have come up with a few simple rules to help you pick a wine that will compliment what you are eating and lift it to unprecedented heights. Take note and enjoy!
The Rules
Match the wine to the sauce, not the protein.
The protein in a dish is often the star of the show and is therefore important. However, when trying to pick a wine to compliment what you are eating, consider the sauce in which the protein is served. For example, with baked cod in tomato and chorizo sauce, try a juicy pinot noir. Soft, well rounded and not too heavy with medium levels of tannin. This will be able to stand up to the sauce without overshadowing the fish. Likewise, a juicy sirloin with a generous helping of béarnaise sauce can work wonderfully with a robust, layered white. A weighty chenin blanc with well-balanced minerality and a vibrant streak of acidity to cut through the richness of the sauce will work a treat.
Read the label This sounds obvious but winemakers often provide tasting notes and pairing guidelines on the bottle (supermarkets are have begun to do this on price labels too). When browsing the supermarket shelves it can be easy to get sucked in to buying a marked down bottle or simply grabbing one with a pretty label but if you take a moment to read the information given to you it can often result in a better decision.
Match like with like Put simply, match the characteristics of the food with that of the wine. With a light hors d’oeuvre such as salmon mousse blinis go for a delicate, crisp and dry sparkling rosé. Earthy foods like wild mushrooms work well with earthy wines such as cabernet franc. Rich, sweet foods like dark chocolate go beautifully with a rich, sweet crusted port. You get the idea.
Making a Start
To give you a rolling start, we have selected three recipes from our blog and paired them up with a great bottle of vino, any of which would make for the perfect night in.
This little known grape has been hailed as “Sicily’s answer to Malbec” by The Guardian’s Fiona Beckett and this example is fresh and vibrant with a savoury kick of black pepper. A solid, fruity red that would work well with almost all tomato based dishes that represents outstanding value for money.
Staying in Sicily, this time an organically cultivated blend of Grillo (70%) and Chardonnay (30%) that produces aromas of lemon and pineapple. The combination of grape varieties gives this wine a weight that allows it to handle a stew (albeit a light one) without loosing any of that clean acidity that marries so well with the fresh tomato salad.
This Californian red is a blend of four grape varieties; Zinfandel, Merlot, Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon. Velvety on the pallet with ripe dark fruit and hints of vanilla giving a touch of sweetness make it a perfect tipple with chocolate.
waitrose.com
One more thing…
You don’t have to spend a lot for quality This is not specific to paring wine with food but it’s good to know. A common approach to buying wine is that you get what you pay for. Sometimes true. I once had the pleasure of tasting a 2006 Krug Brut (to save you from asking, around £200) and the only way I can describe it was like walking in to a Parisian bakery on a sunny Saturday morning and hitting a wall of toasty brioche gorgeousness. That said, you can often find good solid wines without breaking the bank. With supermarkets really upping their game in recent years it is easily achievable to get something really special for less than a tenner (£8 if you look hard enough).
Combat these chilly autumn evenings with this comforting Braised Venison Cobbler. Paul Welburn from Michelin Star Restaurant The Oxford Kitchen has created this scrumptious dish of braised venison haunch which is served with fluffy horseradish scones. A refreshing approach to a traditional cobbler, this would make a wonderfully warming evening meal. Together with Great British Chefs we’re celebrating game and autumnal cooking! For more inspiration and recipes check out our blog here.
To begin, make the braised venison. Dust the venison evenly in flour, shaking each piece to remove any excess. Add the oil to a large sauté pan and add a batch of the venison when hot. Cook until golden, drain and set aside. Repeat with the rest of the venison – it’s important to work in batches so you don’t overcrowd the pan.
Place a large, deep sauté pan with a lid over a medium-high heat, add the pancetta and cook until caramelised and golden. Drain the bacon, keeping the fat in the pan, and add the onions, diced carrots and parsnips. Cook until golden, then add the garlic and tomato purée and cook out for 2–3 minutes
Add the beer and wine to deglaze, scraping the bottom of the pan to remove any reside, then reduce by two thirds. Add the stock, return the bacon and venison to the pan (plus any juices that have escaped) and top up with a little more stock if needed. Bring to a simmer, add the bay leaf and thyme and cover with a lid. Cook over a low heat for 1 ½–2 hours, or until the meat is tender and the sauce is rich – you may need to top it up with a little more stock if it’s getting a little dry.
While the venison is cooking, make the scones. Rub all the dry ingredients with the butter until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Add the horseradish, followed with enough milk to form a nice dough. Do not overwork the mixture, or the scones will be tough.
Wrap in cling film and rest in the fridge for 30–40 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 220°C/gas mark 8.
Dress the baby parsnips with a little oil and season. Spread out on a roasting pan and cook for approximately 25 minutes.
Roll out the scone dough until 2cm thick on a lightly floured work surface. But out 12 scones using a 4.5cm diameter cutter.
Arrange the scones on top of the venison mixture and brush the top with egg yolk. Place in the oven with the parsnips for approximately 12–15 minutes, or until the scones are golden and the venison is bubbling away. Remove and top with a grating of horseradish and finely chopped parsley before serving
Paul Welburn from Michellin Star Restaurant The Oxford Kitchen has created this fabulous recipe of roasted partridge with grapes, gnocchi and mushrooms! It is flavourful, creamy comfort food with delightful bursts of freshness. Served in the pan for the ultimate oven-to-table dish it is perfect for sunny early-Autumn days. Herb gnocchi and some sautéed wild mushrooms complete the dish perfectly. Together with Great British Chefs this recipe is part of our celebration of all things game.
Partridge is delicate, tender and relatively quick as well as easy to cook. It benefits from being full flavoured but at the same time not tasting too ‘gamey’. Another great benefit is that each partridge is the perfectly sized portion, one per person is ideal. This recipe combines the ease of cooking partridge with an exciting and refreshing array of flavours in the accompaniment. We hope you enjoy!
To begin, prepare the gnocchi. Preheat the oven to 180°C/gas mark 4.
Prick the potatoes all over and bake whole in the oven until the flesh is completely soft. While still hot, scoop the flesh out of the skins and pass through a potato ricer (or use a masher.)
Mix the egg, egg yolk and flour in a bowl to combine, then lightly mix into the potato – do not over-mix. When just combined, add the herbs and roll into long logs measuring 2cm in diameter.
Cut the logs into individual gnocchi and heat a large pan of water until almost boiling. Add a batch of the gnocchi and cook until they float to the surface – it’s best to do a smaller test batch at first to make sure you have enough flour in the mixture. If they don’t float, mix again with a sprinkling more flour and re-roll and cut.
Drain and plunge into iced water to chill quickly. Repeat in batches with the remaining gnocchi. When all of the gnocchi have been cooked and chilled, place in the fridge until required.
For the partridge
Preheat the oven to 180°C/gas mark 4.
To cook the partridges, add a dash of oil and knob of butter to a large saucepan and allow to heat up. Once the butter is foaming, add the partridges and colour all over, until golden. Remove from the pan and set aside.
Add the carrots and onions to the same pan and cook until tender and golden. Deglaze with the white wine, scraping the bottom of the pan to remove any residue.
Add the chicken stock and thyme, return the birds to the pan and cover with a lid. Place in the oven for 25 minutes.
Remove the partridges from the pan and allow to rest in a warm place. Add the cream to the pan and bring to the simmer. Season well, add the grapes and herbs and place the birds back in the pan. Keep warm.
To finish
Add a dash of oil to a non-stick pan and when hot, add the gnocchi. Pan-roast on all sides until golden, then add to the pan with the partridges.
Add a knob of butter to another non-stick pan and place over a medium-high heat. Add the garlic clove and mushrooms and roast for 1 minute until lightly golden. Stir in the parsley, season then sprinkle the mushrooms over the partridges.
Serve in the pan at the table for everyone to dig in.
This is a phrase that is thrown around all over the place these days. Whether its chocolate bars getting smaller or washing machines packing in after just a few years, it is becoming more evident that everyday items are gradually transforming into shadows of their former selves.
The cost of raw materials is increasing. As is the pressure to be competitive in a market saturated with products and outlets. It is therefore understandable that companies are de-spec’ing their products in order to make their production viable and profitable. An unfortunate downside of this is that product quality and longevity suffer, making items less durable in a society that is becoming increasingly throwaway.
Brands that continue to manufacture a product designed to last, who are unwilling to sacrifice quality to participate in a race to be cheapest and are now something of a rarity. We believe ProWare to be an example of such a brand.
Our cookware is used daily in professional kitchens
‘What would we want in our own kitchen?’
When developing our products, we wanted the result to be something we would be willing to buy ourselves, that would satisfy our appetites for quality and value.
For this reason, we went above and beyond when specifying our cookware. The Tri-Ply ranges have a minimum wall thickness of 2.5mm (up to 3mm in the Copper Tri-Ply). This is more than six times that of some commercially available items. The handles on all our pan ranges are cast stainless steel, as are the rivets used to attach them. Securing the handle with stainless steel rivets requires 200 tonnes of pressure and ensures the handle will never loosen. Most manufacturers use aluminium rivets, which are fastened using only 45 tonnes of pressure due to aluminium being a softer metal than stainless steel. This is considered a more cost effective choice but aluminium can deform as a result of sustained stress or frequent jarring. This can cause handles to loosen with time.
Perhaps the most vunerable part of any pot or pan is the interior. It is this surface that will be exposed to the most hostile conditions. The interior of a pan will regularly come in to contact with three potentially destructive elements; moisture, heat and acidity. These can combine to become detrimental to some metals over time so it is essential the correct ones are used. That is why we use 18/10 grade stainless steel for the interiors of all our pans. The name refers to the chromium and nickel contents of the steel. This is considered the highest grade of stainless steel in domestic use and is noted for its excellent resistance to corrosion.
You can find out more about the construction of our pans here.
Buy well, buy once
We are confident in the knowledge that we have done everything possible to make our pans as good as they can be. It is this which allows us to offer a lifetime guarantee across all ranges with the exception of our non-stick items. The non-stick we use is Teflon Platinum Plus, a market leader renowned for its toughness and longevity. As good as it may be, it will not last forever.
We hope you can share our faith in the cookware we produce and that you can make a purchase knowing it will stay with you through decades of use to be passed on to future generations.
Following the success of the Copper Tri-Ply and Copper Base ranges, and with the growing popularity of induction cooking we decided to put our heads together and develop a range that could be used with all hob types to make ProWare accessible to all. The Stainless Steel Tri-Ply range was what we came up with and we couldn’t be happier with it.
Su Sutton, from esteemed bespoke kitchen maker My Father’s Heart, estimates that induction hobs account for around 90% of their hob-top sales. This is frankly an astonishing figure. So what has prompted this sudden surge in popularity? Let’s find out.
Where did it all start?
Much earlier than you may think with the first patents outlining the principle of induction cooking dating back to 1909. Following some exposure at technology fairs in the 1950’s, induction hobs as we know them today were the result of work carried out at the Westinghouse Electric Corporation Research and Development Centre near Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania in the early 1970’s. The first commercially available induction hob was Westinghouse’s Cool Top 2, launched in 1973 priced at $1500 ($8260 in 2017 dollars).
Westinghouse Electric CT-2 1973 (image: Westinghouse Electric Corporation)
How does it work?
Conventional hobs work using thermal convection. In other words they use a heat source, whether it be with a gas flame, a radiant ring or a halogen filament to heat up your pots and pans.
Induction hobs work slightly differently. Instead they use magnetic induction to directly heat the vessel in which you are cooking. An alternating electric current is passed through a coil of copper wire located within the hob beneath your pot (1). This creates an oscillating magnetic field (2) which produces eddy currents within the pot. The pot’s resistance against these currents is what causes it to heat (3).
An induction hob
Why choose induction?
Perhaps the main attraction to a society that is becoming increasingly aware of energy consumption and it’s environmental impact is efficiency. Test carried out by the US Department of Energy found induction cooking to have an average of efficiency of around 75%, compared with 70% for electric coil and 44% for gas (read more here). This can be largely attributed to the significantly higher ambient loss attained with cooking methods that use a flame or heating element; compared to induction, which heats the pot directly.
Safety is another factor which falls in its favour. The absence of a direct heat source is of great appeal to families with young children, or for that matter, absent minded adults. Of course your pots and pans will get hot during cooking (that’s the whole point) but the hob-top itself does not emit heat. It will warm up due to heat transfer from your hot pan so caution is still recommended but it doesn’t pose the same risks as a naked flame or hot plate. In fact, Raymond Baxter once demonstrated on the BBC series Tomorrow’s World, that it was possible to cook through a slab of ice (don’t try this at home!).
In addition, many induction hobs are a single flat piece of glass. This means food being burnt on or getting stuck in nooks and crannies doesn’t really happen, so keeping them clean is a doddle. Also, being aesthetically very neat they appeal to those with contemporary tastes.
Are they still expensive?
Yes and no. If you are thinking of installing an induction hob in your new kitchen, it’s true that an entry level one will set you back around double that of the equivalent gas hob. This difference becomes less defined as you increase in spec level. The disparity in initial outlay may not sit well with your wallet, but you may notice benefits in the long run thanks to the increased efficiency of induction. Generally speaking however, they have reduced in price significantly since their introduction. You can get small portable hobs for as little as £30.
Another factor to take in to consideration is whether the cookware you have (or want) is induction compatible. If it isn’t, this will be an added expense in making the transition, which brings us on to our next point.
Are there any drawbacks?
A reliance on magnetism to heat your pans means that almost all induction hobs require the cooking vessel to be made of (or at least contain) a ferromagnetic metal such as cast iron or some stainless steels. Cookware made of copper, glass, non-magnetic stainless steels or aluminium does therefore not work on an induction hob. There are ways around this with the availability of discs that you place on your hob allowing it to function as a conventional hot plate, on which non magnetic cookware can be used. You will, however, forfeit the efficiency gained by opting for induction.
Induction hobs can be noisy. The source of this noise is two fold – it can be generated by the cooling fans housed withing the hob itself; they can also produce an audible electromagnetic noise as a result of cookware being exposed to a high magnetic field. This normally manifests itself as a humming or buzzing but most users find this to be minor and something grown quickly accustomed to.
ProWare Stainless Steel Tri-Ply 16cm Saucepan on a BORA induction hob with integrated downdraft technology
What is next for induction?
It would be fair to say that thanks to their efficiency, cleanliness and good looks, induction hobs are here to stay. We asked Su her thoughts on the future of induction and where she sees it going in coming years;
“Leading the way now in terms of induction is downdraft.”
Downdraft refers to a type of extraction system that draws air down and out as opposed to the conventional hoods which draw it up and out.
“BORA is our best-selling hob-top brand with internal extraction within the induction cook-top. They are a relatively new company – being only about 8 years old – but they have changed the way people think about extraction and offer several different models of induction cook-tops that are well-engineered and designed. They are, definitely, one to watch.”
This revolutionary technology doesn’t come cheap with prices starting around £3,000. It does however give us a glimpse of how we all may be cooking in years to come.
Last December we were delighted to launch our Stainless Steel Tri-Ply range. We have now had a couple of months to live with them and see how the pans perform in the real world. The team here at ProWare have had a discussion about what they like most about them and this is what we came up with, we hope you agree!
1 Efficiency
A totally flat base ensures excellent hob contact
These pans are designed with a perfectly flat base to ensure maximum contact with flat hobs and reduce ambient heat loss. This means they are very responsive to changes in heat, quickly achieving a rolling boil or settling down to a simmer. The Tri-Ply construction allows them to perform at their best on all hob tops (find out more here).
When developing the Stainless Steel Tri-Ply 14cm Milk Pan and 26cm Frying Pan, we decided to offer the choice of non-stick or not (read more about the benefits of each here). Each has its pros and cons. Consequently, each perform some tasks better than others. If you’re going to use you frying pan for fried eggs and crepes, go for non-stick. Conversely, if you intend to make lots of sauces using a metal whisk, a 14cm saucepan without non-stick would be preferable. Another bonus is that the entire range is oven safe!
3 Durability
Our stainless steel rivets are secured with 200 tonnes of pressure
When we develop a new product, the approach we take when deciding on a specification level is to ask ourselves ‘what would we want in our own kitchen?’ With a wall thickness of 2.5mm and cast stainless steel handles, these pans both look and feel extremely robust. In addition, our handles are secured using stainless steel rivets pressed with 200 tonnes of pressure. Most manufacturers use more cost effective aluminium rivets however, these are softer than stainless steel and can deform if repeatedly banged causing handles to loosen. We offer a lifetime guarantee on every element of the cookware with the exception of the non-stick coating.
4 Aesthetics
Hanging loops mean these pans don’t have to be confined to the cupboard
We have established that there is more to these pans than just a pretty base (get it?…anyone?), but we couldn’t talk about our Stainless Steel Tri-Ply without acknowledging just what handsome devils they are. Classic yet contemporary design combined with the non-tarnishing properties of stainless steel means these pans will come out of the dishwasher looking almost as good as the day you bought them for years to come.
We have incorporated several design aspects in to these pans to make them not only beautiful but dynamically functional. A steep arch in the handle makes the items easier to handle; it keeps the handle away from the heat source; and, allows the pans to nest efficiently in cupboards or drawers. An eyelet where the handle meets the pan body disperses heat to ensure handles don’t get too hot and a hanging loop enables the pans to be elegantly displayed in your kitchen. We also know that larger pans can be very heavy when full. That’s why we have added helper handles to the 18cm and 20cm saucepans, and the 24cm sauté pan.
6 Induction Compatible
Cooking on induction is now possible with ProWare
This is the first complete range we have produced that can be used on an induction hob. The popularity of induction is increasing rapidly due to its wide appeal as a clean, efficient method of cooking.
7 Roast to Perfection
ProWare Stainless Steel Tri-Ply Roasting Pan
In February 2018 we launched something entirely new for us. The latest member of the Stainless Steel Tri-Ply family, our 35cm Roasting Pan has the same three-layer construction as the rest of the range meaning it will work on an induction hob too. This stunning piece makes oven-to-table dishes that much more appealing and it is built to last so will see you through decades of roast potatoes!
We would love to hear from you!
If you think we have missed anything or have any feedback about our Stainless Steel Tri-Ply (or any of our other products), please get in touch.
Covid 19 Update: We're despatching orders as usual with no delays
