Stokes Sauces: Self-catering holidays - tasty treats on holiday

Holiday Essentials

http://www.stokessauces.co.uk/page/sauces/ketchup-and-sauces

Self-catering holidays give you the freedom to eat when you want, where you want and what you want.

Whether you are glamping, caravanning, staying in a country cottage or a coastal villa. It's fun to get back after a fun day out and settle down to a hearty feast.

Travel gives us the chance to try something new - the kitchen apparatus, local ingredients or trying our own take on a local delicacy (below).

Packing for 'a strange' kitchen is worth considering. I take my favourite sharp knife and we pack dried herbs, ground cumin, sea salt and pepper and a tin opener. We also take other essentials goodies from Stokes to make local ingredients - taste better.

With these basics in the bag, we can take on anything.

Seat belts on - and off we go

Galette forestière

If you are staying in or near Normandy, you must try their national dish based on pancakes but raised to a whole new gastronomic level. These buckwheat beauties start with a savoury course followed by amazing combinations of sweet dessert. Wash these down with local cider, finish with a Calvados and you'll not want to leave.

To make about 12 pancakes...
You'll need:

250 g of buckwheat flour
2 tsp of plain flour
1 egg
20 cl of cold water
1/2 a cup of milk
1 tsp of olive oil
A pinch of salt
2 tbsp Calvados
300g mushrooms, chopped
30g butter, melted
1 small onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, crushed
1 tbsp of Stokes Brown Sauce
1 tbsp of chopped parsley
2 tbsp of cream

Here's how:

Sieve the flour into a large bowl. Make a well in the centre and add eggs and salt. Mix well. Beat in the milk and water. Add oil and leave to stand, at room temperature, for at least an hour.

For the filling: In a little butter, soften the onion for 5 minutes. Add the mushrooms, brown sauce, garlic and cook through, adding the cream and parsley at the last minute.

Spread the rest of melted butter on the galettes, top with the mushrooms and fold the corners in.

To make it really special, add a fried egg and serve with a simple salad and Stokes Real Mayonnaise on the side.

Soupe de Poisson

Drive on down the coast to Bordeaux where you'll find an exciting combination of seafood fresh from the estuary and sea to the west and big meaty flavours from the Dordogne to the east - all washed down with classic wines from historic cellars right on your doorstep. Locals call Bordeaux 'le petit Paris' - sensationally chic in every way.

For this fish soup have a browse in the local market...
You'll need:

Equal amounts of white fish fillets (any you can find)
and shellfish (prawns, mussels etc) totalling about 400 g
1 onion. diced
1 stick of celery, chopped
3 or 4 tomatoes, chopped
2 cloves of garlic, grated
2 cloves of garlic, chopped
1 red chilli, chopped
3 tbsp of Stokes Tomato Ketchup
4 tbsp of Stokes Real Mayonnaise
Saffron or turmeric - just a little
A baguette, sliced and toasted

Here's how:

First we make a 'rouille', which is mayonnaise, grated garlic and the saffron just to colour it if possible (this will go on the toasted baguette before serving). Mix well and rest in the fridge.

Put half of the shellfish and three or four fish fillets to one side and finely chop the rest with the onion, celery, and tomatoes.

Soften the onion, celery and chopped garlic for 5 or 6 minutes then add the chopped fish, shellfish, chilli, tomatoes and ketchup. Add about half to three quarters of a litre of water, season well and simmer for 10 minutes.

Add the remaining fish and shellfish, simmering for a further 5 minutes. Meanwhile, slice and toast the bread, rub it with a clove of garlic and top with the rouille. Serve the soup with the toast and rouille floating on the top.

Bon Appétit.

Cassoulet

Inland now towards Agen and Toulouse, deeper into the simmering tastelands of southern France. The cassoulet is a family one pot meal of beans, sausages, bacon and often chicken. This is a simplified version to share in the evening with a glass of local wine.

You'll need: