Pulp Fiction | Royale with Cheese

Revolutionary for it’s time, Pulp Fiction still stands as the fall back response for most when asked the daunting “favourite film” question.

Pulp Fiction is a film you can’t help enjoying – purely because you can just feel it’s completely born out of love. Quentin Tarrantino had upgraded from the training wheels of Reservoir Dogs (and if I looked that good on training wheels I would be a very happy man) and found himself at home behind the camera. The music, the characters, the dialogue – it is as if you’re prying on Tarrantino’s cinematic masturbation. And I keep going back for more.

I still clearly remember seeing this for the first time quite young (certain lines cuing dad to cover my eyes – “bring out the gimp”). I don’t know how much of it I actually understood, but it made a mark.

It’s becoming infinitely more clichéd at the release of every one of his films to be a Tarrantino fan, but he’s loved for a reason. I mean he even makes Uma Thurman look cool (yes, that is My Super Ex-Girlfriend. Yes, that is Poison Ivy). He actually made her cool. Twice! That’s no fluke. That’s work of a film God. So kudos to you, Quentin – I’m impressed.

The film’s dialogue was new ground. Mundane turns masterful with conversations ranging from foot massages to international McDonalds menus – something that in my opinion has not yet been matched to date (regardless of endless attempts).

The film effortlessly steams forward like a juggernaut from opening to close, and leaving you clambering for breath between genuine gasps and laughter.

The only way to compliment this film would be with an all-American sloppy joe. It may be no “Big Kahuna”, but it’s pretty right on. No frills here, which is what you want when you’re eating a cheeseburger. The accompanying chips, from Nigella Lawson, are without a doubt the only way to go. No more wasting time twice, thrice, four times fried – these are perfectly crunchy each time. Bring it back to basics and sink your teeth into this one – you wont be disappointed.

“Mmmmmmm! This is [swallows] a tasty burger!” – Jules, Pulp Fiction

serves 6

500g beef mince

1 tsp salt

1 tbsp garlic powder

1 tbsp onion powder

2 large onions, sliced into rings

Jarlsberg cheese, sliced

fresh white hamburger buns

pickles, tomato sauce, mustard to serve

Add the mince, salt, garlic powder and onion powder to a large mixing bowl, and combine with hands until all the dry ingredients are well distributed through the mince. Adding the salt acts as a binding agent for the beef, which means there is no need for egg whites, while the onion and garlic powder are in there for that real “McDonalds” taste.

Divide the mince into 6 equal portions and roll into balls. Between two pieces of baking paper, flatten the mince with the palm of your hand until each is about a centimetre thick.

In a hot pan, add a small mound of onion – about the same size as the patties. When the onion begins to brown, place a patty on top of the onion and gently press with a spatula until it completely covers the onion. Cook for about a minute then flip your patty, onion included.

Place a generous slice of cheese on top of onion and patty and cook for a further minute (or until the cheese has melted).

Serve patty’s in toasted buns, with generous lashings of mustard and tomato sauce. Top with pickles.

cold oil chips

(from Nigella Lawson’s ‘Nigellissima’)

500g waxy potatoes

750mL vegetable oil

1 head garlic, cloves separated but not peeled

8 sprigs thyme, rosemary or sage, or herbs of your choice

sea salt flakes, to taste

Cut the short ends off each potato (but don’t peel it) so that it can sit up vertically, and then slice it downwards into generous 1cm/½in slices. Cut these slices into chips about 1cm thick, again, err on the generous side. Load up a clean tea towel with the chips as you cut them.

Put the oil into a wide, heavy-based pan (mine is approximately 28cm/11in diameter and 11cm/4in deep), and add the freshly cut potatoes. Then put the pan over a high heat and bring to a boil, which should take about five minutes. Keep a careful watch on the pan at all times.

Continue to cook the fries, without stirring them, for another 15 minutes. The pan will be bubbling vigorously. If the oil gets too hot or bubbles too hard, reduce the heat a little, and always keep a close eye on it.

Now you can very carefully give the chips a gentle stir with a pair of tongs held in an oven glove, moving any that have stuck away from the bottom or sides of the pan. Add the unpeeled cloves of garlic to the pan, stir gently again, and cook for another 5-10 minutes (watching the temperature and making sure the garlic doesn’t look burnt or the fries too dark), before testing a chip for crispness on the outside and tenderness on the inside. Do not burn your mouth, though! You might need another five minutes or so beyond this, but stand by your pan, the chips can turn from a cooked gold to a burnt bronze quickly.

At the point when the chips are pale gold, but crisp, toss in the herbs, then after a minute or so scoop everything out – using a couple of perforated scoops for ease, and wearing oven gloves to protect your hands – onto a tray or platter lined with a double thickness of kitchen roll. Once any excess oil has been absorbed, tip the chips off the kitchen paper clatteringly onto the plate and sprinkle with sea salt flakes to taste, serving immediately.

Amores Perros | Tacos de Pollo

Mexican cinema had a bit of a bumpy ride through the later part of the 20th Century – but thanks to generous government sponsorship in the early 90s, the floodgates opened with the Neuvo Cine Mexicano. Mexico began churning out cinematic genius with Como agua para chocolate (Alfonso Arau) in 1992 and they just kept coming. At the turn of the century it all peaked with Alfonso Cauran’s brilliant sexually charged Y tu mamá también (And Your Mother Too), the hugely successfully, but equally as controversial El crimen del padre Amaro (The Crime of Father Amaro) and perhaps the most internationally acclaimed of them all, Amores perros (Love’s a Bitch) in 2000.

Director Alejandro González Iñárritu today is no stranger to our screens. Hollywood blockbusters 21 Grams (2003), Babel (2006) and Biutiful (2010) – make an impressive list pulling A-graders Cate Blanchett, Brad Pitt, Sean Penn, Naomi Watts and Javier Bardem.

Amores perros was Iñárritu’s audacious intro into the film scene. Obvious bloodthirsty throwbacks to Reservoir Dogs doesn’t detract from this director’s fresh and unique approach. The film opens with a horrific car accident that connects three stories – all otherwise unrelated. (Suspiciously similar plot line to Crash, which scooped the Oscars barrel almost five years on).

A solid cast led by a fresh faced Gael Gacía Bernal takes us on an unforgettable ride through Mexico City, sometimes best viewed through splayed fingers. Set to a soundtrack of gunshots, barking dogs and a score to keep your heart pounding it really is film at its best.

If that trailer doesn’t leave you wanting more, I don’t know what will.

Flawlessly  shot, you will be left breathless. Don’t let the ultraviolence deter you from the gritty (but beautiful) romance and raw humanity. Undeniably the best of the increasingly popular “worlds-collide” genre, it continues to stand as one of my favourite films of all time.

Let’s just keep our fingers crossed that Iñárritu sticks to his roots with his upcoming feature Birdman – unfortunately some of his fellow Neuvo Cine Mexicano directors have slipped. Badly. Cauran sold himself out with the Harry Potter franchise,and Guillermo del Toro (Pan’s Labyrinth) may have just dug his grave with the recent Pacific Rim. 

With Michael Keaton and Emma Stone leading the Birdman cast… He best tread carefully.

To compliment what I believe to be the ultimate example of Mexican cinema, it’s only fair to match it with the ultimate Mexican street fare. And, I will be the first to admit it’s my biggest guilty pleasure, but it’s time to take a step back from the Old El Paso hard shells and mince. A taco loaded with coriander and a generous squeeze of lime is a moment in heaven with very little effort.

I’ve devised a quick recipe  after scouring the internet for as many variations as I could. Some corners have to be cut of course – masa harina (maize flour) isn’t as easy to pick up in Woollies as it may be in Tijuana, so stick to the foolproof flour substitute. Don’t be discouraged by the prospect of making dough – it’s quick, easy, and makes a world of difference.

These bad boys are simple but impressive enough to whip up for friends, and can just as easily take the place of cheap spaghetti bol for a weeknight staple. So crack open a Corona, boot up your DVD and enjoy a little bit of Mexico.

serves 4

500g chicken thigh fillets, boned

1 tbsp cumin seeds

1 tbsp coriander seeds

1 tbsp paprika

1 tsp dried oregano

1/2 tsp cayenne pepper

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1 tbsp vegetable oil

tortillas

2 cups plain flour

1/2 tsp salt

3/4 cup water

3 tbsp vegetable oil

salsa fresca

4  tomatoes, seeds removed and diced

a spanish onion, diced

a red chilli, thinly sliced

a lime

a cob of corn

a handful of coriander

red wine vinegar (optional)

Slice chicken into 1cm strips and set aside in a large bowl.

In a heavy based frying pan, over high heat add cumin and coriander seeds. Shake the pan occasionally to avoid charring the seeds for 3-4 minutes, or until aromatic. Remove from heat and crush seeds in a mortar and pestle. Add paprika, oregano, cayenne pepper and garlic powder to the mortar and pound until all spices have combined into a fine powder.

Add spice mix to the bowl with chicken and combine well until chicken is evenly coated. Cover bowl with cling film and refrigerate for 30 minutes if time allows.

Add a generous tbsp of oil to a  heavy based pan. When hot, fry chicken in batches making sure not to overcrowd the pan. Transfer onto paper towels and set aside.

For the tortillas, in a mixing bowl combine flour and salt. Add the oil, and using your fingertips work the flour mixture into crumbs. Gradually add the water and work the mixture into a dough with your hands.

Once workable, turn dough out on an floured workspace and need for 8-10 minutes. This kneading process is important to activate the gluten in your dough – if under kneaded your tortillas will be flakey – no one wants that. You will be able to feel the gluten strands forming as the dough becomes stiffer and more elastic.

Once kneaded, divide your dough into 8 equal portions. On a floured workspace, using the palms of your hands flatten each portion until round and a few millimetres thick. If the dough is too elastic and wont hold its shape, use a rolling pin.

Prepare an un-oiled heavy based pan or griddle over high heat. When pan is hot, one at a time fry each portion for about a minute on each side, or until the tortilla blisters. Transfer onto a plate and stack under a damp tea towel. This will prevent the tortillas from drying out and becoming to inflexible to use for tacos.

For the salsa, strip beards and leaves from the corn. Over a gas stove, using tongs slowly rotate the corn cob over the flame. Continue turning for a few minutes until corn softens and begins to show scorch marks. Cooking corn over the flame makes it super sweet. If you don’t have a flame though, you will get a similar result just turning the corn in a hot, un-oiled griddle for a few minutes. Cut corn away from cob into a serving bowl.

To the bowl add the tomato, onion, chilli and the juice of a lime. Toss all the ingredients and top with a generous handful of torn coriander. You can then add a lug of red wine vinegar according to taste.

Serve with extra wedges of lime and a cold beer.

The Breakfast Club | Hand Rolls

The jock, the nerd, the rebel, the weirdo and the prom queen – the American teen stereotypes we all know and love. Each year, we’re reacquainted with them, and each year, frankly, we’re disappointed. We are forced into understanding each of them through cheesy dissections to the point of nausea – but let’s spare the Zac Efron chat from the first post.

There are, however, few exceptions to the rule. Possibly each of these exceptions at the hand of John Hughes. And it’s his 1985 classic The Breakfast Club that without a doubt claims the spot as the quintessential teen film.

In no way is this the best film ever made. Personally, I don’t think it is even Hughes’ best – both Ferris Bueller and Pretty in Pink stand as tough competition. Although The Breakfast Club has managed to avoid falling into that clichéd mess that we’re all too familiar with. Stella performances from the Brat Pack cast, with Judd Nelson stealing scene after scene with his suave angst and Molly Ringwald tailing behind nailing the spot as “rich bitch” of the group.

One of my favourite scenes showcasing Hughes’ penchant in nailing the nitty-gritty idiosyncrasies has to be:

“You won’t accept a guy’s tongue in your mouth and you’re gonna eat that?”

This is the lunchbox that everyone wants – and fresh sushi hand rolls (Temaki) are not out of the question. When you start to lose hope with nori tearing and sticky rice clinging to your fingers… and the walls… and the ceiling; battle on. By your third you’ll be rolling like a pro, and by five you’ll look like you’re fresh out of Tokyo.

Fast, fresh and delicious these are sure to help out next time you’re stuck in detention writing a 1000 word essay of self exploration.

Sushi Hand Rolls (Temaki)

8 toasted nori sheets

wasabi, pickled ginger & soy sauce (to serve)

Rice

1 cup sushi rice

3 tbsp sushi vinegar

Fillings

1 avocado, peeled, halved and sliced lengthways

2 carrots, julienned

1 large cucumber, seeds removed, julienned

16 small lettuce leaves

To prepare the rice, place in a colander and run under cold water until water runs clear. Thoroughly shake, getting rid of excess water.

In a heavy based saucepan, bring rice to boil over high heat with 150mL of cold water. When boiling, reduce heat and simmer covered for 12 minutes.

Turn rice out onto a non-metallic bowl and add sushi vinegar mixing with a wooden spoon (a wooden spoon will absorb excess vinegar). Fan rice for five minutes to rapidly cool – this will give the rice a glossy finish.

Cut a piece of nori in half lengthways, and cup it in the palm of your hand (glossy side down). Using your other hand (run it under water prior – the rice half as irritating to handle – you’ll see), cover one half of the nori with a thin layer of rice.

In the centre of the rice, make a shallow trench diagonally from the corner closest to your thumb and fill with avocado, carrots, cucumber and a lettuce leaf.

Roll the temaki by bending your hand so that it starts to fold in onto itself. Tuck the end in and finish off by rolling it into a cone shape. To keep the cone together take one kernel of rice and squash it into the corner. This will stick the end down, holding the Nori in position.

Serve rolls with soy sauce, wasabi and pickled ginger.

Next Up: The Breakfast Club / Hand Rolls Bento Box

“You won’t accept a guy’s tongue in your mouth and you’re gonna eat that?” – Judd Nelson, The Breakfast Club

If Molly Ringwald packs sushi for detention, so should you.

Reel Food Blog launches tomorrow with John Hughes 1980s classic. Prep your Bento Boxes kids.