By the Lazy Tigers
Happy New Year to the Tomorrow readers! We hope you had a wonderful Christmas and that your New Year’s Eve was not a damp squib. As usual, the Lazy Tigers partied as much as we were allowed to and, if we didn’t have to open up the café, would be taking a good old rest now.
We’ve all made it through another (frankly) different kind of year in one of the most beautiful places in the world, and now (almost) all we have to deal with is that it’s a bit chilly at night. But that is okay, because the best response to chilly weather is warming food, the more fattening the better.
In our opinion, nothing beats cheese in the comforting and fattening stakes. So first of all, we have a cauliflower cheese soup, which can be served simple, or garnished up for visitors.
Cauliflower cheese soup
To serve 4:
- A big knob of butter
- 1 large onion chopped very small
- 1 large cauliflower (in florets)
- 1 medium potato (in chunks)
- 400 ml of full cream milk
- 600 ml of vegetable stock made with a cube
- 150 grams of grated strong flavoured cheese (mature cheddar or a Portuguese cheese that says it is aged)
- Chopped herbs, fried onions, packet croutons, crispy bacon (all optional)
Soften the onions in the butter in a large pot. Add the cauliflower, potato, milk, and stock. Bring to the boil and then reduce the heat to a simmer for about 25 to 35 minutes until the veg is mostly mush.
Mash to a smooth consistency. Top with the cheese and any of the other garnishes and serve with some lovely bread.
More cheese, we’ve got it! Don’t let anybody tell you that a fondue set is necessary when serving up that lovely Swiss treat. All you need is a good strong pot with a heavy base that will hold the heat for long enough to gobble the whole thing up. A nice, insulated mat will buy you a few more minutes, but honestly, who needs it? We don’t often specify the type of cheese, but Emmental, Gruyere, and Laughing Cow are all pretty easy to find in town. While not very authentic, the processed cheese is highly effective in stabilising the mixture.
Cheese fondue
To serve 4:
- 300ml of very tart white wine
- 1 finely chopped clove of garlic
- 350grams of grated Emmental
- 450grams of grated Gruyere
- 150grams of Laughing Cow (or Dairylea)
- 2 tsp kirsch
- Nutmeg
- Bread to dip
In a deep heavy-based pan, simmer the wine and garlic over a low heat
Add the Emmental followed by the Gruyere, followed by the Laughing Cow, slowly a little at a time, whisking all the time. Allow each addition of cheese time to melt before adding more. (Continuous whisking is necessary to prevent splitting)
Stir in the kirsch and the nutmeg to taste
Serve at once, dunk the bread, and eat fast
And to drink? What goes better with fondue than Gluhwein? We know it’s a cliché, but if it ‘ain’t broke, don’t fix it.
Gluhwein
To serve 4, makes 8 big cups
- 2 bottles of red wine
- 550 ml water
- 2 lemons (juiced)
- 150 grams sugar
- 5 cloves
- 2 cinnamon sticks
- 2 oranges chopped into cubes, and one more for garnish
Put all the ingredients in a pot. Simmer, but do not boil. As soon as steam starts to rise, you are losing alcohol
Fish out the cloves and cinnamon and ladle into cups or glasses that can be picked up when full of hot liquid
Garnish with a thin slice of orange
We hope these winter warmers get you through January as snug as you like. We will be in the shop from the 3rd, still nursing our hangovers while we take down the decorations but cheered by scoffing what is left of the Christmas chocolates. So come in and see us in the historic centre. We’ll save you a few.
Rua Marreiros Neto 14 8600-754 Lagos
