I would like to pass on my culinary experience and knowledge to others through this blog, as I have passed down previously to my children and family. One of my fondest memories is cooking with my children and I hope you have fun in the kitchen making desserts with yours. Also do you remember licking the cake mixture off the spoons and the bowl, it was the best bit... I hope you have lots of fun in the process. Thanks for reading!
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Sunday, 10 April 2011
Soft herb crust (16 portions
320g fresh white bread crumbs
100g flat parsley
2 tsp chopped thyme
240g soft butter
160g gruyere cheese (grated)
Salt & pepper
Method
1. Combine all the ingredients in a food processor until smooth.
2. Chill for about 2 hrs, then role between two sheets.
3. Cut into portion sized square.
Suet dumplings
Ingredients
225g flour
225g atora suet
5g salt
Cold water
1. Mix dry ingredients and add the cold water.
2. Either poach in the liquor the dumplings are being served with (stew, casserole etc) or poach in simmering salted water.
Butternut squash tart mix
Ingredients
| 1.2 kg | Butternut squash (peeled & diced) |
| 1 head | Garlic |
| 1 sprig | Thyme |
| 1 sprig | Rosemary |
| 1 lt | Double cream |
| 12 | eggs |
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Method
1. Roast off the squash with the broken down garlic, thyme & rosemary in a hot oven ensuring it is fully cooked & lightly browned.
2. Blend in a food processor the squash minus the herbs & the garlic until smooth.
3. Remove from the food processor into a bowl & mix in the eggs & double cream.
4. Adjust the seasoning.
5. Cook in a pre-cooked tart case at 160ºC for 35-45 mins.
Duck egg, parsley & summer truffle omelette with sauté Jersey royals & Loire valley lamb’s lettuce & pea shoot salad
Serves 4
| Omelette | |
| 8 | Duck eggs |
| ¼ bunch | Flat leaf parsley (picked, washed & chiffonade) |
| 1 | Summer truffle |
| 5 ml | White truffle oil |
| 10g | Unsalted butter |
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| Salad | |
| 1 punnet | Lamb’s lettuce (picked & washed) |
| 250g | Pea shoots |
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| Dressing | |
| 25 ml | Fruity extra virgin olive oil |
| 25 ml | Ground nut oil |
| 5 ml | Hazelnut oil |
| ¼ tsp | Dijon mustard |
| 10 ml | Chardonnay vinegar |
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| Potatoes | |
| 300g | Jersey royals (cleaned, cooked in boiling salted water & sliced in half length wise) |
| 15g | Unsalted butter |
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| | Salt & pepper (to taste) |
Method
1. To make the dressing whisk together the mustard & chardonnay vinegar.
2. Combine all the oils & slowly whisk into the mustard & vinegar mix until smoothly emulsified.
3. Season with a little salt & pepper to taste.
4. Warm a heavy bottomed frying pan over a medium heat before adding the 15g of butter allowing it to foam but not to brown.
5. Add the potatoes & lightly season.
6. Coat the potatoes in the butter before placing in a hot oven to brown (approx 220ºc) for 8 minutes.
7. Meanwhile finley slice the truffle on a truffle mandoline, reserving two or thrre slices to garnish the omelette with.
8. Finely dice the remaining truffle.
9. Break the eggs into 4 separate bowls allowing 2 eggs per omelette. & lightly beat with a fork to combinethe egg yolk & white.
10. Lightly season with salt & freshly cracked pepper before dividing the parsley & diced truffle between the 4 bowls.
11. Make omelettes one at a time, heat an omelette pan over a medium flame before adding a quarter of the butter, do not let the butter brown.
12. When the butter is foaming pour in the egg mixture.
13. Stir the omelette continusly with a fork working from the outside into the centre of the pan, as the eggs begin to cook keep stiring until they start to set, lower the heat & cook slowly for one minute by which time the centre sould be almost set. The whole process should only ake a couple of minutes.
14. Remove from the pan by tilting & folding into three, place on a warm plate & kkep warm
15. Now make the remaining three omelettes in the same way.
16. Take the potatoes from the oven and arrange on the plate next to the omelette, they should be a pleasing golden brown colour.
17. Mix together the Lamb’s lettuce & the pea shoots, dress with the dressing & season with salt & papper to taste, arrange on the plate with potatoes & omelette.
18. To finish the dish place the truffle slices on the omlettes & drissle with the whitw truffle oil.
Basil & ricotta risotto
Ingredients
| 3.5 lt | Chicken/vegetable stock (hot) |
| 600g | Ricotta cheese |
| 200ml | Olive oil |
| 3 | Onions (fine diced) |
| 1 kg | Risotto rice |
| 1 bunch | Basil (chiffonade) |
| 300g | Parmesan (grated) |
| 400ml | White wine |
| 3 cloves | Garlic (crushed) |
| 100g | Butter (unsalted0 |
| 100g | Parmesan rinds |
| 1 | Lemon (juiced) |
Method
1. Sweat down the shallots & garlic in the olive oil without colouring until soft & translucent.
2. Add the rice & coat in the oil for a few minutes.
3. Deglace with the wine & cook for a few minutes.
4. Add the parmesan rinds & pour in the stock a little at a time stirring regularly, allowing it to simmering before adding more stock.
5. Remove from the heat while still slightly under cooked, spread on shallow trays to cool.
6. When ready to serve heat up some stock & bring to the boil before turning down the heat & adding the rice.
7. Stirring all the time mix in the butter, parmesan, ricotta & basil.
8. Season & correct with lemon juice.