Month: January 2014

Categories
SOUPS/SAUCES/CONDIMENTS

Sponge cake – basic recipe


For use with Current tart served with Crème de Cassis syrup and Cassata (Glazed fruit ice-cream cake with a fresh strawberry compote), and Strawberry cake with thick custard and a meringue and almond  topping.

The cake:
225 g/8 oz self-raising flour
½ level teaspoon/3 ml baking powder
225 g/8 oz castor sugar
225 g/8 oz unsalted butter (melted and cooled)
½ cup/125 ml milk and water mixed
1 large free-range egg
zest of 1 lemon
pinch of salt

The syrup: (optional)
3 tablespoons/45 ml castor sugar
zest and juice of 1 lemon
1 tablespoon/15 ml Cointreau (or freshly squeezed orange juice)
50 g/1.8 oz unsalted butter

Preheat the oven to 180ºC/356°F.
Grease a cake pan of about 22 cm/8.6 in in diameter with a loose bottom, and then dredge all over inside with a mixture of flour and castor sugar.
Into a mixing bowl, sieve the flour, baking powder and salt. Mix in the sugar, egg, butter, milk and water and whisk together until the mixture forms a smooth batter.
Pour into the prepared cake tin and bake in the preheated oven for 30-35 minutes, until well risen and golden. Remove from the oven and leave for 5 minutes. Remove the cake from the cake tin and (if using the syrup) prick it all over with a skewer. Spoon half the amount of syrup over, and use the rest to spoon on the plates when serving.

While the cake is baking, heat the sugar and lemon in a small saucepan and bring to the boil. Cook for 1 or 2 minutes, then add the Cointreau (or orange juice). Beat in the butter, a little at a time, until the sauce thickens.

Categories
METHODS

SUGAR SYRUP


Combine 400 g/14 oz caster sugar, 1½ cups/750 ml cold water and 2 tablespoons/30 ml liquid glucose in a saucepan and heat gently, stirring continuously with a wooden spoon until the sugar has dissolved.  Skim off any scum that may rise to the surface. Then boil hard for 3 minutes.  Leave to cool down completely, pass through a sieve, and if not using immediately, store covered in the refrigerator  for use later.

Chef’s note: It is useful to have a supply of sugar syrup to make a quick sauce for a simple dessert.
Categories
MAIN COURSE

Marinated belly pork “sous vide”


“Sous-vide”-cooking is a method used to cook food sealed in airtight plastic bags in a water bath for longer than normal cooking times, sometimes as long as 72 hours, at a regulated temperature much lower than normally used for cooking. The intention is to cook the item (mostly tough cuts of meat) evenly, preventing the food from overcooking whilst keeping it juicy, succulent and tender.

PORK BELLY

For the pork:
1 kg/2 lb pork belly, without bone
300 ml pork stock
2 tablespoons/30 ml vegetable oil

The marinade:
1 stalk lemongrass, hard outside removed, the core finely chopped
1 teaspoon/5 ml white pepper, freshly ground
2 teaspoons/10 ml Chinese five-spice powder (mix your own)
4 cloves garlic, crushed
2 teaspoons/10 ml fresh ginger, peeled and finely chopped
Kosher salt
1-2 red chilies, seeds removed, finely chopped

  • For the marinade, mix the lemongrass, spices, garlic, ginger, salt and red chilies together in a small bowl, then rub the marinade into the pork belly all round.  Cover with cling film and marinate for at least two hours, or up to 12 hours, in the fridge.
  • Preheat the oven to 100ºC/212ºF.
  • Place the marinated pork in a food grade plastic bag and pour in the stock.
  • Seal the bag in the vacuum packing machine.
  • Meanwhile heat water in the ovenproof  basking dish to the same temperature as you have set the oven.
  • Carefully lower the sealed bag into the hot water and make sure the bag is totally covered with the water.
A good idea is to put a circle of greaseproof paper with a small hole in the middle, on top of the meat before you secure the lid on.
  • Place the baking dish in the oven and set your timer for 3 hours.
  • When the cooking time is up, carefully remove the bag from the hot water with tongs and place in a deep dish.
  • Cut the bag open and let the meat and juices slide out of the bag into the dish.
  • Pour out the sauce in a saucepan.
  • Press the meat between two baking trays with a weight on top to flatten the skin and place in the fridge to chill for 1-2 hours.
  • Just before serving set the oven to grill and place the pork belly, skin side up, about 30 cm/12 in from the grill.
Keep an eye on the skin as it can burn in an instant.
The sauce will have all the flavors of the marinade as well as the meat. 

 

Categories
METHODS

CHINESE FIVE SPICE


Five-spice powder is a spice mixture of five spices, used primarily in Chinese cuisine but also used in other Asian and Arabic cookery.

1 teaspoon/5 ml Szechwan peppercorns
2 whole star anise
1 teaspoon/5 ml fennel seeds
1 teaspoon/5 ml whole cloves
1 stick cinnamon 

In a dry pan over medium heat, toast all the spices until fragrant, stirring regularly to prevent the seeds from burning. Allow to cool.  In a spice grinder grind all the spices until a fine powder is formed.  Store the powder in an airtight container away from direct light. The spice blend will stay good for several months.

Categories
SOUPS/SAUCES/CONDIMENTS

Seafood cakes with a caper sauce and mixed herbs


The fishcakes can be made with any leftover fish from a previous meal.

Serves 4
SEAFOOD CAKES

The mashed potatoes:
300 g/0.5 oz potatoes, peeled
2 tablespoons/30 ml créme fraîsche (make your own)
2 tablespoons/30 ml milk, heated
salt and freshly ground white pepper

The seafood:
1 tablespoon/15 ml olive oil
8 medium prawns, shelled, deveined
200 g/7 oz firm white fish OR 100 g/3.5 oz  salmon and 100 g/3.5 oz
firm white fish
100 g/3.5 oz smoked salmon
1 medium shallot, finely chopped
1 small mild red chili, finely chopped
1 tablespoon/15 ml lemon juice
1 egg lightly beaten
1 tablespoon/15 ml parsley, finely chopped
1 tablespoon fresh coriander, finely chopped
salt and fresh ground black pepper
Japanese breadcrumbs (Panko)
oil for deep-frying

The sauce:
2 hard-boiled egg
½ teaspoon/3 ml Dijon mustard
salt and freshly ground black pepper
½ cup/125 ml peanut oil
2 teaspoons/10 ml white wine vinegar
1 tablespoon/15 ml capers, drained, rinsed and roughly chopped
2 tablespoons/30 ml gherkins (cornichons), finely chopped
1 tablespoon/15 ml of each of parsley, tarragon, chives and chervil, finely chopped

The garnish:
a mixture of fresh herb leaves
paprika for sprinkling

Cut the potatoes into even chunks and boil in salted water until tender (about 15 minutes). Drain and return to the pan and over gentle heat, reheat the potatoes until any excess moisture has evaporated.  Push the potato chunks through a potato ricer.  In the meantime, slowly add the heated milk to the potatoes whilst whisking it with a fork. Mix in the créme fraîsche, salt and pepper to taste, then cover and set aside in a warm place.

To get the potato mash even smoother, push it through a drum sieve.

In a frying pan, heat the oil and lightly fry the prawns for 1 minute.  Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on kitchen towel.  Then fry the fish until just cooked – about 2 minutes.  Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on kitchen towel.  When the prawns and fish have cooled completely, roughly chop all of it and put in a bowl.  Cut the smoked salmon into small pieces and add to the fish and prawns.  Add the rest of the ingredients and the mashed potatoes, except the crumbs and oil, and mix well.  Put in the refrigerator for about 15 minutes to set, then remove and form the cakes.  Divide the mixture into 8 equal sized cakes.  (If you find that the cakes are too big, make smaller ones to get 12 cakes.)

To make sure that all the cakes are the same size, weigh them!

Heat the oil to about 170°C/335°F. (See safety tips for deep frying.)

Roll each cake in the crumbs, making sure the crumbs stick well, then fry in the oil – about 1-2 minutes on each side until they are golden brown.  Drain on kitchen towel and keep warm until ready to serve.

Put the yolks of the boiled eggs with the mustard and salt and pepper in a blender and blend well until a smooth paste forms.  While mixing, add half the oil, drop for drop, until all the ingredients amalgamated well.  Carry on mixing and add the vinegar, then slowly add the rest of the oil.  Transfer the mixture to a bowl and mix in the rest of the ingredients except the paprika.  Check the seasoning and adjust if necessary.  The paprika will be sprinkled over the sauce once it has be spooned onto the serving plates. Keep the sauce refrigerated until ready to serve.

To serve:
Place two or three fishcakes in the center of each serving plate, then put a posy of herb leaves on top or next to the cakes, and drizzle the sauce around.  Lightly sprinkle some paprika onto the sauce.

Categories
GLOSSARY / METHODS

PANKO (JAPANESE) BREADCRUMBS


DEEPFRIED BRIE3Panko breadcrumbs, made from white bread with the crusts cut off, have a coarser texture and a more elongated shape than ordinary breadcrumbs.  It also exhibits a porous structure that results in a tender/crisp texture and therefore makes for a much lighter and crunchier topping or coating.  They brown better when fried, do not get soggy on the inside and stay crunchier on the outside. Panko breadcrumbs are available in Asian food stores or well stock supermarkets.

Categories
METHODS

PORCINI POWDER


DRIED PORCINI MUSHROOMSTo make the porcini mushroom powder, take a whole packet of dried porcini mushrooms and grind to a powder in a spice grinder.  Store in a sealed glass jar and use to strengthen the mushroom soup flavor, sprinkle over baked potatoes, stir into mushroom risotto, serve with scrambled egg, etc.

Categories
METHODS

Vegetable stock


3 onions, coarsely chopped
1 leek, coarsely chopped
2 celery sticks, coarsely chopped
6 carrots, coarsely chopped
1 whole head garlic, split in half
1 lemon, cut into 6 wedges
4 white peppercorns
4 pink peppercorns
½ bay leaf
4 star anise
8 cups/1 liter cold water
1 sprig each of tarragon, basil, coriander, thyme, parsley and chervil
½ cup/125 ml dry white wine

Place the prepared vegetables, the lemon wedges, peppercorns, bay leaf and star anise in a large pot.  Add the water and bring to the boil.  Reduce the heat and simmer for about 10 minutes.  Remove the pot from the heat and add the herbs and submerge it.  Set aside to cool and to allow the herbs to infuse the stock. Pass the stock through a double layer of muslin and leave to cool. Pour small amounts in suitable containers and freeze for up to 2-3 months.

Categories
METHODS

SAFETY AND PRACTICAL TIPS FOR DEEP FRYING


  • To check the temperature of oil without a thermometer, test by carefully putting a cube of bread in the hot oil.  If the bread browns within —

60 seconds, the temperature is about 160°C/320°F (low)
40 seconds, the temperature is about 180°C/356°F (moderate)
20 seconds, the oil is about 190°C/374°F (hot)

  • To cool the oil down when it is too hot, turn off the stove or fryer and add slices of bread to the oil to help cooling it down. Discard the bread when the oil has reached the correct temperature.
  • If using an electric fryer, dip the basket of the fryer in the hot oil to coat the wires before adding the food.  This will prevent the food from sticking.
  • Cook the food in small batches.  If you crowd the pan, the oil will cool down and the food will absorb too much oil, thus preventing it from becoming brown and crispy.
  • Always drain deep-fried food on paper towel placed on top of folded newspaper to absorb the excess oil.
  • Fried food needs a free circulation of air to stay crisp when keeping it warm.  Spread it out on an oven rack and leave in a warm oven with the oven door ajar.
  • Deep fryers are preferable to chip pans because they are less likely to tip and generally have thermometers to prevent overheating and fires. 
  • Water in hot oil cause splatters and fires. In case of fire, do not use water, use a fire blanket or suitable extinguisher.
  • Have a fire blanket immediately to hand, to smother fires, or a specialized fire extinguisher
  • Do not overheat the oil .  Oil is flammable and oil fires are extremely dangerous.  Oil for deep frying  is generally between 175º and 190 °C/345–375 °F.
  • Do not overfill the fryer.  There must be space in the fryer for food to be added otherwise the oil can overflow causing fire or burns.   Always cook smaller quantities at a time.
  • Use metal utensils to manipulate food in a fryer – a wire cage is the main tool, and a spider or long-handled chopsticks can be used for additional manipulation.
  • Valuable rules:
    • do not leave unattended
    • do not allow small children near the frying area
Categories
DESSERTS

Banana and marzipan spring rolls with cinnamon and banana liqueur


If marzipan is difficult to get where you are, see in the Glossary how you can make your own.

BANANA MARZIPAN2Serves 4

The marinade:
2 teaspoons/10 ml brown sugar
¼ teaspoon/pinch of cinnamon
1½ cup/375 ml banana liqueur
juice of 1 lemon
4 bananas, peeled

The spring rolls:
2 sheets spring roll wrappers, cut in half
1 free-range egg, lightly beaten
4 strips of marzipan, 2 cm/0.7 in wide/ 8 cm/3 in long and 2 mm/0.07 in thick
oil for deep-frying

  • Combine the sugar, cinnamon and banana liqueur in a shallow glass dish.
  • Cut the peeled bananas lengthways in half and each half in quarters, then add to the marinade and leave for 30 minutes.
  • Drain and reserve the marinade.
  • Brush the edges of each pastry sheet with the beaten egg as you go along.
  • Put a strip of marzipan between two quarters of banana and place on a sheet of pastry.
  • Roll the pastry up, folding in the sides to prevent the filling from squeezing out, and put aside under a damp cloth.
  • Repeat with the rest of the ingredients.
  • Heat the oil to about 180°C/356°F and deep-fry the spring rolls until golden, and drain on kitchen paper.
  • Keep warm uncovered.
See the Glossary for safety tips on deep-frying.

To serve:

  • Slice each roll in half at an angle and arrange on the servings plates.
  • Pour the reserved marinade into dipping bowls and serve immediately.