Category: SOUPS/SAUCES/CONDIMENTS

These recipes are suitable for starters or light lunches and in some cases even as side dishes.

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SOUPS/SAUCES/CONDIMENTS

Tuna, potato and green bean salad


Serve with a green sauce, mustard vinaigrette and sour cream

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Serves 4

This is a totally “free-style” version of the traditional Nicoise salad. It is fun to make because you can add, omit or swap ingredients every time you make it. It can be served as a starter or a light lunch, but it is very important for the tuna to be sushi grade. If any doubt, don’t use it as the tuna should really be rare in the middle.

TUNA NICOISE

The green sauce:
1½ cup/375  ml parsley
½ cup/125 ml mint
½ cup/125 ml dill
1 tablespoon/15 ml tarragon
5 canned anchovies, rinsed and pat dry
4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
¼ cup/60 ml capers, rinsed and roughly chopped
olive oil
freshly crushed black pepper

The vinaigrette:
2 tablespoons/30 ml red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon/15 ml Dijon mustard
1 small garlic clove, minced
salt and freshly ground black pepper
½ cup/125 ml extra virgin olive oil

The salad:
400 g/14 oz fresh tuna fillet
250 g/9 oz potatoes, unpeeled
250 g/9 oz French beans, trimmed
2 large ripe tomatoes, skinned
2 tablespoons/30 ml vegetable oil

The sour cream:
2 tablespoons/30 ml fresh cream
4 tablespoons/60 ml plain yogurt
2 teaspoons/60 ml lemon juice
salt and pepper to taste

The garnish:
½ small red onion, sliced in very thin rings, rinsed under cold running water
2 fresh free-range eggs, medium soft-boiled, shelled and quartered
4 black olives, stoned and halved
4 basil leaves, finely sliced

Trim the tuna and roll up tightly with cling wrap into a cylinder, then refrigerate.

Chop the herbs finely by hand and mix them with the anchovy, garlic and capers. Add olive oil just to loosen the paste, taste and season with black pepper (the anchovies is salty enough).

In a bowl, whisk together the vinegar, mustard, garlic, anchovy paste, salt and pepper, then gradually whisk in the oil. Reserve 2 tablespoons/30 ml of the vinaigrette for the tuna.

Boil the potatoes in salted water until just tender. Set aside to cool then remove the skins and slice into 5 ml (0.2 in) slices and sprinkle some salt and pepper over.

Boil the green beans until tender but still crisp, drain and refresh in cold water. Drain again.

Slice the tomatoes so that you have 16 rings of about 8 mm/0.3 in thick.

Heat the oil in a frying pan, unroll the tuna, then sear all over for not longer than 30 seconds. Remove from the pan and pour over the reserved vinaigrette. Season and set aside until ready to use.
Whisk the cream until stiff, then fold in the yogurt, lemon juice and salt and pepper. Taste and adjust the seasoning to your liking. Set aside until ready to use.

To serve:
On each serving plate arrange the ingredients attractively and spoon the green sauce around.  Arrange the garnish all round and drizzle some more of the dressing over. Dot the green sauce with some sour cream, and finally sprinkle the basil over.

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SOUPS/SAUCES/CONDIMENTS

Baked chocolate pudding


Made with hazelnuts and cherries and a rich chocolate glaze

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The reason for dredging the fruit and nuts is to ensure that it mixes well with the cake mixture and does not sink to the bottom. The cake baked in the bread tin makes it attractive, when sliced, for presentation purposes. Any shape tin may be used.

CHOCOLATE CAKE

The pudding:
100 g/3.5 oz self-raising flour 
½ teaspoon/3 ml baking powder 
a pinch of bicarbonate of soda (baking soda) 
1 tablespoon/30 ml cocoa powder 
75 g/2.6 oz caster sugar 
1 extra large free-range egg, lightly whisked 
1 tablespoon/30 ml golden syrup (corn syrup) 
6½ tablespoons/100 ml milk 
6½ tablespoons/100  ml sunflower oil
½ cup/125 ml hazelnuts, roughly chopped
1 cup/250 ml Marachino stoned cherries in syrup (available bottled in syrup), drained and cut in half 
flour for dredging the nuts and cherries

The glaze:
¼ cup/60 ml sugar syrup
½ cup/125 ml water
4 tablespoons/60 ml glucose syrup
3 tablespoons/45 ml cream
3 tablespoons/45 ml cocoa powder
1 tablespoon/15 ml Drambuie (optional)

The garnish:
12 Marachino stoned cherries with stalks (available at well-stocked supermarkets)

Preheat the oven to 150°C/302°F.
Grease a bread tin of approximately 28 x 13 cm/11 x 5 in.
Sieve all dry ingredients together into a mixing bowl and make a well in the center. Mix the egg with the syrup, milk and oil and add to the dry ingredients. Mix well until smooth. Lightly dredge the hazelnuts and cherries with the flour and mix it into the batter. Pour into the prepared baking tin and bake in the preheated oven for approximately 30 minutes. Remove from the tin and let cool.

To serve:
For the glaze, heat the sugar syrup, water, glucose, cream and cocoa powder and bring to a boil. Stir until the sauce thickens, then remove from the heat and set aside to cool. When the pudding as well as the glaze have cooled totally, pour the glaze (reserving 4 tablespoons/60 ml) over the pudding. Decorate with the cherries and chocolate curls. 

Glucose is very sticky and an easy way to measure it is with either a heated spoon or a spoon dipped in oil. The glucose will simply slip off the spoon. Do the same with honey and corn syrup.

When ready to serve, cut the pudding in slices and put on a cooling rack with a plate underneath to catch the dripping glaze. Spoon the glaze over the piece of cake making sure that you cover it all over. Carefully lift the cake off the rack and place in the center of the serving plate. Decorate with the cherries.

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SOUPS/SAUCES/CONDIMENTS

Pickled beetroot


4 large beetroot
1½ cups/375 ml white vinegar
¾ cup/175 ml sugar
a pinch ground cloves
salt and freshly ground pepper

Wash the beetroot thoroughly and cook enough water to cover it, until tender.
Cool and remove the skin (either by hand or use a knife), then cut the beetroot into slices, julienne strips or grate it on the rough side of the grater.

In a saucepan bring the vinegar, sugar, cloves and salt and pepper to a boil and simmer for 5 minutes, then strain. Pack the beetroot into hot sterilized jars and top up with vinegar mixture. Seal, date and store in the refrigerator where it will keep for quite a few months.

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SOUPS/SAUCES/CONDIMENTS

CASSATA (Glazed fruit ice-cream cake with a fresh strawberry compote)


This dessert definitely has the wow factor and can be prepared well in advanced, therefore ideal for entertaining.

CASSATA

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

The candied fruit:
4 tablespoons/60 ml candied fruit
4 tablespoons/60 ml rum

The vanilla ice-cream: 

As a time saver, use a good quality bought vanilla ice-cream.

150 g/5 oz sugar
6 free-range eggs
1 cup/250 ml milk
1 cup/250 ml full cream
beans of 1 vanilla pod
grated peel of 1 lemon

The cream:
2 free-range egg whites
75 g (2.6 oz) sugar
the soaked and drained candied fruit
¼ cup/60 ml crème fraîche, stirred until smooth

Any left over egg whites can be frozen and thawed for future use. Freeze each egg white in an ice-cube tray and then transfer to either a freezer bag or a container. Once thawed, whites will beat to a better volume if allowed to sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes.

The strawberry compote:
1 cup/250 ml sugar syrup
½ cup/125 ml fresh orange juice
1 cup/250 ml fresh strawberries, hulled and roughly chopped

The garnish:
a selection of red berries (optional)

Preheat the oven to 180ºC/356°F. Grease a cake pan with a loose bottom, about 22 cm/8.6 in diameter, then dredge the inside with a mixture of flour and caster sugar.

Into a mixing bowl, sieve the flour, baking powder, salt and sugar. Whisk together the egg, butter, milk and water and mix into the flour until it 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 leave to cool totally.

Cut the cake into strips of 2 cm/0.7 in thick each. Line 1 ℓ/1 qrt bowl with cling wrap, then line with the strips of the sponge cake.

Soak the candied fruit in the rum for about 4 hours or overnight.

Whisk the sugar and egg yolks in a bowl until pale. Bring the milk and cream with the vanilla beans to the boil and pour half of it onto the sugar and egg mixture.

The ice-cream recipe contains raw eggs and is not suitable for pregnant women, the elderly or very young children.

Whisk well, then pour the mixture back into the saucepan with the remaining milk and return to very low heat. Stir continuously with a wooden spoon until the mixture thickens enough to coat the back of the spoon. Remove from the heat and pass through a sieve into a clean bowl placed over a bowl of ice cubes and water to cool the mixture as quickly as possible. Pour into an ice-cream machine and churn, otherwise you can still-freeze it.

Fill the cake lined bowl with the ice-cream, leaving an ample hollow space to fill later with the candied fruit cream. Put back into the freezer for about 1 hour or until frozen.

Beat the egg whites and sugar until stiff. Drain the candied fruits and add to the egg whites. Gently stir in the crème fraîche until the whole mixture becomes well blended. Fill the bowl (lined with the cake and frozen ice-cream) with this mixture and smooth with a knife. Cover and freeze overnight.

Bring the syrup and orange juice to the boil and pour over the strawberries. Leave to cool then refrigerate until ready to use.

To serve:
Turn the mold out onto a plate, slice it to reveal the center and pour the strawberry compote on the side. Garnish with a selection of the red fruits.

 

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SOUPS/SAUCES/CONDIMENTS

Tiramisú


This is a popular coffee-flavored Italian dessert with many different versions.  Although this is a most delightful dessert, there is unfortunately no recipes for Tiramisú with ingredient substitutes for the weight conscious.
BLOCK HORIZONTAL LINEServes 4

TIRAMISÙ

3 very fresh eggs, separated
¼ cup/60 ml sugar
1 cup/250 ml Mascarpone (make your own)
1 cup/250 ml cold, strong black coffee
80 ml/⅛ cup Noilly Prat / Marsala / Tia Maria
200 g/7 oz sponge fingers

Mascarpone is a thick, double or triple cream, soft cream cheese with a very high fat content. The texture is that of thickened cream that is on its way to becoming butter. Making your own mascarpone at home is simple, cheaper than the shop bought ones and utterly delicious. It can be used for both sweet and savory dishes and enhances the flavor of the dish without overwhelming the original taste. Mascarpone can be served alone with fruit or fruit syrup;  it makes charming canopies, topped with anchovies, tomato, smoked salmon, etc in fact, any topping you would normally put on top of a cream cheese snack. Mascarpone needs to be consumed within a few days.

The garnish:
unsweetened cocoa powder to finish

Over a double boiler, beat the egg yolks and sugar until the mixture becomes thick and creamy. Remove from the heat and allow to cool for a few minutes. Fold the mascarpone into the egg mixture, a spoonful at a time. Beat the whites separately until stiff, and fold into the mascarpone mixture.

Mix the coffee with the liqueur in a shallow bowl, then briefly dip half the sponge fingers in the liquid, soaking one side only and arrange in a single layer on the bottom of a shallow serving dish the dry side of the biscuit facing down.

Do not soak the sponge fingers for longer than 3 seconds as it falls apart easily when wet. Other liqueurs can be used but if you prefer without alcohol, the coffee should be enough.

Pour half the mascarpone mixture over the sponge fingers. Dip the remaining sponge fingers in the coffee and liqueur mixture and arrange on top of the mascarpone cream. Finally, pour over the rest of the mascarpone cream, and smooth the surface. Cover, and chill in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours.

This recipe contains raw eggs and is not suitable for pregnant women, the elderly or very young children.

To serve:
Before serving, sprinkle generously with cocoa powder. (Using a small sieve makes this easier).

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SOUPS/SAUCES/CONDIMENTS

Marachino cherries and marzipan tarts


If this recipe yields too many tarts for one sitting, it is better to half the recipe as they are at their best when still slightly warm. But it should be no problem. They are delicious and small enough to have more than one, two, three ….

Makes 30

CHERRY MARZIPAN

45 pitted Marachino cherries, drained thoroughly on kitchen paper (it is available in jars at any supermarket)
150 g/ 5 oz marzipan (make your own)
2 sheets puff pastry (use bought pastry but see recipe to make your own)
½ cup/125 ml almonds, finely chopped
icing sugar for dusting

Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F.

Line two baking trays with parchment paper. Roll out the puff pastry to 5 mm/0.2 in thick. Use a 5 cm/2½ in pastry cutter and punch 30 rounds from the rolled pastry. Carefully place each round on the two prepared baking trays and prick each one all over with a fork. Cover them with another sheet of parchment paper, then two more baking trays on top of each baking tray. (If you don’t have enough baking trays, do this in two sessions.) This is to weigh the pastry down preventing them from rising during the cooking. Bake for 10 minutes then remove from the oven. Lift off the extra trays and parchment paper and leave the pastry to cool.  

Roll out the marzipan to about 2 mm/0.7 in and punch 30 rounds with pastry cutters slightly smaller than 5 mm/0.2 in and place on top of the cooled pastry discs. Cut each cherry in half and place 5 halves on top of each marzipan disc. Put the trays back in the oven and bake for another 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and when they have cooled down slightly, sprinkle over the icing sugar and the chopped almonds.

 

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Roast butternut and figs with pine nuts and goat’s cheese


1 small butternut
75ml olive oil
salt and freshly ground black pepper
12 spring onions
1 teaspoon/5 ml chili powder (or more if you want it stronger)
8 fresh, ripe figs, halved
40 ml balsamic vinegar
20g caster sugar
2 tablespoons/30 ml pine nuts, toasted
½ cup/125 ml soft goat’s cheese, crumbled

Heat the oven to 220°C/425°F. Peel the butternut , cut in half lengthways, then cut into smaller wedges and pack loosely in a baking tray. Pour three tablespoons/45 ml of the olive oil over and season well with the salt and freshly ground black pepper. Roast for 25 minutes until soft, then remove from the oven and set aside. Heat the rest of the olive oil in a frying and add the spring onions. Fry until tender and sprinkle over the chili powder. Remove from the pan and set aside. Then add the figs cut side down to the same pan and fry until lightly caramelized.

Meanwhile, make the dressing. Put the balsamic vinegar and sugar in a small saucepan, bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for two to four minutes, until it thickens but is still runny. Remove from the heat.

Arrange the butternut on a serving plate and add the figs and spring onions. Sprinkle over the pine nuts and scatter the cheese crumbs all round. This dish can be served hot or at room temperature.

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SOUPS/SAUCES/CONDIMENTS

Prawn and vegetable cocktail with a creamy saffron and dill dressing


This is a very light and fresh starter.  It is very important not to overcook any of the ingredients; the whole dish should maintain its crispiness.

Serves 4

PRAWN AND VEGETABLE COCKTAIL

The prawns:
400 g (14 oz) raw prawns, de-veined and shelled
(reserve shells)
2 cups/500 ml fish stock, heated
1 teaspoon/5 ml salt

The vegetables:
1 cup/250 ml carrots, cut into cubes
1 cup/250 ml cauliflower, cut into small pieces
1 small courgette, cut into 1 cm pieces
salt
1 tablespoon/15 ml butter
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
½ teaspoon saffron thread

The mayonnaise:
2 tablespoons/30 ml mayonnaise
3 drops of Tobasco sauce
1 small shallot, finely chopped

The dressing:
½ cup/125 ml fresh cream
1 pinch saffron thread
salt and freshly ground white pepper
1 tablespoon/15 ml dill sprigs

The garnish:
1 large tomato, peeled, seeded and diced
½ red pepper, peeled, seeded and diced
1 tablespoon/15 ml parsley, finely chopped
1 tablespoon/15 ml French tarragon, finely chopped
1 tablespoon/15 ml basil, finely chopped
salt and freshly ground white pepper
mixed baby salad leaves

Bring the stock with the salt to a boil and poach the prawns with the reserved shells for 3-5 minutes in it. Remove the prawns from the stock and set aside to cool. Refrigerate until ready to use.
Strain the stock and discard the shells. Refrigerate the stock for another use.

In a saucepan, put the carrots and cover with just enough water, add salt, butter, garlic and the saffron and bring to a boil. Cook for 1 minute, then add the cauliflower and cook for another minute, then finally add the courgette and cook for 1 minute. Remove and drain on paper towel until ready to use. (The vegetables should still have a slight bite to them.)

Mix the mayonnaise with the Tobasco sauce and chopped shallot and set aside.

Bring the cream to the boil, then add the saffron, salt and pepper, and dill. Boil down to about half the amount, then strain, season and set aside to cool.

To serve:
Mix the tomato, pepper, herbs and salt and pepper.  Set aside.
Add the mayonnaise to the cooked vegetables and mix gently.  Set aside.
Chop the prawns roughly and mix with half the creamy dressing.
Place a pastry cutter of 7 cm diameter in the center of each serving plate. Divide the vegetables and spoon into each cutter, then repeat with the prawns on top. Scatter the tomato, pepper and herb mixture around and drizzle the cream over. Gently remove the pastry cutter. Top the cocktail with the mixed baby salad leaves and serve immediately.

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SOUPS/SAUCES/CONDIMENTS

Prawn and mushroom stuffed squid with squid ink pasta and a spicy tomato sauce


There are a wide variety of stuffing recipes for squid.  See the Glossary for a recipe for ground Thai pork stuffing.

Serves 4

STUFFED SQUID

12 medium squid hoods with tentacles

The stuffing:
1 tablespoon/15 ml olive oil
¼ cup/60 l onion, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, finely minced
½ teaspoon/3 ml salt
57 g/2 oz raw prawns, shelled and deveined (reserve the shells for the sauce)
2 tablespoons/30 ml tomato, finely chopped
2 teaspoons/10 ml lemon zest
2 teaspoons/10 ml fresh ginger, finely chopped
1 teaspoon/5 ml fresh parsley leaves, finely chopped
½ teaspoon/3 ml freshly ground black pepper
¼ cup/60 ml fresh bread crumbs

The sauce:
30 g/1 oz butter
1 garlic clove, crushed
12 medium prawns, shelled, reserve prawns for later use
2 cups/500 ml fish stock
2 tomatoes peeled, seeded and chopped
2 garlic cloves
2 salt anchovies, rinsed, filleted and chopped
pinch of paprika
freshly ground black pepper and cayenne pepper

The pasta:
250 g/8.8 oz squid ink pasta (store bought)
1 tablespoon/15 ml olive oil

To serve:
1 tablespoon/15 ml olive oil
reserved tentacles
½ cup/125 ml dill sprigs

Clean the squid thoroughly and separate from the tentacles. Reserve the tentacles.  Wash the cleaned squid hood under cold running water.  Drain.  Remove and discard the clear, hard quill from inside the hood. Turn the tubes inside out (because the outside skin tends to curl outward, it will hold the stuffing better inside out), and put into a bowl.  Leave in the refrigerator until ready to use.

Heat the olive oil in a frying pan over medium heat, add the onions, garlic and salt and sauté until the onions turn translucent, about 1 to 2 minutes. Do not brown. Transfer the mixture to a medium mixing bowl and set aside to cool.

Place the prawns in a food processor and pulse about 4 times, then add the tomato, lemon zest, ginger, parsley and pepper and pulse until well mixed but not smooth. Add to the onion and garlic in the bowl, then add the bread crumbs and stir to combine well.
Place the mixture into a piping bag and pipe the stuffing into the tubes, (or use a small spoon) making sure that you do not over-stuff them. Seal with toothpicks.

Heat the butter in a frying pan, add the garlic and the reserved prawn shells and cook until the shells are pink and aromatic. Add the fish stock and cook for 5 minutes. Strain the stock and discard the solids.

Using the same pan, heat the olive oil and add the tomatoes, garlic, anchovies, black pepper and paprika. When the anchovies have blended into the sauce, add the stock and cook until the sauce thickens slightly. Remove from the heat, strain again if you want a smooth sauce and put aside.

Boil the pasta in salted water until tender but still have a bite to it, drain and return to the pan. Pour over the olive oil over and keep warm.

Heat the olive in a large frying pan. Fry the tentacles for about 3 minutes or until crisp. Remove and drain on paper towel.
Add the squid to the hot pan and cook for 3 minutes on each side. Remove from the pan and drain on paper towel.

Twirl the pasta around a fork and place in the center of a deep plate. Remove the toothpicks from the squid and place three on top of the pasta. Scatter the crispy fried tentacles over the squid. Drizzle the sauce around and garnish with a few sprigs of dill.

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Panna Cotta with strawberries and champagne


Panna Cotta, meaning “cooked cream”, a basic pudding with main ingredients dairy, sugar and gelatin, originated in Italy and its name literally means “cooked cream”. Play with the flavorings.  Use coconut milk, buttermilk or soy milk instead of milk and cream and flavorings, and serve it with sauces such as fruit purees, butterscotch sauce, or chocolate sauce.  This is a very versatile dessert and easy and quick to make.

PANNA COTTA

The Panna Cotta:
1½ sheet leaf gelatin
2 cups/500 ml full cream
70 g/2.5 oz castor sugar
beans from 2 vanilla pods

Once you have scraped the seeds from the vanilla pod, store it in an airtight container filled with sugar. This will provide you with vanilla flavored sugar in just a few days. (See my tip for storing vanilla pods in vodka!)

The strawberries:
½ bottle of champagne
150 g/5.2 oz castor sugar
about 20 strawberries, washed and hulled

Place the gelatin leaves in a bowl of cold water and leave to soak for 5-10 minutes until soft.

Pour the cream into a saucepan and stir in the sugar and the vanilla bean pulp. Bring almost to the boil, remove from the heat and place the pan over a bowl of ice cubes.

Remove the gelatin from the water and squeeze out any excess water with your hands. Stir the gelatin into the boiled cream and continue to stir until it has dissolved. When it has cooled, strain the cream into 4 ramekins. Cover and leave in the fridge for about 4 hours, until set.

Pour the champagne into a saucepan and add the sugar. Bring to the boil then pour over the strawberries in a bowl. Leave to cool.

To serve:
Invert the individual ramekins on each serving plate. Decorate with the strawberries and pour over a little of the juice.