Categories
STARTERS/SIDES

Puy lentils with celeriac, hazelnuts and mint


Serves 4

Celeriac is probably my favourite root vegetable and Puy lentils an all time favourite pulse. Celeriac has a delicate, yet very nutty flavour, and has an elegant, almost, creamy smoothness. Like all good vegetables, it is marvellous, simply with a bit of olive oil. This recipe combines the lentils with the celeriac and nuts to create a hearty autumn vegetarian main course. Serve it warm, with a radish, cucumber and dill salad dressed with soured cream and olive oil. Or, allow it to cool down, then take it to work for lunch or on a picnic. It makes a marvelous side-dish with pork or duck.  (See Crispy skin duck breast with Puy lentils and glazed peaches and Marinated pork belly “sous vide”.

¾ cup/180 ml Puy lentils
3 cups/750 ml vegetable stock (or chicken stock if not for vegetarians)
1 tablespoon/15 ml carrot, finely diced
1 tablespoon/15 ml onion, finely diced
4 thyme sprigs
1 cup/250 ml celeriac, cut into 1 cm/¾” blocks
4 tablespoons/60 ml olive oil
3 tablespoons/45 ml hazelnut oil
3 tablespoons/45 ml good-quality red wine vinegar
4 tabelspoons/60 ml chopped mint
60g/2 oz whole hazelnuts, roasted and chopped roughly
salt and black pepper

Combine the lentils, stock, carrot and onion, and thyme in a small saucepan. Bring to the boil, then simmer for 10 minutes, then add the celeriac, and cook for another 10 minutes or until the lentils are al dente. Drain in a sieve.

In a large bowl mix the hot lentils (if they have cooled down they won’t soak up all the flavours) with the olive oil, 2 tablespoons of the hazelnut oil, the vinegar, some black pepper and plenty of salt. Taste and adjust the seasoning.
To serve straight away, stir in half the mint and half the hazelnuts. Pile onto a serving dish or in a bowl and drizzle the remaining hazelnut oil on top. Garnish with the rest of the mint and hazelnuts.
To serve cold, wait for the lentils and celeriac to cool down before finally adjusting the seasoning and possibly adding some more vinegar, if you like. Add hazelnut oil, mint and nuts in the same way as when serving hot.

Categories
STARTERS/SIDES

ANTIPASTO PLATTERS


ANTIPASTA1

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In English, it is called the appetizer course, the French call it the hors d’oeuvre and in Italy, it’s called the antipasto — an exciting way to announce the start of a glorious feast. In true Italian tradition, antipasti are selected for color, flavor, texture and how well the different components work together.  When you start preparing the dish, it truly is a blank canvas and with the help of a few marinated and pickled vegetables, fresh seasonal fruit and vegetables, cured meats, olives, cheese, nuts, and bread of your choice, all beautifully arranged … how can you not create a masterpiece?


Omit the meat, add a few more nuts, and you have a perfect vegetarian starter.

SEARED VENISON ANTIPASTO PLATTER 2

Here are the choices:
breadsticks or focaccia cut into bite size pieces
basil pesto
black olive tapenade 
stuffed green olives
Kalamata olives
Provolone cheese
Camembert cheese
Fontina
Parmesan crisps
Feta
fresh figs
melon
bunches of grapes
cherry tomatoes
spring onions
marinated mushrooms
pickled pearl onions
marinated artichoke hearts (from your supermarket or deli)
sun-dried tomatoes
roasted red peppers
roasted aubergine
Spanakopita
quail eggs


How to boil a quail egg to medium soft: Have ready a bowl of iced water. In a small saucepan, bring some water to a boil, enough to cover the quail’s eggs. (If one of the eggs just happens to be cracked, rub the cracked area with lemon juice or vinegar and lower the egg very gently into the water.) Boil the eggs for 1 minute, remove the pan from the heat and leave in the hot water for 30 seconds. Transfer the eggs to the reserved iced water and leave for 1 minute, then remove and peel.

thinly sliced salami
Prosciutto
anchovy fillets (drained)
nuts (try the Rosemary spiced mixed nuts)

Some basic rules:

  • With any antipasto platter, the quantity of each food item on the platter is a personal choice and is dependent on the number of guests.
  • Use your best judgment to create a balanced and interesting platter.
  • One large tray makes a nice visual impact, but one or more smaller plates will also work.
  • Prepare all the different elements of your platter and refrigerate separate in sealed containers. Assemble the plate just before serving.  Everything will look fresh and crispy.
  • Roll or fold sliced meats for a nice presentation.
  • Cut or shave pieces of cheese.
  • Keep sea salt and a pepper grinder handy for seasoning.
  • Have extra-virgin olive oil and aged balsamic vinegar, or a special vinaigrette ready for drizzling.
  • Consider using small bowls placed on the tray for marinated condiments, nuts or olives.
  • Place bread away from moist veggies and pickles.

Use your imagination and flair to create a beautiful platter of delicious nibbles.

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SOUPS/SAUCES/CONDIMENTS

Ravioli filled with creamy chicken mousse


Serve with a drizzle of roast almond dressing and micro herbs scattered over the top


This is a very romantic dish, fit for part of dinner to impress a seriously love one.

 

RAVIOLO WITH CHICKEN MOUSE AND YOLK

For the filling:
100 g/3.5 oz chicken mousse (recipe follows)
1 clove garlic, minced
50 g/1.7 oz ricotta (make your own)
125 ml/½ cup soft goats cheese
¼ cup/60 ml Parmesan cheese, finely grated
1 tablespoon/15 ml pine nuts, toasted and roughly chopped
4 fresh quail egg yolks extra Parmesan cheese for serving
4 leaves basil micro herbs

The ravioli:
See recipe for fresh pasta
1 egg plus
1 tablespoon/15 ml of water to prepare the egg wash

The dressing:
25 g/1 oz toasted almonds, ground
¼ cup/60 ml olive oil
1 tablespoon/15 ml lemon juice
2 teaspoons/10 ml grainy mustard pinch of sugar

The filling:
Prepare the chicken mousse (recipe follows) and keep refrigerated until ready to use. Mix the garlic, ricotta, goats cheese and Parmesan cheese and add to the chicken mousse. Stir through the pine nuts and put the whole mixture in a piping bag. Keep refrigerated until ready to use.

The almond dressing:
Mix all the ingredients together and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.

The ravioli:

  • Roll out the pasta dough to the thinnest setting of your pasta machine. Cut 8 circles of 150 ml/6 in diameter, cover 4 of the circles with plastic wrap and set aside.
  • For the other four circles, pipe on each one the chicken mousse mixture about 12 ml/½ in from the edge creating a hollow centre.
  • Slip an egg yolk into each center, then brush the rim with the egg wash. Place a second disc from the ones kept aside, over the filling and carefully press the edges together, working all round making sure to exclude any air before the final seal. (You might have to stretch the dough ever so slightly).

Make sure that you handle each ravioli with the greatest care to preserve your delicate egg yolk.

  • Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat and add 2 tablespoons/30 ml salt.
  • Lower the heat to a simmer and then, using a wide flat spatula, lower each raviolo into the water — depending on the size of your saucepan, cook all four at the same time.
  • Cook them for about 2 minutes then gently remove from the water, let them drain properly and place on a lightly oiled surface.

To serve: Place a raviolo in the center of each plate, drizzle the almond dressing over and scatter some micro herbs over and serve immediately.

The chicken mousse:
225 g/8 oz chicken breast, cut into small pieces
1 teaspoon/5 ml salt
1 egg white
¾ cup/200 ml thickened cream

  • Start the chicken mousse, making sure that all the ingredients using are very cold.
  • Pulse the chicken and salt in a food processor until finely chopped.
  • Add the egg white and process more until well combined.
  • Keep the motor running and slowly pour in cream and process until smooth.
  • Transfer the mixture to a bowl and refrigerate until ready to use.
Categories
SOUPS/SAUCES/CONDIMENTS

DATES, NUTS AND BRANDY TART WITH MASCARPONE CHEESE


DATE AND NUT TART

The tart:
125 g/4.4 oz dates, stoned and chopped
½ cup/125 ml boiling water
½ teaspoon/3 ml bicarbonate of soda
½ cup/125 ml butter, room temperature
100 g/3.5 oz soft brown sugar
1 large egg, beaten
1 cup/250 ml cake flour
½ teaspoon/3 ml baking powder
a pinch salt
50 g /1.7 oz walnuts or pecan nuts (chopped)
½ teaspoon/3 ml cinnamon
½ teaspoon/3 ml nutmeg
2 teaspoons/10 ml fresh ginger, minced
zest of 1 orange

The syrup:
2 teaspoons/10 ml butter
½ cup/125 ml soft brown sugar
⅓  cup/80 ml water
1 cinnamon quill
¼ cup/60 ml brandy
1 teaspoon/5 ml vanilla paste
pinch of salt

The garnish:
200 g/7 oz mascarpone cheese
or 200 g/7 oz fresh cream, whipped

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 is used in ie the Italian dessert, Tiramisu, cheesecake (see Baked cheesecake with blackberry sauce) or 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.

Preheat the oven to 180° C/356°F.
Pour the boiling water over the chopped dates in a saucepan and heat to boiling point. Remove from heat and mix the bicarbonate of soda into the mixture and leave to cool.

Cream the butter and sugar and add the egg. Beat well to make a smooth batter. Sift the flour, baking powder and salt and fold into the creamed mixture. Add the nuts, stir in the date mixture, the spices and orange zest, and mix well. Pour the batter into a well greased 23 cm/9 in) baking tin (preferably with a loose bottom), and bake for 30 to 40 minutes. Have the syrup ready and pour over the hot tart as soon as it comes out of the oven.

Prepare the syrup while the tart is baking. Heat the butter, sugar, water and cinnamon for approximately 5 minutes. Take off the heat and stir in the brandy, vanilla and salt. Keep the syrup hot. Remove the cinnamon quill and pour the hot syrup over the pudding as soon as it is removed from the oven, reserving half a cup for drizzling when serving. Let the tart cool to room temperature before serving.

To serve:
Cut a slice from the tart and serve it with a dollop of mascarpone cheese (optional) or fresh cream. Drizzle the reserved syrup around and serve.

 

Categories
SOUPS/SAUCES/CONDIMENTS

Strawberry cake with thick custard and a meringue and almond topping


STRAWBERRY CAKE WITH MERINGUE TOPPING

2 cups/500 ml thick custard
60 g/2 oz of 1 sponge cake (page 25)
zest of 1 lemon
180 g/6.3 oz strawberries, hulled and sliced
5 egg whites
75 g/2.6 oz caster sugar
1 tablespoon/15 ml almonds, flaked

The custard:
3 egg yolks
60 g/2 oz sugar
1¼ cups/355 ml milk
1b cup/400 ml fresh full cream, lightly whisked
20 g/0.7 oz flour
20 g/0.7 oz cornstarch
seeds from 1 vanilla pod

Preheat the oven to 120°C/248°F.
Make the custard and cool, then refrigerate for 2 hours.
Line the base of a greased ovenproof soufflé dish with the sponge cake – about 2 cm/0.7 in thick. Sprinkle the grated lemon zest over.
Whisk the egg whites with a pinch of salt, until it forms soft peaks. Add 3 tablespoons of the sugar and whisk until stiff and glossy peaks forms.
Pour the custard over the cake, then arrange the sliced strawberries on top of the custard. Pile the meringue roughly on top, completely covering the custard. Scatter the remaining caster sugar and flaked almonds over the meringue and bake in the preheated oven for 25-30 minutes, until the top of the meringue is crisp with golden tips. Serve immediately.

Whisk the egg yolks and sugar until pale and fluffy. Heat the milk but remove from the heat just before it starts boiling. Mix a few spoons of the hot milk with the egg mixture, then add the two flours and vanilla seeds and mix well. Pour the whole mixture back into the rest of the heated milk, mix well and bring slowly to the boil, stirring continuously. When the sauce has thickened sufficiently, remove from the heat and pour into a cooled bowl. Set aside, covered with greaseproof paper, to cool until ready to use.

 

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SOUPS/SAUCES/CONDIMENTS

Layered filo pastry tart baked with a mixture of nuts, spices and rosewater syrup


This tart resembles the traditional Greek dessert, Baklava.  It will last for up to 4 days, covered and at room temperature. Use any mixture of nuts that you prefer, and if rosewater is not available, spray over some sweetened apple juice.

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BAKLAVA
2 teaspoons/10 ml cinnamon
1 tablespoon/15 ml allspice
3 cloves
½ teaspoon/3 ml cardamom
¼ cup/60 ml water
1 teaspoon/5 ml rose water
450 g/1 lb filo dough, thawed
225 g/8 oz butter, melted
170 g/6 oz almonds, blanched and chopped finely
170 g/6 oz walnuts, chopped finely
170 g/6 oz pistachios, chopped finely
2/3 cup sugar

For the syrup:
1 cup/250 ml honey
1 cup/250 ml water
1 cup/250 ml sugar
the juice of half a lemon
1 cinnamon stick
1 piece fresh orange peel
pistachios, finely chopped for sprinkling (optional)

In a spice grinder, grind the cinnamon, allspice, cloves and cardamom very fine.

Mix the water and rose water and, for convenience, pour it into a spray bottle and set aside.

Cut the filo pastry to fit into a baking pan 33 x 23 x 5 cm/13 x 9 x 2 in. Greece the pan with butter, then brush each of 8 of the cut sheets with the melted butter and place on top of each other on the bottom of the pan.

Mix the almonds, walnuts and pistachio with the sugar and spread a third of this mixture over the top sheet, then spray thoroughly with the rose water. Repeat this process two more times, finishing with the last layer of filo. Brush the top generously with butter, then place in the preheated oven to bake for 30 minutes. Remove pan from the oven and cut into 24 squares (roughly 55 x 58 mm/2.2 x 2.3 in).

Return the pan to the oven and bake for another 30 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven, and place on a cooling rack to cool down for 2 hours before pouring over the syrup.

Meanwhile, prepare the syrup in a saucepan by bringing all the ingredients except the pistachios, to a boil, stirring occasionally until the sugar has dissolved. Boil for about 10 minutes, then remove from the heat and discard the orange peel and cinnamon stick.
After the tart has cooled down, make sure the cut lines go right through. Pour the hot syrup over the whole of the tart. Sprinkle some finely chopped pistachios over, then leave the pan uncovered to rest for at least 8 hours.

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SOUPS/SAUCES/CONDIMENTS

Orange and pistachio roll with a cream and Grand Marnier filling


MERINQUE ROULLADE WITH PISTACHIO CREAM

The roll:
3 free-range eggs
120 g/4.2 oz castor sugar, plus extra for sprinkling/dusting
60 g/2 oz plain flour
1 teaspoon/5 ml baking powder
1 vanilla pod, split and seeds scraped out

The filling:
1 cup/250 ml cream
1 tablespoon/15 ml caster sugar (for filling)
zest of 1 orange
1 tablespoon/15 ml Grand Marnier
3 tablespoons/45 ml pistachio, finely chopped

The topping:
icing sugar for dusting
2 tablespoons/30 l pistachio, finly chopped

Preheat the oven to 180°C/356ºF.

Line a Swiss roll pan (30 x 24 cm/11.8  x 9.4 oz) with parchment paper and grease lightly. Prepare also a similar size greaseproof paper dusted with icing sugar.

Whisk the eggs, vanilla seeds and castor sugar together to form a pale mousse. Sieve the flour and baking powder together, fold into the egg and mix thoroughly. Pour into a tin spread evenly and bake for 12 minutes or until just done and shrinking around the edges.
Remove from the oven and turn out, upside down onto the sugar dusted parchment paper over a cooling rack. Allow to rest for 1-2 minutes before gently peeling off the baking parchment.  Then gently and with the help of a clean kitchen towel, roll up the cake and set aside to cool.

When the roll is cooled sufficiently, whip the cream until it holds soft peaks, fold in the sugar and orange zest and add the liqueur and pistachios. Unroll the cake (remove and discard the paper on the inside) and spread with a layer of the cream filling, then re-roll. Serve as soon as possible sliced and dusted with icing sugar and an extra sprinkling of pistachios on top.

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SOUPS/SAUCES/CONDIMENTS

White chocolate and strawberry terrine


Serve with strawberry sauce and crispy sugar almonds

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White chocolate and strawberry terrine

The terrine:
3 cups/750 ml fresh strawberries, hulled and cut in half
240 g/8.5 oz good-quality white chocolate, chopped
127 g/4.5 oz sugar
2 tablespoons/30 ml water
1 tablespoon/15 ml light corn syrup
4 large free-range egg whites
½ teaspoon/3 ml cream of tartar
1½ cups/375 ml chilled fresh cream
seeds from one vanilla pod
1 tablespoon/15 ml Grand Marnier liqueur

The crispy sugary almonds:
100 g/3.5 oz sugar
2 tablespoons/30 ml liquid glucose
1 tablespoon/15 ml water
3 tablespoons/45 ml almonds, flaked and roasted

Extra garnish:
glazed fruit, such as green fig and orange, finely sliced (optional)
reserved strawberry puree

Make the terrine:
♦  Line the bottom of a 22 x 12 x 7 cm/8½ x 4.7 x 2.7 in terrine dish (7-8-cup capacity) with cling-film, extending the foil over the shorter ends.
♦  Puree the strawberries and measure out 1¼ cups/312.5 ml of the puree and set aside. Reserve the remaining puree for garnishing.
♦  Stir the white chocolate in the top of a double boiler set over barely simmering water until melted. Remove from the heat.
♦  In a small saucepan, heat the sugar, water and corn syrup until the sugar dissolves, then increase the heat. Boil for about 4 minutes (120°C/248°F on a sugar thermometer), periodically brushing down the sides of the pan with a wet pastry brush.
♦  Meanwhile, whisk the egg whites and cream of tartar in a large bowl until it forms soft peaks. Gradually add the boiling syrup to the whites, beating until the meringue is cool, about 5 minutes; then fold the melted white chocolate into the meringue.
♦  Beat the cream and vanilla in a large bowl until medium-firm, then add to the white chocolate mixture to form the chocolate mousse.
♦ Transfer 4 cups/1 liter of the white chocolate mousse to a medium bowl and fold the 1¼ cups strawberry puree and Grand Marnier into the mousse.
♦ Spread half the strawberry mousse in the prepared terrine dish, and freeze until almost firm, about 15 minutes. Keep the remaining white chocolate mousse and remaining strawberry mousse in the refrigerator.
♦  After 15 minutes, spread the white chocolate mousse over the half frozen strawberry mousse layer and freeze for about 25 minutes.
♦  Spread the remaining strawberry mousse over the white chocolate layer. Cover the terrine with plastic and freeze overnight. (Can be prepared and kept frozen for 4 days ahead).
♦  Uncover the terrine and carefully invert the terrine onto a platter. Carefully peel off the cling-film.

The crispy sugary almonds:
Bring the sugar, glucose and water to a boil over medium heat until it turns golden and lightly caramelizes. Remove from the heat and leave to cool slightly.

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.

Lightly grease some parchment paper, or use silicone paper, and with a teaspoon drizzle the sugar syrup into patterns of your choice. Immediately scatter the almonds over the sugar patterns, then leave to cool totally and become crispy.

To serve:
Brush a wide stripe of the reserved strawberry puree over the center of each serving plate, place a slice of the terrine in the middle of the stripe, and decorate with sugary almonds and glazed fruit (if using).

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SOUPS/SAUCES/CONDIMENTS

Mixed berry and ricotta cream tarts


Serve with Strawberry and green peppercorn sauce

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Serves 4

MIXED BERRY TART

The pastry:
185 g/6.5 oz plain flour
95 g /3.4 oz ground almonds
40 g /1.4 oz icing sugar
125 g /4.4 oz butter, chopped
1 free-range egg, lightly beaten
pinch of salt

The filling:
200 g/7 oz ricotta (make your own)
seeds of 1 vanilla bean
2 free-range eggs
160 g /5.6 oz caster sugar
½ cup/125 ml fresh cream
60 g/2 oz fresh raspberries
80 g /3 oz fresh blueberries
(frozen berries can be used if fresh ones are not available – defrost and drain them before using)

The sauce:
30 g/1 oz caster sugar
2 tablespoons/30 ml cold water
½ teaspoon/3 ml liquid glucose
250 g/9 oz ripe strawberries, hulled
1 teaspoon/5 ml bottled green peppercorns, rinsed and drained
½ teaspoon/3 ml lemon juice

The garnish:
½ teaspoon/3 ml poppy seeds (optional)
apricot glaze (optional)
the strawberry sauce (recipe above)

Sift the flour into a large bowl, then add the almonds and icing sugar. Rub the butter into the flour with your fingertips until it resembles fine breadcrumbs. Add the egg and mix with a flat-bladed knife, using a cutting action, until the mixture comes together in large crumbs.  Press together into a ball, cover with plastic film and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to moderate 180°C/356°F.

Grease six 8 cm/0.3 in (3 cm/0.1 in deep) tart tins with loose bases. Divide the pastry into six and roll each piece out between two sheets of baking paper to fit the base and side of the tins. Ease the pastry into the tins, gently press into shape and trim the edges. Prick the bases with a fork, then refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Bake blind for 8-10 minutes, then remove the paper and beads from the baked pastry.

This pastry can also be made in a food processor, but care should be taken not to over process the mixture which will result in tough and hard pastry.

Meanwhile, process the ricotta, vanilla, eggs, sugar and cream in a food processor until smooth. Divide the berries and filling amongst the pre-baked tart shells and bake for 25-30 minutes, or until the filling is just firm around the edge but still wobbly in the center.

Let it cool to room temperature, then lift the tarts out of the tins.

Make the syrup by dissolving the sugar, water and glucose in a saucepan and bringing it to a boil over low heat.  Stir continuously and boil for 5 minutes.  Remove from the heat, strain and leave to cool. Process the strawberries and peppercorns, then add the syrup and lemon juice and strain again.

Glucose is very sticky but 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.

To serve:
When ready to serve, place a tart in the center of each serving plate and pour the sauce around.

Categories
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.