Recipe of the Month
Peche Melba
Poached peach with vanilla ice cream and raspberries
About this dish
Originally a grand dish created by Escoffier as a tribute to Dame Melba, an opera singer.
This dish has been simplified and become part of popular culture. Peaches & raspberries are an exquisite combination and consequently are both at their peak mid summer.
Ingredients(serves 4)
- 4peaches, yellow slipstone
- 1vanilla pod, split
- 1punnet raspberries
- 300g (10oz)sugar
- 1Ticing sugar
- 2Talmond slivers, toasted
- 8 scoopsvanilla ice cream
- 4Tchantilly cream
Recipe
Place the sugar, vanilla and 750ml of water into a saucepan. Bring to the boil to dissolve the sugar and infuse the vanilla. Take off the heat to cool.
Blend half the punnet off raspberries with the icing sugar. Pass through a fine sieve to obtain a smooth sauce. Reserve the other raspberries for garnish.
Add the peaches to the cooled syrup. Cover with a piece of greaseproof paper. Bring to a gentle simmer. Take from to heat to cool. Then into the refrigerator to chill.
Cut the peaches in half, peel off the skins and remove the stones. Arrange cut side up into chilled coupes. Spoon over the raspberry sauce. Top each half with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and a spoon of chantilly cream. Scatter over the reserved raspberries and the almonds.
Navarin Printanier
Lamb stew with spring vegetables
About this dish
This casserole announces the arrival of spring. The new seasons lamb and all the glorious new vegetables. Especially the sweet young turnips ! Remember you cant have a "Navarin" with out "navets".
You can substitute the peas for frozen and the fresh artichokes for bottled. But I urge you to use fresh, this is a celebration of Spring's bounty after all...
Ingredients(serves 4)
- 1kg (2lb)leg of lamb or shoulder, deboned
- 3Tolive oil
- 1onion, chopped
- 1garlic clove, crushed
- 200ml (3/4c)chicken stock
- 2tomatoes, peeled and chopped
- 150g (5oz)shelled fresh peas
- 4globe artichoke hearts
- 1 bunchdutch carrots
- 1 bunchasparagus
- 1 bunchbaby turnips
- 1bouquet garni
- 1Tparsley chopped
- a pinchsalt and pepper
Recipe
Cut lamb into large cubes. Heat oil in a casserole and fry meat until browned. Remove the meat and add in the onion & garlic and cook till translucent.
Add back the lamb to the casserole along with the stock, tomatoes and bouquet garni. Place on the lid and on a low heat simmer for 1 hour.
Trim and wash the artichokes, turnips and carrots, add to the casserole and cook for a further 45 minutes. Cook the asparagus and peas briefly in boiling salted water. Discard the bouquet garni.
Transfer the lamb and garnish to serving plates. Skim off excess fat and reduce the liquor if necessary to sauce consistency. Scatter over the blanched asparagus & peas, pour over the sauce and garnish with chopped parsley.
Serve with rice pilaf or buttered new potatoes.
Mousse au chocolat noir
Dark chocolate mousse
About this dish
A perennial favourite with everyone. A velvety rich concoction, needing little more than a crunch of wafer or langues de chat. This recipe is for use with dark chocolate, preferably with no less than 60% cocoa solids. Don't use milk or white chocolate the setting characteristics are different.
Ingredients(serves 4)
- 220g (7.5oz)dark chocolate
- 200g (7oz)cream
- 6egg whites
- 60g (2oz)sugar
Recipe
Melt the chocolate in a bowl over a pot of hot water. Whip cream in another bowl till soft peaks. In a separate scrupulously clean bowl whisk the egg whites also to soft peaks gradually adding in the sugar.
Fold the whipped cream through the chocolate. Be sure you add the cream to the chocolate, you add the chocolate to the cold cream the mix will seize. Once the cream and chocolate have been incorporated, fold through the egg whites.
Mix gently until you have a light homogenous mousse. Pour into serving dishes or glasses. Chill to set in refrigerator.
Cassoulet de Castelnaudary
Slow braise of sausage, duck and white beans
About this dish
This humble peasant dish from the south west of France has been elevated to one of great dishes of French cooking. Most towns of the region have their own variation, needless to say there is great debate about which is best. Ingredients range from mutton, smoked sausage, calves feet and pork rinds.
Currently at the restaurant I have chosen to use pigs head terrine in place of sausage, which has the same ratios of fat to meat as sausage, but in a purer form.
The one thing that always remains the same are the beans, which are the star of the dish, the rest is just garnish. The name cassoulet comes from the "Cassol dʼIssel", an earthenware cooking vessel from the town of Issel, near Castelnaudary. The original version calls for confit goose, which can be difficult to obtain, so I have substituted with confit duck. Make your own confit or excellent canned confit is available from France.
Ingredients(serves 4)
- 500g (1lb)dried white haricot beans
- 4Toulouse sausages ( coarse garlic pork )
- 150g (5oz)petit sale or bacon
- 2confit duck legs
- 2tomatoes, peeled deseeded & chopped
- 4garlic cloves, crushed
- 1onion, chopped
- 625ml (2.5c)chicken stock
- 1bouquet garni
- 1small oignon cloute
- 60g (2oz)breadcrumbs
- 2Tchopped parsley
Recipe
Soak the beans overnight. The next day, drain of the water and then put to cook in pot topped with fresh water. Cook gently for about 2 hours, until the beans are partially cooked.
In the mean time prepare the stock by sautéing the onion, petit sale and garlic in a little of the fat from the duck. Once slightly browned add the stock, tomatoes and the aromats. Bring to the boil and simmer for 30 minutes, then discard the oignon cloute and bouquet garni.
Rub the inside of your dish with half a clove of garlic. In bottom of this, place your confit, the sausages and petit sale taken from the stock. Then add the semi cooked beans, which have been strained. Top with the prepared stock and bring to the boil. Sprinkle over the breadcrumbs mixed with the parsley. Place in a 150ʼc / 300ʼf oven for about 1 hour until the beans are meltingly soft and a crisp crust has formed.
Confit de cuisse de canard
Crisp fried preserved duck leg
About this dish
The duck is a versatile animal, second only to the pig in terms of gastronomic value. This said pork and duck preparations are often interchangeable. Confit is a method of preserving. The meat is salted then cooked and packed in its own fat. This was necessary pre refrigeration, but still remains as popular because it tastes that good.
Canned or fresh duck fat is available now at most good supermarkets. You will need to start preparation the day before.
Main Ingredients(serves 4)
- 4x 220g (7.5oz)duck Marylands, skin on bone
- 600ml (2.5c)duck fat
Marinade Ingredients(serves 4)
- 30g (1oz)rock salt
- 2tcracked black pepper
- 1/2 bunchparsley
- 2shallots
- 1garlic clove
- 1/4 bunchthyme
- 1bay leaf
Recipe (the day before)
Combine all the marinade ingredients in a food processor and blend until coarsely chopped.
Rub each duck with the marinade. Cover and refrigerate over night.
Recipe (on the day)
The following day rinse throughly and pat dry. Place the duck in a casserole and cover with the fat. Cover and cook in a 150c / 300f oven for 2 hours. The flesh should be very tender but not falling on the bone.
Cool the duck in the fat and refrigerate until needed.
To serve, you will need to slightly heat the casserole to release the duck from the fat that will have set hard. Shallow fry the duck, skin side down in a heavy bottomed pan. Slow careful cooking will yield a crisp result, this may take about 10 minutes. Once the skin has crisped turn and cook for a further 2 minutes. Drain on paper towels.
Serve simply with bitter greens & walnut with some potatoes fried in the same fat or with carrot cumin puree & caramelised witlof.
Soufflé au Fromage
Twice baked cheese soufflé
About this dish
This twice baked version has two advantages over the traditional. It can be prepared in advance and isn't notoriously temperamental. This recipe is successful with other cheeses, try a soft goat cheese or Roquefort.
Ingredients(serves 4)
- 80g (3oz)butter
- 60g (2oz)flour
- 370ml (1.5c)milk
- 100g (3.5oz)grated gruyere
- 3egg yolks
- 4egg whites
- a pinchsalt & pepper
- a pinchnutmeg
- 4Tgrated parmesan
- 300ml (1.25c)cream
Recipe
In a saucepan heat the milk, don't boil. In a another pot melt the butter. Add the flour and cook gently on low heat for 3 minutes. Pour over the hot milk and stir vigorously until you have a smooth glossy sauce, continue to cook stirring all the time for 5 minutes.
Take the pot from the heat, stir in the cheese until melted and smooth, let cool. Transfer the sauce to a large bowl, add the yolks and mix well. Add a little fresh grated nutmeg and season well. Whisk the egg whites until soft peaks form.
Gently fold 1/3 of the whites through the sauce in lighten the mix. Then add the rest of the whites and fold through until you have a smooth homogenous mix. Pour into individual moulds which have been buttered and floured well. Oven proof porcelain dariole moulds are ideal but teacups work well.
Place in a bain-marie and bake in a 180°c / 350°f oven for 35 minutes or until risen, lightly browned and a skewer comes out clean when inserted into the centre. Let cool completely. Invert the moulds to remove the souffles.
At this stage the souffles can be kept refrigerated for up to 3 days until needed. To serve place souffles into oven proof gratin dishes, pour over the cream, sprinkle over the parmesan and season. Bake in a 200°c oven for 15 minutes till puffed and golden brown. Serve immediately.
Soupe à l’oignon gratinée
Caramelised brown onion soup with ‘Le Gruyere’ croutons
About this dish
A dish born in the famed Les Halles market place, once known as "the stomach of Paris". The swiss army knife of soups; it's a nourishing lunch, satisfying entree or as the french prefer a late night comforter.
This classic has only a few ingredients, but its success lies in the correct caramelisation of the onions and the quality of the stock. You use other gruyere if you wish. Le Gruyere is the true Swiss, made traditionally to A.O.C. requirements.
Ingredients(serves 4-6)
- 10brown onions finely sliced
- 60g (2oz)butter
- 75g (2.5oz)plain flour
- 1bay
- 1/2bunch thyme
- 2L (2qt)brown beef stock
- 12baguette croutons
- 12‘Le Gruyere’ slices
- 2Tchopped parsley
- a pinchsalt & pepper
Recipe
Gently melt the butter on a heavy bottom pot, add the onions and salt, [ the salt will draw out the juices of the onions, aiding the caramelisation process ]. Continue cooking on a medium low heat, stirring occasionally till you have a mahogany coloured onions. This will take around 45 minutes. Even, slow cooking will a produce sweet nutty flavour.
Sprinkle in the flour, stirring vigorously to avoid lumps, continue cooking for 2 minutes to cook out the raw flour taste. Add in gradually the hot stock, stirring all the time.
Add the herbs tied into a bundle, for easy extraction. Lower the heat to a gentle simmer for 30 minutes.
Remove the herbs and correct the seasoning. Pour into oven-proof soup tureens, float on a layer of croutons then sliced cheese. Brown under a hot grill, sprinkle with chopped parsley. Ready to serve !