June
Seared Mackerel with Fresh Minted
Crushed Garden Peas
(Serves 2)
Preparing the Peas: Pod
250g fresh English garden peas and lightly crush them
in a food processor by pressing the pulse button a couple
of times. Stir in 1tbs extra virgin olive oil,
2tbs chopped fresh mint, 1tsp chopped
fresh tarragon, and the juice and zest of one lime.
Season with freshly cracked black pepper, coarse
sea salt, a pinch of sumac and a pinch of ground
cumin. Let the peas macerate whilst preparing the mackerel.
Preparing the Mackerel:
clean, de-scale and fillet one large mackerel,
taking care to remove the pin bones. Cut the mackerel into
5 -7cm long diamond shapes (work on the basis of 2 pieces
per portion) and score the skins. Season with the zest of
an un-waxed lemon, freshly cracked black pepper
and course sea salt. Sear the mackerel skin-side-down
in a pre-heated non-stick pan for 3-4 minutes until
the skin crispens, then turn over and cook for a further 1
minute. Remove from pan and drain on kitchen paper.
On each plate make two small
quenelles of the freshly crushed peas and place one piece
of seared mackerel on top of the each. Garnish with pea tops
and a drizzle of freshly made mint vinaigrette.
Recipe by Madalene Bonvini-Hamel.
Visit www.britishlarder.co.uk
for seasonal inspiration.
Cherry and Almond Cupcakes with Mascarpone
Frosting
Cinnamon Baked Cherries: Preheat
the oven to 200°C. Wash and stone 400g Cherries and cut them
in half. Mix the Cherries with 40g Unrefined Caster
Sugar and 1 tsp of Ground Cinnamon. Spread on a
lined baking tray and roast them in the oven for 20 minutes.
Cool.
Cupcakes Batter: Cream 100g Caster
Sugar and two medium Eggs until fluffy. Mix in
50g melted Unsalted Butter; and 120g Milk. Sift
together 250g Plain Flour, 1tsp Baking Powder
and ½ tsp Bicarb, and fold into the mixture. Fold in
the grated zest of one Lemon. Line a muffin tray with
12 cupcake cases and dice 80g of Marzipan into very
small cubes. Half fill the cases the batter then add a teaspoon
of baked cherries and a few Marzipan Cubes to each.
Then fill the cases to nearly to the top with more batter.
Sprinkle the rest of the Marzipan Cubes and bake at
180°C for 25 minutes. Cool.
Mascarpone Frosting: Cream 60g of
soft Unsalted Butter with the Seeds of half
a Vanilla Pod. Add 150g of Mascarpone, cream lightly
and fold in 80g of sifted Icing Sugar. Garnish the
cakes with this frosting and spoon a teaspoon of Baked
Cherries on top. Makes 12 Cupcakes
Recipe by Madalene Bonvini-Hamel.
Visit www.britishlarder.co.uk for seasonal inspiration.
Lime, Almond and Strawberry Chutney
(Produces Approx 2.2kg)
To a saucepan add the following:
400g Caster Sugar, 400ml Aspall Raspberry
Cider Vinegar, 400ml Water, 10g Salt,
4 Cardamom Pods, 4 whole Cloves,
1 Star Anise, 1 stick Cinnamon, 500g
Banana Shallots chopped, 70g minced Fresh
Ginger, 40g Red Chilies. Bring to boil.
Heat the chutney base to 105°C. Wash, hull and quarter 1kg
Strawberries. Add the strawberries to the boiling chutney
base. Bring the chutney back to the boil and cook until the
chutney reaches 105°C for the second time. Add the zest and
juice of 1 Lime and 100g sliced Almonds.
Let the chutney cool slightly while sterilizing the preserving
jars in the oven at 100°C for 30 minutes. Spoon the chutney into the sterilized jars.
Let the chutney mature for at least one day before serving.
Visit http://www.britishlarder.co.uk/ for
inspiration. All the recipes are written, photographed and
eaten by Madalene Bonvini-Hamel professional chef and food
fanatic.
Wild Asparagus and Opal Basil Risotto with
Green Tomato Jelly
Serves 2 main course portions or 4 starter
portions
Chop 50g Fennel and 100g
Banana Shallots and sweat in 50g Butter,
20ml Olive Oil and a Pinch of
Salt until transparent. Add 200g Carnarolli
Risotto Rice; toast for a couple of minutes, deglaze
with 100ml White Wine and cook until the wine
is absorbed. Gradually add 400ml Vegetable Stock
and continue cooking until the rice has a firm but cooked
bite. Fold in 50g Mascarpone Cheese and 20g
Grated Parmesan. Whilst the risotto cooks finely slice
4 bulbs of Baby Fennel, setting aside the leaves
for the garnish. Take 16 stems of Wild Asparagus;
cut the stalks into fine rounds and the heads into spears.
Blanch the spears for a few seconds in boiling salted water,
refresh. Fold the sliced Fennel and Asparagus
stalks into the Risotto. Serve the risotto on a warm
plate and garnish with the wild Asparagus spears, picked Opal
Basil leaves and chopped Fennel tops. To finish dot a few
squares of green tomato jelly on top.
>Green Tomato Jelly: Puree 4
/ 5 whole Green Tomatoes to a smooth pulp.
Put 250g of the Tomato Pulp and 1.5g
Agar into a small saucepan, bring to the boil then
remove from heat immediately. Pour into a shallow tray and
allow to set without disturbing the jelly. Once set cut the
jelly into 5mm squares, and garnish with finely grated
Parmesan.
Recipe by Madalene Bonvini-Hamel. Visit
www.britishlarder.co.uk
for seasonal inspiration. Photography and recipe though the
eyes of a professional chef.
Chicken-Stuffed Romero Peppers
Chop the meat from 4 Free Range Chicken Thighs and
blend this with 300g White Bread (crusts removed) ,
50g Parsley Leaves, 50g Basil Leaves, 25g
Chives, Salt, Pepper and 8 tbs good Olive
Oil in a food processor. Cut 4 Romero Peppers in
half lengthways and remove the seeds and pith (leave the stems
attached). Fill the Pepper halves equally with the
stuffing and bake on a flat tray in a hot oven for 10 minutes.
Sprinkle 100g grated Parmesan over the Peppers
so that each is equally covered. Return to the oven for 5-7
minutes, or until the topping begins to brown and the Peppers
are soft. Serve with a fresh Roquette salad and steamed
and buttered New Potatoes.
Gooseberry Curd
Top and tail 1kg Gooseberries
and place a large stainless steel pan with 60m Water.
Bring to the boil then cover and simmer for 15-20 minutes,
until the fruit is very soft. Remove from the heat and push
the Gooseberries through a sieve into a mixing bowl.
Put another heatproof bowl over a pan of simmering water and
melt 70g Butter. Beat 4 Eggs lightly and stir
into the bowl with 500g Sugar and the Gooseberry
puree. Cook the mixture over the water, stirring frequently,
for 25 to 30 minutes or until it thickens. Remove from the
heat and pour the hot curd into clean, dry, warm, sterilized
jars. Seal and cover.
Two things to do with Lemons
Moroccan-Style Preserved Lemons:
Scrub Lemons in hot, Salted water to remove
wax. Cut into quarters lengthwise.and coat well with coarse
Sea Salt. Pack tightly together in a large jar, adding
more Salt between layers. Press the Lemons down
firmly and top up the jar with fresh Lemon Juice, making
sure all the fruit is covered. Seal the container and leave
in a cool place for at least two weeks. Take out the Lemons
as required, slice finely and add sparingly to cous-cous,
salads, olives or use to accompany spicy meat dishes.
Candied Lemon Peel:
Much better than shop-bought. Cut 10 small Lemons into
discs and trim out the flesh from the inside of the wheels
(use elsewhere). Cover the peel rings in cold Water,
bring to the boil and drain. Repeat this process twice more.
Then simmer peels in water containing a pinch of Bicarbonate
of Soda until tender. Make a syrup from 175g Sugar,
I large tablespoon Golden Syrup and 100ml Water.
Simmer the drained peels in this until the syrup has all been
absorbed. Drain the peels, dredge in Castor Sugar and
place on a wire rack in a warm dry place overnight. Pack in
a jar between layers of greaseproof paper and seal until ready
for use.
Summer
Berry Meringues with Mint and Raspberry Coulis.
Whisk 6 large
Egg Whites on a low speed until foamy. Switch the speed
to medium and carry on whisking for another minute. Finally,
switch to high and continue until the stiff-peak stage is
reached. Next, whisk in 330g of warmed Caster Sugar and
the paste from a Vanilla Pod on fast speed, add the
Sugar little at a time, until you have a stiff and glossy
mixture. Pipe small flat ‘nests of this meringue mixture
on to a prepared baking sheet, spacing them evenly. Use the
back of the spoon to hollow out the centres. Don't worry if
they are not all the same shape. Place on the middle shelf
of a medium hot oven, immediately reduce the heat to gas mark
1(140°C) and leave them for 30 minutes. Turn the oven
off and leave to dry out overnight.
To finish, whisk together a kilo mixture of Raspberries,
Strawberries and Redcurrants with 500g of sweetened Marscapone
and spoon into each shell. Finish with Fresh Berries
dusted with Icing Sugar and a sauce made with puréed
Fresh Raspberries and Mint sweetened with Icing
Sugar.
Gazpacho
Andaluze
Liquidise
500g of ripe Vine Tomatoes, a
sliced Banana Shallot, a chopped
clove of Garlic, half a cleaned and chopped
Red Chilli, two, cored and de-seeded
Romero Peppers, half a peeled,
de-seeded Cucumber, a slice of White Bread a
little White Wine Vinegar, and a handful
of crushed Ice. Blend until smooth and well
combined, then whisk in 1 tablespoon of Mayonnaise
and the same of Tomato Ketchup.
Season with Salt and Cumin
Powder. To serve, pour into individual bowls and
garnish with Chopped Chilli, Romero
Pepper and a drizzle of Olive
Oil. You could finish with some Crispy
Croutons dusted with Cumin Powder.
This recipe also works well with a chunky dice or ‘Brunoise’
as a sauce for Fish and Shellfish.
Homemade Raspberry Ice cream
I think
Raspberries make the best instant ice cream - smooth,
rich and velvety. However, this recipe works very well with
Blackcurrants, if you prefer. Or you could try Strawberries,
or Peaches. Whatever fruit you use, this ice-cream
should be eaten within three days of making as it will begin
to form large ice crystals which will detract from the wonderfully
smooth texture. Whizz 500g of Freshly Frozen Raspberries
(straight from the freezer), 200g of Icing Sugar, and
a couple of Mint Leaves in a blender until smooth.
Then add 300ml of chilled Double Cream in one go. The
frozen fruit will almost instantly freeze and set the 'Ice
cream'. Place into a lidded container and store in the
freezer. This technique is great if you don't have an ice-cream
machine. Try also Blackcurrant Ice-cream with Poached
Peaches and Lime Syrup or serve a Gooseberry
Ice Cream with Rhubarb and Ginger Crumble.
Red Pepper and Basil Tart
Preheat the oven to Gas Mark
5/l90°C/fan oven I70°C and line the base and sides
of a 20 cm (8 inch) fluted loose bottomed flan tin with Short
Crust Pastry, rest and bake blind. De-seed, halve and
grill 4 Red Peppers under a high heat, skin side up,
until the skins blacken and blister, peel off the skins and
roughly chop the flesh. Place the Peppers, 500g of
Full Fat Cream Cheese, 3 eggs, a little torn
Basil into a food processor and blend until smooth.
Remove the pastry flan case from the oven and spoon in the
Pepper and Cheese mixture. Return the Tart to
the oven for 20 minutes, until the filling has set and is
firm to the touch. Cool before slicing to serve with a roasted
Red Pepper and Rocket salad tossed with Lemon
Juice and Olive Oil.
English Strawberries 'Romanoff'
with Grilled Brioche.
The Strawberry
season proper is upon us (see JUST IN). So here's a
simple classic dessert… with an alcoholic twist. You
can use ready-made Brioche. Sprinkle a kilo of Strawberries
with 120g Caster Sugar and 130ml of Cointreau.
Chill for an hour or so. Beat 500ml of Ice Cream (remove
from freezer 15mins before use) with a wooden spoon, Fold
in 500ml of semi-whipped Double Cream, the zest and
juice of 1 Lemon add a further 70ml Cointreau
and blend gently with the Strawberry mixture.
Spoon the creamy mixture over a freshly grilled slice of Brioche),
dust with Icing Sugar and serve.
Gazpacho Andaluze
There are some beautiful Vine Tomatoes and
Romero Peppers available at the moment, with real summer aroma.
So this week I've chosen a recipe for a Gazpacho that I've
been using for years. It's a family recipe, given to me by
my first Larder Chef, who hailed from the Andalucian region.
Enjoy!
Place 500g of ripe Vine Tomatoes,
a sliced Banana Shallot, a chopped clove of Garlic, half a
cleaned and chopped Red Chilli, one and a half cored and de-seeded
Romero Peppers, half a peeled, de-seeded Cucumber, a slice
of White Bread a little White Wine Vinegar, and a handful
of crushed Ice into a liquidiser. Blend until smooth and well
combined, then whisk in 1 tbs Mayonnaise and the same of Tomato
Ketchup. Season with Salt and Cumin Powder .To serve pour
into individual bowls and garnish with Chopped Chilli, Romero
Pepper and a drizzle of Olive Oil. You could finish with some
Crispy Croutons dusted with Cumin Powder.
Crispy-topped Round Courgettes
Stuffed -
with Creamed Shi-itake Mushrooms
We have some great looking stripy Round
Courgettes this week.. Serve one as a starter, two as a vegetarian
main course.
.
Wash and slice off the stalk end of the courgettes. Discard
the seeds and spongy middle and arrange the Courgettes into
an ovenproof dish. Season well, and sprinkle with Olive Oil
and a little Rosemary. Lightly colour and soften in a hot
oven.
For the Stuffing, gently cook a couple of
chopped Shallots in Butter add some ripped Shi-itake Mushrooms,
a Slice of Garlic and some Double Cream. Simmer the mixture
until it thickens and spoon into the lightly roasted Courgettes..
In a separate pan, warm a little Olive
Oil. Add 1 tsp chopped Garlic and 1tsp of Dijon Mustard. Shake
in enough Fresh White Breadcrumbs to bind everything together,
a handful of chopped Chives and top each stuffed Courgette
with this mixture. Bake for 20 minutes to give a super crispy,
savoury crumble topping .
Strawberries
Romanoff with Grilled Brioche.
The Strawberry season proper is upon us
(see JUST IN). So here's a simple classic dessert… with
an alcoholic twist.
You can use ready-made Brioche but I'd be
happy to pass on my Raisin Brioche recipe if you prefer the
'from scratch' approach. Call me on 0208 558 9708.
Cover 1kg of Strawberries with 120g Caster
Sugar and 130ml of Cointreau. And chill for an hour.
Beat 500ml of Ice Cream (remove from freezer
15mins before use) with a wooden spoon, Fold in 500ml of semi-whipped
Double Cream, the zest and juice of 1 Lemon and a further
70ml Cointreau and blend gently with the Strawberry Mixture.
Spoon the creamy mixture over a freshly
grilled slice of Brioche) dust with Icing Sugar and serve.
.
Lavender Cheesecake
Infuse 1 tbs Dried Lavender in 3 tbs boiling
Water for 15 minutes. Beat together ¾ cup Honey and
1 cup Cream Cheese. Add strained infusion, then whip 1 ¼
cups of Double Cream and fold into the mixture. Pour onto
a Biscuit Crumb and Butter base and chill. Serve with a Blackberry
or Cherry Coulis or
dark Chocolate Sauce.
Gooseberry Meringue Pie
Cook 500g Gooseberries in 150ml Water until
tender. Mix 250g Sugar, 30g Flour and 2 Egg Yolks and a pinch
of Salt and stir in the cooled gooseberry mixture. Heat gently
to thicken. Cool; pour into a baked 20cm pastry shell. Top
with meringue made from 2 Eggwhites and 4 tbs Sugar. Bake
in 350 degree oven for 12 to 15 minutes. Serve when just warm.
Hand Made Instant Blackcurrant Ice-cream
I think Blackcurrants make the best
instant ice-cream - smooth, rich and velvety. However, this
same recipe works very well with Raspberries, if you prefer.
Or you could try Gooseberries, or Peaches. Whatever fruit
you use, this ice-cream should be eaten within three days
of making as it will begin to form large ice crystals which
detract from the wonderfully smooth texture.
Whizz 500g of Frozen Blackcurrants (straight
from the freezer), 200g of Icing Sugar, and a couple of Mint
Leaves in a blender until smooth. Then add 300ml of chilled
Double Cream in one go. The frozen fruit will almost instantly
freeze and set the ice-cream.
Place into a lidded container and store
in the freezer. This technique is great if you don't have
an ice-cream machine. Try also Raspberry ice-cream with Poached
Peaches and Lime Syrup or serve Gooseberry Ice Cream with
Rhubarb Crumble.
Go Potty With Borlotti
Pink-skinned, purple-marbled Borlotti Beans
(Phaseolus Vulgaris) are extremely beautiful raw. But Borlotis
(AKA Cranberry, Crab Eye, Roman, Romano, Rosecoco or Saluggia
Beans).are related to the Kidney Bean, and are poisonous unless
thoroughly cooked. They are, however deliciously creamy in
casseroles and soups and retain a gorgeous pink hue.
Borlotti and Escarole Soup:
Sweat 1 cup each chopped Onion and Leek, and 1 tbs minced
Garlic in 1 tbs Olive Oil until soft. Add 7 cups Chicken Stock,
1 cup cooked Borlotti, 1 Bayleaf, a sprig of Thyme and Flat
Parsley, and some Parmesan Rind. Bring to a boil, reduce heat,
and simmer for 10 minutes. Slice 1 head Escarole (or a mix
of Frisee and Chicory) crosswise in half-inch strips. Simmer
until tender. Remove Herbs and Rind. Add Salt and Pepper to
taste. Serve immediately with grated Parmesan Cheese and a
little freshly chopped Flat Parsley.
Serves 4-6.
