November
The December Fruitbowl
Strange though it may seem,
December is one of the best months of the year for fruitbowl
and fruit basket makers. There are still plenty of English
Apples and Pears left, notably Coxes Apples
and Comice and Conference Pears. Italy and Spain
send in Red Williams and a host of delicious Citrus
including Satsumas, Leaf and Baby Clementines,
plus new season Navel Oranges. There are also plenty
of reasonably priced semi-exotics like Sharon Fruit,
Pomegranates and Custard Apples available to
add difference. In the Southern Hemisphere it is high summer
which means a superb range of Stone Fruits. South African
Peaches and Nectarines are both excellent and
by mid month they often become quite reasonably priced. Chilean
Cherries are often more delicious than the European and
North American crops of June and July, although they do usually
carry a higher pricetag. Apricots are expected to hit
form and Lychees become more plentiful and cheap as
the month proceeds.
Chestnut Soup with Bacon and Herb Croutons
Put 500g cooked and peeled Chestnuts
in a large pan. You can cook these yourself or use our Vac
Pack Chestnuts. Add 2 stems of Celery, 3 Banana
Shallots, 2 Carrots (all chopped) and 2.5 litres
of good Vegetable, Chicken or Ham Stock
and some Salt and Pepper to taste. Bring to
simmering point and cook for about 45 minutes. Meanwhile,
heat 8tbs Olive Oil in a large frying pan and cook
250g of Lardons gently in it for 5 minutes. Then turn
to a high heat and wait until the oil is about to smoke. Add
250g of cubed White Bread and about 1 tsp of freshly
chopped Thyme and Sage Leaves to the oil and
fry until the cubes become deep-golden-brown and crisp (keeping
them moving to avoid burning). Drain on kitchen paper. When
all the ingredients of the soup are tender, stir in 500ml
of Sour Cream and blend until smooth. Adjust seasoning,
re-heat and serve with croutons, bacon and thyme sprinkled
over.
Clem and Cranberry Marmalade
This delicious preserve is excellent on toast
and bread, but also good with roast Duck, Goose, Pork or other
rich meats. Halve 1 kg Clementines and 7 Lemons.
Squeeze out the juice and remove pips and scoop out any remaining
flesh from the Clementine peels. Tie all the flesh,
pips and the Lemon halves into a muslin bag. Slice
the Clementine peels, removing any excess pith. Put
the juice, peel and muslin bag in a preserving pan with 2
litres Water. Boil gently for 1 hour or until peel
is tender. Remove muslin bag and squeeze out the juice. Return
to the boil, add 375g Cranberries and cook for 2-3
minutes. Stir in 2.7kg Sugar and 250ml Brandy
or Whisky (optional, Just add a little more water if
you don’t put spirit in). Boil rapidly until setting point
is reached then put into got sterilised jars and seal.
Chard and Bacon
Cook 250g of thinly sliced Smoked Bacon
or Pancetta in a pan with a couple of tablespoons of
Olive Oil (not Extra Virgin) slowly until crisp. Meanwhile,
remove the stems from 1kg of Rainbow Chard and slice
them crossways (to reduce the likelihood of stringiness) into
strips about ½ cm wide. Wash and dry the leaves of the Chard
thoroughly and cut into 2cm strips. Heat 2tbs Olive Oil
in a heavy pan and sauté the Chard Stems until almost
tender, add the Leaves and continue cooking gently
for a couple of minutes.
Crush ¼ clove of Garlic and mix this
with 1 tbs Lemon Juice. Pour in the oil from the Bacon
pan and whisk. Add more light olive oil if necessary and warm
through. Season to taste. Pile the Chard onto a large,
hot plate and pour on the dressing. Break the cooked Bacon
into pieces and scatter them over the chard.
Jerusalem Artichoke Soup
with Seared Scallops
Melt 1tbs Butter and add 2 sprigs Thyme
and 4 chopped Banana Shallots and cook gently till tender.
Peel and dice 500g Jerusalem Artichokes and plunge into
lemon water to keep them white. Add them to the pan when Shallots
have softened and cook gently in the Butter for a few
minutes. Add 600ml Milk and 500 ml Chicken Stock.
Season with Salt and White Pepper and simmer for
15-20 minutes or until the artichokes are soft. Remove the
Thyme, blend the soup until very smooth and sieve to remove
any remaining fibres. Adjust seasoning.
Sear a dozen Scallops (corals removed) in butter and
drain. Pour the soup into four bowls, float the Scallops
in the soup and scatter on a few Chervil leaves.
MUSHROOM FLORENTINE
Lightly brown (cap side first)
a kilo mixture of Chestnut, Cup, Button
and (a few) Wild Mushrooms in butter.
Line a 10 inch, ovenproof serving
dish with wilted Spinach and season with Salt,
Black Pepper and Nutmeg. Sprinkle with 200g
grated Parmesan Cheese. Arrange the sautéed
Mushrooms over the Spinach. Season with a little
Garlic Salt. Cover with a light Mornay Sauce (Bechamel,
Cheese and a little Mustard). Bake for 20 minutes
at 350 degrees until brown. Serve with thick slices of grilled
Focaccia Bread and Shaved Parmesan.
Banana
Cheesecake with Toffee Sauce
Using 500g of Cream Cheese
and 100g of Plain Yoghurt, 6 medium Bananas,
and 4 Eggs 150mls of Honey. Blend all the ingredients in a liquidizer
until smooth and creamy. Crush a packet of Hobnobs
or Digestives and mix with 200g of melted Butter,
press this into the bottom of a deep10’ tart ring. Pour in
the Banana mixture and bake for 30 minutes or until
set in a medium hot oven. Allow to cool and serve with a Toffee
Banana Caramel (made by adding a little Double
Cream, Butter and sliced Bananas to a
freshly boiled Caramel).
Jerusalem Artichoke Soufflé
Cook together 30g of Butter and 30g of Flour.
Gradually stir in 250ml of scalded Milk. Cool slightly, mix
in 3 Egg Yolks, 200g of cooked, diced Artichoke and a little
grated Parmesan. Add a few Chives and Season. Whisk the Egg
Whites to a peak and fold in.
Divide the mixture between 4 buttered ramekins
and cook 'au bain-marie' at 180C to set (15-20min). Remove
from the oven. When ready to serve, reheat and they will rise
until light and fluffy.
Assemble some Green Beans and grilled Artichoke
on a plate drizzle with Balsamic and Olive Oil and top with
your soufflé.
Maris Piper and Shittake Gratin
Gently sweat 300g of ripped, de-stemmed
Shi-itake Mushrooms with a little Butter, minced Garlic and
fresh Rosemary. Add 2 pints of Single Cream. Season well,
bring to simmering point, then take off the heat. Steam 1kg
of washed Maris Pipers until they are only just cooked. Cool
slightly, slice and arrange into an ovenproof ceramic dish.
Pour the cream mixture over the sliced potatoes and cover
with a buttered paper. Place in a moderately hot oven until
the potatoes are cooked thoroughly, then press to slightly
compact. Leave to cool. Cut into squares, rounds or use a
generous spoonful to sit nicely with grilled fish or meat.
Celeriac Gnocchi with Wilted Roquette
Gently 'confit' a kilo of peeled and
diced Celeriac with Olive Oil and a clove of Garlic in a heavy-bottomed
pan until soft. Puree, mix in 3-4 Egg Yolks and add enough
sieved Plain Flour to thicken the mixture enough to form into
small 'patties'. Lightly dust with Flour and roll in a little
Egg White Shallow fry until golden. Toss some trimmed Roquette
in a pan with Butter and Black Pepper; arrange onto plates
and top with the 'sautéed' Celeriac Gnocchi. You could
garnish this dish with a Salsa 'Crudo' a mixture of roughly
chopped Tomato, Capers, LimeJuice and freshly chopped Parsley.
Alternatively you could bake the Gnocchi in the oven with
some Spinach and a Tomato Fondue.
Aubergine Toscana
Slice, two or three large Aubergines and
season well with Salt and Black Pepper. Sauté until
golden and layer alternately in an oven proof dish with sliced
ripe Vine Tomatoes. Season each layer with milled Pepper and
finish on top with a mixture of cubed Ciabatta Bread, grated
Parmesan Cheese, crushed Garlic and fresh Parsley. Sprinkle
with Olive Oil and bake in a moderate oven until the topping
is golden. Serve as a vegetarian main, an appetiser or hot
on a buffet menu.
Rhubarb & Passionfruit Crème
Brulée
Bake 1 kg of washed, sliced Rhubarb with
a little Vanilla Sugar in a moderate oven until soft. Cool
and spoon into 8-10 Ramekins. Chill well. Mix 200g of Caster
Sugar with 16 Egg Yolks, stir in 1.5 litres of scalded Milk
and Double Cream (equal measures). Return to the heat and
stir continuously until the mixture thickens. Add 100ml of
Passionfruit Puree and pour over the Rhubarb Compote into
the ramekins, set into a 'Bain Marie' and cook at 130 C until
firm to the touch. Chill well and sprinkle with Sugar, caramelise
with a blowtorch and serve.
