Perfect New Years Day Brunch!

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Make Perfect New Years Day Brunch!

Tender racks of lamb go beautifully with the sunshine flavors of char grilled vegetables and basil in this simple main course. This roast lamb recipe is a perfect alternative to traditional Sunday lunch.

Roasted rack of  Lamb with Char Grilled Provencal Vegetables, Olive Tapenade and Basil Pesto

Serves 4

Total time: 1 hour, 10 minutes

Ingredients

Rack of Lamb

4 4-bone racks of lamb

olive oil

salt

pepper

Char Grilled Vegetables

1  zucchini, sliced length ways

1/2 Chinese eggplant, sliced length ways

1 red pepper, peeled and cut into 4

1 yellow pepper, peeled and cut into 4

2 fl oz of extra virgin olive oil

1 large clove of garlic, crushed

4 sprigs of thyme, 

salt

Tapenade

4 oz of pitted green olives

1/3 fl oz of extra virgin olive oil

Pesto

1 bunch of fresh basil

1/2 large clove of garlic

3/4 oz of Parmesan, grated

3/4 oz of pine nuts, toasted

1 fl oz of extra virgin olive oil

salt

caster sugar

Pesto 

Blend ingredients together until smooth in a food processor and place to one side.

Tapenade

Simply pulse the olives and oil together in blender until smooth but with a little texture remaining, then set to one side.

Lamb

Preheat the oven to 400°F. In a large hot sauté pan, place a tablespoon of olive oil and then the seasoned lamb racks, fat side down. Allow to color well and then turn over and color all sides evenly.

Return to being fat side down in an oven proof saute pan or roasting pan and place in the hot oven for 12 -15 minutes. Then remove from the oven and rest. Reserve any resting juices to drizzle over before serving.

Char Grilled Vegetables

While the lamb is cooking, in a small pan warm 1 fl oz of the olive with the garlic and thyme until it starts to sizzle. Remove from the heat and season with salt.

Toss the vegetables with the remaining olive oil and season. In a very hot char grill pan sear them until cooked. Cut into small pieces and place in the flavored oil to marinade.

To Serve 

Place a pool of the pesto to one side of the serving plate and quenelle (shaped spoonful) of the tapenade on the other. Reheat the vegetables in the oven and place over the pesto. Carve the lamb into 4 pieces and drizzle with some of the resting juices. Serve

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Of the Sea and of the Land!

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Make Of the Sea and of the Land!

This recipe is a take on a classic mussels mouclade recipe originating from the old trading links that the French port towns enjoyed with the Orient. Pairing lightly spiced mussels with a rich spinach mouse creates a delicious dish that is light in texture but certainly not a light weight in flavor!

Mussels Mouclade with Spinach Mousse

Serves 4

Total time: 1 hour 30 minutes plus chill time

Ingredients

Mussels Mouclade

7 lbs of mussels, cleaned

5 shallots

2 garlic cloves

4 oz of butter

1 1/3 tbsp of mild curry powder

6 fl oz of dry sherry

4 tbsp oz of butter, softened

2 tbsp of flour

1 pinch of ground turmeric

7 fl oz of milk

12 oz of whipping cream

8 plum tomatoes

lemon juice

salt

Spinach Mousse

4 oz of spinach

2 large eggs

8 fl oz of double cream

nutmeg, finely grated

salt

pepper

butter for greasing

Directions

Mussels

Peel and slice the shallots and the cloves of garlic. Melt the butter in a deep pan with a tight-fitting lid. Add the shallots and the garlic and allow to soften, but not color.

Add the curry powder and sherry to the pan, bring to the boil and add the cleaned mussels. Cover and cook until the majority of the mussels are open.

Allow the mussels to drain in a colander for 5 minutes, but keep the liquid. Strain this liquid through a fine sieve and keep to one side.

Sort through the mussels and discard any that haven't opened. Remove the meat from the shells and set aside, discarding the shells.

Bring the strained stock from the mussels to a simmer. In a small bowl, mix together the softened butter and the flour and gradually whisk this into the stock. It should thicken almost instantly.

Add the turmeric, milk and cream. Cook for about 5 minutes before adding lemon juice to taste and salt, if needed. Then leave to cool until you're ready to serve.

Spinach Mousse

Cook the spinach until tender and squeeze out any excess water. Puree the eggs and spinach together with a hand blender or in a blender or processor.

Once you have a purée, add the cream and blitz again for 30 seconds before passing through a sieve and seasoning to taste with nutmeg, salt and pepper.

Butter 4 x 1 in molds and refrigerate until the butter is hard. Then repeat and chill again.

While waiting for the molds, preheat the oven to 275°F.  Once the butter has hardened, pour in the spinach mix till three-quarters full. Place the molds on a tray and into the oven.

Check after 10 minutes. You want the mix to set, but not to rise too much (just above the top of the molds). When they're set, let rest for 5 minutes.

While the spinach mousse is resting, bring the mussel stock up to a simmer. Dice the tomatoes and add to the stock, then add the mussel meat. Leave on the heat for about a minute before removing.

Unmold the spinach mousses by running a knife around the edge of each one and gently shaking the mousse directly onto the center of each plate. Spread the mussel curry around the edge and serve.  Garnish with a few micro greens.

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Comfort Food Extraordinaire !

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Make Comfort Food Extraordinaire !

Originating in the south of France, cassoulet is a slow-cooked casserole of white beans and various meats named after its traditional cooking vessel, the cassole. This cassoulet recipe is classic French cuisine at its best, packed with confit duck, lamb, pork and juicy Toulouse sausages..The perfect comfort food dish on a cold wintry day! (This dish takes 12 hours prep/soaking time, so plan ahead).

Cassoulet à la Maison

Serves 10

Total time:  4 hours plus 12 hours soaking time

Ingredients

2 1/4 lb of dried white haricot beans (Cannellini, Navy or Great Northern beans can be substituted)

1 ham hock

2 oz of duck fat (if not available, use schmaltz, chicken fat)

4 large onions, chopped

12 garlic cloves, large, thinly sliced

14  oz of pork rind, rolled and tied (ask your grocer or butcher)

1 3/4 lbs of carrots, cut into 1/8 inch thick slices

1 large onion, cut into quarters

2 bay leaves

1 sprig of thyme

4 Toulouse sausages or Polish kielbasa

2 1/4 lb of lamb shoulder, on the bone, trimmed of sinew and cut into 10 pieces

4 confit duck leg, broken into large pieces (rotisserie chicken legs)

1 3/4 lb of back bacon (Canadian), unsmoked, cut into 1/2 inch thick slices

3 tbsp of parsley, chopped

sea salt, to season

white pepper, freshly ground

Directions

In separate bowls of cold water, soak the dried beans and ham hock for 12 hours, changing the bean water three times during this period. Drain them both and set aside.

In a large frying pan, heat 1 oz of the duck fat over a medium heat. Add the onions and cook slowly until caramelized, about 10-15 minutes.

Reduce the heat, add the garlic and cook for a further 10 minutes, or until the mixture is close to a puréé consistency. Remove from the heat and set aside.

In another large saucepan, place the drained beans, pork rind, ham hock, carrots, onion quarters, bay leaves and thyme. Cover with water, about an inch above the beans. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and leave to simmer for 1 hour.

Drain the beans, reserving the cooking liquor, and place into a large bowl. Discard the herbs and onion quarters and remove the bone from the ham hock, reserving the meat.

Chop the pork rind very finely, it should be close to a purée consistency, and stir into the beans along with the reserved onion and garlic mixture.

Heat half of the remaining duck fat in large saucepan, over a high heat. Once hot, add the sausages and cook until browned all over. Remove the sausages and leave to drain on paper towels, then cut into 1 2/3 in thick slices.

Heat the remaining duck fat in the same pan. Add the lamb and cook until caramelized all over. Season well with salt and pepper, remove from the pan and drain.

In a large earthenware cassoulet dish, spoon in 1/3 of the bean mixture. Add the lamb shoulder in an even layer, and cover with another 1/3 of the bean mixture. Add the slices of sausages, duck confit(Rotisserie chicken legs) and back bacon, then add the final 1/3 of the bean mix.

Pour enough reserved bean cooking liquor over the top so that everything is just covered.

Preheat the oven to 325 F.

Cook for 1 hour and then check the level of liquid. If it has almost evaporated, moisten with more of the bean cooking liquor, or boiling water.

You will need to repeat this process several times until a crust has formed on top of the cassoulet. This will take 2 1/2 to 3 hours

The cassoulet is ready when the crust is deeply caramelized and a knife goes through the beans easily when inserted. Sprinkle with the chopped parsley and serve.

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Eat Light, but Deliciously Between Holidays!

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Make Eat Light, but Deliciously Between Holidays!

What wonderful food I am sure we all have had the last few days.....Extraordinary dinners, cocktail parties, hors d oeuvres and more......It's the more I am still feeling LOL ! Time to take a break and ease up a bit and eat lighter getting us back to our old selves again and of course, ready for the next round of New Years Eve and Day parties...and of course, more.....Simple yet elegant, this goat's cheese salad recipe is an excellent salad that takes little time to prepare. Goat's cheese and beets work wonderfully together, and with the addition of salty Parma ham this small plate packs a delightful amount of flavor and is easy on the waist line.

Goat's Cheese, Parma Ham and Beets Salad

Serves 4

Total time: 10 minutes

Ingredients

5  oz of goat's cheese

1/2 large shallot

3/4 oz of parsley

4 tbsp of double cream

2 cooked beets

4 slices of Parma ham

3 1/2 oz of mixed salad leaves

1 pinch of salt

1 pinch of white pepper

Directions

Blend together the goat’s cheese, double cream, shallots, salt, pepper, and parsley.

Slice the beets into small cubes and divide across 4 plates. Top with the goat's cheese mixture and slices of Parma ham. Serve with some salad leaves.

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A Twist on a Traditional Dish!

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Make A Twist on a Traditional Dish!

This fish pie recipe re-imagines the pie as a canapé, perfect for a wintery cocktail or dinner party. Filled with cod and smoked haddock, this is a playful take on a classic seafood dish.  Depending on where you live, you certainly could substitute the cod and haddock for grouper, snapper, triple tail, dolphin....a firm white fleshed fish works best.  The smoky element does add another delicious layer of flavor and complexity, but if you can't find the right smoked fish, you certainly could use smoked salt or even liquid smoke in very minute quantities. This dish can be served as a appetizer as in this recipe, or using larger ramekins, for  dinner.

Smoked Fish Pie with Cheddar Mashed Potato Topping

Serves 8 (small ramekins)

Total time:  2 hours

Ingredients

Fish Pie Filling

12  oz of cod fillet, skinned

12 oz of smoked haddock

1 small onion

1 bay leaf

1 pint of milk

Cheesy Mashed Topping

2 lbs of Yukon potatoes

4 tbsp of butter

8 oz of cheddar, grated

7 fl oz of milk

salt

pepper

White Sauce

2 tbsp of butter

1 oz of plain flour

4 tsp fresh parsley, roughly chopped

salt

pepper

Fish 

Place the fish in a wide pan. Peel and quarter the onion and add along with the bay leaf to the fish. Add the milk.

Bring the milk up to the boil, reduce the heat and simmer for about 6 minutes. Remove the fish from the milk and place it on a plate.

Flake the fish into chunky pieces and divide into 8 individual ramekins. Sieve the milk into a container and set aside to use in the white sauce.

Mashed Cheesy Potatoes

Peel the potatoes and cut into 1 1/4 in chunks, place in a saucepan. Cover with water and add a pinch of salt. Bring the potatoes to the boil and simmer for about 20 minutes on a low heat.

When the potatoes are soft, drain, place the potatoes in a bowl and mash until smooth. Add the 4 tbsp of butter and 4 oz of the grated cheese as you mash.

Place the cold milk into a saucepan and bring to a simmer. Add this milk to the potatoes and beat. Season with salt and pepper. Once done, set the potato topping aside.

White Sauce

Melt the butter in a pan, stir in the flour and cook for 1 minute over a moderate heat. Gradually add all the set-aside fish poaching milk, whisking continuously.

Simmer for 1-2 minutes, stirring, until you have a smooth, slightly thick sauce. Remove the sauce from the heat, season with salt and pepper and add the chopped parsley.

Pour the sauce over the fish in the ramekins. Arrange the mashed potato over the top of the sauce and sprinkle on the remaining grated cheese.

Place in the oven at 350°F and cook for about 30 minutes until bubbling and golden brown on top. Serve immediately.

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Christmas Leftovers or a Delicious New Meal?

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Make Christmas Leftovers or a Delicious New Meal?

I am sure many of us that hosted or went to Christmas parties this season, got our fill of shrimp.....Every party that I helped give or went to had shrimp, blue crab claws and or lobster claws as an appetizer or hors doeuvre.  With that being said, seafood left overs have to be used first to avoid spoilage, and what a shame that would be!  These delicious wontons are the perfect use of those tasty crustaceans!..I see New Years Eve parties, New Years Day brunches and dare I say...Super Bowl snacks! The beauty of this recipe is not only are they delicious, but they freeze well and can be brought out at a later date and enjoyed all over again in their new reincarnated form!

Steamed Wontons in Chilli Broth

Serves 4

Total time:  1 hour 20 minutes.

Ingredients

Wontons

1 garlic clove

1 spring onion

1 handful of fresh coriander, plus extra to garnish

1 bunch of fresh chives, preferably Chinese chives

3 dried shiitake mushrooms, soaked and drained

1 head of Chinese leaf, 2 leaves only

6 oz of tiger prawns, peeled and deveined if using (crab or both)

1 tbsp of light soy sauce

1/2 tsp granulated sugar

2 tsp sesame oil

20 wonton skins

Chilli Broth

7 oz of chicken stock

1/2 tbsp of oyster sauce

2 tsp chilli sauce, preferably chilli oil

Directions

Wonton Filling

Finely chop the garlic, spring onion, coriander, Chinese chives, soaked shiitake mushrooms and Chinese leaves and place in a mixing bowl.

Finely dice the prawns (and or crab meat if using) and add to the mixing bowl along with the soy sauce, sugar and sesame oil. Mix everything together.

Wontons

Place 1 teaspoon of filling in the center of each wrapper. Using the tip of your finger, wet all sides of the pastry with cold water.

Fold the bottom corner over the filling to the top corner and press the wrapper down to seal all sides (to form a triangle).

Holding the base of the filling with your thumbs, pull the 2 corners of the triangle towards each other.

Overlap the ends and press together to form a 'gold ingot/trough' shape. Set aside and fold the rest of the wontons the same way.

Chicken Chilli Broth

Place all the wontons in a large, deep bowl. Bring the chicken stock to a simmer in a saucepan, then stir in the oyster sauce and chilli oil. Pour the broth ingredients over the wontons.

Set the wok up with a steamer stand and fill with boiling water to a third of the way up the sides.

Put the wonton bowl into the wok, cover with a lid and steam for 6–8 minutes, until the wontons have shriveled slightly and are cooked through.

Remove from the wok and serve garnished with a little chopped coriander.

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Something New?

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Make Something New?

Something familiar and maybe something new~ Luxurious, tender and full of flavor, lamb loin, served with carrots and broccoli.....and steamed pudding?

Lamb Loin with Steamed Pudding, Charred Sprouting Broccoli and Baby Carrots

Serves 8

Total time:  3 hours 30 minutes

Ingredients

Lamb

1 3/4 lb of lamb fillet

1 sprig of rosemary

olive oil

Steamed Lamb Pudding Filling

1 lamb shoulder, deboned and diced into small pieces

3 red onions, peeled and finely diced

2 sprigs of rosemary, leaves picked and finely chopped

1/2 lemon, washed and deseeded, peel and flesh diced

1 1/2 cups of white wine

10 tomatoes, peeled and roughly chopped

1 tbsp of tomato paste

lamb stock

olive oil

salt

pepper

sugar

Steamed Lamb Pudding Pastry

1 1/2 cup of self-raising flour

1 1/4 cup of pork dripping

2 tbsp of iced water, plus extra

Serve

1 lb of purple sprouting broccoli

24 baby carrots

4 oz of unsalted butter ( 1 stick)

4 tbsp of water

1 sprig of thyme

salt

black pepper

Lamb Loin

Trim the meat of any sinew and fat and place in a resealable bag with the olive oil and the rosemary. Refrigerate for and minimum of 3 hours or up to 2 days for best results.

Lamb Pudding Filling

While marinating, make the braised lamb filling for the pudding. Place a large casserole pot over a high heat and add some oil. Brown off the diced lamb in small batches, adding each batch to a large mixing bowl.

In the same pan, sweat the onions until soft, then add the rosemary and diced lemon and cook for 3 minutes. Add the wine and reduce.

Add the tomatoes and tomato paste, cook until soft, then put the lamb chunks back into the pan. Season with salt, pepper and a little sugar.

Cover with the lamb stock and bring to the boil, before turning down to a low heat and gently simmer for at least an hour until the lamb is tender.

Pudding Pastry

While the lamb is braising, make the pastry. Place the flour in a bowl and rub in the dripping using your fingertips.

Add the water and bring the pastry together with your hands - if necessary add a little more water. Take care not to over work the pastry, you just want to lightly bring it together.

Wrap in plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator for half an hour. It should gently rise.

While the pastry is resting, check the lamb. If it is lovely and tender, season as needed and take off the heat. Pour into a bowl to cool down.

Rub the pudding tins, or ramekins with butter. Cut a circle out of parchment paper and place in each of the bases of chosen pastry receptacle. Dust the rest of the inside with flour, and tip out any excess.

Roll out the pastry to about 1/4 in thick and carefully line the ramekins with the pastry. Reserve all of the scraps for the tops.

Fill the pastry lined ramekins with the cooled lamb mix and roll out the scraps to make a lid. Place on top and pinch shut with your thumb and forefinger. 

Steam your puddings in a pot large enough for your pudding ramekins. Place the ramekins in the pot on top of an upturned plate or a folded dish towel to stop them over cooking on the bottoms.

Fill the pot with water so that it comes half way up the sides of the basins. Place the top on the pot.  If you don't have a tight seal, use tine foil.

Bring the water to a boil then turn down to a simmer and steam for 45 minutes. Check the water level every 20 minutes and top it off if necessary. If you have a good seal on the lid then it should be fine.

Preheat the oven to 350°F

To finish the lamb loin, heat a non-stick pan on a medium heat. Season the lamb loin and caramelize on all sides.

Place in the oven 8 minutes, then take out and let it rest for 10 more minutes.

When you get your lamb pudding out of the pot, let it rest for 5-10 minutes before turning out, otherwise the pastry will be too soft and may break.

On a very high heat, preheat a griddle pan. Remove but keep the leaves from the stem of the broccoli and start blanching the heads in boiling water for 2 minutes, before adding the leaves for the last 30 seconds.

Strain, remove the leaves and place the heads straight onto the smoking hot griddle pan. Season and set aside.

Turn a pudding out onto the edge of each plate, as pictured, then lay out some broccoli spears. Top with carrots, then finally, some sliced lamb loin. Serve immediately.

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Creamy and Delicious! A Christmas Favorite

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Make Creamy and Delicious! A Christmas Favorite

This timeless crème caramel recipe is simplicity at its best, albeit with some fine touches to bring the dish to life. The dessert is paired with some candied orange zest and raisins infused in a sugar syrup until plump and sweet. An altogether classic dessert.

Crème Caramel

Serves 4

Total time:  2 hours plus cooking

Ingredients

Creme Caramel

8 oz of caster sugar

2 cups of full-fat milk

1 vanilla pod

4 eggs

1 egg yolk

Candied Orange Zest

2 large oranges

8 oz of caster sugar

1 cup pint of water

Raisins Moelleux

8 oz of raisins

2 tbsp of caster sugar

2 tbsp of water

The Caramel

Add 3 1/2 oz of the caster sugar to a heavy-based pan and place over a medium-high heat. The sugar will melt and start to caramelize, going from clear to blonde, then golden, then finally dark brown when it reaches 190-392°F

While the sugar is caramelizing, line the base of a high-sided oven tray with a damp cloth followed by 4 ramekin dishes. As soon as the caramel beings to turn dark brown, immediately remove the pan from the heat and pour the caramel into the base of each ramekin, creating a thin layer 2 1/8 in in thickness. Set aside and allow the caramel to set in a cool part of the kitchen.

The Custard

Pour the milk into a saucepan, split the vanilla pod and scrape the seeds into the milk. Bring to the boil, then immediately remove from the heat and set aside.

Whisk together the eggs, yolk and remaining 4 1/4 oz of sugar in a bowl then pour over the hot milk, stirring continuously. Pass through a fine chinois and pour into the ramekins.

Preheat the oven to 275°F

Pour some boiling hot water into the baking tray around the ramekins and place in the oven for 45 minutes.

Remove from the oven and allow to cool in the tray for 20 minutes. Once cool, remove from the water and place in the refrigerator until chilled.

Candied Orange Zest

Use a peeler to remove the zest from the orange, making sure there is not too much white pith on the underside of the skin. Cut the zest into fine strips using a sharp knife.

Add the zest to a pan of water, bring to the boil and strain. Plunge the zest directly into iced water to cool, then repeat this process twice more (this will remove excess bitterness from the zest). Combine the sugar and water in a clean saucepan and bring to the boil to dissolve the sugar and create a syrup.

Add the zest to the syrup, reduce the heat and cook on a very gentle simmer until the zest is transparent and soft - this will take 10-15 minutes. Strain, allow to cool and store in an airtight container until ready to serve.

For the raisins, combine the water and sugar in a pan and bring to the boil. Remove from the heat, pour over the raisins and allow to cool until the raisins reach room temperature. Store in the refrigerator until required.

To plate the dish, remove the crème caramels from the fridge. Run a small knife around the sides of the ramekins and gently turn out onto a plate or bowl. Garnish with the raisins and candied zest before serving.

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A Very Adult Version of Chicken Nuggets!

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Make A Very Adult Version of Chicken Nuggets!

In this recipe, duck breast is in the form of nuggets, as opposed to being sliced, with dainty sour griottine cherries and a honey vanilla sauce to contrast it beautifully with the honey roasted duck meat.  This dish take quite a few hours to prepare(making the duck stock from scratch) so plan ahead.

Honey Roasted Breast of Duck with Griottine Cherries

Serves 4

Total time:  7 hours

 Ingredients

Duck Breasts

2 duck breasts

Baby Vegetables

2 handfuls of baby carrots

2 handfuls of baby leeks

2 handfuls of baby beetroot

2 handfuls of baby turnip

Sauerkraut

1 white cabbage

1  lb of smoked bacon

2 tsp caraway seeds

3 garlic cloves

vegetable oil

2 Spanish onions, sliced

1 sprig of fresh thyme

2 pints of chicken stock

9 oz of butter

salt

pepper

Fondant Potato

2 large potatoes

vegetable oil

2  quarts of chicken stock

2 garlic cloves

1 handful of thyme, sprig

1 knob of butter

Duck Jus

4 1/2 lb of duck bones

1 onion

1 carrot

1 leek

1 garlic clove

1 sprig of thyme

1 pint of veal jus

3 1/2 cups of port

1 vanilla pod

1 star anise

12 Griottine cherries (cherries macerated in Kirsch)

To Plate

1 handful of cress

honey, to taste

Directions

Baby Vegetables

Peel and trim the baby vegetables and blanch in boiling salted water for a couple of minutes.  Make sure the vegetables still have a crunch, then place them into iced water to stop the cooking process.  Remove the vegetables from the water and place in the refrigerator until needed.

Fondant Potato

Cut two large potatoes in half across ways, and using a 1 1/4 in diameter cutter, cut out two cylinder shaped potatoes out of each potato.

Heat up a sauté pan and add a little vegetable oil, place the potato into the pan standing them on end and sauté until golden brown. Add the chicken stock to the pan and bring it up to the boil.

At this stage add the garlic, thyme and butter and place into the oven until cooked, for around 8 minutes.  Remove potatoes.

Bring the stock to the boil skimming off any impurities that are on the top. Simmer the stock for around 4 hours then pass through a fine cloth.

Sauerkraut

Finely slice the cabbage and set to one side. Slice the bacon and place into a bowl with the caraway seeds. Peel and chop the garlic and add to the bacon. Heat up a heavy fry pan and add a few drops of oil then add the cabbage and bacon mix and fry for a couple of minutes.

Add Chicken stock.

Once the cabbage has cooked and the chicken stock has reduced, add the butter and adjust the seasoning. 

In another large heavy fry pan, add the onions along with the thyme and fry for 5 minutes. Pour in the chicken stock and cabbage and leave to cook for around 1 to 2 hours.

Duck Jus

Preheat oven to 400° degrees.  Place the duck bones and vegetables onto  a tray and place in the oven until they are golden brown. Remove from the oven and place into a large deep saucepan. Pour over the veal jus, add the thyme and star anise and top up with water if needed.

Place the port and vanilla pod into a saucepan and reduce to a thick syrup. Add the duck stock and reduce down to a gravy-like consistency. At this point you can add the honey to taste and any extra flavors such as cherries or more vanilla.

Duck Breasts

Preheat the oven to 350°F

Trim the excess fat off the breasts and place skin-side down into a  pan heated to low-medium heat, slowly rendering the fat down and starting to cook the breasts, turning them until they're golden brown. This will take around 5 minutes. Remove from the pan and place skin-side up into the oven for 4 minutes for medium rare.

To Serve

Remove the duck breasts from the oven and allow to rest for around 4 to 5 minutes. 

Heat up the duck jus in a small pan.

Heat up the caraway cabbage and place a small amount in the center of each plate. Then on top place one fondant potato.

In a sauté pan add a small knob of butter and sauté the baby vegetables – this will only take a minute or so – season with salt and then arrange them around and on the duck nuggets.

Before serving allow the duck to rest in a warm place for 10 minutes. Using a sharp knife cut the duck breast in half length ways then cut each half into three across the fillet to form duck nuggets. Arrange the duck around the fondant potato.

Finally drop the griottine cherries into the hot duck jus and spoon around the dish. Garnish the dish with some cress and serve right away.

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Panettone (Italian Christmas Bread) – Hard to Make, Or At Least That’s What We’re Telling People

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Make Panettone (Italian Christmas Bread) – Hard to Make, Or At Least That’s What We’re Telling People

I’ve never tried to make panettone before, mostly because of how notoriously difficult it is to make, or so I was told. Turns out that wasn’t the case, unless people are factoring in the time, as this does take three days to complete, but other than that, I thought it was a pretty straightforward bread recipe.

I think bakers like us regular folks to believe everything is super hard to make, so as to elevate their standing in society; or, maybe this is difficult, and I just got lucky, but regardless, I was thrilled with how this came out.

I may add a bit more vanilla next time, and possibly a few extra tablespoons of sugar, as it wasn’t quite as sweet as I imagined, but other than using all the fruit, I don’t think I’d change much else. Speaking of the dried fruit, there are so many other things you can include, such as nuts, and chocolate chips, just in case this seems too healthy.

You'll find the panettone baking molds at places like Sur La Table, or other kitchenware stores at the mall, but they're also inexpensive and easy to find on Amazon. You'll see both in this size, and also the more traditional, tall, coffee-can shape. It might be a little late to start this, and finish by Christmas, but I would try it anyway. Just don’t let your guests know how easy it was to make, unless they’re professional bakers, then do. I really hope you give this special occasion bread a try soon. Enjoy!

Ingredients for one 7-inch Panettone:

The night before…

For the panettone starter:

1/4 cup sourdough starter (click here for recipe)

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 cup cold water

NOTE: If you don’t have sourdough starter, mix 3/4 cup flour with about 1/3 cup cold water, or enough to simulate the thickness of the one seen in the video, and add a pinch (1/16 teaspoon) of yeast. Mix, cover and leave overnight, just like the one in the video.

For the dried fruit:

1/2 cup golden raisins

1/2 cup dried cherries, quartered

1/2 cup diced dried pineapple

1/4 cup rum for soaking fruit

For the dough:

1/4 cup warm water

1 package (2 1/4 teaspoons) dry active yeast

2 large eggs

1/3 cup plus 2 tablespoon sugar

1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1 tablespoon freshly grated orange zest

1 tablespoon freshly grated lemon zest

all the starter from above

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/4 teaspoon fine salt

6 tablespoons softened butter

For egg wash:

1 large egg

1 tablespoon water

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An Elegant Fish

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Make An Elegant Fish

Deliciously flavored of the sea, moist, tender, melt in your mouth.....These would be just a few words to describe Sole.  The designation grenobloise, literally, "of Grenoble", a city in southeastern France, is served with a sauce of browned butter, capers, parsley, and pieces of lemon.

Sole Genobloise

Serves 4

Total time:  30 minutes

Ingredients

Dover Sole

2 Dover sole, or lemon sole

flour, for dusting

Butter for Grillade

9 oz of unsalted butter, softened

1 tbsp of Dijon mustard

2 tbsp of flat-leaf parsley

1 lemon, juice only

1 garlic clove

2 sprigs of lemon thyme

1/2 tbsp oz of ground sea salt

dash of black pepper

1/2 pinch of cayenne pepper

1 tbsp oz of ground almonds

Serve

4 lemons, juice only

1 1/2 tbsp of lilliput capers

1 1/2 tbsp of gherkins, cut into batons

1 1/2 tbsp  of lemon, confit

1 1/2 tbsp of lemon segments

3 tbsp of parsley, julienne

1 1/2 oz of croutons

1 1/2 oz of cucumber, parisienne (balled)

Directions

In a small bowl, combine the softened butter with all the remaining ingredients for the butter for grillade. Mix well and set aside.

Take the fish and scale both sides (you can get the fishmonger to do this for you). Remove the head and trim the fins from each side. Pat the flesh dry and lightly flour both sides.

Heat a splash of vegetable oil in a frying pan and when hot, cook the sole white skin-side down. When the edges of the sole turn golden, turn over onto the brown side and start to add little pieces of the butter you made before. Continue to baste the sole with the hot beurre noisette (butter sauce). This will take approximately 4–5 minutes per side.

When cooked, add the lemon juice to your beurre noisette and fold in the ingredients for the garnish except for the croutons and cucumbers. When plated, spoon the garnish around the fish and add the croutons and cucumbers to finish.

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As Beautiful as They are Delicious!

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Make As Beautiful as They are Delicious!

Don't be put off by the extravagant appearance of this salad....it is really much easier to make than it looks and that is the beauty of this recipe.  A true show stopper for the beginning of a delicious meal.

Romesco with Bellota Ham, Vegetables and Radishes

Serves 4

Total time:  60 minutes

Ingredients

Romesco Sauce

10 tomatoes, scored with two incisions (high quality)

4 bulbs of garlic

1 3/4 oz of whole almonds, peeled

1 3/4 oz of roasted hazelnuts, peeled

1 slice of white bread, crust removed

3 tbsp of sherry vinegar

3 1/2 fl oz of olive oil

1 dash of truffle oil (or high quality extra virgin olive oil)

salt

pepper

Serve

3 large carrots, cut into ribbons

1 white radish, cut into ribbons

1 black radish, cut into ribbons

1 green radish, cut into ribbons

16 slices of Belotta, Prosciutto or Capocolla (mild or hot, up to you)

7 1/16 oz of mixed salad leaves

olive oil

salt

pepper

Directions

Romesco Sauce

Preheat the oven to 375°F. Place the tomatoes and bulbs of garlic on a lightly oiled baking tray and roast until the tomatoes are well colored and the garlic bulbs are very soft (this should take approximately 30-35 minutes)

Allow the tomatoes and garlic to cool slightly before gently squeezing out the seeds from each tomato. Squeeze the garlic cloves out of their skins. Place the remaining pulp and skin from the tomatoes and the garlic cloves in a course sieve and rub through with the back of a ladle.

In a hot pan, toast the almonds until golden brown, stirring them continuously as they toast.

In a blender, pulse the bread with the toasted almonds and roasted hazelnuts until fairly fine in texture. Add to the reserved tomato and garlic and mix well. Finish the romesco by adding the sherry vinegar, truffle oil, olive oil. Season well.

Dress all of the vegetables with a little olive oil and season lightly. Spread a little of the romesco across each plate. Place the vegetable ribbons rolled up leaving room in the middle, on top of the sauce and finish each plate by placing 4 slices of ham (one in each roll up) along with the mixed salad greens....Refer to the picture for what your final salad should look like!

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