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Mozzarella Fritters with Roasted Red Pepper and Tomato Sauce
Buffalo mozzarella originates from Latium and Campania in Italy. It is an unripened cheese from water buffaloes’ milk that in sold in packets containing a little whey to help keep it fresh. I love its wonderful creamy sour flavour, especially when served with this roasted red pepper and tomato sauce.
Serves 4
120g (4 1/2oz) breadcrumbs made from day old sourdough bread 2 tbsp coarsely chopped flat-leaf parsley 2 tbsp coarsely chopped basil 1 tsp finely grated lemon rind 25g (1oz) plain flour 1 egg 4 x 100g (4oz) balls buffalo mozzarella olive oil, for shallow frying FOR THE SAUCE 1 small head garlic (about 5cm (2in) in diameter) 225g (8oz) ripe plum tomatoes, halved lengthways 1 large red pepper 1 1/2 tsp fresh lemon juice 1 tsp extra-virgin olive oil 1/2 tsp balsamic vinegar Maldon sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
1. Preheat the oven to 190C (375F), Gas mark 5. To prepare the sauce, cut off and discard the top quarter of the garlic head and wrap the remainder in foil. Arrange the tomatoes, cut side up on a foil lined baking sheet and sprinkle lightly with salt. Add the red pepper and the foil wrapped garlic to the sheet and roast for 1 hour until the tomatoes are just beginning to char nicely, the garlic is completely tender and the red pepper is cooked through with blacked skin. 2. Transfer the pepper to a bowl and cover with clingfilm, then leave to stand for 20 minutes. When cool enough to handle, peel and discard the core and seeds. Place the flesh in a food processor with the tomatoes. Unwrap the garlic and squeeze the roasted cloves from the skin into the food processor. Add the lemon juice, olive oil and balsamic vinegar and blend until smooth. This can be made up to 24 hours in advance and kept in a bowl covered with clingfilm in the fridge.
3. To make the fritters, mix the breadcrumbs in a shallow dish with the parsley, basil and lemon rind, then season to taste. Season the flour and tip on to a flat plate. Lightly beat the egg in a shallow dish.
4. Tear each buffalo mozzarella into four pieces, then dust in the seasoned flour, shaking off any excess. Tip in the beaten egg and then coat in the flavoured breadcrumbs. Arrange on a baking sheet lined with non-stick baking parchment and chill for at least 2 hours to firm up or overnight is fine. 5. When ready to cook, pour 5cm (2in) of the olive oil into a large pan or heat a deep-fat fryer to 180C (350F) or until a small piece of white bread dropped into the oil browns and rises to the surface in about 1 minute. Deep-fry the mozzarella fritters for 2-3 minutes until crisp and golden brown. Drain well on kitchen paper. You have to do this in batches depending on the size of your pan. 6. Warm the sauce in a small pan over a gentle heat and spoon a pool on to each warmed plate. Arrange four pieces of the mozzarella fitters on top to serve. The remainder of the sauce can be served in a small bowl at the table so that guests can help themselves.
Salmon with Avocado and Sun-dried Tomato Dressing and Rocket Salad. Well-produced organic salmon is perfect to use for this dish and as it is farmed in colder waters it has a firmer flesh. Salmon tastes far better is eaten slightly underdone than overcooked, and is using in this recipe should be served warm and not hot.
Serves 6
6 x 175g (6oz) skinless salmon fillets, pin bones removed olive oil, for brushing juice of 1/2 lemon 3 ripe avocadoes 25g (1oz) wild rocket FOR THE DRESSING 12 semi sun-dried tomatoes in oil, drained and roughly chopped 200ml (7fl oz) olive oil 1 tsp fresh lemon juice pinch of chilli powder 3 fresh basil leaves salt and freshly ground black pepper 1. To make the dressing, place the sun-dried tomatoes in a food processor with the olive oil, lemon juice, chilli powder and basil leaves. Blend together for about 1 minute or until you have achieved a fairly smooth texture. Season to taste and transfer to a jug.
2. Cut each the salmon fillet into three pieces. Heat a griddle pan until smoking hot. Season the salmon pieces and brush each one with a little olive oil, then place in griddle pan. Reduce the heat and cook for 3-4 minutes on each side until just cooked through and golden brown. Remove from the heat and sprinkle over the lemon juice.
3. To serve, cut each avocado in half and remove the stone, then carefully peel away the skin. Drizzle a little of the dressing into the centre of each plate and place a fanned out avocado half in the centre. Arrange three pieces of the salmon around the edge of each plate. Scatter around the rocket and drizzle over a little more of the dressing. Grilled Rib-Eye Steak with Smoked Paprika Butter I always bring steaks to room temperature by removing them from the fridge 30 minutes before I want to cook them. This recipe uses my favourite cut, the rib-eye, which is still nice and tender but with enough fat and textures to make for an exciting chew.
Serves 4
4 x 225g (8oz) dry aged rib-eye steaks 100ml (3 1/2fl oz) olive oil 2 garlic cloves, crushed 1 tsp chopped fresh thyme FOR THE BUTTER 1 small red pepper 175g (6oz) butter 1/2 tsp chopped fresh thyme 1 tsp chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley 1 tsp smoked paprika 1 tbsp cream salt and freshly ground black pepper baked potatoes and lightly dressed mixed green salad, to serve 1. To make the flavoured butter, preheat the grill. Place the pepper on the grill rack and cook for 20-25 minutes until the skin is blackened and blistered. Transfer to a bowl and cover with clingfilm, then leave to cool completely.
2. Remove the skin, core and seeds from the pepper and roughly chop the flesh, then place in a food processor. Add the butter, thyme, parsley and paprika in food processor and puree until smooth. Stir in the cream and then scrape out onto a square of non-stick parchment paper and roll into a cylinder, twisting the ends to secure. Chill for at least 4 hours or up to 24 hours is fine.
3. Trim the rib-eye steaks of any excess fat, place in a non-metallic dish and add the olive oil, garlic and thyme. Cover with clingfilm and leave in fridge to marinade overnight.
4. Remove the steaks from the fridge at least half an hour before you wish to cook them, then shake off any excess marinade and season to taste. Grill, barbecue or pan-fry the steaks over a fierce heat for 6-7 minutes for medium rare, or to your liking. Allow to rest for 5 minutes on warm plates.
5. Remove the flavoured butter from fridge and remove the foil, then cut into slices. Place butter slices on top of the grilled steaks and add a baked potato and some mixed salad to each plate to serve. Stir-fried Baby Bok Choy with Mushrooms This is a very simple recipe and one of my favourite ways of preparing baby bok choi, although regular pak choi cut across into 2.5cm (1in) wide strips is just as delicious
Serves 4
2 tbsp sunflower oil 6 spring onions, trimmed and cut into 5cm (2in) pieces on the diagonal 2 garlic cloves, crushed 2.5cm (1in) piece fresh root ginger, peeled and cut into fine strips (julienne) 1 red chilli, seeded and very thinly sliced 100g (4oz) shitake mushrooms, trimmed and sliced 400g (14oz) baby bok choi 1 tbsp oyster sauce 1 tbsp dark soy sauce 2 tsp toasted sesame seeds handful fresh coriander leaves, to garnish
1 Heat the oil in a wok or deep heavy-based frying pan. Add the spring onions, garlic, ginger and chilli and stir-fry for one minute.
2 Add the shitake mushrooms to the pan and continue to stir-fry for 2-3 minutes until tender. Tip in the baby bok choy and stir fry for another minute, then sprinkle over a tablespoon of water, reduce the heat and steam fry for another 2-3 minutes until tender.
3 Add the oyster sauce and soy sauce and toss together briefly until just combined, then scatter over the sesame seeds and toss to combine. Tip into a warmed serving bowl, scatter over the coriander and serve immediately. Summer Berry &White Chocolate Tiramisu To bring this dessert up to date I like to serve it in martini glasses, but you could always just layer it up in one single glass dish if you prefer. Mascarpone is a rich, creamy cheese originating from Lodi in the Lombardy region of Italy. It has a sweetened taste and is famously used in Tiramisu.
Serves 8
150ml (1/4 pint) double cream 175g (6oz) white chocolate, grated 500g (1lb 2oz) mascarpone cheese, at room temperature 16 sponge fingers FOR THE CUSTARD 5 egg yolks 1 tbsp cornflour 3 tbsp caster sugar 1/2 vanilla pod, split in half and seeds scraped out 300ml (1/2 pint) milk 100ml (3 1/2fl oz) cream FOR THE POACHED Summer Berries 300ml (1/2 pint) red wine 75g (3oz) caster sugar 1 cinnamon stick 1/2 vanilla pod, split in half and seeds scraped out 400g (14oz) mixed Berries: raspberries, strawberries, blueberries plus extra to decorate cocoa powder (good quality) and fresh mint sprigs, to decorate
1.To make the custard, place the egg yolks in a large bowl with the cornflour, sugar and vanilla seeds. Whisk with an electric mixer for a few minutes until pale and thickened. Place the milk and cream in a medium pan and bring to the boil, then immediately remove from the heat. Gradually whisk into the egg yolk mixture until smooth, then pour back into the pan and place over a gentle heat. Cook gently for about 6-8 minutes on a medium heat, stirring constantly, until the custard coats the back of a wooden spoon, stirring. Transfer to a large bowl and leave to cool.
2.Meanwhile, place two tablespoons of the double cream in a small pan with half of the white chocolate and stir over a low heat for 1-2 minutes until smooth. Remove from the heat and whisk into the cooled custard. Leave to cool completely, then place a piece of clingfilm directly on the surface to prevent a skin forming.
3.To poach the summer berries, place the red wine, in a pan with the sugar, cinnamon stick and vanilla pod and seeds and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 15 minutes until reduced by half and slightly thickened. Place 350g (12oz) of the berries in a heatproof bowl and pour over the wine mixture through a fine sieve, discarding the cinnamon stick and vanilla pod. Stir to combine and leave to cool.
4.Whisk the remaining cream in a bowl until it forms soft peaks. When the custard is cold, whisk in the mascarpone cheese until completely smooth and then fold in the remaining grated white chocolate and the whipped cream until evenly mixed.
5.Spoon the poached berries, reserving the liquid, into the bottom of 8 x 200ml (7fl oz) individual martini glasses, then arrange two sponge fingers on top of each one, breaking them up as necessary to fit. Pour the raspberry liquid over and then pour over the white chocolate mixture to cover completely. Chill for 1 hour until set.
To serve, dust the white chocolate tiramisu’s liberally with cocoa powder and then decorate with the berries and the mint sprigs.
SPUN SUGAR CURLS: 225g (8oz) caster sugar 1 tbsp powdered glucose
Place the sugar, glucose and 250ml (9fl oz) of water into a heavy-based pan. Bring to the boil and then reduce the heat and simmer for 15-20 minutes until you have achieved a golden caramel colour. The sugar syrup should be a thick honey consistency but not too runny. It thickens a little as it cools so if it gets too thick, then simply heat it again and it will loosen fairly instantly. Using a clean, small metal spoon and a knife-sharpening steel, dip the spoon into the caramel and lift it out again, then twist it around the steel to create some sugar curls, working very carefully as the caramel is extremely hot. Tip: To make a orange caramel sauce:
100ml pure orange juice
Add the orange juice carefully, stirring until combined and then simmer gently for another 5 minutes until thickened. Leave to cool for about 10-15 minutes until thickened a little further.
Marinated prawns in olive oil pastry bowl with red onions. Ingredients Serves 6 For the pastry bowl: 125g/4 ½ oz plain flour, plus extra for dusting ½ tsp. baking powder 50ml/2 floz water 15ml/ ½ floz olive oil, plus extra for brushing Good pinch of salt ½ tsp. paprika ¼ tsp. cayenne pepper Large pinch freshly ground black pepper For the prawns 30 raw prawns 2 tbsp olive oil juice of 2 limes 2 cloves of garlic, pasted 1/2 tsp fennel seeds 1 red chilli seeded and finely diced 1 tsp paprika 1/4 tsp turmeric Salt to taste For the onions 2 medium red onions 1 tsp sugar Pinch salt Juice of 2 limes 2 tbsp olive oil To garnish Oakleaf lettuce Rocket or watercress Herb fennel 2 tbsp mayonnaise 4 tbsp matural yoghurty Method
Lemon ice cream with macerated summer fruits Serves 6 For the Fruits 400g/15 oz strawberries 150g/5 oz blueberries 150g/5 oz raspberries 10 large mint leaves, finely sliced 200ml/7floz red wine 100ml/ 3.5 floz red wine vinegar 50ml/2 floz brandy 50g/2oz caster sugar 1 star anise pinch of ground cumin 1 clove 150g mixed berries 1 tsp icing sugar For the ice cream 50ml/ 2 floz double cream 500ml/ 18 floz sour cream 150g/ 5oz caster sugar juice of 2 lemons
Method
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