Simple Beginnings: Beading. Aiden Byrne

Чтение книги онлайн.

СКАЧАТЬ ml double cream, semi-whipped

      1 handful of baby basil

      salt and pepper

      USE A 2 CM diameter pastry cutter to cut out four fondant shapes from one of the tomatoes and from one of the peaches. Put these in the refrigerator.

      CHOP THE REMAINING peach and put the flesh in a saucepan with 50 ml water and the sugar. Cover and cook for about 5 minutes or until the peach is soft. Add the gelatine and stir to dissolve. Transfer the mixture to a blender and blend until smooth. Pass the liquid through a fine sieve and allow to set in a bowl in the refrigerator.

      MEANWHILE, plunge the cherry tomatoes in boiling water for no more than 10 seconds, remove and plunge immediately into iced water. The skins will peel away easily.

      SLIGHTLY TOAST the pine nuts, chop them and mix them with the sherry vinegar and the oil. Season with salt and pepper and set aside.

      WHEN THE PEACH jelly is set fold in the whipped cream until it is fully incorporated and return to the refrigerator.

      CUT THE REMAINING tomato into four slices and arrange them on four small salad plates. Dress the cherry tomatoes and the peach and tomato fondants in the pine nut vinaigrette and arrange them next to the tomato slices. Spoon some peach mousse onto each plate, sprinkle over the basil and dress with a little more pine nut vinaigrette.

      If you’ve already made a batch of beetroot purée for a recipe this is another great way to use it. This can be served with a main course, such as roasted venison, or simply as a starter on its own. Alternatively make the risotto in advance, let it go cold, roll into small balls and coat with a tempura batter and deep-fry – perfect as canapés.

      Beetroot and Vodka Risotto

      SERVES 4

      100 g Parmesan cheese

      50 ml white chicken stock (see page 199)

      1 quantity risotto base (see page 209)

      ½ quantity beetroot purée (see page 204)

      vodka, to taste

      lemon juice (optional)

      salt (optional)

      GRATE 75 G of the cheese and shave the remaining 25 g with a vegetable peeler.

      IN A LARGE, flat-bottomed pan heat the chicken stock and reheat the risotto in the hot stock. Fold in the beetroot purée and grated Parmesan and add the vodka to taste. If liked, adjust the seasoning with a touch of salt and a dash of lemon juice.

      SERVE IN four bowls scattered with the shaved Parmesan.

      This basic, rather rustic dish can be served in the finest of restaurants and will be appreciated by the most discerning of diners. I use De Cecco macaroni tubes (Zita .18) which you will find in good Italian delicatessens. I also use frozen peas for the purée – they give a fresher, sweeter taste than fresh ones because you don’t have to cook them for so long. It’s also worth spending a few extra pence on good-quality frozen peas.

      Parmesan Macaroni with Peas and Ricotta Gnocchi

      SERVES 4

      100 g frozen peas

      300 ml vegetable stock (see page 198)

      60 g butter

      1 quantity ricotta gnocchi (see page 208)

      100 g Zita .18 macaroni tubes

      1 quantity of béchamel sauce (see page 205)

      50 g Parmesan cheese, grated

      2 egg yolks

      300 g fresh peas

      4 asparagus spears

      2 tablespoons chopped chervil

      1 tablespoon of chopped dill

      pea shoots or chervil, to garnish

      salt and pepper

      MAKE THE PEA PURÉE. Put the peas, 100 ml of the vegetable stock, the butter and some seasoning into a pan and bring to the boil. Transfer immediately to a blender and blend until smooth. Pass through your finest sieve into a bowl over iced water to keep the colour.

      PREPARE THE RICOTTA gnocchi as on page 208, adding 50 g pea purée to the mixture. Cook and set aside.

      FILL YOUR LARGEST, deepest saucepan with water, add a dash of olive oil and plenty of salt and bring to boil. Cook the macaroni for 11–12 minutes, then plunge immediately into iced water to chill. Drain and dry on a clean tea towel. Chop the macaroni into 2 cm dice, and fold the pieces into the béchamel sauce, three-quarters of the Parmesan and the egg yolks. Season with ground pepper and salt. Transfer to four small buttered earthenware pots and cook in a preheated oven at 180°C/350°F/gas 4 for 15 minutes.

      POD AND BLANCH the fresh peas in plenty of boiling salted water for 4 minutes. Plunge the cooked peas into iced water to stop the cooking. Trim the asparagus (see Asparagus Mayonnaise, page 49) and slice the spears on a mandolin. Blanch them in the same water as the peas for a seconds then plunge them iced water.

      REHEAT THE REMAINING vegetable stock in a pan and mix in the remaining pea purée. Add the ricotta gnocchi, the fresh peas, the asparagus and chopped herbs and reheat until warm. Serve on a separate plate next to the macaroni and garnish with pea shoots or chervil.

      I sometimes serve this dish with some soused mackerel or pan-fried red mullet. Both the mousses can be used as different garnishes, and the yogurt sorbet is also used as a dessert accompaniment. It is definitely best to make these mousses and sorbet first thing in the morning and allow them to set during the day. The tuilles need to be made the day before.

      Beetroot and Avocado Mousse with Yogurt Sorbet

      SERVES 4

      400 g beetroot purée (see page 204)

      50 g caster sugar, plus 1 tablespoon for the mousse

      juice of 2 lemons

      4 gelatine leaves, softened

      200 g crème fraîche

      3 ripe avocados

СКАЧАТЬ