08/02/2012
Summer-Time Cordials
Ingredients
Cherry & Rose Cordial:
1.5 cups Cherries (halved and de-seeded)
3 tsps Rose Water
1 tsp Lemon Juice
2/3 cup Caster Sugar
1 cup Water
Blueberry & Violet Cordial:
1.5 cups Blueberries (Rinsed and drained)
1/3 cup Violets (save some for garnish)
1 tsp Lemon Juice
2/3 cup Caster Sugar
1 cup Water
Method
1) Combine all ingredients in a saucepan and set on the stove-top at medium heat.
2) Stir with a wooden spoon until all sugar is dissolved.
3) When mixture starts to boil, turn down to a low simmer.
4) When fruit becomes soft to touch, use a potato masher to crush the larger pieces.
5) When liquid begins to thicken, pour through a seive into a metal bowl.
(OPTIONAL: discard the pieces of fruit, or keep and use as a chunky jam)
6) Pour liquid back into the saucepan, still set on a low heat.
7) Allow to simmer until mixture begins to turn into a syrup.
(How to tell if the syrup stage has been reached:
- drag wooden spoon along the bottom of the saucepan.
- if the liquid remains parted in a line for at least 1 second, a syrup consistency has been produced)
8) Steralise the bottles with boiling water.
9) Using a bottle funnel, pour the boiling mixture into the bottle.
10) Chill and serve with Sparkling Mineral Water and a Violet flower.
(Click photos to enlarge)
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19/01/2012
Spicy Plum Sauce
Ingredients
5 Whole (but de-seeded) canned Plums
2tbs Caster Sugar
2tsp Chinese Five Spice
2tsp Cinnamon (ground)
1tsp Chilli Powder
0.5tbs Soy Sauce
2tsp Orange Zest
Method
1) Place all ingredients into a saucepan.
2) Bring to a gentle boil.
3) Reduce heat and simmer until mixture thickens.
4) Remove from heat when fragrant and sticky.
5) Push mixture through a fine seive.
6) Serve warm or chilled.
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19/01/2012
Buttery Crepes
(See here for recipe from taste.com)
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19/01/2012
Sesame Seed Icecream with Sesame Wonton Crisps
(Serves 4)
Ingredients
Icecream:
80g Black and White Sesame Seeds
4 Large Egg Yolks
100g Caster Sugar
250ml Whole Milk
250ml Double Cream
Sesame Crisps:
8 Wonton wrappers (thawed if frozen)
1 Medium Egg (lightly beaten)
3tsp Black and White Sesame Seeds
Vegetable Oil (enough for frying)
Icing Sugar (to dust)
Method - Icecream
OPTIONAL -Place a metal mixing bowl OR an icecream machine in the freezer to chill
1) Toast Sesame Seeds in a dry pan, tossing until fragrant and lightly golden.
2) Leave seeds to cool and then grind to a fine paste in food processor or mortar & pestle.
3) Beat the yolks and sugar together until creamy.
4) Bring milk and HALF the cream to a gentle simmer in a saucepan.
5) Pour a tablespoon of the hot mixture into the egg and yolk combination.
6) Whisk the egg and yolk mixture into the hot milk in the saucepan.
7) Place back on the heat and stir until the mixture coats the back of a wooden spoon.
(a custard-like consistency)
8) Add the ground sesame seeds into the hot custard.
9) OPTIONAL - press mixture through a sieve.
10) Set saucepan over a bowl of ice water to cool quickly.
11) In a new bowl, whip the remaining cream until soft peaks form.
12) Fold the cream into the cool custard.
13) Pour mixture into a pre-frozen metal mixing bowl or ice-cream machine, and churn until begins to thicken.
14) Place the bowl/machine into the freezer for another 20minutes, and churn again.
15) Repeat step 14 until mixture begins to set then transfer to a smaller bowl to completely freeze until firm.
1) Slice each Wonton wrapper into 3 strips.
2) Make a length-ways slit (like a button hole) in the centre of each.
3) Push one end through the hole to form a twist.
4) Heat the oil (3-4cm depth) in a saucepan.
5) Brush the twists with the beaten egg and sprinkle with Sesame Seeds.
6) Fry the twists in batches until crisp and golden all over.
7) Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on kitchen paper.
8) Cool and then dust with Icing Sugar.
[Note: The above is a recreation of Gordon Ramsay's Recipe in his book World Kitchen.]
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14/01/2012
Gingerbread House
Template Example:Gingerbread House
Recipe to come...
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05/09/2011
Classic Creme Brulee
(Serves 4 )
Ingredients
600ml Full Cream
1 Vanilla Bean
6 Egg Yolks
1/4 cup Caster Sugar
1/2 cup Brown Sugar
Method
1) Pre-heat oven to 120 degrees celsius.
2) Slice length-ways along the Vanilla Bean.
3) Run a teaspoon along the inside of the bean to collect the seeds (do not discard)
4) Bring Cream, vanilla bean, and seeds almost to the boil.
2) Slice length-ways along the Vanilla Bean.
3) Run a teaspoon along the inside of the bean to collect the seeds (do not discard)
4) Bring Cream, vanilla bean, and seeds almost to the boil.
5) Remove from heat and let stand for 5 minutes.
6) Separate the yolks from the eggs.
7) Using an electric beater, beat caster sugar and egg yolks for 2 minutes or until an off white colour.
8) Remove the Vanilla Bean from the cream.
9) Gently pour a small amount of the cream into the egg mixture.
10) Whisk to combine and continue adding the cream slowly.
11) Pour the combined mixture into 4 oven-proof ramekins (do not need to be greased).
12) Put the ramekins into a deep roasting pan and fill the pan with boiling water (half way up the sides of the ramekins).
13) Cover with alfoil (allow some gaps for the hot air to escape through).
14) Bake for 40minutes.
15) Remove from oven (mixture should still be partially wobbly).
16) Place ramekins onto a cooling rack until cool.
17) Pour the brown sugar onto a small baking tray and in the OFF oven, let it dry out over approx 20minutes.
18) Crush sugar to a fine dust using the back of a teaspoon and place in an air tight container until needed.
19) Refridgerate the Creme Brulee over night.
20) Spread brown sugar dust over the top of each Brulee.
21) Option 1: Place ramekins under the grill under the sugar carmalises and turns golden to dark brown.
22) Option 2: Using a flame torch, caramelise the sugar until a golden to dark brown colour is achieved.
23) Crack that caramel!
7) Using an electric beater, beat caster sugar and egg yolks for 2 minutes or until an off white colour.
8) Remove the Vanilla Bean from the cream.
9) Gently pour a small amount of the cream into the egg mixture.
10) Whisk to combine and continue adding the cream slowly.
11) Pour the combined mixture into 4 oven-proof ramekins (do not need to be greased).
12) Put the ramekins into a deep roasting pan and fill the pan with boiling water (half way up the sides of the ramekins).
13) Cover with alfoil (allow some gaps for the hot air to escape through).
14) Bake for 40minutes.
15) Remove from oven (mixture should still be partially wobbly).
16) Place ramekins onto a cooling rack until cool.
17) Pour the brown sugar onto a small baking tray and in the OFF oven, let it dry out over approx 20minutes.
18) Crush sugar to a fine dust using the back of a teaspoon and place in an air tight container until needed.
19) Refridgerate the Creme Brulee over night.
20) Spread brown sugar dust over the top of each Brulee.
21) Option 1: Place ramekins under the grill under the sugar carmalises and turns golden to dark brown.
22) Option 2: Using a flame torch, caramelise the sugar until a golden to dark brown colour is achieved.
23) Crack that caramel!
14/07/2011
Rustics Fish and Chips & Kingfish and Prawn Winter Curry
(Serves 1 - Just multiply the ingredients by the desired yield -does not apply to batter or oil)
Ingredients
Fish:
1/4 pan-full Canola Oil
1 Fillet of your favourite fish
.5 Lemon (cut in quarters length-ways)
Batter:
1 cup Flour
1 tsp Baking Powder
.5 tsp Salt
.5 cup Milk
.5 cup Water
Chips:
1/4 pan-full Canola Oil
1 Potato (Cut in half width-ways, then .5cm slices downwards)
1 tsp Salt
1 tsp Pepper
2 tsp Dried Dill
4 sprigs Fresh Rosemary Leaves (pulled off the stem)
Method
1) Slice Potato and Lemon as above.
2) De-leaf the Rosemary and discard stems.
3) Line a tray with Paper Towel and sprinkle with Salt, Pepper, Dill, Rosemary leaves.
4) Line another flat tray with plain Paper Towel.
5) Fillet your fish if not already filleted.
(click here for further instruction)
6) Pour oil into both pans (one for chips, one for fish), and start heating.
7) Combined dry ingredients from the batter together.
8) Add the Milk and Water slowly, and beat until batter is smooth.
9) Test both oil quantities with a drop of batter (if sizzles and turns golden brown, oil is ready)
10) Dip the fish fillet in the batter and allow any excess to drip off.
11) At the same time as deep frying the fish, add potato slices to the hot oil.
12) When the fish is golden, remove from oil and place on plain paper towel.
13) When chips are golden, remove from the oil and toss through the Rosemary Seasoning.
14) Plate up, the chips, the fish, and 2 thinly sliced lemon quarters.
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(Serves 4)
Ingredients
1.5 cans of 400ml Coconut Cream
2 cans of 400ml Coconut Milk
5 tbs Thai Red Curry Paste
1 tbs Cooking Oil
1 tbs Fish Sauce
1 tbs Brown Sugar
1 Eggplant (2cm cubes)
12-16 (3-4 per serve) King Pawns (peeled with tails in tact, cleaned)
500g Kingfish fillets (2cm cubes)
2 cups Jasmine Rice
Method
1) Heat oil in a large saucepan and add Curry Paste.
(we do not require a lid to be on throughout this recipe)
2) Cook on medium heat for 30 seconds- 1 minute or until fragrant.
3) Add prepared Kingfish and Prawns and stir to cover in Curry Paste.
4) Cook for 5 minutes or until fish is part cooked, stirring occasionally to avoid sticking to bottom.
(we don't want caramelisation as it will spoil the flavour)
5) Add 1.5 cans Coconut Milk and 1.5 cans Coconut Cream and stir.
6) Allow to simmer for 5 minutes.
7) Add Fish Sauce and Brown Sugar, simmer for another 5 minutes.
8) Add Eggplant and allow to cook until the desired food to liquid ratio is achieved.
9) Serve with Jasmine rice, cooked with remaining Coconut Milk.
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06/07/2011
Rose & Lavender Infused Milk Jellies
(Serves 1 - Just multiply ingredients by the desired yield)
Ingredients
300ml Full Cream Milk
1/2 tsp Vanilla Bean Paste
50g Caster Sugar
2 tsp Gelatine Powder
1.5 tsp Rose water
Individual Flowers from 5 blossoming Lavender buds
Method
1) Bring milk, vanilla bean paste, and caster sugar almost to the boil .
2) Reduce heat to medium, and add the gelatine powder.
3) Stir mixture until gelatine is dissolved or as close to as possible.
4) Add the rose water and stir.
5) Strain mixture into a bowl to remove any lumps of gelatine.6) Add the individual Lavender flowers and stir.
7) Pour mixture into non-stick containers, trays, tins or whatever mould you desire for presentation aesthetic.
8) Chill in the fridge for minimum 4-6hrs or until mixture is firm and resistant to touch.
