Easter almonds…
I realize that I’ve a few days off but I can’t believe it… Easter arrives as a bless after so many crazy weeks.
I forget the watch. I own my time. The day lasts forever…
Chocolate truffle almonds
150 g dark chocolate, chopped
100 g cream
36 almonds
Pre-heat the oven to 160ºC.
Spread the almonds on a baking sheet.
Roast until golden brown.
Remove from oven and let them cool down.
Dark chocolate truffle:
Place the chocolate in a bowl.
Bring the cream to boil and pour over the chocolate stirring constantly.
Cover the bowl with wrap film and refrigerate for at least 4 hours (or overnight).
With greased hands coat the almonds with the truffle mixture and refrigerate until firm.
Gently roll each truffle in cocoa or icing sugar to coat.
Refrigerate until serving time.
Spring…
Party lasts all week…
Meringues with strawberry ice cream
Serves 4:
Meringues:
2 egg whites
Same weight in icing sugar and granulated sugar
(approximately 70 g for Class M eggs’)
Pre-heat the oven to 80ºC.
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Combine the sugars.
Whisk the egg yolks and gently add the sugar until firm peaks form.
Usin a pastry bag pipe the batter onto the parchment paper in small circles.
Bake for 2 hours.
Strawberry sorbet
160 ml water
135 g sugar
1 kg strawberries
2 tbsp lemon juice
2 tbsp Grand Marnier
Purée the strawberries.
Seive.
Combine the pulp with Grand Marnier and lemon juice and refrigerate until completely cold.
Prepare a syrup with the water and sugar, boiling until the sugar completely dissolves.
Remove from heat and let it cool down completely.
Combine the cold syrup with the pulp.
Pass the sirbet trough the ice cream machine and place it in the freezer.
Put it the refrigerator for 20 minutes before serving.
Traditional method (without ice cream machine):
Pour the mixture into a stainless steel bowl and cover with wrap film.
Freeze until the sides are frozen but the center is still slightly tender.
Use a food processor to blend the mixture.
Freeze and repeat the process at least two more times (at 1h-1h30 intervals).
Freeze for one hour before serving.
Fill the meringues with the starwberry sorbet.
Sun, coconut and chocolate
I prepare myself to another week after two days of reclusion.
Work left the sun outside of my window and I get even with chocolate coated coconut…
[This month's Performance magazine featured more two recipes of yours truly!]
Chocolate coconut bars
Makes 18 (13 g each):
100 g grated coconut
140 g condensed milk
200 g 70% dark chocolate, to coat
Combine coconut with condensed milk until smooth.
Refrigerate for 20 minutes.
Remove from the refrigerator and cut small bars.
Melt the chocolate in a double-boiler.
Place the bars on a rack and coat the with the chocolate.
Refrigerate until the chocolate thickens.
“Everyone has his alcohol.”
The week has been intense, laborious and exhausting.
I split myself between the menu explanation, the mise en place rush and the service stress without time to breathe or non-cuisine related thinking.
At last the weekend condenses itself in two. It’s time for peace, relax and escape.
I drink a lot, until the exhaustion… I intoxicate my self with your presence.
“Everyone has his alcohol.”
Fernando Pessoa, Book of disquiet
Baileys’ tartelettes
Makes 24 (4,5cms diameter):
Crust:
150 g butter, softened
50 g sugar
250 g wheat flour
1 egg
a pinch of salt
Pre-heat the oven to 180ºC.
Grease and flour the tartelettes’ moulds.
Combine all the ingredients together in the stand mixer with the dough hook attachment.
Roll out the dough over a slightly floured worksurface.
Cut small circles and place them into the moulds.
Pinch the pastry’s sides and bottom with a fork, cover with parchment paper or aluminum foil and put on some ceramic pie weights (dried beans would work too).
Bake for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown.
Set aside.
Chocolate coating
Melt 200g of dark chocolate in a double-boiler.
Brush the inside of the tartelettes with the chocolate.
Refrigerate.
Baileys’ custard
100 ml Baileys
100 ml whole milk
20 g cornstarch
2 eggs
100 sugar
Gently dissolve the cornstarch with the milk.
Combine with all the remaining ingredients.
Bring to low heat until thick, stirring constantly.
Let it cool down for a while.
Fill the tartelettes with the custard.
On the way to Hollywood…
Glamourous popcorn for an Oscar night…
Caramel popcorn
Serves 4:
90 g butter
180 g light brown sugar
50 ml corn syrup
2 g salt
1 g baking soda
90 g popped popcorn
Preheat oven to 95º C.
Place popcorn in a very large bowl.
In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt butter.
Stir in brown sugar, corn syrup and salt. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly.
Boil without stirring 4 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in soda.
Pour in a thin stream over popcorn, stirring to coat.
Place in two large shallow baking dishes and bake in preheated oven, stirring every 15 minutes, for 1 hour.
Remove from oven and let cool completely before breaking into pieces.
A pinch of vanilla, eggs, sugar and cocoa... Unmeasured words, seasoned silences... stir all that I am and set aside in bain marie...
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