Apricots’ time
Fine apricot cut for roofbeam
Fragrant cogongrass tie for eaves
Not know ridgepole in cloud
Go make people among rain
Fine apricot was cut for the roofbeam,
Fragrant cogongrass tied for the eaves.
I know not when the cloud from this house
Will go to make rain among the people.
Fine Apricot Lodge, Wang Wei
White chocolate ganache with apricots and lime
Serves 6:
Crumble:
50 g softened butter
50 g light brown sugar
50 g powdered almonds
1 maldon
50 g wheat flour
Pre-heat the oven to 170ºC.
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Combine all the ingredients until smooth.
Reserve for 1 hour in the refrigerator.
Seive the dough with a large sized mesh directly over the baking sheet.
Bake for 12 minutes.
Set aside.
White chocolate ganache with apricots and lime:
8-10 apricots
2 limes
40 g light brown sugar
180 g white chocolate, chopped
150 ml cream, 35% fat
Peel, pit and dice the apricots.
Sautée the apricots over high heat.
Add the juice of the 2 limes, the light brown sugar and the zest of 1/2 lime.
Cook for 4 minutes and remove from heat.
Place the apricots at the bottom of 6 ramekins.
Bring the cream to boil with the zest of 1/2 lime.
Pour 1/3 of the cream over the chocolate and combine well until smooth. Repeat this process twice.
Pour the white chocolate ganache over the apricots.
Top with the crumble.
Serve warm or cold.
Breaking bread with the devil
In a hot sunday house sweats and the heat sticks to our skin.
My kitchen keeps inviting me and I can’t resist to the hell condemnation.
Scot Baps (scottish breads)
Makes 15 (60g each):
175 ml water
175 ml warm milk
25 g fresh yeast
25 g icing sugar
25 g fine salt
500 g bread flour
Extra milk (to the glazing)
Dissolve the yeast with the milk and sugar.
Combine the flour with the salt and add the water and milk with sugar and the yeast.
Mix well with the dough hook attachment until smooth and elastic.
Make a dough ball and place it into a bowl.
Leave to rise for anout 1 hour or until doubled in size in a tempered place and covered with wrap film.
Knock back and divide the dough in 15 balls.
Roll the dough balls until 1cm thick.
Place the breads into a floured baking sheet.
Brush the surface with milk and sprinkle with flour.
Leave to prove for 30-45 minutes.
Pre-heat the oven to 180ºC.
Sprinkle again with flour.
Press the center of the breads with your thumb.
Bake for 15-20 minutes.
Couscous, raspberry caramel and greek yoghurt
Lost in Maghreb…
Serves 6:
Couscous:
75 g pre-cooked couscous
120 g 70% dark chocolate, chopped
200 g cream (35% fat)
Cook the couscous following the package directions.
Bring the cream to boil.
Pour the cream over the chopped chocolate and stir gently until smooth.
Combine the couscous with the ganache.
Raspberry caramel:
80 g sugar
250 g raspberries
Bring the sugar to boil on a heavy bottomed pan until it caramelizes.
Remove from heat and add ¾ of the raspberries.
Add the remaining raspberries.
Greek Yoghurt
300 ml greek yoghurt
60 g icing sugar
Place the couscous into the bottom of a glass. Pour the raspberry caramel and top with the sweetened greek yoghurt.
Stay hungry stay foolish…
After my return from Barcelona and my chocolate course at Espai Sucre, I fully understand why my cooking school is believed to be the best in Spain.
Everything I thought I could learn on a chocolate course, I already knew it as all the demonstrations that were new to the rest of the participants.
It was easy to see that I already know from heart all the custards’ recipes, the temperatures, the secrets of the macarrons, or the tricks to achieve a perfect tatin.
Anyway, the course at Espai Sucre that has been a surprise gift from Miguel was a different experience that gave me the chance to learn some interesting recipes and, above all, showed me that the final step is the entrance in the “real world”.
I barely had time to see Barcelona. This was only my second time there but Miguel lived there in his times as a tennis coach at Topteam Tennis Academy.
Our visit was far from tennis courts and we had time to go to the top pastry shops.
Despite the little time I dare to describe the city in one word: Culture.
Now my resume will fly to Bubó of Carles Mampel and I swear that I’ll try until my turn arrives!..
Stay hungry stay foolish!… This is the best I have to give you…
flagrantedelicia at the new york times
I know I’m being a little slow posting here, but besides all the decisions I’ve to make about my future, I came across some new challenges that completely screw my time…
While I’m preparing the english translation for a couple of new posts I’m more than happy to share with you a surprise.
I only found it yesterday: flagrantedelicia was featured in the New York Times Mark Bittman’s food blog!
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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