Lemon Easter Nest Pavlova

Happy Easter!

This Easter weekend I was invited to my girlfriend's home to spend Easter with her family. We were asked if we wanted to make dessert for dinner on Easter Sunday so I thought it would be a nice way of saying thank you (and a nice break from revising for exams) by making this amazing dessert that was showcased on Great British Bake off. 

Now I don't profess you have made it as well as Mary Berry or Paul Hollywood (the former being my secret crush and the latter being my girlfriend's not so secret crush!!!). However, this was very easy to make and is very impressive to showoff to friends and family!

Ingredients

For the Meringue:

6 free range egg whites

350g caster sugar

2tsp white wine vinegar

2 tsp cornflour

For the Lemon Curd Filling:

6 free range egg yolks

350g caster sugar

4 lemons (juice only)

225g butter

450ml Double Cream

To Serve:

30 Mini eggs

100g Caster Sugar

4 Lemons (zest only) 

1. Preheat the oven to 160C. Lay a piece of baking paper on a baking tray and draw a 25cm circle on it (I just drew around a dinner plate which is roughly 27cm).
2. Put the egg whites into a bowl and whisk on the fastest speed with an electric hand-whisk or in a free-standing mixer until stiff (I would do this first to avoid any fat or oil being in the mixing bowl.
3. Gradually, still whisking on maximum speed, add generous teaspoons of sugar until the mixture is stiff and shiny and stands in peaks (I found I had to do this for a good few minutes on the strongest speed to get firm peaks)
4. Blend the vinegar and cornflour together in a cup and mix until smooth. Stir this into the meringue mixture.
5. Spread half of the meringue mixture onto the paper within the circle. Fill a piping bag, fitted with a rose nozzle, with the rest of the meringue mixture. Carefully pipe about 8-10 separate little nests positioned equally around the edge of the circle (I didn't do this too neatly as the meringue mixture wasn't firm enough and i'm rubbish at piping).
6. Slide the meringue into the middle of the oven, turn the heat down to 150C and bake for 1½-2 hours (check after one hour), or until it easily comes off the paper. The pavlova will be a pale creamy colour rather than white. Turn off the oven and leave the pavlova in the oven to become cold.
7. Meanwhile, make the lemon curd for the filling. Place a heatproof bowl over a pan of hot water, simmering gently on the stove. Add the egg yolks, sugar and lemon juice to the bowl and whisk. Gradually add the butter, whisking continually until it starts to thicken. It should coat the back of a spoon when it reaches the correct consistency. It will firm up further once cooled (do not let it boil as the eggs will curdle and you will have to start again)
8. Whisk the double cream in a large bowl until thickened, then swirl it through the cooled lemon curd (I didn't use all of the curd as I used it to drizzle over and make a separate jar of lemon curd)
9. Spoon the lemon curd and cream mixture into the middle of the pavlova and spread over the base of the meringue nest. Spoon a lemon filling into each of the mini nests. Decorate by placing three chocolate mini-eggs in each of the 10 mini-nests around the edge of the dessert.
10. Put 100ml/3½fl oz water and the caster sugar in a pan. Bring to the boil, stirring. Add the zest and boil for 2-3 minutes, or until syrupy. Drain on parchment paper, roll in extra caster sugar and leave to dry in a warm place for a couple of hours, or overnight. Place a delicate mound of candied zest in the middle of the pavlova, and serve.

Bon Appetite!

Turtle Bay Review

Whilst my girlfriend was visiting we decided to try out the new Turtle Bay in Nottingham. I must admit I have never tried Caribbean food before so I cannot proclaim to know how much it resembles that real McCoy. From the moment we stepped in the atmosphere made you forget that you had just come in from miserable weather outside. The lively music, busy kitchen (which from our table you could watch the chefs barbecuing all of the meat), and cocktails made you feel likely you were in the sunny Caribbean.

Baby Back Ribs

To start we decided to share the baby back ribs which were coated in a warm honey and orange glaze. They were juicy and tender and by finishing them on the barbecue they had a smokey after taste. 

Chicken Mo Bay 

Goat Curry Buss Up

The mains were equally delicious. I had the chicken Mo Bay which despite being very tasty was a little small for a portion costing £9.50. The chicken breast was beautifully cooked, the sauce was rich and creamy and had a perfect balance of spice, however, there wasn't enough! The Goat Curry did not suffer from the same portioning issue and was amazing! The curry was well balanced with spices and did not blow the roof of your mouth off. The roti made a nice side to the curry and was crispy and flaky (just how roti should be!).

The staff were really friendly, and aside from the small portion for one of the mains I though Turtle Bay was really nice. I didn't feel ripped off when I got the bill, in fact I thought it was pretty good value for money (especially with 2-4-1 cocktails)! I would recommend anyone to try Turtle Bay as it is a welcome change to many chain restaurants on the High Street!

4 Turtles out of 5 Turtles 

Mussels and Twice Cooked Chips

This weekend my girlfriend has been to stay and as a treat I decided to cook her favourite dish for dinner, Mussels and fries. Mussels are a great way to make it look like you have put in a lot of effort when in reality they take next to no cooking whatsoever! Mussels can be bought for dirt cheap at a local fish monger. Mussels like this go really well with crusty bread and fries. Since I was treating my girlfriend I decided to make them from scratch and deep fry them! A lot of people have reservations about deep frying but it is really simple.

Best boyfriend ever?!

As I have mentioned before (and probably why I won't be advertising supermarkets anytime soon) the fish monger is cheaper than a supermarket, however, you may have to be prepared for them to have limited stock. To avoid paying through the nose for mussels only buy them when they are in season. The best way to remember this is that they are in season in any month with an "r" in the name e.g. February. 

There are a few thing that you must bear in mind with mussels however if you intend to avoid food poisoning. First, you should always buy mussels fresh i.e. buy them on the day you intend to cook them. Mussels can only last so long outside of salinised water, they must be alive when you cook them. Second, before you even thing of cooking them you need to clean the mussels to remove any barnacles and weeds. These won't necessarily make you ill but they will spoil any sauce you have worked hard on by making it gritty. Finally, you must check every single mussel before you cook them. If the shell is open tap it on a work surface, if it doesn't close it is dead and throw it away! Equally you must do the same with a cracked shell. 

Ingredients

For Mussels:

1-2 kg of Mussels

4 Baby Shallots (diced)

150g Lardons

200ml Cider

2 tbsp Crème Frâiche

For Fries:

3 Large Potatoes

1l Vegetable oil

2tbsp flour

1tbsp Paprika

For the Fries (it is easier to do this first and keep chips warm in the oven if necessary):

1. Square off the potatoes and slice into thin chips. I when for roughly 5mm wide chips as I don't like the anorexic chips. Soak in cold water for 30 minutes to remove excess starch (this allows them to crisp up)
2. Drain the chips and dry well with a tea towel (if there is any water on them the oil will start to spit). Sift over the flour and paprika and toss so the chips have an even coating.
3. Fill a large pan (one that you would use to boil pasta) 3/4 full with the oil and place on the hob. The oil will be hot enough for frying when you can drop a little bit of bread in and it will turn golden within 2 minutes.
4. In small batches fry the chips in the oil for 2-3 minutes until golden, remove for the oil with a slotted spoon onto kitchen roll to remove excess oil. Once you have done this for all the chips repeat again in the same oil. This will make the chips nice and crispy and ensure they are cooked through.
5. Season with a pinch of salt and pepper

For the Mussels:

1. Heat a tbsp of oil in a pan large enough to accommodate the mussels with a lid securely on. Fry the shallots and lardons until the lardons are crispy. 
2. This is where you have to act fast. Ensure the heat is on full. Add the cider to the pan and quickly stir it with the lardons and shallots. Add the mussels and put the lid on. Allow to steam for 5 - 7 minutes without removing the lid.
3. Add the crème frâiche and stir gently into the mussels and cider. Cover with the lid and steam for another minute.
4. Serve with warm crusty bread and chips (ideal for dipping in the sauce afterwards)  

Bon Appetite

Cambodian Tilapia en Papillote

Since I finished lectures at lunch time today I decided to go into town amongst other things to get a hair cut. I have been long overdue one to the point that the hair dresser commented on the tail of hair that was developing at the top of my neck (not good!) Whilst sat in the chair making probably the most awkward small talk with my hairdresser (poor poor woman...) I was pondering what to make for dinner... something Asian and something with fish.  

On my way home I stopped by the local fish mongers since it is the best place in the world to get cheap, fresh, top quality fish (seriously you will save so much more money than buying from the supermarket chilled section). In an attempt to make this blog a little bit more ethical I decided to go for something which is sustainable - Tilapia! As my girlfriend always says, "don't buy cod because it feed on the crap from the bottom of the ocean." Seriously, Tilapia is a great tasting piece of fish on its own and will go great with my Cambodian en Papillote.

This is a bit of food fusion as en Papillote is a french technique of cooking that translates to "in parchment." However, this technique is used all around the world and one of the places where I saw it most was on the beaches of Sihanoukville in Cambodia. Although the parchment was replaced for tin foil the method of cooking is exactly the same - steam. The Cambodians would wrap veg and chunks of fish such as shark (don't worry not the endangered ones!) in the foil and cook it on the barbecues. 

For those who haven't tried Cambodian food before, it is similar to Thai given that it borders Thailand. I've tried to recreate a dish that I had on one of the beaches on my last night in Cambodia before crossing the Mekong Delta to Vietnam. For anyone reading this who is Cambodian I apologise in advance if it is not the same...

Ingredients

1 fillet of Talipia (ask the fish monger to do this)

1 tsp Thai green curry paste

5 tbsp of Coconut Milk

1 tsp Dark Soy Sauce

1 tsp Fish Sauce (I use Nam Pa)

1 tbsp Lime Juice

Baby Sweetcorn (halved)

Mange Tout

Bambo Shoots (tinned)

Carrots (thinly sliced)

1. Mix together the curry paste, coconut milk, soy sauce, fish sauce, lime juice.
2. Layout two piece of aluminium foil on top of each other. Place the fish in the centre and place the veg on top
3. Scrunch up the foil tightly folding one side over the other to form a seal along the top of the foil leaving a gap to pour in the sauce.
4. Pour in the sauce and seal tightly. It is important you seal tightly because if not the steam will escape and your fish will be baked. It will taste the same, but won't be as delicate and moist.
5. Place in a pre-heated oven at 180'C for 15 minutes. After 15 minutes open up the foil and allow the fish to bake for 5-10 minutes (I know this isn't strictly speaking an en papillote but it just ensures that the fish is cooked an the sauce is piping hot!)
6. Serve in the foil with coconut rice (rice with coconut milk stirred through). Nothing beats the spectacle of opening up the foil! Drizzle a little bit of coconut milk on top to make it look fancy.

Bon Appetite!

Inside Out Chicken Kiev

Tuesdays are 'long' days on campus for me so when I get home I want something that is tasty. I have always loved the shop bought Cheese and Ham Chicken Kievs (particularly when sandwiched between two slices seeded bread) and to me they are the essence of comfort food. 

Tonight I decided to have a crack at making my own. However, after a long day I really couldn't be faffed with all the preparation, wondering whether to shallow fry, and quite frankly I wanted an easy dinner (I accept that my idea of an easy dinner is not the same as other's). So instead I have deconstructed the Chicken Kiev and reconstructed it inside out and if I do say so myself it was pretty darn tasty (although I do need to work on it's presentation)! 

Ingredients

1 chicken breast (the bigger the better so buy from a butcher)

30g Garlic and Chive Cream Cheese

10g Stilton

1 slice of bread of fine breadcrumbs

1 tsp Paprika

1. Put the chicken breast between two sheets of cling film and knock the hell out of it with a rolling pin (as I said above, it has been a long day!). Flatten it until it is roughly half of its original size. This will tenderise the meat and help it cook quicker.
2. Mix the Stilton and Cream Cheese together and spread evenly on top of the chicken breast. 
3. Mix together the paprika and breadcrumbs along with a pinch of salt and pepper and scatter over the top of the chicken.
4. Bake in an oven at 180'C for 20-25 minutes

Bon Appetite!

Sausage and Broccoli Gnocchi

Last night I took part in the Legends of Sherwood Night Run. Aside from a few injuries (which my housemates are hearing a lot about) it was a fantastic run and really cool. The run is a 10km run through Sherwood Forrest at night including a few "fun" obstacles including several mud pits (hence my appearance in the photo)!  

Me on the right in fancy dress

I have spent the entire day relaxing and nursing my wounds. To treat myself I have prepared a delicious dinner for me and my housemate of Gnocchi. I can still remember having gnocchi  for the first time on holiday in Tuscany at a restaurant called Beni; which also had some of the best steak I've ever had, and not knowing how to pronounce it to the waiter. This dish doesn't need a lot of stilton as you don't want to lose the delicate taste of the gnocchi. 

Ingredients

1 bag of Gnocchi

4 large Sausages

30g Garlic and Chive Cream Cheese

100ml Single Cream

2tbsp Red Pesto

10g Stilton

1 Medium Stalk of Broccoli (in florets)

1. Cook the sausages and slice up into pieces
2. Boil some water and add plenty of salt, cook the broccoli for 2 minutes.
3. Add the gnocchi to the same pan and cook for 2 minutes
4. Drain and set aside. Meanwhile mix the cream, cream cheese, pesto, and stilton in the pan you have just used. The starch from the gnocchi will help to thicken the sauce.
5. Add the sausages, broccoli and gnocchi to the sauce and stir through

Bon Appetite!

Homemade Bread

Simple pleasures: Bread and Pate

Homemade bread is one of the most comforting and rewarding things to bake. I first learnt to make bread when I was 12 in my first year of high school and ever since I have used the same base recipe. Baking bread is one of my guilty pleasures when I am stressed out as kneading the dough is an outlet of any stress and  ultimately leads to better bread (win-win situation).

Ingredients

500g Strong White Flour

7g Dried Yeast

1/2 tsp Sugar

1/2 tsp salt

25g Parmesan

50g Sun-dried Tomatoes

30ml of Sun-dried Tomato Oil

1 tbsp of dried mixed herbs

330ml Warm Water

1. Sift the flour into a bowl and add the dried yeast to one side of the bowl. Place the sugar with the yeast, and the salt on the other side. The sugar feeds the yeast allowing the bread to rise more whilst the salt will flavour the bread. The only trouble is that if you mix your dried yeast with the salt, the salt kills the yeast and your bread will be like a brick.
2. Mix in the grated parmesan and diced sun-dried tomatoes (it is easier to do it at this stage and ensures the filling is distributed easily).
3. Mix the Oil into the mixture. This will add flavour and help the bread to rise more.
4. Gradually add the warm water mixing it until it forms a sticky dough. 
5. Turn out onto a clean oiled work surface. I use oil on the work surface as opposed to flour as this helps to ensure the bred maintains its right consistency. If you use flour you will work more into the dough and it will be too dry and won't rise as well
6. Lightly flour your hands and knead for 10 minutes. This will stretch the gluten in the flour allowing the dough to become more elastic and will cause it to rise and be lighter when baked.
7. Leave to prove/rise for 1 hour in a warm place covered by a damp tea towel.
8. Knead for 5 minutes and place on a baking tray.
9. Let it rise for 15 minutes before putting it in a preheated oven at 160'C for 45 minutes or until the bread is golden. 
10. You can test whether the bread is cooked by tapping the bottom. It should sound hollow. Allow to cool for 20 minutes before cutting into it.

Bon Appetite!