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Angler

Lobster Bisque…

The recipe for this gorgeous mouthful of sea was donated to me by the lovely Tony Fleming – it’s the recipe he uses at the Angler restaurant.  I promised not to give away all his secrets, so here I’ve documented a similar recipe to help you along your way, together with my photos…  Do try this, it may be laborious, but it’s well worth the effort!
Just as a point of clarification, this isn’t technically a bisque, as bisque traditionally denotes that some of the shell has been ground into the soup, and this obviously gives you the slightly grainy texture you sometimes have. That said, it’s the perfect way to use up the leftover lobster shells from the lobster and scallop ravioli.

Ingredients

lobster shells
prawn shells
splash of brandy
2 tbsp/1fl oz olive oil
½ lemon
1 onion or 2 shallots
3 cloves garlic
2 sticks celery
2 carrots
6 tomatoes
1 tsp paprika
1 bay leaf
salt and pepper
2 glasses white wine
50g/2oz tomato purée
double cream
few knobs of unsalted butter

Preparation method

  • In a large saucepan, fry lobster shells and prawn shells in a little olive oil for 5 mins. 
  • Add splash of brandy and flambé. 
  • Add chopped onion or shallots, garlic, celery and carrot, and fry for a further 5 mins. 
  • Add chopped tomatoes, paprika, bay leaf and seasoning, and stir well. Add lemon juice, white wine, tomato purée and water to cover. 
  • Bring to boil and then gently simmer for 1 hour, skimming the surface periodically to remove scum.
  • Pass through a fine-meshed sieve and return to saucepan and gently reduce to half the volume. Gently whisk in double cream and butter until sauce thickens, and add seasoning to taste. 
Roast your lobster carcasses, then flambé them

Boil your ‘stock’ for 40 minutes or so before straining through muslin

Reduce your ‘stock’ down until it is thick and dark

When ready to serve, mix with cream until you reach the desired flavour intensity

Angler

Lobster and Scallop Ravioli, with Buerre Blanc…

The lovely Tony Fleming kindly gave me the recipe he uses at the Angler restaurant, and it was delicious.  I agreed not to print his recipe in full, so instead I’ve included a couple of master recipes that are very similar to help you along your way, and I can show you the pics…

Beurre Blanc

Ingredients

2 shallots, finely chopped
60ml/2fl oz white wine vinegar
60ml/2fl oz dry white wine
125g/4½oz cold unsalted butter, cut into small chunks
salt and freshly ground white pepper
fresh chives, finely chopped, to garnish

Preparation method

  • For the beurre blanc, place the shallots, vinegar, wine and 60ml/2fl oz water into a saucepan. Set over a moderate heat until almost no liquid remains. 
  • Turn the heat down to a low setting and whisk in the butter one piece at a time, allowing each piece to melt and homogenise before adding the next (it is also a good idea to occasionally take the pan off the heat, then returning it when it is becoming too cool.) 
  • Once all the butter has been used the sauce should be pale and have a thin, custard-like consistency. Keep warm. 

Lobster Ravioli

Ingredients

300g/10½oz ’00’ pasta flour, plus extra for dusting
4 free-range eggs
2 x 750g/1lb 10oz cooked lobster
200g/7oz raw shelled king prawns
75ml/3fl oz double cream
salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 small bunch basil
olive oil

Preparation method

  • For the ravioli, place the flour and three of the eggs into a food processor and pulse until it forms small crumbs. Remove the mixture from the food processor and pull together to form a dough. 
  • Knead the dough lightly for 2-3 minutes until it is smooth and elastic then wrap in cling film and place in the fridge for 20 minutes. 
  • Flour the pasta machine and turn it to the lowest (thickest) setting. Feed the dough through the machine, turning the handle with one hand and holding the dough as it comes through the machine with the other. 
  • Change the setting on the pasta machine to the next-thickest setting, flour it again and feed the pasta sheet through the machine again, as before. Repeat this process 3-4 more times, flouring the machine and changing the setting down each time – it helps to cut the pasta into smaller pieces as you work to prevent it drying out. Cover any pasta you are not working on with cling film. Set the pasta aside. Any extra dough can be frozen for use on another occasion. 
  • Cut the lobster in half lengthways and remove all the meat – taking care to keep the claw meat intact. Cut the lobster meat into 1cm/½in thick slices. 
  • Place the prawns and cream into a food processor and blend to a purée, then season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. 
  • Lay a sheet of pasta onto a lightly-floured work surface and place spoonfuls of the prawn mixture at intervals along the sheet, leaving a gap of about 6cm2½in between each pile. Top each pile with a piece of lobster and a basil leaf. 
  • Beat the remaining egg in a small bowl or cup. Brush the pasta around the seafood with the beaten egg. 
  • Top with a second sheet of pasta and press down lightly around the edges of the seafood. Stamp out the ravioli using a circular cutter about 5cm/2in diameter, lay them on a baking tray and cover with cling film until ready to cook. You should have 20 ravioli. 
  • To cook the ravioli, bring a large pan of salted water to the boil and gently lower the ravioli into the pan. Cook for 1-2 minutes until they float to the top of the water then remove with a slotted spoon and drain on kitchen paper. Toss with a little olive oil, salt, and freshly ground black pepper and keep warm. 
The pasta dough, with dill interleaved between the sheets and re-rolled
Lobster and scallop mousse, with chives

Parcelling up the ravioli 
The ravioli(o)
The finished product, served with samphire and a chive beurre blanc

Baking

Marco Pierre White’s Raspberry Soufflé

 

My favourite souffé recipe, I found this again when I moved the blog onto this site – I’d posted this for Gemma, from the Independent.  If you’ve ever been lucky enough to eat at Mirabelle, the now deceased restaurant run by Marco Pierre White, you’ll know this dish.  I’ve had many, many variations of it, but none are as good as this, which was published in the Mirabelle cookbook.

Frozen raspberries are actually better than fresh for the pureé (or coulis) which is used as the base of this soufflé. They contain more moisture than fresh, and are much cheaper.

Serves 4

Ingredients:

50g unsalted butter
220g caster sugar
16 fresh raspberries
100ml Framboise (raspberry eau de vie)
12 egg whites
200ml raspberry reduction (see basic recipes on page 54)

To serve: 1 quantity raspberry pureé, made with 300g raspberries and 100g caster sugar, blended and sieved.

Method:

  • Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4 and thoroughly grease four soufflé dishes 7.5cm/3in in diameter and 6.25cm/212in deep with half the butter. Place in the fridge until the butter sets hard, then butter again just before pouring in the soufflé mixture. Sprinkle with 20g of the caster sugar to coat, tipping out any excess. [See my comments on lining the dish]
  • Marinate the fresh raspberries in the Framboise until ready to use.
  • Put the egg whites into the bowl of your mixer and begin to beat. When they start to take shape, start adding the remaining sugar, a quarter at a time. When thoroughly mixed in, add another quarter and so on. [You can check whether the sugar has fully dissolved by rubbing a tiny bit between you fingers – if it’s still grainy – it hasn’t fully dissolved]
  • Put the raspberry reduction (the soufflé base) in a round bowl and whisk in a third of the beaten egg white; this loosens the base. Fold in the remaining egg white carefully.
  • Half fill the soufflé dishes with the mixture, then place three drained, marinated raspberries in the centre. Fill to the top with the mixture, then scrape off evenly with a palette knife. Run your finger around the edge to push the mixture away from the sides. Cook in the oven for 10 minutes. [Running your fingernail around the edge should create a lip, which allows the soufflé a clean lift from the dish]
  • To serve, place the dish on a plate with a raspberry on top, and some of the pre-prepared raspberry puree, or coulis, on the side.

You can make a blackberry soufflé the same way, using creme de cassis for the reduction and marination. Use a little less water, as blackberries contain more water than raspberries. Bake the soufflé for 7-8 minutes instead of 10.

1 Michelin Star

Angler, South Place Hotel, Moorgate

At last the talented Tony Fleming has launched Angler, at the newly opened South Place Hotel.  As Executive Chef Tony is responsible for several spaces in the hotel, including three bars, all the private dining, and two restaurants.  Angler sits upstairs and has it’s own outside terrace – so you’ll know where to find me next summer…  It even has a summer kitchen, so that some foods can be prepared outside.  We sat towards the back of the restaurant, where one of the tables overlooks the kitchen. From there you can see all of the action, and the precision with which they plate at the pass.

The basic premiss of the restaurant, as it’s name might denote, is the provision of spankingly fresh, seasonable and sustainable fish and shellfish.  There are meat dishes on the menu too, and as some seasonal variations come into play, such as game, they will feature alongside their piscine counterparts.

My cherrystone clam was offered as an alternative to the oyster that Hubby immediately downed!  At the time we visited, Angler had Colchester Natives, Mersea Rocks and Irish Rocks – unfortunately I’m unable to eat oysters, but the clam packed an equally ozone punch, with a fresh light texture and flavour.

Cherrystone clam, raw, with shallot vinegar

This tiny cheesy biscuit, offered just as a nibble, is packed full of flavour, like an incredibly intense cheese straw. I tried to photograph the many crisp layers, but they’re so fine I couldn’t capture them adequately.  It’s made with Montgomery cheddar and I want the recipe… You can see just how short the pastry is from my photo.

A little cheese biscuit – delicious!

The shellfish bisque is fine, velvety, light, but packed full of flavour.  Whilst the depth of shellfish used in the bisque is evident, it doesn’t feel as though they’ve ground down everything on the counter – a problem I often encounter.  We shared a cup between us, but I would happily have eaten a bowl of this.

Shellfish bisque

Chorizo paired with shellfish was incredible, very intense and meaty, yet not overwhelming the razor clams and mussels. I’ve become a bit of a razor clam addict since having them cooked by Mr Kitchin earlier in the year, and these were a little over for my taste, but then the best I’ve had (at Cinq) were practically raw. I think it may rather depend on your own particular tastes.

Razor clam, chorizo, mussel and breadcrumbs

Hubby had the shellfish cocktail, which you can see is packed full, the radish and watercress add a peppery kick to the proceedings, and Hubby declared the dressing lovely.

Shellfish cocktail, with prawns, brown shrimp and langoustine

My scallop and lobster ravioli was delicious – the pasta was wafer-thin, but packed full of shellfish. The buerre blanc was pretty stellar – this is the point of Angler, classical techniques applied to the best possible ingredients. The sauce was light, but rich, buttery, lightly spiked with chives, and perfectly complimented the packed ravioli. Breaking into it reveals large chunks of shellfish, wrapped in a light and delicate mousse.

Scallop and lobster ravioli, with samphire and beurre blanc

Hubby wanted to try the Angler pie, with market fish, and chunks of lobster.  The whole thing was topped with piped mashed-potato, golden on top, and eliciting admiring glances from customers and staff alike… Hubby was convinced that he’d never manage to finish it, but it disappeared without trace. The pie contains meaty chunks of monkfish and lobster.

Angler and lobster pie, with button mushrooms and mashed potato

I opted for the bass with sauce vierge – one of my favourite flavours. I wouldn’t have chosen the bass ordinarily, as often it’s ruined, but I’m glad I did. It was steamed over a bamboo steamer, and perfectly, perfectly cooked. The fish was dressed with salad, with the sauce vierge in a little copper pot to the side.  The fish sat on crushed potatoes which had been laced with crab, an amazing combination which I will definitely play with at home.

Steamed wild bass, with crushed potatoes, sauce vierge and a herb salad

Alongside it I had a heritage tomato salad, which included some amazing orange tomatoes – I must find out the variety.  The overall combination was light and bright, satisfying, but not too rich.

Hubby also ordered a side of triple cooked chips.  I have a strange rule – I’ll never eat a chip first – I find that all you then crave is salt and fat – they ruin your palate.  However I will sometimes try one after I’ve eaten my meal, and these were still crisp, crunch and amazing!  I wonder whether I can apply that rule in future…

Late summer tomatoes, with red onions and olive oil

The pre-dessert was a concoction of passionfruit curd, wrapped in a light lime espuma. Though a nod to the El Bulli reversed poached egg, this was a much more accessible version – the ‘yolk’ hadn’t been created through spherification, so didn’t have the ‘shell’ you normally associate with that process. It came with crisp shards of coconut which had been spiced warmly – the whole combination was delicious, crisp, light, but with a little heat.

Passion fruit and coconut sable, with spiced coconut,
lime espuma and passion fruit curd yolk

Hubby was unable to contemplate a pudding following his mammoth pie, but I know what to expect from Mr Fleming’s kitchen, and I wasn’t about to forgo that pleasure.  I opted for the chocolate fondant, with a milk ice-cream on a bed of chocolate rubble. The fondant spilled over my plate in the expected manner, but the shell was so light, fine and crisp, I’m amazed they don’t rupture when handled. Excellent depth of chocolate flavour too.

Chocolate fondant, with chocolate rubble, and milk ice-cream

It’s no surprise that I enjoyed my meal, I was a regular diner at Axis when Tony was in residence… The difference with South Place is that, actually, it doesn’t feel like a hotel at all. With so many dining and drinking spaces, the whole atmosphere is very buzzy, and feels like a private club – indeed, very like a gleaming modernistic Home House.  I had an excellent martini in one of the bars before making my way upstairs. There are places to hide – places to be seen – private rooms rather appropriately named after spies in Bond, U.N.C.L.E. and The Avengers… Add to that an excellent kitchen with a solid brigade of well trained chefs, and it’s going to be a winner.

I love Mr Fleming’s new home, and look forward to returning very soon.

Pictures from 12th December 2012, the tuna tartar and sole meunière were delicious!

Foie, duck and artichoke terrine with brioche and aged Madeira jelly

 

Crab raviolo, with shellfish foam

 

Foie gras and chicken liver parfait

 

Yellow-fin tuna tartar, with chilli and lime

 

Daily mixed grill
Dover sole meunière, with béarnaise sauce

The Angler
South Place Hotel
3 South Place
London EC2M 2AF
020 7215 1260

Angler on Urbanspoon

Michael Moore

Compressed Watermelon, with Basil Oil and Pink Salt

I certainly can’t claim to take any credit for this recipe, for a start it’s really just a technique – and it’s not even mine…  The subject of compressed watermelon came up last year on twitter, and an Australian chef, Michael Moore posted a picture of it!  I’d seen pictures in a few books, one had a cube with a tiny scoop cut out and a drop of watermelon, and Catherine Loubet mentioned that Bruno also has a variation.  So, I’m hoping that you won’t notice that it’s November, and technically out of season – because I had to give it a go with my new gadget.  Michael recommends compressing at 15 bar psi, and leaving it for at least two days.  I haven’t quite worked out how to do that yet, so I compressed it at the normal psi, but for a shorter period of time, around 20 seconds.  I popped in some basil oil, and himalayan pink salt.  This is it curing…  I have to say it tastes fantastic. The first batch never made it to an audience – I ate the lot :0&

Confectionary

Confectionary: Vanilla Fudge; Peanut Butter Fudge; and Golden Syrup Fudge

I know, who blogs about fudge? But, as I’m making a job lot for the school’s fireworks party, it seemed silly not to take the opportunity to pass on some sugary tips! Personally, I love making confectionary of all kinds, and have the odd burn mark to prove it.

The following really are worth doing before you begin – once the sugar is boiling, you’ll have no time to waste on anything else!  A few seconds over and your fudge will be a burnt mess! So:

  • Always have all of your equipment ready, prepped and good to go
  • Make sure you dig out your sugar thermometer from the back of the drawer, and if you haven’t used it for a while, I’d recommend you check how accurate it is.  You can do this by bringing it to the boil in water for ten minutes or so, and checking the resulting readings.  It should read 100°C or 212° F.  If your thermometer varies in any way, you’ll need to adjust your readings accordingly
  • Sugar can take a surprisingly long time to reach the required boiling temperature – don’t be tempted to turn the heat up too high, it will get there in the end!  And once it has, you will need to turn off the heat source immediately
  • Use a big heavy pan – it will conduct the heat better, and give you enough space for the sugar to rise
  • Keep stirring the mixture during the initial heating phase – ensure that any sugar crystals on the side of the pan are reincorporated into the mixture. I usually use a small brush in some warm water to brush down the sides, though clearly you don’t want to slop the water it.  I know some people pop a lid on occasionally, and the steam washes the crystals back down, but I have little success with this and keeping my thermometer in place
  • Once the sugar has hit 115°C STOP agitating the mixture, do not stir it, or even move the pan!
  • Allow the fudge to cooled to below 110°C, then follow the rest of your recipe, adding flavourings, colours, beating the mixture etc.  Now, the recipes below call for immediate whipping, and tell you to go until the fudge gets grainy.  You can avoid this to some extent by following these rules.  Ultimately it’s a question of personal preference.  

I’m tend to use the recipes in the Hope and Greenwood book, and it’s the one which I first found when I started making confectionary.  It’s very clearly (and amusingly) written, with good illustrations, and is accessible to most home cooks.  I now have a number of other books, some of which are very technical.  For American readers, I would also recommend Sugar Baby, which has a very similar style.

At least it really is as simple as popping everything in on pan!
Line your tins with baking parchment, to ensure easy removal later.
Do it before you begin cooking.
Beating the golden syrup mixture,
you can see it’s much smoother than the second.

Pour the beaten mixture into a tin,
and allow to cool for at least an hour

You can see my sugar thermometer is not completely calibrated.
Checking the readings allows you to adjust your temperatures.

This is the ‘standard’ sugar, condensed milk recipe –
it’s much paler and reaches boiling point faster

Beating the ‘standard’ vanilla version results in a much more
crumbly fudge, it’s texture is much dense and grainy, but still flavourful.

Needless to say, I completely forgot to photograph the bagged finished product, which is rather irritating.  I split the bags 50-50, so that one half was the silky smooth deep fudge, and the other half was the lighter, more crumbly vanilla.  I preferred the darker one personally, and every adult I gave it too did as well – we preferred the texture.  However the children preferred the blonde vanilla version.  I’ve also made the peanut butter fudge, and here is some I have in my fridge – this is what I would usually make, but couldn’t as the school is nut-free.  So, enjoy, but don’t over-indulge!

A Variation on Hope and Greenwoods Honey and Ginger Fudge
[Using golden syrup, and no ginger, capisce?  This is the darker variation in my photos]

Ingredients:
450g granulated sugar
150ml golden syrup (or honey)
75g unsalted butter
200ml evaporated milk
200ml double cream

Method:

  • Line a 20cm quare baking tin, 4cm deep, with baking parchment
  • Place the sugar, syrup, evaporated milk, double cream and butter into a deep, heavy-bottomed pan and gently heat until the sugar had dissolved, stirring with a wooden spoon – this takes 3-5 minutes
  • Now turn the heat up to medium and place your sugar thermometer in the pan.  Bring the mixture to the boil – just to make sure it does not stick to the bottom of the pan.  Pay attention!  After 15 minutes the mixture should have reached 100oC, now turn down the heat to a simmer, as it is at this point that the fudge is most likely to burn.
  • Keept heating until the mixture has reached 115oC, tka the pan off the heat, and using an electric whist, beat the mixture until the fudge loses it’s gloss.  
  • Pour into the prepared tin. After an hour or so, score the surface into rough squares with a knife.  Once cold and firm, break into squares.
  • [If you wish to make the ginger variation, finely chop stem ginger and add at the beating stage, along with 2 Tbsp of the ginger syrup]


Hope and Greenwood Crumbly Vanilla-Pod Fudge
[This is the pale one in my photographs]

Ingredients:
700g granulated sugar
75g unsalted butter
200ml evaporated milk
200ml double cream
Seeds, scraped from 1 vanilla pod

Method:

  • Line a 20cm quare baking tin, 4cm deep, with baking parchment
  • Place the sugar, syrup, evaporated milk, double cream and butter into a deep, heavy-bottomed pan and gently heat until the sugar had dissolved, stirring with a wooden spoon – this takes 3-5 minutes.  (You can check the sugar has dissolved by running a metal spoon through the mixture and looking on the back of the spoon for sugar crystals).
  • Now turn up the heat to medium, and place your sugar thermometer in the pan.  Bring the mixture up to 100oC, stirring occasionally, then lower the heat to a gentle boil.  Boil for a further 10 minutes, but take care when the thermometer reaches 115oC, as at this point the mixture burns easily.  Remove from the heat.
  • Using an electric hand whisk, or food process, or indeed a wooden spoon, beat the mixture for 10 minutes and then add the vanilla seeds.  Beat for a further 10 minutes or until the mixture loses its shine, thickens up and starts to appear grainy around the edges.  Pour into the prepared tin. [Personally, I prefer my fudge smooth, but see the points at the beginning of the post]
  • Set aside to cool.  After about 1 hour, score the surface into rough squares with a knife.  Once cold and firm, break into squares.


 Hope and Greenwood Peanut Butter Fudge

Ingredients:
500g caster sugar
340ml evaporated milk
2 Tbsp double cream
100g butter
2 large rounded Tbsp crunch peanut butter

Method:

  • Line a 20cm quare baking tin, 4cm deep, with baking parchment
  • Place the sugar, evaporated milk, souble cream and butter into a deep, heavy-bottomed pan over a gentle heat.  Stir this mixture with a wooden spoon until the sugar has dissolved – this takes about 5 minutes
  • Turn up the heat to medium, place your sugar thermometer in the pan and bring the mixture to the boil – it will double in size so put the cat in a safe place [See, told you she was funny :0)]
  • Bring the mixture up to 100oC, stirring occasionally, then lower the heat to a gentle boil.  Boil for a further 10 minutes, but take care when the thermometer reaches 115oC, as at this point the mixture burns easily.  Remove from the heat.
  • Using an electric hand whisk, or food process, or indeed a wooden spoon, beat the mixture for 10 minutes and then add the peanut butter.  Beat for a further 15 minutes or until the mixture loses its shine, thickens up and starts to appear grainy.  Pour into the prepared tin. [Personally, I prefer my fudge smooth, but see the points at the beginning of the post]
  • Set aside to cool.  After about 1 hour, score the surface into rough squares with a knife.  Once cold and firm, break into squares.

Now that you know how to make fudge, you can move on to caramels, toffee etc – it’s simply a question of getting your ingredients to the right temperature.  As a quick guide, the temperatures are as follows:

Stage
Type
Celsius
Fahrenheit
Thread
Syrup
110°C to 112°C
230°F to 234°F
Soft ball
Fudge
112°C to 116°C
234°F to 240°F
Firm ball
Caramel
118°C to 120°C
242°F to 248°F
Hard ball
Nougat
121°C to 130°C
250°F to 268°F
Soft crack
Butterscotch
132°C to 143°C
270°F to 290°F
Hard crack
Toffee
146°C to 154°C
300°F to 310°F

  

Modernist Cuisine at Home

Cured Confit of Salmon, cooked sous-vide

3ac5d-img_2299

 

The day has finally arrived, my kitchen finally has a chamber vacuum packer! This immediately means that I can sous vide items which contain marinades, or confit them in olive oil.  My first thought was a piece of salmon, though today I have watermelon compressed with pink salt and basil oil in my fridge, and the Sunday beef sitting in my Grant waterbath!  In a moment I will be sealing the soused raw vegetables I made to accompany the salmon, which will mean they remain fresh until next weekend – what a difference this machine is going to make to my kitchen.  Having said that – it’s flipping enormous!  I was assured this new machine had been specifically designed for the home cook, but given the size and weight of it. I’m going to have to find a permanent home for it in my back kitchen…

Anyway, back to the salmon – the recipe I chose is based on one that Raymond Blanc did on his show, Kitchen Secrets.  I didn’t use the whole recipe, but I did brine the salmon as per his recipe.  Raymond also suggests cooking it at 42°C, but checking my copy of Modernist Cuisine at Home, it gave me 45°C for rare, 48°C for medium, and 52°C for firm.  Knowing that my 11 year old would baulk at the texture of rare salmon even if cooked, I plumped for the 48°C range.  The cure stops the fish from leaching its albumen during cooking, and ensures a firmer texture to the fish too.  The full recipe can be found here, and includes a rather lovely lemon verbena and apple jelly!

Ingredients:
large pinch fresh lemon verbena, finely chopped
10g sea salt
2 pinches freshly ground white pepper
large pinch caster sugar
1 tsp finely chopped fresh dill
1 x 280g salmon fillet, preferably organic, pin bones removed, skin removed
200ml extra virgin olive oil
1 lemon, zest peeled off in one strip

Preparation method:

  • Mix together the lemon verbena, salt, pepper, sugar and dill in a bowl until well combined. Sprinkle half of the mixture onto a baking tray, then place the salmon fillet on top and press to coat it in the marinade mixture. Press the remaining marinade on top of the salmon. Cover the tray with cling film and chill in the fridge for 30 minutes. [I usually pop mine into one of those sealed food bags – less mess]When the salmon has marinated, remove it from the fridge and wash off the marinade. Pat dry, then cut lengthways in half and widthways in half again, to make four portions.
  • Seal the salmon fillets in a bag and sous vide at 48°C for 25 minutes (though I found this a little tepid for my taste, adjust the cooking time accordingly to taste). [I’ve now cooked it again at 50°C, and much prefer the texture]
  • I served the salmon with new potatoes and a lightly soused raw vegetable salad, made of radishes, mooli, fennel, roscoff pink onions and cucumber, as a nod to the Scandinavian cure.  (And please ignore the rather incongruous placing of the potatoes :0) You know my lot, they’re always too hungry to wait while I fiddle…)
    The texture is absolutely delicious, silky, luscious, dense – even the 11yo polished it off, and she hates the texture of smoked salmon (though does eat raw salmon, oddly).

     

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

You can find more recipes from Raymond Blanc in his books, and I’d recommend the Modernist Cuisine for those interested in sous-vide cooking.  I have the bigger collection too, but this is more accessible…

 

 

    

Baking

Basic Measurements

I’ve culled these measurements from sites all over the web, but if you click on the header it will take you to the originating site :0)

Approximate Conversions from Volume to Weight
1 large egg = 1/4 cup (4 tablespoons) = 2 ounces = 55 grams
1 large egg = 1/4 cup egg substitute liquid *
1 large egg white = 2 tablespoons = 1 ounce = 30 grams
2 large egg whites = 2 1/2 to 3 cups stiffly beaten
1 large egg yolk = 1 to 1 1/2 tablespoons = 2/3 ounces = 25 grams
1 large egg yolk = 2 tablespoons egg substitute liquid
1 dozen large eggs = 2 1/3 cups = 660 grams
1 dozen large egg whites = 1 1/2 cups = 360 grams
1 dozen large egg yolks = 7/8 cup = 300 grams
1 cup eggs = 4 to 5 large eggs
1 cup egg yolks = 11 to 12 large egg yolks
1 cup egg whites = 7 to 8 large egg whites
1 kilogram eggs (1,000 grams) = 18 large eggs
1 kilogram egg whites (1,000 grams) = 33 large egg whites
1 kilogram egg yolks (1,000 grams) = 40 large egg yolks

Sugar Temperatures:

Stage
Type
Celsius
Fahrenheit
Thread
Syrup
110°C to 112°C
230°F to 234°F
Soft ball
Fudge
112°C to 116°C
234°F to 240°F
Firm ball
Caramel
118°C to 120°C
242°F to 248°F
Hard ball
Nougat
121°C to 130°C
250°F to 268°F
Soft crack
Butterscotch
132°C to 143°C
270°F to 290°F
Hard crack
Toffee
146°C to 154°C
300°F to 310°F

From Recipes4Living:

Liquid Measure
1/5 tsp 1 ml
1/4 tsp 1 dash 3 drops
1 tsp 5 ml
1 tbsp 3 tsp 1/16 cup 1/2 fl oz 15 ml
2 tbsp 6 tsp 1/8 cup 1 oz 30 ml
4 tbsp 12 tsp 1/4 cup 2 fl oz
5 1/3 tbsp 1/3 cup
8 tbsp 24 tsp 1/4 pt 1/2 cup 4 fl oz 118 ml
16 tbsp 48 tsp 1/2 pt 1 cup 8 fl oz 237 ml
32 tbsp 1 pt 2 cups 16 fl oz 473 ml
64 tbsp 1 qt 2 pts 4 cups 32 fl oz 946 ml (.95 liters)
1 gal 4 qts 8 pts 16 cups 128 fl oz 3.8 liters
Dry Measure
1/8 tsp 1 pinch
1 tbsp 3 tsp 1/16 cup 1/2 fl oz 14 grams
2 tbsp 6 tsp 1/8 cup 1 fl oz 28 grams
4 tbsp 12 tsp 1/4 cup 2 fl oz 57 grams
8 tbsp 24 tsp 1/2 cup 4 oz 113 grams 1 stick butter
16 tbsp 48 tsp 1 cup 8 oz 227 grams 1/2 lb
32 tbsp 1 pt 2 cups 16 oz 454 grams 1 lb
1 qt 2 pts 4 cups 32 oz 907 grams 2 lbs
2 gal 8 qts 16 pts 1 peck
8 gal 4 pecks 1 bushel
Making Conversions
ounces to grams: multiply ounce figure by 28.3 to get number of grams
grams to ounces: multiply gram figure by .0353 to get number of ounces
pounds to grams: multiply pound figure by 453.59 to get number of grams
pounds to kilograms: multiply pounds by 0.45 to get number of kilograms
ounces to milliliters: multiply ounce figure by 30 to get number of milliliters
cups to liters: multiply cup figure by 0.24 to get number of liters
Some Common Weights Egg Substitute
1 cup sifted flour 5 oz 1 large egg 2 oz = 1/4 cup = 4 tbsp
1 cup sugar 8 oz 1 egg yolk 1 tbsp + 1 tsp
1 cup brown sugar 6 oz 1 egg white 2 tbsp +2 tsp
1 cup confectioner’s (powdered) sugar 4.5 oz
Temperature
Converting Fahrenheit to Celsius: subtract 32 from the Fahrenheit amount, multiply by 5 then divide by 9 Converting Celsius to Fahrenheit: multiply the Celsius amount by 9, divide by 5, then add 32
Fahrenheit Celsius Fahrenheit Celsius
-10 -23 (freezer temp) 275 135
0 18 300 149
32 0 (water freezes) 325 162
50 10 350 177
68 20 (room temp) 375 190
100 38 400 204
150 66 425 218
205 96 (water simmers) 450 232
212 100 (water boils) 475 246
225 110 500 260 (broiling)
250 120

Fresh Yeast Conversion

fresh bakers yeast
Fresh yeast, also called baker’s yeast, cake yeast or compressed yeast is my preferred type of yeast when making bread.  It should be kept in the fridge and lasts up to 4 weeks.  Fresh yeast has no artificial additives.  Although not widely available in Australian shops, it is possible to find it in some delis and bakeries.

To buy fresh yeast look for a nice creamy colour without any dark or dried out spots.  It should smell pleasantly and crumble easily.  Greyish yeast that is stretchy and gummy is past the required freshness and might produce unsatisfactory loaf.  If in doubt, mix a small amount of yeast in some warm water with a tablespoon of flour.  If it rises, it means it’s still active.

Dry yeast on the other hand can be kept for up to 2 years.   This is especially handy if you don’t bake with yeast very often.  However, dry yeast usually contains additive sorbitan monostearate (E491).

COMMON YEAST PACKAGING

In recipes requiring yeast, different yeast types and amounts can be stated.  That can be very confusing.  Also, depending on the origin of the recipe the amount can be stated as a cube or a cake of yeast.  Here are the most common yeast packaging sizes:
    • Dry yeast in small packs has most universal weight.  One packet, one sachet or one envelope weighs7 grams (0.25 oz or 2 teaspoons).   1 teaspoon (5 ml) of dry yeast equals 3.5 grams
 
  • Fresh yeast packaging differs significantly.  In Australia it’s commonly produced in 1 kg blocks and then cut up into prepackaged small chunks or sold at the counter according to the customer’s requirements.  US cake of fresh yeast is packed in 0.6 oz or 17 grams.  If a recipe of Europeanorigin asks for a cube of fresh yeast, the required weight is 42 grams or 1.5 oz or 2.5 US cake portions.

FRESH YEAST TO DRY YEAST CONVERSION AND VICE VERSA

The packaging types, sizes and measuring systems aren’t the only thing needing conversions.  If you only have dry yeast and the recipe calls for fresh yeast, what do you do?  Fresh yeast to dry yeast conversion and other way round is an easier one.  Very often I read in different recipes suggestion to half  or double the amount to change the type of yeast.  That would result in too much of dry yeast of too little of fresh and longer proving time.
The rule of thumb is dividing or multiplying by 3:
  • from fresh yeast to dry – divide amount by 3, eg. instead of 30 grams of fresh yeast use 10 grams of dry
  • from dry yeast to fresh – multiply by 3, meaning 7 grams or dry yeast becomes 21 grams of fresh.
Another easy way to remember yeast conversion is:
10g of fresh yeast = 1 teaspoon of dry yeast
10 : 3 = 3.33 g
As you can see above, this is close to 3.5 g – the average weight of one level teaspoon of dry yeast.  Teaspoon volume varies depending on the manufacturer and the shape.  However, a few grams more or less of yeast won’t make a huge difference in your recipe.
Note:
The amount of dry yeast in recipes and on the packaging instruction is often exaggerated.  As a result the dough rises too quickly and has a yeasty taste.  Reduce the amount of yeast and allow the dough a bit of extra time if necessary.
Happy baking!

3 Michelin Stars

l’Arpège in Paris…

l‘Arpège is the tiny Lalique-panneled restaurant owned by the legendary Alain Passard.  In 2001 Monsieur Passard declared that he would be be focussing on a more vegetable driven menu, but more importantly a seasonal, home-grown menu.

This statement seems to have lost something in translation, because in 2012 it seems perfectly reasonable, indeed appropriate.  But in Paris a decade ago, turning your back on a very protein-heavy menu, seems to have caused considerable ripples.  Alain had held three Michelin stars since 1996, but maintained those stars after swapping over to his new style – clearly the inspectors felt that the standards were maintained.

Alain does offer protein on the menu, but the objective is to strip dishes back to showcase ingredients grown in the restaurant’s gardens North of Paris.

I can still ‘taste’ certain dishes in my mind – most notably the incredibly simple gratin of parmesan, onion and candied lemon… When Alain popped up to ask which dishes I liked, I said this one, because I had wanted to lick the plate clean (I mimed this to him – after all it was an umami addicts dream!) – he became very enthusiastic, nodding vigorously – clearly I had understood…

Also sensational was the lemon puree served with the roast beetroot – exquisite earthiness and smooth citrus.  Tiny details make the difference, and Alain ran into the room to grate fresh horseradish over the veal, running back out again to dress another dish.  The horseradish added a sharp, fresh piquancy which lifted the dish.

Though my photographs are appalling, you can see his minimalistic style clearly.  Never before have I been served a quarter of a lobster tail – but Monsieur Passard is right – I didn’t actually need any more than this.

A small note of caution – the prices are a little eye-watering, even for us.  Care needs to be taken with alcohol: two gin and tonics came in at €50, though two glasses of dessert wine were €17…  Having said that, we would definitely return.  Eye-watering prices or not, some of those dishes were amongst the most memorable dishes we’ve eaten, and I defy you not to want to lick that parmesan gratin from the dish…

Jerusalem artichoke and red onion,
beetroot lavender and turnip, zucchini and candy beetroot, served in potato skins
Gazpacho, celery ice-cream and mustard
Gratin of white onion, parmesan, and candied lemon, chervil
Chicken egg, quatre épices, creme fraiche, sherry, maple syrup, fleur de sel
Consommé of celery root, with multicoloured ravioli, celery and verbena
Roast beetroot in salt crust, bay-leaf oil, lemon purée
Normandy lobster, finely sliced turnip, sweet and sour sauce with home-grown honey dressing
Pumpkin velouté, with a frozen ham foam
Risotto, flavoured with sorrel, and finely diced white celery
Scallop with matcha, bay leaf oil and roasted shallot
Vegetables, couscous, argan oil, turnip, pumpkin,
beetroot, butternut, garam masala, cumin, coriander
Turbot, white wine sauce, smoked potato, cabbage, chives
Veal rump, puffball mushroom, chard, horseradish, stuffed tomato and shallot
Pear tart, almonds, millefeuille and chocolate sauce
Petit Fours: tonka bean, pear tart, watermelon paté de fruit, white truffle, fudge, macaron

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

L’Arpège
84, Rue de Varenne
75007 PARIS
Tel: +33 (0)1 47 05 09 06

Baking

Swiss Meringue Buttercream Icing [Thermomix]

I’ve been making a lot of macarons lately, and when I’m completely happy with the process, I’ll put a post up.  But in the meantime I’ve come to realise that whilst a perfect macaron shell is lovely, actually what the majority of people remember are the fillings.  Macarons are vehicles for flavour, and I guarantee most people won’t know if your ‘feet’ have separated, or your shells are hollow.  What they will remember is the texture! 


So far I’ve played with freshly made jam (meh), buttercream (meh – too buttery), Italian meringue buttercream (still a bit buttery) and agar gels (lots of potential here).

But then I stumbled across a recipe by Karen Scott on the Australian thermomix forum for Italian meringue buttercream, and I had to give it a go.  The idea that you can get on with making your macaron whilst the Thermo is making the filling is just too tempting!

I followed the recipe exactly as it stated, and oh my word!  I’m really not a buttercream icing kind of girl, it’s always a bit to rich in my experience – but this is absolutely exceptional.  Perhaps I should elaborate?  It’s still incredibly buttery and creamy, but the quality of the meringue lifts it beyond anything I’ve seen made at home before.  I’m not a massive cake eater, but when I’ve had them forced on me the overwhelming taste of the icing is either icing sugar, or butter (or worse still, both).  In this there is an instant melt-in-the-mouth affect, with no one thing dominating – this allows the actual flavour to completely sing!  I made passionfruit puree, then salted caramel – they taste nothing like each other – each tastes of its own component.  This makes a large batch of this the perfect vehicle for flavouring several batches of macarons or cupcakes.

The meringue produced by the Thermo was way beyond my expectations, and I’m seriously considering using it to make macaron…  In the meantime, I will never make buttercream any other way!  Clearly you need a Thermomix to make the magic happen, but if you do have one – you just have to try this!

Ingredients
Swiss Meringue Buttercream
100 g egg whites
200 g Sugar (white or raw)
300 g unsalted butter cubed

Preparation

  • Place egg whites and sugar into the TM Bowl. Mix for 5 minutes at 70c Speed 2.
  • Check that all the sugar has dissolved by rubbing a bit between your fingertips. You should not be able to feel any sugar crystals. if you can, beat for 2-3 more minutes and check again.
  • Place the butterfly into the bowl and mix for 10 minutes at speed 4. At this stage the mixture should be smooth and glossy and form stiff peaks.
  • If the mix has not yet cooled to room temperature, keep beating until the bowl is no longer warm to touch. This could take another 10-20 minutes. If you are short on time, transfer the mix to a stainless steel or glass bowl and sit in a basin of cold water. Once the bowl is cool to touch, tranfer the mix back to your TM bowl and continue.
  • Mix for 3-4 minutes at speed 4, slowly adding the butter bit by bit through the lid. Don’t worry if it looks a little curdly along the way, it should all come back together.
  • At this stage you can add colour or flavour of your choice. Suggestions are; vanilla extract (1 tsp), chocolate (100g melted and cooled), orange oil, lemon oil etc. I split my bacth in half and added chocolate to one half.
  • Pipe or spread onto your cake or cupcakes and enjoy.  You can put it in the fridge if you are not going to use it straight away but bring it back to room temperature and whip it again before using.
  • You can increase the quantities to whatever you need, just keep the egg whites, sugar and butter in the ratio of 1:2:3. An 8 inch cake will take about 150g egg whites depending on the type of piping you use.

This is the first stage of the meringue, you can see the dense meringue consistency

Following the addition of the butter, the meringue icing is a much richer colour and density

I’ve now made several batches of this and it really is the best icing.  One thing I have noticed is that if you keep beating the meringue until it’s completely cold, it does seem to re-liquify slightly.  I’d be tempted to remove the jug and the lid to speed up the cooling process, but without over-whipping.  I’ve also now made this with equal quantities of the buttercream and melted chocolate, and it’s ridiculously good.  The kids have been flavouring it with all kinds of flavourings – great fun!