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pints/5 cups hot fish stock (see Chapter 5)

      3 tbsp double (heavy) cream

      Juice of ½ lemon

      Salt and freshly ground black pepper

      1 Melt the butter in a large frying pan until foaming, add the onion, carrots, celery and herbs and stir well. Fry for 2–3 minutes or until the vegetables have softened. Add the crab shell pieces, cayenne pepper and tomato purée and cook for a further 1–2 minutes.

      2 Pour in the white wine and brandy and remove the pan from the heat. Set the mixture alight with a match, taking care to keep the flames away from your face, hands and other objects in the vicinity, and ensuring your extractor fan is turned off. Let the flames flare up then die down, and return the pan to the heat. Add the hot stock and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 30 minutes.

      3 Remove the pan from the heat and remove and discard the crab shell pieces. Allow to cool slightly then transfer the mixture to a food processor and blitz to a purée.

      4 Press the puréed mixture through a fine sieve (strainer) set over a clean pan. Add the cream and lemon juice to the pan, season to taste with salt and pepper and reheat gently before serving.

      CHAPTER 2

      STARTERS

      Some people underestimate the value and importance of starters (appetizers). A good starter should excite and test all of the senses, setting the ball rolling for a most enjoyable meal.

      In the restaurant, we find that the starters are where our guests are most daring with what they order and willing to experiment with something new. Often, they may even select two starters instead of a main course.

      There are two occasions when you’ll want to use this chapter. You may need a starter for a dinner party, but there are also many recipes here that are suitable as light lunch options. I have tried to give a variety of meat, fish and vegetarian ideas to help with your home entertaining needs. I also believe that a main prerequisite for a dinner party is that at least one of your courses can be prepared in advance, so many of the recipes in this section can be prepared ahead of time and enjoyed later, when you are ready for them.

      VEGETARIAN SPRING ROLLS

      These spring rolls are a great ‘Get Out of Jail Free’ card, in that you can turn to them when you need a kitchen shortcut. They can be quickly made up from fresh, or made ahead and kept in the freezer until needed. In this recipe I have used only vegetables, but of course you could add some duck, chicken, fish or beef into the mix as well. If you can’t find spring roll pastry then use filo (phyllo) pastry instead but put two sheets together as it isn’t as strong as spring roll pastry.

      SERVES 8 (V)

      Sunflower oil, for cooking

      ½ green chilli, diced

      2 garlic cloves, peeled and diced

      2.5cm/1in piece fresh root ginger (gingerroot), peeled and diced

      2 celery sticks, sliced into 5cm/2in strips

      1 leek (white part only), sliced into 5cm/2in strips

      1 carrot, peeled and sliced into 5cm/2in strips

      1 red onion, peeled and sliced into 5cm/2in strips

      1½ (bell) peppers, mixed colours, sliced into 5cm/2in strips

      50g/2oz cabbage, shredded into 5cm/2in strips

      50g/2oz/½ cup beansprouts

      Salt and freshly ground black pepper

      2 tbsp sweet chilli sauce

      8 sheets spring roll pastry

      EGG WASH

      1 egg

      50ml/2fl oz/¼ cup milk

      1 Heat a large wok then add a little oil. When the oil is hot, add the chilli, garlic and ginger and cook gently for 2–3 minutes. Add the vegetables and season lightly with salt and pepper and stir-fry for 3–4 minutes until the vegetables are beginning to soften. When the vegetables are fully cooked, add the chilli sauce. Transfer the mixture to a bowl and allow to cool completely.

      2 For the egg wash, mix the egg and milk together and set aside.

      3 Lay one sheet of the spring roll pastry on the work surface (counter) so that one of the corners points towards you. Brush around the edges with a little of the egg wash and then spoon about 1 tablespoon of the vegetable filling in a line near the top corner. Fold over to enclose then roll it towards you a little. Fold in the sides and continue to roll up into a nice cylindrical shape. Place the roll on a non-stick baking sheet and repeat with the remaining ingredients until you have eight spring rolls in total. Lightly brush with the remaining egg wash and chill for 30 minutes.

      4 When ready to serve, pour enough oil into a deep-fat fryer or deep-sided saucepan to a depth of 6–7.5cm/2½–3in and heat to 180°C (350°F) or until a small piece of white bread turns golden brown in about 30 seconds. Deep-fry the spring rolls for 3–4 minutes or until crisp on all sides and lightly golden. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain well on kitchen paper (paper towels).

      5 To serve, use a sharp knife to cut off the very ends of each spring roll so that they will sit well on the plate, then cut each one in half on the diagonal. These are delicious served with some additional sweet chilli sauce.

      SPICED CHICKPEA CAKES

      These spicy cakes are a delicious vegetarian starter and will definitely be a favourite with your guests.

      SERVES 6 (V)

      1 x 400g tin (can) chickpeas, rinsed and drained

      Sunflower oil, for frying

      ½ red chilli, finely chopped

      1 (bell) pepper, diced (½ green and ½ red)

      2 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped

      1 red onion, peeled and finely chopped

      2.5cm/1in piece fresh root ginger (gingerroot), peeled and chopped

      1 tbsp natural (plain) yoghurt

      2 tsp curry powder 2 tbsp chopped fresh coriander (cilantro)

      Plain (all-purpose) flour, for dusting

      Large salad, to serve

      1 Put the drained chickpeas into a food processor and blitz to a coarse purée.

      2 Heat a little oil in a pan, add the chilli, peppers, garlic, onion and ginger and fry until soft. Remove the pan from the heat and allow to cool.

      3 Transfer the chickpea purée to a large bowl, add the vegetable mixture and mix together until combined. Add the yoghurt, curry powder and coriander. Using floured hands, divide the mixture into 12 balls then shape into little patties.

      4 Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F), Gas mark 4.

      5 Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a large pan and fry the chickpea cakes, in batches, on both sides then bake in the oven for 10–12 minutes until piping hot. Serve immediately with a large salad.

      POACHED PEARS WITH CASHEL BLUE CHEESE

      The flavour of blue cheese works wonderfully with poached pears. I chose to include this recipe in the starters chapter, but it could also be served as a dessert because it’s almost a cross between a pudding and a cheeseboard.

      SERVES 4 (V)

      4 firm, ripe pears

      1 small lemon, cut into quarters

      1 small orange, cut into quarters

      250g/9oz/1¼ cups caster (superfine) sugar

      500ml/18fl oz/generous 2 cups red wine

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