My White Sangria

It is blood orange season again! Could not resist purchasing them at the market today for our Spanish dinner at home night.  Blood orange, it an orange with a tinge of crimson red skin and flesh. Taste wise, it is a cross between a regular orange and grapefruit. In making this Spanish favourite, if blood oranges are not available where you, use a blend of citruses that are available - main idea is to be innovative and use whatever that is in season locally.

Have fun!

What you need:

Zest, segments and juice of 1 blood orange
Zest, segments and juice of 1 lemon
3-4 tablespoon of yuzu (a japanese citrus similar to a cumquat available at any good japanese grocer) juice
1 bottle of white wine (I used a bottle of sauvignon blanc) - chilled
1 bottle of lemonade - chilled
Ice

How to:
1. Add blood orange and lemon zests, fruit segments and juice into a serving jug;
2. Add yuzu juice (use cumquat or kaffir lime);
3. Just before serving time, add white wine, lemonade and ice into serving jug.

Note: To make it kid friendly, replace white wine with sparkling juice.

Simple French - Thomas Keller's Bouchon

"Anyone can cook" - Gusteau, Remy's mentor (Ratatouille, 2007).  

There is a common misconception about the degree of difficulty associated with French cooking. If Julia Child introduced French cooking to the servantless American cooks, I think Thomas Keller simplified French bistro cooking for home chefs through his book Bouchon. Thomas is the genius behind Restaurant French Laundry, Per Se and, of course, Bistro Bouchon. Thomas talks about French basics such as how to make a basic white wine butter sauce ("Beurre Blanc"), roast chicken ("Poulet Roti"), a red wine jus ("Jus" is pronounced as "ju" and not "juice"), French fries ("Pommes Frites") and many many more wonderful recipes.  What I love about cooking is not only do you travel the world through food but you also learn a new language. Proud to say that my French vocabulary is increasing one recipe at a time. One day I shall enjoy a meal at Bouchon or even at the French Laundry (hopefully even meet Thomas) but until then I shall taste vicariously through his recipes. 

Bouchon is available at any good book store.

Cupcakes from the Primrose Bakery - The Ultimate Cupcake Book

As my journey in search for the ultimate cupcake cookbook continues, one that is always front of mind is one from Martha Swift of the the Primrose Bakery in London. Martha's story like so many passionate cook started at home. Her drive to produce beautiful and delicious cakes has translated to the Primrose Bakery we see today. Through the Primrose Bakery cupcake book, I taste vicariously, their beautifully moist cupcakes covered with rich smooth butter cream. Is there a better book out there? Perhaps; but this is a book that has yet to proof otherwise.

The Primrose Bakery cupcake book is available in any good book store or online (www.bookdepository.com)

My Black Forest Cheese Cake

I was delighted to come across fresh American cherries in the super market the other day that I just had to make a Black Forest inspired cheese cake. This is an ice-cream like cake and will be great for the summer months. That said, who said we can't have ice-cream in winter! Here is the recipe, serves 6.

You will need to begin this recipe two days prior to serving.

Two days prior to serving - what you need to do

Prepare brandy confit cherries

500g-600g fresh cherries (pitted)
1 cup brandy
2 tablespoon caster sugar

1. Bring the brandy and sugar to a low simmer until sugar is dissolved.
2. Add fresh cherries and confit on low heat, stirring occasionally until brandy confit thickens to a coolie consistency.
3. Set aside to cool and store in container in the refrigerator until required.

Prepare chocolate base for cheese cake

1 packet of chocolate biscuits (for this recipe I made my own)
50g unsalted butter (melted)

1. In a zip lock bag, crush chocolate biscuits and pour into a mixing bowl.
2. Add melted butter and stir to thoroughly combine.
3. In a spring form pan (or a round tart pan), press buttered biscuit crumbs into the pan to form the pastry base.
4. Refrigerate in the freezer until over night.

One day prior serving - what you need

250g cream cheese at room temperature (I used Philly cream cheese)
300ml light cream (You can use full cream if you like)
110g caster sugar
Juice of one lemon
4-5 tablespoon of kirsh

1. In a mixing bowl, beat cheese and sugar until sugar has dissolved and mixture is pale and thick.
2. Add lemon juice, and beat for 1 minute. Add cream and beat for 3-4 minutes or until mixture is double the volume (remembering not to over beat cream to avoid curdling).
3. Remove prepared biscuit base from the freezer, brush biscuit base with kirsh.
4. Pour cream cheese mixture onto biscuit base, spreading the mixture to the edges of the pan.
5. Arrange confit cherries onto cream cheese and pour confit liquid covering the cheese cake to finish.
6. Refrigerate in freezer overnight.

Enjoy!

30 minute Roast Chicken with Instant Noodles

There comes a point in every person's life, young or wise, where cooking is inevitable. In fact, a meal consisting of a bowl of instant noodles requires some form of cooking - boiling water. Made this for lunch today - 30 minute Roast Chicken with Instant Noodles.

For Roast Chicken

4 chicken chops (or chicken wings or drumsticks which ever you prefer!)
Light olive oil
Salt
Pepper
Optional: 4-5 tablespoon of Dukkah
1 packet of instant noodles of your choice (I used seafood and sesame seed oil but it really does not matter)

How:
1. Marinade chicken in olive oil, salt and pepper.
2. Preheat oven to 180 Degree Celsius.
3. Bake chicken in preheated oven for 30 minutes.
4. Rest before chopping chicken into bite size pieces.

To Assemble:
1. Bring water to a pot of water to a boil (enough water to cook and cover noodles);
2. Add seasonings included and add chopped chicken. Simmer for 2-3 minutes.
3. Add noodles and cook until al dente before serving.

Optional: Garnish with a spring (or two of coriander).

Egg and Fish

There will come a time in a home chef's career where the chef realises that it is the simple things in life that is remembered most. It took me three attempts to produce an edible piece of citrus cured salmon - the first was five days too salty, the second was two days too drunk (note to self, ouzo and salt may not be such a good idea) and third time a charm citrus, dill and cumin works a treat! 

Here is my rendition of poached eggs with home cured citrus salmon.

Serves 4.

Citrus Cured Salmon - start the day before

900g Atlantic salmon fillet skin on and pin boned (Ocean trout works a treat too!)

Juice of 4 oranges

Zest of 4 oranges

Juice of 1 lemon

Zest of 1 lemon

Juice of 1 lime

Zest of 1 lime

100g sea salt

150g caster sugar

1 tablespoon coriander powder

Dijon mustard

Fresh dill

How:

1. Prepare confit liquid, in a bowl, combine citrus juice, zests, coriander powder, salt and caster sugar. Whisk to thoroughly combine and pour into a zip lock bag (large enough to hold fish).

2. Rinse fish and pat dry. Add to confit liquid, remove as much air as possible before sealing zip lock bag. Rest in the refrigerator for five hours, turning bag every hour.

3. After five hours, remove fish from confit liquid and rinse salt off. 

4. Line plastic wrap with half the fresh dill. Brush fish with dijon mustard and lay on dill. Complete the process by laying remaining dill on top of fish and wrap tightly.

5. Return fish to the refrigerator and place in between two trays. Refrigerate overnight.

6. Next morning, remove fish from dill wrap and slice thinly before serving.

Poached Eggs - on the day of serving

Now the trick to poaching eggs (in essence it is half boiling an egg without its shell), is to have the poaching water bring to a "rolling" boil (which is more than a simmer) and to create a whirl by stirring rigorously before breaking the egg into it. If you imagine a whirlpool, it envelopes whatever that gets into its "eye" - breaking the egg in  the eye of the whirl and allowing the rolling water to roll the egg around gently will keep the egg whole. Poach for approximately 2 minutes. Remove and rest eggs on paper towel before serving (to soak up remaining poaching liquid).

Plating up

Lay a few slices of salmon (four to five is plenty!) and place poached eggs on top. If you like drizzle a small amount of orange flavoured olive oil and season with salt and pepper.

Enjoy!

Black Sesame Seed Financiers

My path crossed with the financier at Wallis and Ed, it was a pistachio financier that stole my heart. Luck has it that I already had this recipe on hand - in two books; Stephanie Alexander's "A Cook's Companion" and Le Gordon Bleu's "Chocolate Bible". With the two formidable institution of food behind me, this is my asian inspired version of the delectable financier.

Makes about three dozen, you will need to begin this recipe a day ahead.

What you need:

190g unsalted butter

75g plain flour

1 cup caster sugar

160g ground black sesame seeds (or toast whole seeds over medium heat and ground in mortar & pestal)

6 egg whites

How:

Day before

1. Sieve ground black sesame seeds and plain flour into a mixing bowl.
2. Separate the egg yolks from the whites.
3. Melt the 170g butter in a saucepan over medium heat until milk solids separates and stick to the bottom of the pan. The beurre noissette ("Brown butter") is ready when you are able to smell the nuttiness of the separate milk solids. Strain butter and set aside.
4. In a mixing bowl, mix ground black sesame seeds, plain flour and caster sugar until combined. Add egg whites and beat at medium speed until increase in volume. Add beurre noisette in a steady stream gradually into the while batter continues to mix. Cover mixing bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.

The next day

1. Preheat oven to 150 degree celsius.
2. Line mini cup cake moulds with melted butter and dust with plain flour to prevent batter from sticking to the mould.
3. Fill each mould with one tablespoon of batter.
4. Bake for 15 minutes- cake tester should come out clean.

Bon appetit!