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The Great British Menu selected by
the public for the Queen's 80th birthday banquet
Here's the results of members of the Great British
Public trying the same thing.
We don't know how close the top
chefs would think we came, but all courses were thoroughly enjoyed
and
there was no question of any of the food being thrown away!!
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Smoked Salmon with
Irish Soda Bread, Woodland Sorrel and Cress
| Cooked by Derick
with thanks to Geraldine for
her assistance and "supervision" Chef's
comments:-
- I don't do ingredients!! Opening two
packets or jars is my limit so this was a
"challenge".
- The original recipe calls or Woodland
Sorrel but what on earth is Woodland Sorrel?? I
gave up looking and the only reference found
on the internet was this recipe which did
not help very much. In the end I chose an
organic living salad (in a similar pot of
earth that cress comes in) and dressed the
plate from that. Let's face it, us mere
mortals don't have access to the range of
ingredients available to the top chefs so we
have to improvise in the spirit of the
dish.
- On the very subject of improvisation,
chefs have a golden rule that the best dish
can only be made from the best ingredients.
Can I tell the difference between organic
and non-organic?.... probably not.... but
you can't make a meal fit for royalty if you
start skimping on the ingredients.
- Some of the ingredients can be found
in your local supermarket, but you will need
a health food shop for things like the wheat
germ and wheat bran, and ideally a
fishmongers for the salmon.
- I found the soda bread too salty.
This may be because as a rule I do not use
salt in cooking (take a look at the
ingredients in any food and you'll see
there's a lot of salt already). As we were
cooking for 7 I doubled all the ingredients
and cooked for 8. In doing so there was far
too much soda bread. Unless you wish to eat
a lot of bread, I would not bother doubling
the ingredients and just have a slice for a
taster.
- A little tip (which is probably
obvious to anyone that can cook), when
making the soda bread it says mix all the
ingredients but it would have been easier to
mix all the dry ingredients thoroughly
before adding the honey etc.
Preparation time 30 mins to 1 hour
Cooking time 30 mins to 1 hour
Serves 4
Ingredients
For the Irish soda bread
100g/3½oz wholemeal flour, plus extra for
dusting
100g/3½oz self-raising flour
1 tbsp bicarbonate of soda
50g/2oz jumbo oat flakes
25g/1oz wheat germ
25g/1oz wheat bran
10g/¼oz salt
75g/3oz (approx 5tbsp) runny honey
25g/1oz (approx 1¾ tbsp) black treacle
225ml/14fl oz buttermilk
For the blini mixture
85g/3oz plain flour
1 tsp salt
pinch freshly grated nutmeg
1 free-range whole egg
1 free-range egg yolk
150ml/5fl oz milk
115g/4½oz warm, cooked mashed potato
knob of butter
25g/1oz St Killian cheese, or other similar soft
cream cheese
For the salmon and Lettuce
Organic lettuce to dress the plate
Dressing of wild cress
25ml/1fl oz olive oil
½ lemon, juice only
salt and freshly ground black pepper
500g/1lb 2oz wild smoked salmon
Method
1. Preheat the oven to 150C/300F/Gas 2.
2. First make the soda bread. Put all the soda
bread ingredients into a large bowl and mix by
hand to make a soft dough.
3. Using floured hands, shape the dough into two
equal oval shapes and place on a floured
non-stick baking tray. Bake for 45 minutes or
until the breads sound hollow when tapped on the
base. Remove from the oven and set aside.
4. Meanwhile, make the blini batter. Put the
flour in a bowl with the salt and the nutmeg and
stir in the egg and egg yolk. Whisk in the milk,
then fold in the cooked warm potato and the
cheese. Cover and leave to rest in the fridge
until ready to cook.
5. For the salmon and woodland sorrel, pick the
woodland sorrel and wild cress by removing just
the soiled end and washing in a little salted
water. Leave to dry on kitchen towel, then place
in a bowl. Just before serving, dress the leaves
with the olive oil, lemon juice and season with
salt and freshly ground black pepper.
6. To cook the blinis, heat the butter in a
non-stick frying pan. Add spoonfuls of the blini
batter and fry for 1-2 minutes on each side or
until golden brown. This will make eight blinis.
7. To serve, cut the smoked salmon into 2cm/¾in
slices and arrange three slices on each serving
plate. Add two blinis to each and dress the
plates with the lettuce and cress. Slice the
bread and serve alongside. |
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Pan-fried Turbot
with Cockles and Oxtail
Cooked by Sonia
Preparation
time overnight
Cooking time over 2
hours
Serves 4
Ingredients For the oxtail
1kg/2¼lb Welsh Black beef oxtail, cut into
pieces
1 litre/1¾ pints red wine
1 large onion, chopped
1 large carrot, chopped
1 bay leaf
vegetable oil
flour, seasoned with salt and freshly ground
black pepper
2 litres/3½ pints chicken stock
1 litre/1¾ pints veal stock (substitute beef or
more chicken stock if unavailable)
For the cockles
400g/14oz cockles, cleaned
1 glass white wine (about 125ml/4fl oz)
1 bay leaf
2 tbsp crème fraîche
For the turbot
olive oil
350g/12oz sea beet, stalks removed (substitute
beet tips or Swiss chard if unavailable)
salt and freshly ground black pepper
freshly grated nutmeg
lemon juice
4 pieces turbot, each 120g/4oz, filleted and
skinned
knob of butter
Method
1. Put the oxtail in a bowl with the red wine,
onions, carrots and bay leaf. Cover and leave to
marinate in a cool place for 24 hours.
2. Preheat the oven to 140C/275F/Gas 1.
3. Strain off the red wine from the oxtail and
vegetables and place in a saucepan. Bring to the
boil, skimming off any scum that rises to the
surface.
4. Meanwhile, heat a little vegetable oil in a
heavy-bottomed ovenproof pan over a moderate
heat. Dust the oxtail in seasoned flour, then
add to the pan and colour until golden brown on
all sides.
5. Remove from the pan and set aside. Add the
marinated vegetables to the pan and cook until
golden brown. Deglaze the pan with the hot red
wine, then cook until the liquid is reduced by
half.
6. Return the oxtail to the pan. Cover with
chicken and veal stock and bring to the boil.
Skim, cover the pan with a lid and place in the
oven to cook for 2½ hours.
7. Remove from the oven and leave to cool. When
cooled, remove the oxtail and pick the meat from
the bones, retaining the meat in large pieces;
discard the bones. Strain the liquid into a
saucepan and cook until reduced by half. Keep
the meat and sauce warm.
8. To cook the cockles, place them in a warm pan
with the white wine and bay leaf, cover with a
lid and cook on a high heat for 1-2 minutes or
until the shells have opened. Drain the cockles
in a colander set in a bowl. Set the liquid to
one side. Pick the cockles from their shells
(leaving a few in their shells).
9. For the turbot, warm some olive oil in a deep
pan and add the sea beet. Season with salt and
freshly ground black pepper, nutmeg and a
squeeze of lemon. Cook for 30 seconds to wilt,
then remove from the heat.
10. Heat a little olive oil in a warm non-stick
pan until hot. Add the turbot and cook until the
underside is brown, then carefully turn the
turbot pieces over and lower the heat; cook for
a further two minutes. Add a knob of butter to
finish.
11. To assemble, place the wilted sea beet on
each warm plate and arrange the cockles and
picked oxtail around the sea beet. Drizzle with
the oxtail sauce. Position the turbot on the sea
beet. Bring the cockle liquid to the boil and
whisk in the crème fraîche. Pour this onto each
plate and serve. |
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Loin of Roe Benison
with Rosti, Celeriac, Cabbage, Carrot and Game Gravy
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Cooked by John and
Karin Preparation time 30
mins to 1 hour
Cooking time 1 to 2 hours
Serves 4
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Ingredients
For the game gravy
600g/1lb 5oz venison rib bones (ask your game
dealer or butcher but we had to de-bone it
as the bones were too tough even for a saw!! )
25g/1oz unsalted butter
200g/7oz venison trimmings, roughly chopped
4 shallots, finely sliced
8 button mushrooms, sliced
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 bay leaf
sprig of thyme
6 white peppercorns, crushed
30ml/1oz red wine vinegar
120ml/4fl oz port
120ml/4fl oz red wine
700ml/1¼ pints brown chicken or game stock
1 tsp redcurrant jelly
1 tsp arrowroot
salt and freshly ground black pepper
For the rosti
400g/14oz Golden Wonder potatoes, peeled and
grated
10 tbsp goose fat (available tinned in some
supermarkets)
For the vegetables
2 tbsp goose fat
100g/3½oz carrot, finely chopped
100g/3½oz parsnip, finely chopped
100g/3½oz celeriac, finely chopped
100g/3½oz beetroot, finely chopped
sprig of thyme
1 clove garlic, lightly crushed
For the venison
20g/1oz butter
4 pieces of roe deer saddle with rib bone still
attached, each 120g/4½oz
60ml/2fl oz red wine
30ml/1fl oz red wine vinegar
40ml/1½fl oz fruit vinegar
200ml/7fl oz light brown chicken stock
250g/9oz Savoy cabbage, finely shredded,
blanched for 2 minutes, refreshed and drained
4 tbsp double cream
salt and freshly ground black pepper
Method
1. Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4.
2. First make the game gravy. Roast the venison
bones for 45 minutes. Meanwhile, heat a
medium-sized saucepan, add the butter and
venison trimmings and cook on a low heat for 20
minutes until well browned. Add the shallots,
mushrooms, garlic, bay leaf, thyme, and crushed
peppercorns. Gently fry for 5-10 minutes or
until golden brown.
3. Pour in the red wine vinegar, followed by the
port and red wine. Boil until a thick, syrupy
glaze is achieved. Add the stock, redcurrant
jelly and roasted bones and simmer for 45
minutes.
4. Pass through a fine sieve into a small, clean
pan and boil again to reduce by half. Thicken
with arrowroot, then check the seasoning and set
aside. Reheat for serving. (This makes more
gravy than you need for this dish; keep the rest
in the fridge or freeze it.)
5. Next make the rosti. Place the grated
potatoes in a clean tea towel and squeeze out
the liquid. Place in a bowl, add 2 tbsp of the
goose fat and season with salt and freshly
ground black pepper. Mix well.
6. Heat four blini pans. Add 2 tbsp of goose fat
to each and then divide the potato mix between
them, pressing it down gently. Cook until crisp
and golden on the base, then carefully turn over
and continue cooking until the other side is
golden and the potatoes are tender. Place in a
low oven to keep warm.
7. For the vegetables, heat 2 tbsp of goose fat
in a heavy-bottomed frying pan and sauté the
chopped vegetables with the thyme and garlic for
15-20 minutes or until coloured and cooked
through. Place in the oven to keep warm.
8. For the venison, heat the butter in the
frying pan, then sear the venison until well
coloured and cooked medium rare. Remove the meat
from the pan and place it somewhere warm to
relax.
9. Pour out the fat from the pan, return it to a
high heat and deglaze with the wine and
vinegars. Boil fast to reduce, then add the
stock and reduce again by one-quarter to really
intensify the flavours. Strain and keep warm.
10. Reheat the cabbage, adding the cream, and
season with salt and freshly ground black
pepper.
11. To serve, place a pile of cabbage in the
centre of each plate. Place the rosti on top and
place the sautéed vegetables around the outside.
Place the venison on the rosti, and pour over
the reduced jus. Drizzle the game gravy around
the outside of the plates. |
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Custard Tart with Garibaldi
Biscuits
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Cooked by Sue and
Geraldine Preparation time 1-2
hours
Cooking time 30 mins to 1 hour
Serves 4
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Ingredients
For the Garibaldi biscuits
100g/3½oz butter, melted in a saucepan
100g/3½oz icing sugar, sifted
100g/3½oz plain flour, plus extra for dusting
100g/3½oz egg whites
200g/7oz currants
For the pastry
225g/8oz flour, plus extra for dusting
pinch of salt
1 lemon, zest only
150g/5½oz butter
75g/3oz caster sugar
1 free-range egg yolk
1 free-range egg
For the custard filling
9 free-range egg yolks
75g/3oz caster sugar
500ml/17fl oz whipping cream
freshly grated nutmeg
Method
1. Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4.
2. First, make the biscuits. Mix together the
butter, icing sugar and flour until smooth.
Slowly add the egg whites, stirring, until they
are completely incorporated, then fold in the
currants. Bring together into a ball, wrap in
cling film and chill for at least one hour.
3. Roll the dough on a lightly floured surface
out to 5mm/½in thick. Cut into 12 rectangles -
you may have some dough left over. Place on a
baking tray lined with greaseproof paper,
ensuring the biscuits are not touching each
other. Chill in the fridge for 30 minutes.
4. Bake the biscuits for 8-10 minutes or until
golden brown. Remove and cool on a wire rack.
Keep in an airtight tin.
5. For the pastry, rub together the flour, salt,
lemon zest and butter until the mixture
resembles breadcrumbs. Add the sugar, then beat
together the egg yolk and whole egg and slowly
add these, mixing until the pastry forms a ball.
Wrap tightly in cling film and refrigerate for
two hours.
6. Turn the oven down to 170C/325F/Gas 3.
7. Roll out the pastry on a lightly floured
surface to 2mm/one eighth-in thickness. Use to
line an 18cm/7in flan ring placed on a baking
sheet. Line with greaseproof paper and fill with
baking beans, then bake blind for about 10
minutes or until the pastry is starting to turn
golden brown. Remove the paper and beans, and
allow to cool.
8. Turn the oven down to 130C/250F/Gas1.
9. For the filling, whisk together the yolks and
sugar. Add the cream and mix well. Pass the
mixture through a fine sieve into a saucepan and
heat to blood temperature.
10. Fill the pastry case with the custard, until
5mm/¼in from the top. Carefully place in the
middle of the oven and bake for 30-40 minutes or
until the custard appears set but not too firm.
Remove from the oven and cover the surface
liberally with grated nutmeg. Allow to cool to
room temperature.
11. Before serving, warm the biscuits through in
the oven for 5 minutes. Cut the tart with a
sharp knife and serve with the biscuits. |
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Thanks also go to Steve for washing up between courses
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