Saturday, September 09, 2006
Photo Session
Well, here I am, this time definitely back to the photo blog. This is partly due to the time that
has passed since the last post and my desperate attempts to juggle a job, a dissertation and my home life - oh, and the fact that even I have to repeat my recipes occasionally and really do not think I need to bother you with fiftieth recipe for creamy risotto. So please take this post as an attempt to give you an idea of the flavours I love and some inspiration on what might make a good mix.A combination of the two aspects can definitely be found in the picture to the right - seared tuna steaks left pink in the middle and served on a bed of creamy mashed potatoes with avocado cream and soy glazed shiitake mushrooms. Believe me, what sounds like a totally confused jumble of elements from three continents actually tastes very nice.
The next thing I made that I think deserves a
mention here is a stuffed baked squash. It's very tasty, it's seasonal and, no less importantly at the moment, it is incredible easy to make. Simply take a large squash or pumpkin, cut the top off and scrape out the seeds and fibrous insides and stuff with a mixture of fried onions, garlic, bacon and chilli. Add some thick cream and two bay leaves, season to taste with salt and pepper and fill up to about 4cm from the rim with whole milk. Put the lid back and wrap the base tightly in aluminium foil to prevent your squash from breaking open as it softens. Bake in the oven at 190 degrees until soft, about 45 minutes to 1½ hours depending on size.The next dish I
feel I need to boast about is not exactly mine. A while back I watched Gordon Ramsay make this lovely-looking apple tart and decided I needed a go. As expected, it was a real test of my cooking abilities, used every pan I own and took most of my afternoon to make. And was it worth it? Oh yes! If you've got time to spare and a vanilla pod that you need to use up, I highly recommend, you give Gordon's apple tart 'Thierry' a try. You will not be disappointed.Next on my list is another seafood dish: Seared
baby scallops with saffron cream. I know, I know, if everybody's diet was like ours, the oceans would be even worse off than they already are, but Lofty and I just love seafood. And I do try to vary, go seasonal and buy from sustainable sources whenever I can. By the way, if you want to do the same, but are unsure of what is in fact good or bad for our environment, check out Fishonline, the website of the UK's Marine Conservation Society. I got a lot of helpful information from them.I found very little on how to cook scallops other than with garlic butter, though, so I tried my hand at making my own saffron cream sauce - not bad, but not really worthy of a full recipe post. In fact, I think the saffron was too much for the subtly flavoured scallops. But if you have a white fish with a more robust flavour and texture (or, coming to think of it, mussels), it might work. Simply make a light roux from a knob of butter and a little flour (don't overdo it, the sauce is supposed to be light and creamy, not starchy), add a pinch of saffron and pour in a glass of white wine. Reduce, add some fish stock, reduce again by half then add a bit of double cream and reduce again. Season to taste with salt and serve alongside your fish.
Christine at 10:25 pm
