16 rock oysters
Champagne Sauce
This sauce is also excellent with baked fish, i.e. turbot, black sole and brill.
Half bottle of Champagne or sparkling white wine (375ml /12fl.oz)
1oz (25g/1 tablespoon) chopped shallot
4 large egg yolks
8ozs (225g) of butter
1/2 pint (300ml) softly whipped cream – measure when whipped
First make the champagne sauce.
Boil the champagne with the shallot, reducing to 1 tablespoon. Remove from the heat and beat in the yolks. Return to a very low heat and add the butter bit by bit as for Hollandaise sauce. When all the butter has melted fold in the whipped cream.
Scrub the oysters well. Just before serving put into a hot oven 250°C / 475°F / regulo 9 until they just start to open and release their juices. Using an oyster knife remove and discard the top shell, place a little champagne sauce on top of each oyster and put under a hot grill until golden. Serve immediately and garnish with fennel and a lemon wedge.
Serves 4 as a starter
You will need:
Mix the pecans and cranberries together in a bowl and add the blue cheese pieces and parsley.
To make the dressing, mix the extra-virgin olive oil and the balsamic vinegar, and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Drizzle some toss in with the pecans, cranberries, blue cheese and parsley.
Toss the salad leaves in a bowl and add half of the blue cheese mixture. Divide between four plates and top each of the plates with the remainder of the mixture.
For the canapé, place the chicory leaves on a large plate and top with the mixture.
Serve immediately.
Ingredients
Aioli
Method
Slice the sour dough thinly, drizzle with oil and toast in the oven for 10-15 mins at 170c
In a pot render the fat from the chorizo in 300ml of rapeseed oil. Let cool.
In a small blender, blend the egg yolks, Dijon, and white wine vinegar. Slowly drizzle the oil into the blender. This will make a thick emulsion like mayonnaise. Once all the oil is in , add the paprika, parsley and check seasoning .
In a mixing bowl , tear the smoked salmon and mix through the yogurt lemon juice , paprika and chopped parsley.
Serve!
Pan Roast Scallops, Cauliflower Puree, Fennel, Orange & Rocket Salad, Caper, Parsley, Almond Beurre Noisette
Ingredients:
Cauliflower Puree: Thinly slice the cauliflower. Heat a small amount of olive oil in a saucepan. Add the thinly sliced shallots and garlic and cooked until soft. Add the cauliflower. Cook for 4-5 minutes without colour. Add the cream and seasoning. When the cauliflower is soft to touch remove from heat and place in blender. Blend mix till smooth. Check seasoning.
Almond Beurre noisette: Place 200 g of salted butter in a sauce pan. Allow to boil and when all the steam has evaporated take the butter to a nut stage. You can smell the aroma from the pan. Remove and add lemon juice to stop cooking. Transfer to a bowl. When slightly cooled add the parsley, toasted almonds, capers.
For the Parma ham used pre sliced Parma ham. Place between to sheets of greaseproof paper and cook until crispy @ 180oc. Place a non-stick frying on the gas. Ad a splash of olive oil. When hot add the scallops on one side for 2 minuets and then 1 minute on the other side. Add a knob of butter when turned.
For the salad thinly slice the fennel. Add the rocket, fennel and orange segments into bowl and dress with vinaigrette. To assemble the dish, place the smooth cauliflower puree on the plate. Place the salad in the middle and place the scallops around the outside. Place the Parma ham on salad and spoon the dressing around.
Enjoy!
For a vegetarian or vegan Christmas, we join Joanna who shares her favourite dishes using seasonal vegetables to inspire you this festive season.
Serves 10-12
For the cake you will need:
250g butter, softened
100g caster sugar
100g soft light brown sugar
100g golden syrup
4 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
350g self-raising flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
100ml milk
For the salted caramel sauce you will need:
225g caster or granulated sugar
3 tablespoons water
125ml cream
25g butter, cut into cubes
Pinch of salt
For the salted caramel buttercream you will need:
250g butter
500g icing sugar
1-2 tablespoons milk
Method Melt chocolate & butter Bring cream to boil and pour over melted chocolate and butter Add salt, emulsify together with hand blender Add egg whites and re-emulsify Place mixture into a siphon bottle Charge with gas capsules and keep warm in low (50C) oven
Whiskey Caramel
Caramelise sugar Add butter and whiskey, followed by cream Bring to the boil and simmer for 1 minute Remove from heat and let come to room temperature for serving
To serve: Maldon salt Olive oil
Place a large tablespoon of caramel to bottom of your serving bowl and top with warm chocolate mousse, Finish with a drizzle of olive oil and a pinch of sea salt.
First, get some fresh turkey breast and sauté it at a high temperature. When you first add it to the pan, give it a few seconds in the hot oil to begin to cook properly before adding any other ingredients.
Next, add in your fresh garlic and ginger. When the turkey is stating to cook and is gaining some colour, add in your homemade sauce. The sauce used for this at Lemongrass Fusion consists of chilli garlic and chilli ginger mixed with some brown sugar and organic cranberries.
When the turkey is fully cooked, you can add in some vegetables. Starting with red pepper, yellow pepper, green pepper, carrots, sliced courgettes and last but not least, sliced onions.
Next up before plating, add your fresh scallions to the pan followed by some organic cranberry.
To garnish, use scallions and fresh chilli.
For the side dish, start with sautéing the pork belly. Before sautéing the pork belly, it must be braised for two hours. Add in your shallots too.
The next ingredient is some precooked Brussel Sprouts followed by garlic.
For the dressing use three table spoons of red wine vinegar and a pinch of brown sugar.
Add some chilli and sesame oil and then it is ready to plate.
for the crumble topping:
22 cm (8 ½ in) diameter spring-form or loose-bottomed cake tin with 6cm (2 ½ in) sides
Method Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°C), Gas mark 4, and butter the sides and base of the cake tin. If you’re using a spring-form tin, make sure the base of the tin is upside down, so there’s no lip and the cake can slide off easily when cooked.
First make the crumble topping. Place the flour and caster sugar in a bowl, then add the butter and, using your fingertips, rub it in until the mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs. Stir in the almonds and set aside.
To make the sponge, first cream the butter until soft in a large bowl or in an electric food mixer. Add the sugar and beat until the mixture is light and fluffy.
Whisk the eggs together in a small bowl with the vanilla extract and milk for a few seconds or just until mixed, then gradually add them to the creamed butter mixture, beating all the time. Sift in the flour and fold in gently to combine.
Tip the mixture into the prepared tin, then spoon in the mincemeat, spreading it evenly over the batter, before sprinkling over the crumble topping.
Place on the lowest shelf in the oven and bake for 45–50 minutes or until golden brown on top and a skewer inserted into the centre of the cake comes out just clean. Remove from the oven and allow to cool in the tin for 20 minutes, then loosen around the edges using a small, sharp knife and remove the sides of the tin before carefully transferring the cake to a serving plate.
Dust the cake with lots of icing sugar, then serve warm with softly whipped cream.