Pain Perdu (French Toast) with Bananas Foster

Yield > 1
Ingredients :
1 stk butter
3 x eggs
3/4 cup milk
1 tbl grated orange zest
1/4 cup fresh orange juice
2 tbl sugar
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp vanilla extract
8 slc French Bread about 1" thick
powdered sugar for dusting
Bananas Foster
2 tbl butter
2 x bananas peeled and sliced,
1/4" thick
1 cup pecan pieces
2 cup maple syrup
1/4 cup rum
Method :
• Pain Perdu:
1. In a mixing bowl, whisk the eggs, milk, orange zest, orange
juice, sugar, cinnamon, and vanilla, to dissolve the sugar.
• 2. In a nonstick sauta pan, heat 2 tablespoons of butter.
Dip 2 slices of the bread into the egg-milk mixture, coating
evenly. Fry in the butter until golden brown, 2-3 minutes on
each side.
• 3. Repeat until all the butter and bread is used.
• 4. Lay the pain perdu on a platter. Add the bananas to
the pecan mixture and warm slightly. Spoon the warm sauce
over the pain perdu. Dust the entire plate with powdered
sugar.
• Yields: 6 servings.
• Bananas Foster:
1. In a sauta pan, melt 2 tablespoons of the butter.
• 2. Add the pecans and sauta for 4-5 minutes, stirring
constantly.
• 3. Stir in the maple syrup and bring the liquid up to a
simmer.
• 4. Remove the pan from the stove and add the rum.
Carefully place the pan back on the stove and flame the sauce.
Remove the sauce from the heat and set aside.
• Gary Says: I love this dish. it is elegant and reminds me
so of my visits to New Orleans.

Oysters Belle Rive

Yield > 6
Servings
Ingredients :
Garlic butter
Vienne sauce
Artichoke sauce
3 doz oysters, shucked, 6 per person
Method :
• Preheat the oven to 400 F. Reheat the GARLIC BUTTER,
VIENNE SAUCE, and ARTICHOKE SAUCE. Per person, place 2
oysters each in the bottoms of 3 small ramekins. Fill one
ramekin to the top with GARLIC BUTTER, one with VIENNE
SAUCE, and one with ARTICHOKE SAUCE. Bake the ramekins
for 10 minutes at 400 F. Serve immediately. F. Serve
immediately.
• WINE: CHALONE PINOT BLANC

Ox Tongue, Braised

Yield > 1
Ingredients :
1 x Boiled ox tongue * see note
2 slc Bacon cut 1" long pieces
2 x Carrots sliced
2 med Onions sliced
1/3 cup Dry white wine
2 cup Consomme
Method :
• In Dutch oven or large, heavy saucepan, place bacon,
carrots, and onions. Cook over low flame for 5 minutes. Add
wine and 1/2 cup consomme. Bring to boil, and simmer for 20
minutes, or until liquid is reduced to 2 tablespoons. Add tongue
and remaining consomme. Bring to boil. Cover and simmer for
30 minutes. Remove tongue and cut into thin slices. Serve
sauce in sauceboat. Serve hot.
• Serve with noodles.
• Suggested Wine: A light red wine; chilled dry white wine;
or a rose wine.

Ostrich Steaks Au Poivre

Yield > 2
servings
Ingredients :
1 tbl Mixed peppercorns, coarsely
crushed
1/2 oz Plain flour
2 x 5 oz ostrich steaks
1 oz Butter
1 tbl Sunflower oil
4 oz Shallots, halved
8 oz Button mushrooms, halved
2 x Cloves garlic, crushed
2 tbl Brandy, (2 to 3)
3 tbl Creme fraiche
1 tbl Wholegrain mustard
2 tbl Freshly chopped flat leaf
parsley
Salt and freshly ground black
pepper
Method :
• 1. Mix the peppercorns, salt and flour together. Use this
to pat on both sides of the steaks.
• 2. Heat the butter and oil in a frying pan, add the steaks
and fry the steaks for 4-5 minutes on each side. Remove and
keep warm.
• 3. Add the shallots to the pan and fry until golden. Stir in
the mushrooms and fry until browned. Stir in the garlic and fry
for a further minute.
• 4. Pour in the brandy and cook for 1 minute. Remove the
pan from the heat and stir in the creme fraiche and mustard
with the parsley and seasoning.
• NOTES : Ostrich is becoming a lower in fat alternative to
other meats and it is delicious too. This traditional French
recipe is an ideal dinner for two.

SAUSAGE & EGG MUFFINS

These are less greasy, and must be better for you than the obvious
alternative, providing you make them with good-quality sausages
(minimum 70% meat) and poached eggs instead of fried. I’m sure
the original McMuffins had sliced tomato in them anyway, so put
some in, with or instead of the cheese.
Cook the eggs in a proper poacher if you have one, to get that
perfectly round shape, and make this a real weekend breakfast with
the addition of home-made hash browns (see Chapter 3, under
‘Potatoes’).
6 muffins
6 eggs
6 sausages
1 tomato
3 slices of Emmental
Method
1. Carefully squeeze the sausages out of their skins and make each
one into a flattened out round patty with your hands. (Use a
very little flour if it helps, or just wet your hands with cold
water.)
2. Bake the sausage patties in the oven on Gas Mark 6 (200ºC)
for about 20 minutes or until you can see they’re obviously
cooked through.
3. Meanwhile, cut the muffins in half and lightly toast the inside.
Thinly slice the tomato and cheese.
4. When the sausages are almost done, poach the eggs in a large
shallow pan of boiling water for about 5 minutes, until the
yolks are firm.
5. Serve with tomato ketchup.

Olive Pate

Yield > 6
Servings
Ingredients :
18 slc French bread, round, 1/2-
inch thick
1 can Small can Pate de Foie
Strasbourg
1/2 lb Butter, room temperature
1/4 tsp White pepper
1/2 x Jigger Brandy
1/2 cup Black olives, chopped fine
Method :
• Make the French bread croutons by toasting the round
slices of bread in the oven until golden. In a mixer, whip the
pate, butter, white pepper, and brandy until completely
blended and smooth. By hand, fold the black olives into this
mixture until distributed evenly. Allow flavors to set overnight.
• To serve, scoop the pate with a small ice cream scoop, 3
scoops per person on a small plate. Serve along with 3
croutons for each person.
• WINE:MONTAGNY, LOUIS LATOUR,1982

Original Beef Stroganoff

Yield > 1
Recipe
Ingredients :
3 tsp Butter
3 tsp Chopped onion
1 tsp Flour
1 1/2 cup Clearn beef soup or
consomme
1 cup Sour buttermilk
2 lb Lean stew meat or shoulder
Roast.
1/4 tsp Black pepper
1/4 tsp Salt
Method :
• "Beef Stroganoff was invented by Serge Stroganoff, a
court dook in the riegn of Catherine the Great of Russia.
Catherine was the daughter of the Duke of Anholt-zervst of
Prussia, born in 1729. She was a cruel despot and full of
personal vices but did a great deal to help Russian scientists,
writers and philopophers and to westernize Russia as much as
possible. She also encouraged Russain cooks such as
Stroganoff to adapt French cooking methods and also to create
new Russian dishes. She was a great woman for romancing
and during her more youthful days would have a different lover
every night or so.
• She had them killed for some trumped-up charge as she
tired of them.
• She died of heart failure in 1796 in the arms of her young
lover, Prince Platow Louboff at the age of 67. She certainly was
quite a woman."
• Take the beef stew meat or the roast and sice it up into
pieces as thin as you can or about 1/4" thick, ath the thickest.
The thinner the better. The pieces should not be more than
about 2" square. Salt and pepper the meat to taste. Put 3 level
T. of butter into a frying pan and 3 level T. of chopped onion.
Add the meat. Over a medium heat cook until the meat is
done.
• Make a sauce or gravy as follows. Put 2 level T. of butter
into a large frying pan and melt the butter until it just barely
starts to turn borown.
• Take off from the stove. Now add 1 3/4 level T. of flour
into the hot butter until the mixture forms a medium syrupy
consistency, not a thick paste. Remember not a thick paste.
Add more butter if necessary. Now add 1 1/2 c. of cold clear
beef soup or consumme and stir in well. Now place back onto
the stove and over a medium heat bring to a slow boil. Stir
continually. Now add one cup of sour buttermilk and stir in wel.
Be sure to use sour buttermilk not sour cream. Now pour the
meat, onion and butter sauce into the gravy and gently
simmer just enough so that it is well heated. Serve with
mashed potatoes or boiled white rice and dark bread.
• Note: To sour buttermilk simply cover a bowl of
buttermilk and let stand until it thickens.
• This recipe was often used with venison and bear meat as
well as beef. This meat must be sliced as thin as possible.

BURGERS WITH BLUE CHEESE DRESSING

Mix in a tablespoon of dried mint if you’re using lamb and 1⁄2
teaspoon of cayenne pepper to either beef or lamb. Ideally, make
the dressing a few hours before you need it to give the flavours a
chance to develop.
To make 6 good-sized burgers
2 lb (1 kg) minced lamb or beefsteak
1 large onion, finely chopped
1 egg to bind
Seasoning
For the blue cheese dressing
3 oz (75 g) blue cheese
1⁄2 small jar of mayonnaise
1 small carton of natural yoghurt
1 clove of garlic
1 tsp lemon juice
1 tsp vinegar
Method
1. Squish everything together in a large bowl and pat the mixture
into burger shapes with your hands, making them as large and
thin as you can without tearing. (Don’t use flour; wet your
hands with cold water to make it easier.)
2. For best results put the burgers under the grill on the highest
setting and cook on both sides for a few minutes until they’re
brown on the outside and just done in the middle.
3. Serve (with or without buns) with chips and relish.
To make the blue cheese dressing
1. Crumble the cheese into a bowl and add the mayonnaise,
yoghurt and crushed garlic.
2. Mix the ingredients together before adding the lemon juice and
vinegar. Stir well then taste the dressing before adjusting the
flavour with a very little more lemon or vinegar, or a bit of both.

JAMAICA PATTIES

You should get about a dozen patties out of the quantities below,
depending on the size of the plate you use to cut out the pastry.
Like most other pies and pasties these make a great alternative
to sandwiches for a packed lunch – that is, until primary schools
with ‘healthy schools status’ decide to ban pastry from the
children’s lunch boxes on the grounds that it contains more calories
than wholemeal bread. (Well it wouldn’t surprise me. That’s how
daft some of these new rules and regulations are.)
For the pastry
1 lb (500 g) plain flour
1 tbsp turmeric (or 1 sachet from a refill box)
1⁄2 lb (225 g) butter
3⁄4 mug ice-cold water
1 beaten egg (plus water)
For the filling
1 lb (500 g) beef mince
2 onions
2 cloves of garlic
1 heaped tsp chilli powder (or less!)
2 tsp curry powder
2 tbsp tomato purée
1 beef stock cube
Method
1. Sift the flour and turmeric into a large mixing bowl and slightly
soften the butter in the microwave (on defrost for about 30
seconds) then add the butter to the bowl in small pieces and
rub the fat into the flour until it resembles medium-fine
breadcrumbs.
2. Add about half the cold water to the mixture in the bowl and
pinch the mixture together with your hands to make a fairly
stiff dough, adding a little more water if necessary.
3. Put the dough in a polythene food bag or wrap it in cling film
and leave it to rest in the fridge while you get on with the
filling.
4. Dry fry the mince in a large pan while you finely chop the
onions, then add them to the pan and cook for a few minutes
until the meat is brown and the onions have softened.
5. Strain all the fat out of the pan and dissolve the stock cube in
a mug of boiling water, then add the stock to the meat followed
by the chilli powder, curry powder, crushed garlic and tomato
purée.
6. Stir well and allow the meat to simmer for at least 20 minutes
until the sauce thickens nicely. (Adjust the sauce by adding a
little more water and/or more tomato purée if you like.)
7. Allow the meat sauce to cool while you preheat the oven to
Gas Mark 6 (200ºC) and lightly grease two large baking
sheets. Beat the egg in a mug with 3 or 4 tablespoons of cold
water.
8. Divide the dough into two pieces and roll each half out, one at
a time, cutting around a small side plate or saucer to make the
patties and re-rolling the trimmings to make more as necessary.
9. Put roughly 1 tbsp of meat in the centre of each pastry round
and use the egg/water mixture to wet the edges of the pastry.
10. Fold each pastry in half over its filling to make a semi-circular
patty, pressing the edges down with a fork and piercing fork
holes in the centre of each patty two or three times.
11. Glaze the patties with more of the egg/water mixture, place
on the greased baking trays and cook in the oven for about 20
minutes until the pastry is firm and golden.
12. Serve hot or cold, on their own or with Cheesy Corn Fritters

STICKY RIBS

This should be enough for two large packets of small pork ribs.
You can also use this marinade to coat chicken drumsticks and
sausages.
Pork ribs
1⁄2 pint (300 ml) tomato juice
2 tbsp vinegar
2 tbsp clear honey
1 tsp paprika
Method
1. Mix the tomato juice, vinegar, honey and paprika together using
all the marinade to coat the ribs then cover and keep in the
fridge for at least two hours.
2. Cook the ribs under a high, preheated grill for about 20
minutes, turning once or twice and re-coating the meat with
the marinade each time.
3. Serve with new potatoes or rice and salad.

TANDOORI CHICKEN

This is enough for at least eight large chicken joints; more if you’re
using thighs and drumsticks.
Chicken pieces
1⁄2 large pot (500 g) of natural yoghurt
2 tsp curry powder
2 tsp coriander
2 tsp paprika
1⁄2 tsp chilli powder
Lemon or lime juice to taste
Salt & pepper
Method
1. Wash chicken, remove skin and score several deep cuts in each
piece of meat.
2. Mix all ingredients together and coat the chicken pieces
thoroughly then cover and keep in the fridge to marinate for at
least 4 hours, or even overnight.
3. Transfer the chicken to a clean ovenproof dish and bake in the
oven on Gas Mark 5 (190ºC) for about half an hour, turning
once.
4. Serve with rice.

SOUTHERN FRIED CHICKEN

This is the seasoning the way I like it but you can make it hotter
or milder by adjusting the amount of spices and herbs any way
you like.
Southern fried chicken the way they make it in America would
be double-dipped in buttermilk, beaten egg and two coatings of
seasoned breadcrumbs, but either one of the following methods
works well: either dunk the chicken in a mixture of beaten egg and
milk before coating with the breadcrumbs, or dip the chicken in a
thin batter made with plain flour, beaten egg and milk, then coat
with breadcrumbs. (I prefer the latter because the breadcrumbs
stick better this way.)
The quantities below are enough for 12 pieces of chicken.
Chicken pieces (12)
For the seasoning
1 tbsp paprika
1 teaspoon each of: cayenne pepper, onion salt, garlic salt, celery
salt, allspice, chilli powder, black pepper, basil, thyme, marjoram
4 oz (100 g) breadcrumbs
4 tbsp cornmeal or yellow maize flour
For the batter
3 tbsp plain flour
1 egg
1 mug of milk (approximately)
(Plus more flour for dusting)
Oil for frying
Method
1. Remove all chicken skin, trim any fatty pieces, rinse chicken in
cold water and dry the meat thoroughly.
2. Mix all the spices and herbs with the breadcrumbs and
cornmeal in a large deep-sided dish or tray and dust the dry
chicken pieces with a little flour.
3. Make a thin batter with plain flour, egg and milk by making a
well in the flour then beating in the egg with about half the
milk and gradually adding more milk to get the right
consistency.
4. Warm enough oil in a very large pan to completely cover the
chicken (or use an electric deep-fat fryer) and preheat the oven
to Gas Mark 5 (190ºC).
5. Dip the chicken pieces in the thin batter then cover completely
with the breadcrumb mixture.
6. Fry the chicken pieces 3 or 4 at a time for a couple of minutes
until the coating is crisp and golden, then finish in the oven for
about 15 minutes, or until the meat is cooked through.
7. Serve with chips or rice and salad.

CHICKEN NUGGETS

Most kids seem to love chicken nuggets and they’re a brilliant way
of making a little good-quality meat go a very long way. You can
expect to make at least a couple of dozen nuggets with the
quantities given here.
2 chicken fillets
2 carrots
2 apples
1 onion
1 lb (450 g) breadcrumbs
Tarragon
Salt & pepper
1 egg
Splash of milk
Method
1. Wash and roughly chop the carrots and onion, peel and core
the apples, remove the skin from the chicken and cut the meat
into large pieces.
2. Put carrots, onion, apples and chicken into a large (4 pint/2
litre) blender or food processor with the tarragon, salt and
pepper – or whatever seasoning you prefer.
3. If you’re using the above quantities, blend the whole lot in one go
on the slowest setting to the consistency you want – anything from
coarse and chunky to a smooth paste – and if you’ve got a smaller
food processor or you’re making twice as many nuggets, blend the
chicken first, followed by the fruit and vegetables. (If you haven’t got
a mixer you can always grate the fruit and vegetables by hand and
snip the chicken into tiny pieces with kitchen scissors.)
4. Put the blended ingredients into a large bowl and squish it all
together with your hands, adding a handful of breadcrumbs if
you think the mixture’s a bit wet.
5. Spread the breadcrumbs across a large, shallow dish or tray and
beat the egg with a big splash of milk.
6. Now shape the nuggets with your hands, dipping each one into
the egg mixture first, and working with only a small amount of
breadcrumbs at a time to avoid making a mess of the whole
tray and creating too much waste.
7. In a large pan warm enough oil to completely submerge the
nuggets (about 2 inches/5 cm) and test if it’s hot enough by
dropping a small chunk of bread into the pan; it should go
brown in a matter of seconds. If the oil is too cool the nuggets
will break up and go soggy; if it’s just right they should turn
crisp and golden in about a minute.
8. Fry the nuggets for a couple of minutes then place on a baking
tray and finish them off in the oven on Gas Mark 5 (190ºC) for
about 15 minutes to cook through.
To freeze chicken nuggets
1. Place uncooked chicken nuggets on a small tray, cover with foil
and seal in a freezer bag, or layer with greaseproof paper in a
plastic container with a tight lid.
2. To cook them from frozen, first allow the nuggets to thaw
slightly for a few minutes so they’re easier to separate, then
remove excess moisture with kitchen roll and, for best results,
follow the cooking instructions above.
Tip
Foil takeaway cartons (as long as they’re really clean) can
be reused for freezing and cooking smaller portions of
food in the oven, as can ‘disposable’ roasting trays.

Pasta with Home-made Pesto

Obviously you can use whichever type of pasta you like, but fresh
tagliatelli or those super-sized dried white pasta shells are a bit
more impressive than a packet of value twists if you’re making this
for friends.
Method
1. Bring a large saucepan of lightly salted water to the boil then
add the pasta and cook according to the instructions on the
packet.
2. Drain the cooked pasta, leaving a very little of the water in the
pan, then add a couple of tablespoons of pesto and warm
through for a minute over a very low heat.
3. Serve the pasta and pesto with more finely grated fresh
Parmesan cheese and lots of salad.

CHICKEN CURRY

This is a really good little curry for young children. Mild, creamy
and made only with vegetables in child-friendly colours it also
includes sweetcorn, which is one of the few foods (like pasta,
potatoes and yoghurt) that almost all children seem to eat without
question.
Once your kids are hooked on this you can start sneaking in the
spinach. (Don’t add extra sugar if you don’t want to, especially if
the orange juice is a sweet one.)
2–4 chicken fillets
1 onion
4 carrots
1 large sweet potato
1 tin of sweetcorn
1 small carton of natural yoghurt (or 4 tbsp from a big carton)
1 sachet of coconut or 1⁄2 tin of coconut milk
1 mug of orange juice
1 big tbsp tomato purée
2 tsp mild curry powder (or 1 tsp medium)
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp coriander
1⁄4 tsp ginger
1 tsp sugar
Method
1. Wash and finely slice the carrots; peel the sweet potato, cut into
largish chunks and grate the onion.
2. Cut the chicken into thin strips while you warm some oil in a
large pan.
3. Cook the chicken strips a few at a time unless the pan is big
enough to take the whole lot, in which case, cook all the chicken
in one go. (The meat won’t brown if the pan is full, but it
doesn’t matter with this recipe.)
4. Add the grated onion, sugar and spices to the pan and cook for
a couple more minutes, making sure the chicken is well coated.
5. Add the carrot slices and sweet potato chunks followed by the
orange juice, yoghurt, coconut milk and tomato purée; stir well,
cover with a lid and cook over a low heat for about 40 minutes,
or until the vegetables are just soft.
6. Adjust the seasoning and consistency and serve with couscous,
rice, chips or mashed potatoes (yes, really).

Aubergine Pesto

This is one recipe with aubergines where you don’t have to worry
about how much oil they absorb in the cooking process because
the pesto incorporates the same oil you’ve used for frying.
3 oz (75 g) mixed nuts and seeds
1 oz (25 g) flax seeds
1 small aubergine
2 cloves of garlic
1 sprig of rosemary
1⁄2 packet of fresh mint
1 oz (25 g) grated Parmesan
1 tbsp tomato purée
Black pepper
1⁄4 pint (125 ml) olive oil
Method
1. Cut the aubergine into fairly thick slices and soak in a bowl of
very salty water for about 20 minutes, then drain, rinse well
and dry with kitchen paper.
2. Heat half the quantity of oil in a large frying pan and preheat
the oven to Gas Mark 6 (200ºC).
3. Fry half the aubergine slices in the hot oil for a few minutes,
turning once, then transfer to a small roasting tin. Add the
remaining oil to the pan and fry the rest of the aubergine, again
transferring the cooked aubergine to the roasting tin.
4. Snip the rosemary up and sprinkle over the aubergine then add
the crushed garlic to the roasting tin and put it in the oven for
20–25 minutes until the aubergines are completely soft and
cooked through. All the oil that was soaked up during frying
should now be swimming around in the tin.
5. Remove the tin from the oven and allow to cool for a few
minutes while you get the rest of the ingredients ready then
put the aubergines and all the oil into a blender or food
processor with everything else and blend or pulse to make a
coarse paste, scraping the pesto down from the sides every few
seconds.
6. Pack the pesto into a clean jar and pour another 2 tsp of olive
oil on top.
7. Store in the fridge for a week.

Red Pepper & Onion Pesto

4 oz (100 g) pine nuts
1 red pepper
1 red onion
1 packet (30 g) of fresh basil
1 oz (25 g) Parmesan
2 tbsp tomato purée
1⁄2 tbsp garlic purée
Black pepper
1⁄4 pint (125 ml) of olive oil
Method
1. Peel and chop the red onion; remove the stalk and seeds from
the red pepper and cut into rough chunks.
2. Rinse the fresh basil and put the herbs in the food processor
with the pine nuts, red pepper, onion, grated Parmesan and
tomato and garlic purées.
3. Season with black pepper then whiz for a minute, stopping to
scrape the food away from the sides every few seconds.
4. Add the olive oil gradually through the funnel with the food
processor on pulse or the slowest setting, until it looks right to
you.
5. Pack the pesto into a clean jam jar and pour another 2 tsp of
olive oil on top.
8. Store in the fridge for a week.

Olive & Parsley Seed Pesto

4 oz (100 g) mixed seeds
1⁄2 small tub of mixed pitted olives
1 packet (30 g) of fresh, flat leaf parsley
1 oz (25 g) Parmesan cheese
1 tbsp tomato purée
1⁄2 tbsp garlic purée
Lemon juice
Black pepper
1⁄4 pint (125 ml) olive oil
Method
1. Wash the fresh parsley, cut the stalks off, then tear up and put
in the food processor with the seeds, olives, grated Parmesan,
tomato and garlic purées.
2. Season with black pepper and a little lemon juice then whiz for
a minute, stopping to scrape the food away from the sides every
few seconds.
3. Add the olive oil gradually through the funnel with the food
processor on pulse or the slowest setting, until it looks right to
you.
4. Pack the pesto into a clean jar and pour another 2 tsp of olive
oil on top.
5. Store in the fridge for a week.

Oeufs Brouilles a La Michel Guerard - (French Scrambled ...

Yield > 4
Ingredients :
6 lrg eggs
1 tbl butter
2 tbl creme fraiche
6 tbl finely-chopped shallots
1 tbl finely-chopped chives
Salt to taste
Freshly-ground black pepper
to taste
3 oz caviar
12 piece toasted bread - (long and
thin)
Method :
• With a serrated knife, cut each egg shell about 1/2-inch
from the pointed end. Empty the raw eggs into a bowl and
reserve. Wash the egg shells (tops and bottoms) in warm
water, then turn them upside down on a towel to dry
completely.
• Over very low heat melt the butter in a saucepan just
large enough to hold the eggs. Beat the eggs with a whisk,
pour through a sieve into the warm butter, and return to the
very low heat. Beat constantly with the whisk, gradually
increasing the heat, until the eggs are thick and creamy, not
solid.
• Remove the eggs immediately from the heat and
continue whisking while adding the cream, shallots, chives, salt
and pepper.
• Place the dried eggshells in egg cups. Using a teaspoon,
carefully fill each shell 3/4 full with the creamed eggs, then
finish filling each shell with 1 tablespoon of caviar. The caviar
should be slightly domed on top. Place the little top of each
shell on the caviar. Serve with toast.
• This recipe yields 4 servings.
• Comments: The full recipe title as lisred is "Oeufs
Brouilles a la Michel Guerard - (French Scrambled Eggs with
Caviar)".

Oignons Confiture (Red Onion Relish)

Yield > 4
Servings
Ingredients :
1 tbl Olive oil
1 x Red onions, sliced very thin
1 tbl Sugar
2 tbl Red wine vinegar
Salt and pepper
2 tbl Dried fruit: raisins, apricots,
prunes), chopped
1/2 cup Red wine
Method :
• Heat oil in noncorrosive saucepan over medium heat. Add
onions. Let sweat gently until onions start to give off their
juices.
• Stir in sugar, vinegar, salt and pepper until the mixture
starts to melt.
• Add dried fruit and wine, then cover and reduce heat to
lowest setting. Use a heat diffuser on the burner, if necessary.
Watch and stir often, adding more wine or water as needed.
• When the onions and fruit have melded and cooked down
to a jamlike consistency, taste and adjust seasoning. Add more
vinegar if needed to balance the fruit.
• Note: I stuff a tablespoon of this onion "jam" in small
hollow parboiled onions and roast them in the oven. -Kate
Ratliffe, author
• NOTES : Intensely flavored vegetable side dish, a favorite
served with grilled chicken or lamb chops. This confit may ber
served hot or
• at room temperature as a relish with roasts and fowl. It
will
• keep refrigerated for several days.

RAVIOLI

Making your own pasta is a fun thing to do sometimes and a lot
less hassle than you might think – even when you don’t have a
pasta-making machine. The hardest bit is rolling out the dough
because at first it keeps springing back, but the process gets easier
as you go along, so grit your teeth for a couple of minutes and try
and think of it as a great, free toning exercise for the upper body.
This probably isn’t something you’d want to get into after a
busy day at work; otherwise it’s well worth having a go at least
once. Chances are you’ll be hooked, and before you know it you’ll
be buying a machine and making your own pasta all the time …
You could cut the finished pasta into strips or lasagne sheets, in
which case it’s best to use the pasta straight away to stop it welding
itself together, but I think it’s actually easier and certainly more
rewarding to make ravioli, not only because it looks and tastes
better, but because it can be stored in a food bag in the fridge for
a couple of days without getting too sticky.
Super-fine 00 flour is perfect for making pasta but I always get
a good result with ordinary plain flour; just be sure to sift the
whole lot at least once before you start. It’s also important to follow
the instructions carefully in the early stages when you’re
incorporating the eggs and spinach purée into the flour. You won’t
need to use all the flour to make the dough, as you’ll see, so don’t
work too quickly and risk pulling more flour into the mixture than
you need or the pasta will be ruined and you won’t be able to do a
thing about it.
Although the spinach gives this ravioli a lovely colour and
flavour of its own, if you want yellow pasta instead of green, leave
out the spinach purée and use four large eggs instead of three.
Finally, the amounts given here are enough for about eight
servings so you could store half the dough in the fridge for a couple
of days, then when you’re ready to use the pasta let it rest at room
temperature for a couple of hours and knead it gently for a few
minutes before rolling it out again.
3 full mugs of flour (00 or plain)
3 large eggs
1–2 handfuls of spinach
Tomato purée
Ricotta (or feta) cheese
Salt
Method
1. Wash and tear the spinach, place in a small casserole dish with
a very little water then cover with a lid and cook in the
microwave for about 2 minutes until the leaves have wilted.
Purée the cooked spinach in a blender or food processor.
2. Now sift the flour into a big heap on a clean work surface, or
straight onto a very large wooden board, and make a deep well
in the centre.
3. Break the eggs into the well one at a time then add about half
the spinach purée and use a blunt dinner knife to gently work
the flour in a little at a time, taking care not to send the liquid
cascading over the edge of the flour and all over the worktop.
4. Work carefully, adding a little more of the spinach purée if it
looks like the mixture can take it, then once you’ve got the
beginnings of a soft dough, gather the remaining flour together
and sift it back onto your work surface in a neat pile so you’re
working with clean, new flour again. (This step should take
around 5 minutes.)
5. Re-flour your work surface, adding a little more flour to the
dough as and when you need it to prevent it becoming too
sticky.
6. Knead the dough for about 15 minutes, pushing the dough
away from you with the heels of your hands, until the dough
becomes pliable and springy. Test by pressing the dough with
your finger; if the dent disappears and the dough regains its
shape, it’s ready.
7. Wrap the dough in cling film, or cover it with an up-turned
bowl and allow it to rest for 20–30 minutes at room
temperature.
8. Roll the dough out with a large rolling pin, turning frequently
and adding a little more flour when necessary, until the dough
is as thin as you can make it without breaking it and you can
see the shadow of your hand through it.
9. Use a large pastry cutter with a fluted edge – or an ordinary
mug if you don’t have one – to cut out as many rounds as you
can. Put the pasta rounds on a lightly floured tray while you reroll
the trimmings, lightly kneading the dough a bit more each
time to keep it malleable without overworking it.
10. Squeeze a pea-sized amount of tomato purée onto the centre
of each piece of pasta, top with 1⁄2 teaspoon of cheese and fold
the rounds into semi-circles, pressing the edges together to seal
the ravioli. (Don’t try and use water to help seal the edges as
you would with pastry; this makes the pasta too tacky without
actually sticking it together for some reason.)
11. Cook the ravioli in a large saucepan of salted boiling water for
about 3 minutes and serve with grated fresh Parmesan cheese
and a side salad.
12. To store in the fridge, dust the ravioli with a little flour and
put in a large food bag, or on a plate covered with cling film.

ORIENTAL BEEF WITH LIME DUMPLINGS

You could get away with using lime juice instead of fresh lime, but
the lime zest in the dumplings is what gives them their special
fragrance. (Or you could try mixing the flour and suet with lime
juice instead of water, I suppose.)
If you want to make this in advance, take the stew out of the
oven and let it cool down as soon as the beef is tender then reheat
thoroughly, adding the spring greens and dumplings once the stock
is simmering gently.
2 lb (1 kg) stewing beef
1 bunch of spring onions
2 cloves of garlic
2–2 1⁄2 pints (1–11⁄2 litres) beef stock
1 glass of sherry
Soy sauce
2 fresh limes
2–3 tsp ginger
2 tsp sugar
Spring greens
8 oz (225 g) self-raising flour
4 oz (100 g) suet
Black pepper
Oil
Water
Method
1. Warm plenty of oil in a large saucepan while you trim the meat,
season with black pepper and coat with a little flour. (You’d
normally use plain flour, but as you need self-raising flour for
the dumplings you may as well use that instead. I can’t see that
it makes any difference.)
2. Quickly brown the meat in batches, transferring it to a large
casserole dish as you go, then add the chopped spring onions
and garlic to the pan with the sugar and ginger and fry for a
couple of minutes.
3. Put the onions and garlic in the casserole dish with the meat
then add the juice from the limes with the sherry, the stock and
plenty of soy sauce and give the stew a good stir.
4. Cover with a lid and cook in a very low oven, Gas Mark 2
(150–160ºC), for about 2–2 1⁄2 hours until the meat is just
tender.
5. Meanwhile, finely grate the lime zest (if you haven’t already)
and keep it covered in the fridge for later.
6. When the stew is ready, make the dumplings by mixing the
flour, suet and lime zest in a bowl and combining with 3–4
tbsp of water to make a smooth, slightly sticky dough. Roll the
dough into small balls with your hands.
7. Wash and shred the spring greens then stir into the stew. Put
the dumplings on the top and push them down a bit, and if
you think there’s not quite enough liquid in the stew by this
stage, add a little cold water to thin it out before you add the
dumplings.
8. Turn the oven up to Gas Mark 5–6 (190–200ºC), put the stew
back in and cook for approximately 15 minutes until the
dumplings are puffed up and slightly golden. Perfect with green
beans and egg-fried rice.

CALVES’ LIVER IN SHERRY SAUCE

Although calves’ liver is considerably more expensive than any
other kind it’s well worth it sometimes, not only for its lovely
smooth texture and subtle flavour, but because it cooks really
quickly and there’s virtually no preparation involved.
This is delicious served with creamy mashed potatoes and
spinach.
Calves’ liver
Baby onions or shallots
1⁄2 pint (250 ml) beef stock
1⁄4 pint (125 ml) apple juice
1⁄4 pint (125 ml) sherry
Balsamic vinegar
1 tbsp flour
1 tsp salt
Butter
Method
1. Warm some butter in a large, deep-sided pan while you peel
the onions or shallots. Cut into quarters then fry gently for a
few minutes until soft.
2. Sift in the flour and cook for another minute.
3. Stir in the beef stock and apple juice, bring to the boil and
reduce slightly before stirring in the sherry, a splash of balsamic
vinegar and a teaspoon of salt.
4. Keep the sauce warm while you fry the liver in more butter in
another pan for a couple of minutes on each side; the liver
should still be soft and pink on the inside.
5. Serve with mashed potatoes mixed with a couple of spoonfuls
of herby soft cream cheese, and any green vegetable.

CAULIFLOWER CHEESE SOUFFLÉ

This is the only unsinkable soufflé recipe I know, so it’s the only
one I ever make. If you like you can add thinly sliced courgettes,
onions or mushrooms – or all three – to the cauliflower to make
it more of a main course in its own right, or just serve it as a side
dish with a meaty dinner and potatoes. It’s lighter than regular
cauliflower cheese and looks good too, so give it a go.
1 cauliflower
1 oz (25 g) butter or margarine
2–3 tbsp flour
1⁄2 pint (250 ml) milk
3 eggs, separated
1–2 oz (25–50 g) Cheddar cheese
1–2 oz (25–50 g) Parmesan cheese
Method
1. Cut the cauliflower into florets and simmer gently in a
saucepan of boiling water (or steam) for a few minutes until
slightly softened but nowhere near mushy. Transfer the
cauliflower to a soufflé dish and preheat the oven to Gas Mark
4 (180ºC).
2. Melt the butter or margarine in a saucepan and stir in the flour.
(There’s a bit more flour to margarine than usual in this recipe
so the paste will be very thick at this stage; you really should use
a whisk to get rid of any lumps when you add the milk.)
3. Add the milk and grated Cheddar cheese together and whisk
continuously with a small or medium-sized balloon whisk for
a few minutes until you have a thick, smooth sauce.
4. Remove the pan from the heat and whisk the egg yolks into the
cheese sauce.
5. Whisk the egg whites in a separate bowl until stiff then
thoroughly fold into the cheese sauce with a large metal spoon
and pour the sauce over the cauliflower in the soufflé dish.
6. Sprinkle the finely grated Parmesan cheese over the surface and
bake in the oven for 20–25 minutes, until the soufflé is ever so
slightly risen and golden on top.

Nouilles Aux Crevettes

Yield > 4
Servings
Ingredients :
1 lb Fettuccine noodles
3 dsh Olive oil
1/2 lb Mushrooms, sliced
4 tbl Unsalted butter
1/2 cup Fresh basil, chopped
1 1/2 cup Heavy cream
28 x Jumbo shrimp, dressed and
butterflied
1 oz Pernod
1 tsp Lemon juice
Salt and pepper to taste
1 cup Grated Parmesan cheese
Basil leaves, for garnish
3 x -(up to)
4 x Shallots, minced
Method :
• Cook noodles al dente in 4-5 quarts salted boiling water
for 12-15 minutes.
• Drain, rinse with cold water, & set aside. Toss pasta with
few drops of olive oil. Saute mushrooms & shallots in 3 tbs
butter for 1-2 minutes. Add basil & heavy cream & set aside.
In separate pan, heat remaining butter & saute shrimp for 2-3
minutes. Remove pan from heat, add Pernod, return to heat &
flambe until flame subsides completely. Add mushroom
mixture & lemon juice & simmer for 5 minutes. Add salt &
pepper to taste. Before serving, toss fettuccine with shrimp &
mushroom mixture & Parmesan cheese. Serve on warm oval
dishes & garnish with basil leaves.
• LA TERRASSE
• SANSOM ST., PHILA., WINE: GIANO
• DI AVELLINO, MASTROBERARDINO '78

Noodles "Merilda" - (Nouilles Merilda)

Yield > 6
Ingredients :
1/2 lb Noodles
2 lb Coarsely chopped mushrooms
cooked in butter
3 lrg Truffles coarsely chopped
1 x Egg yolk
1 tsp Salt
1/4 tsp Pepper
1/4 lb Grated Swiss cheese
Butter
Method :
• Cook noodles in boiling salted water. Drain. In mixing
bowl, combine noodles, mushrooms, truffles, egg yolk, salt,
and pepper. Mix well.
• In ovenproof casserole, place one-third of noodles in a
layer. Sprinkle with one-third of grated cheese. Repeat
operation two more times. Dot with butter. Bake at 350
degrees for 20 minutes. Raise heat to 400 degrees and
continue baking for 10 minutes. Serve hot.
• Comments: The recipe is thus named because "Merilda,"
the family cook of Chateau Mouton-Rothschild, created it.
• Suggested Wine: A chilled white wine, dry or sweet.

No-Flour Chocolate Chestnut Torte

Yield > 14
Ingredients :
10 oz semi-sweet chocolate, melted
and cooled
1 x 15-ounce can chestnut puree
or chestnut cream
4 oz unsalted butter or unsalted
margarine
6 x egg yolks
6 x egg whites
1 pch salt
1/4 cup sugar
1 tsp pure vanilla
Glaze (optional):
6 oz semi-sweet chocolate,
coarsely chopped
1/2 cup whipping cream or brewed
coffee
Method :
• (*) Available in larger supermarkets, ethnic stores and
European groceries. Chestnut puree and chestnut cream are
usually imported from France. Either product will work well in
this recipe.
• Preheat oven to 350 F. Line a 9 or 10-inch springform
pan with a circle of baking parchment. Cake: Prepare melted
chocolate. Set aside and allow to cool to room temperature.
Using a whisk or in an electric mixer, blend chestnut cream or
puree with butter or margarine. Add vanilla, egg yolks and
melted chocolate. Blend well. In another clean bowl, with clean
dry beaters, whip the egg whites with the salt, just to break up
and foam slightly. Gradually, while increasing mixer speed,
dust in sugar to form stiff glossy (but not dry) peaks. Fold 1/3
of egg whites into chestnut mixture and work in well to loosen.
Gently fold in remaining 2/3 of egg whites in 2 installments,
blending well but taking care not to deflate the mixture.
• Spoon into prepared pan and bake until done, 35-45
minutes. Cake rises somewhat and looks dry and slightly
cracked on top when done. Middle should be soft but firm. Cool
in pan for 20 minutes, then remove to a wire rack.
• Glaze: Bring the whipping cream (or coffee) to a boil and
add the chopped chocolate all at once. Remove from heat and
stir briskly, using a wire whisk, until all of the chocolate melts.
Invert cake on a wire cake rack placed on a cookie sheet. Pour
glaze over cake, using a metal spatula to spread. Serve with a
dollop of cinnamon-scented whipped cream, or pureed
raspberries, or garnished with chocolate shavings, or dusted
with sifted confectioners' sugar.
• Serves 14

Mussels Mariniere

Yield > 4
people
Ingredients :
40 x mussels
2 tbl parsley, chopped
3 clv garlic, crushed
1/2 cup onions, medium
1 cup white wine
1/2 cup Vermouth, sweet
1 x lemon
60 gm butter
salt, pepper, cayenne
Method :
• Finely dice onions.
• Soak the mussels in cold water for five minutes, and
scrub to remove any dirt or sand. Change water several times.
• Put the mussels into a saucepan, add garlic, parsley,
onion, wine, vermouth and juice of lemon. Season generously,
bring to the boil, cover and cook for about 5 minutes or until
mussels are open. Shake the pan from occasionally. Add butter
and stir through.
• Note: discard any mussels that do not open.
• Serve mussels in a bowl and pour over cooking liquid.

Navarin of Lamb

Yield > 4
people
Ingredients :
1 kg lamb, diced
1/2 cup peas
12 x onions, small
2 tbl butter
2 tsp sugar (caster)
2 x carrots, medium
4 x potatoes, medium
1 tbl vegetable oil
salt, pepper
2 tbl flour, plain
3 cup beef stock
1 cup tomatoes
2 clv garlic, crushed
1/2 tsp thyme, chopped
1 x bayleaf
parsley, chopped
Method :
• Peel carrots and cut into finger-size pieces; peel potatoes
and halve or quarter them if they are large.
• Dice tomatoes.
• Brown lamb in hot oil in a pan, a few pieces at a time. As
they are browned, remove the pieces to a large casserole with
a lid.
• When all the pieces are browned, sprinkle with salt,
pepper, and flour and cook, uncovered, over medium heat,
keeping the pieces moving until all traces of flour disappear
and lamb is slightly crusty.
• Add the beef stock to the pan in which you browned the
meat; scrape up all the brown bits and bring to the boil. Pour
into the casserole, add tomatoes, garlic, thyme and bay leaf.
Bring to a boil, lower heat and simmer. Meat should be almost
covered by the broth. Add more if it is not. Cover and cook for
45 minutes.
• Pour boiling water over the white onions and slip off the
outer skins. Make a cross in the root ends with a knife. Sear
them in butter in a pan, then turn down the heat and saute
them gently for 10 minutes, shaking the pan from time to time
so they cook evenly. Sprinkle with the sugar and cook a few
minutes more to glaze lightly. Set aside.
• After 45 minutes, taste the sauce and correct seasoning if
necessary.
• Put all the vegetables except the peas around the meat
pieces and spoon the sauce over them. Bring again to the
simmer, cover and cook about 1/2 an hour or until vegetabes
are tender.
• Add peas and parsley, heat through and serve.

Mole Manchamanteles

Yield > 10
Ingredients :
STOCK
2 x chickens - (3 1/2 to 4 1/2
lbs)
2 x onions
4 x celery stalks chopped
4 whl cloves
(or 2 pinches ground
cloves)
2 x carrots chopped
2 x garlic cloves chopped
2 x bay leaves
2 x fresh thyme sprigs
1 x dried chile de arbol
2 whl allspice
24 cup water
Salt to taste
MOLE
6 x dried guajillo chiles
1 x dried ancho chile
4 cup boiling water
1 lb fresh or canned tomatoes
Oil
1/2 cup raw sesame seeds
1 x white onion roughly
chopped
1/4 cup whole raw almonds
1/4 cup raw pecans
1/4 cup raisins
4 x garlic cloves halved
2 whl cloves
(or 2 pinches ground
cloves)
2 x black peppercorns
1 whl allspice
1 x cinnamon stick - (2" long)
(or 1 tbspn ground
cinnamon)
2 sprg fresh oregano sprigs
(or 1/2 tspn dried
oregano)
9 cup Chicken stock - (to 10
cups)
2 x plantains
(or 1 fresh cored peeled
cubed pineapple)
Salt to taste
1 1/2 tbl sugar
Method :
• Stock: Cut each chicken into 8 pieces. Simmer chicken
pieces, onions, celery, cloves, carrots, garlic, bay leaves,
thyme, chile de arbol, allspice and water in large stockpot and
cook until tender, 30 to 40 minutes. Add salt to taste. Remove
chicken from stock and set aside. Discard vegetables and
seasonings and reserve stock.
• Mole: Remove stems, seeds and veins from both kinds of
chiles. Toast chiles in skillet or on griddle over low heat until
slightly fragrant and beginning to blister. Be careful not to burn
chiles. Put chiles in bowl and pour boiling water over them. Let
soak 20 to 30 minutes (the longer they soak, the less hot they
become).
• Transfer chiles from bowl to blender with slotted spoon
and puree, adding some of soaking water if needed to blend
well. Pass pureed chiles through sieve or food mill and set
aside.
• Quarter tomatoes and cook in dry skillet over medium
heat until dry, about 20 minutes. Blend well in blender and
pass through sieve or food mill to remove seeds and skins.
• Heat 1 tablespoon oil in skillet over low heat. When hot,
add sesame seeds and cook, stirring constantly, until seeds
brown slightly, about 5 minutes. Transfer to bowl. When cool,
grind in spice grinder or with mortar and pestle.
• Return skillet to medium heat, add 2 tablespoons oil and
onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is soft and
transparent, about 10 minutes. Add almonds, pecans, raisins,
garlic, cloves, peppercorns, allspice, cinnamon and oregano
and saute, stirring constantly, until brown and fragrant, about
10 minutes. Transfer to blender and add 1 cup chicken stock.
Blend until smooth.
• Put 2 tablespoons oil in large pot and heat over medium
heat until slight haze forms over oil. Add chile puree and fry,
stirring constantly, until dry, about 20 minutes. Mixture will
splatter, so carefully partially cover pot with towel. Add
tomatoes, sesame seeds and onion mixture and cook, stirring
constantly, 10 minutes. Add chicken stock to make fairly loose
mixture, 4 to 6 cups, and continue cooking, adding more stock
as necessary.
• Slice plantains and fry in 3 tablespoons oil over mediumhigh
heat until brown and slightly crisp, about 10 minutes.
Drain on paper towels. Add plantain or pineapple to chile
mixture and cook about 10 minutes to combine flavors. Add 1
tablespoon salt or more to taste. Stir in sugar. Mole should be
thick enough to coat spoon. Add more stock to thin, if needed.
Add chicken to mole and gently stir to completely coat chicken.
• Transfer to large, warm serving dish or platter. Place any
sauce that won't fit in serving dish in bowl and serve with corn
tortillas.
• This recipe yields 8 to 10 servings.