Tag Archives: dinner party

Mango Cheesecake

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Looking for a dessert to serve on New Year’s Eve or New Year’s Day that can be made ahead, doesn’t involve turning on the oven and uses seasonal fruit? This recipe meets all the criteria.

Mangoes are at their cheapest and best in Australia at this time of year. Choose ones which are not over-ripe as they’re easier to slice thinly and curve for the decoration. If you’re in the northern hemisphere the recipe can be adapted to use strawberries or perhaps tinned peaches instead of mangoes.

To enhance the flavour of the mango and provide colour contrast, serve each slice with some fresh passionfruit pulp spooned over (not shown in photo). Or maybe instead of passionfruit serve the cheesecake with some raspberry coulis spooned over.

Mango Cheesecake

200g fresh mango flesh, puréed in food processor
¼ cup glucose syrup (also known as Corn Syrup)
1¼ cups plain sweet biscuit made into crumbs in food processor
75g butter, melted
500g cream cheese at room temperature
¾ cup sugar
1 Tbs grated lemon rind
2 tsp gelatine dissolved in
¼ cup boiling water, cooled
220g white chocolate, melted and cooled
1 cup cream, softly whipped
To serve:
2 mangoes extra, thinly sliced
Pulp from 2 passionfruit (optional)
Thick cream to serve

Place mango purée in a saucepan with glucose syrup. Cook, stirring over a medium heat for 15 minutes or until thickened and reduced by half. Set aside to cool.

Combine biscuit crumbs and butter and press evenly over the base of a 20-22 cm springform pan. In food processor or by hand beat cream cheese, sugar and lemon rind until smooth. Mix in gelatine mixture and melted chocolate, then fold in the whipped cream. Pour filling over biscuit base. Spoon over mango mixture and swirl through the white mixture using the tip of a knife, smoothing the top. Refrigerate 3 hours or overnight.

Serve decorated with fresh mango slices and, if liked, some passionfruit pulp. Serve thick pouring cream separately.

Serves 12

Variations: use peaches, apricots or berries instead of the mangoes. Pulp in the filling and sliced fruit or whole berries to decorate. For a Ginger Mango Cheesecake use ginger nut biscuits for the crust and mix 2-3 Tbs finely chopped crystallised ginger into the filling.

Rich Chocolate Mousse

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This recipe was given to me by my friend Jenny. It doesn’t contain any cream and is very chocolatey.
While travelling in Portugal recently we enjoyed a similar rich chocolate mousse which was garnished with extra virgin olive oil and sea salt flakes. It was delicious if you like that sort of sweet and salty combo. If not, serve the mousse with berries and thick cream.
250g dark chocolate
4 large eggs separated
2 Tbs butter
2 Tbs brandy or rum
To serve:
Thick cream and berries
or, Maldon sea salt
Extra virgin olive oil
Melt chocolate and butter in a large bowl over simmering water. Remove from heat. Mix in  the egg yolks one by one, then the brandy or rum.
Whip egg whites till stiff then fold carefully into chocolate half at a time. Scrape into a nice glass serving bowl, or individual bowls.  Chill.
Serve the mousse topped with a few flakes of salt and a drizzle of oil. Or with berries and thick cream.
Serves 6

Feta and Spring Onion Bouikos

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The Middle East’s answer to cheese straws, these feta and spring onion bouikos are delicious. The recipe, slightly tweaked, came from a UK restaurant called Honey & Co.

Bouikos can be prepared ahead and left in the fridge until just before guests are due to arrive. They are at their best served warm, not quite so good at room temperature and should definitely be eaten on the day they are made. I doubt very much that you will have any leftover, but if you do please send them round here.

I’ve made them twice and used feta and cheddar both times, but I plan to try using other cheeses, such as a blue cheese and ricotta. You could even try adding some finely diced bacon.

2 spring onions
50g cold butter cut into four
40g grated sharp cheddar (about ¼ cup)
40g feta (about ¼ cup)
¾ cup plain flour
Good pinch salt
¼ cup sour cream
Nigella or Poppy seeds (optional)

Preheat oven to 180°C unless you are making these ahead and planning to refrigerate them till serving time. Line a baking tray with baking paper.

Place spring onions in a food processor and process to chop. Add remaining ingredients and process until mixture forms a ball, then stop the motor. Tip out onto a lightly floured surface then pat out or roll out to a rectangle with a thickness of about 1 cm. If using, sprinkle with Nigella or poppy seeds. Cut into 12 squares, then cut each square into two triangles. Arrange slightly apart on baking sheet then bake for about 15 minutes, turning the tray halfway through to ensure even colouring.

Makes about 24

Upside-down Mandarin Cake

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This week’s recipe for a gluten-free, dairy-free cake using mandarin oranges which are now in season makes a sumptuous crowd-pleasing dessert.

The upside-down mandarin idea came from a recipe on a website I subscribe to called Delicious. However, the cake mixture in that recipe included flour and I needed to make a gluten-free, dairy-free dessert to take to a dinner party.

So I used a different recipe for an orange cake which uses almond meal instead of flour, used mandarins instead of oranges and combined the two recipes into one. Best served on the day it’s made, this cake is delicious.

Topping:
8 mandarin oranges
2 Tbs runny honey
Cake:
3 mandarin oranges
6 large eggs at room temp
1¼ cups sugar
1½ tsp baking powder
4 cups almond meal (bought or made in a food processor)
To serve:
2 Tbs sugar
250ml mascarpone
½ cup thick cream

Topping: Grease and line a 22cm (9 inch) cake pan with baking paper. Drizzle the honey evenly over the bottom. Finely grate the peel from 4-5 of the mandarin oranges and keep for the cake. Peel the 8 mandarin oranges, discard the peel and arrange the segments in circles in one layer over the base of the cake tin.

Cake: Preheat oven to 160° C. Place the 4 mandarins in a saucepan, cover with water then bring to the boil and simmer for 20 minutes. Drain and cool.

Make almond meal in a food processor by processing shelled almonds until very fine. They can be blanched almonds or not. Measure 4 cups and keep any excess for another use. Place the cooled mandarins in food processor (no need to wash it after processing the almonds) and process for a minute or two. Add remaining ingredients, including the almond meal and the grated rind you reserved earlier.

Scrape into the cake pan. Bake for 60 minutes or until well-risen, golden brown, firm to the touch and a skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean. Cool thoroughly in the tin.

To serve: Carefully tip cake out of pan and remove paper. If liked, sprinkle 2 tablespoons of sugar over the mandarin segments which are now on the top of the cake and use a blowtorch to brown the top. Not essential but looks nice.

Mix mascarpone with cream and serve with the cake.

Serves 12-16

Chicken Confit with Coconut Rice & Red Curry Sauce

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Living in Paris some 20 years ago I was introduced to confit, a cooking method where poultry is covered with duck fat or olive oil and cooked at a low temperature for a long time.

Confit comes from the French word confire which means to preserve and is used to describe any type of food that is cooked slowly over a long period as a method of preservation. It dates back to the days when people didn’t have refrigerators and this was a means of making things last longer.

The French mainly use this cooking method with duck, but chicken works just as well and I have also tried it with salmon. They say that confit duck or chicken pieces will keep in the fridge, submerged in the cooking fat, for up to a month, but I wouldn’t recommend leaving it for more than a week, just to be on the safe side. To serve, remove the chicken or duck pieces from the fat and pan fry them on both sides till crisp and golden brown.

The red curry sauce is a real winner. Quick to make and it can be frozen. If you don’t have time to confit the chicken, buy a cooked chicken at the supermarket, take off all the meat and mix it with this delicious sauce. The sauce goes with everything. Try it over steamed broccoli, green beans, noodles or fish.

The coconut rice recipe is also a winner because it requires no attention. It cooks in the oven and comes out beautifully fluffy and dry. This week’s recipe is perfect for entertaining because you can prepare all the elements beforehand.

There are two ways to serve this confit chicken. Either pan fried on top of the rice with the reheated curry sauce spooned over – as shown in the photo. Alternatively, remove and discard the chicken bones and mix the chicken meat (home-made confit or a cooked chicken from the supermarket) into the curry sauce, reheat and serve on top of the rice.

If you make the confit, don’t throw away the cooking oil once the chicken has been removed. Keep it to make the most delicious roast potatoes. Parboil them for 10 minutes, then drain, mix with some of the oil and roast in a hot oven or in an air fryer.

If you want to cut down on the calories in this recipe, use half a tin of coconut milk in the sauce and half in the rice. Add extra water to make up the difference.

Confit chicken pieces – see recipe
I used 6 chicken Marylands (drumstick and thigh)
Red Curry Sauce:
1 can (400g) coconut milk
2 Tbs peanut butter
2 Tbs red curry paste
2 Tbs fish sauce
2 Tbs lemon or lime juice
3 Tbs brown sugar
1 clove garlic, crushed
1/3 cup finely chopped peanuts
½ cup chicken or vegetable stock
Coconut Rice:
2 cups rice (Basmati or Jasmine)
1 Tbs olive or vegetable oil to grease the casserole
1 can (400g) coconut milk
1 cup water
4 tsp sugar
½ tsp salt
To serve:
Thinly sliced spring onions
Chopped fresh coriander
Lightly toasted coarse coconut
Lemon or lime wedges

Make the confit chicken according to the recipe link or buy a cooked chicken and take all the meat off.

Red Curry Sauce: place all ingredients in a small saucepan and simmer, stirring often,  for 10 minutes or until the sauce coats the back of a spoon and reaches the desired consistency. Can be made ahead and refrigerated or frozen until needed.

Coconut Rice: thoroughly rinse the rice with cold water, then cover with cold water and leave overnight or for at least an hour. Drain rice and place in a lightly-oiled heavy casserole with a lid. I used Le Creuset. Add remaining ingredients and mix well. Cover with the lid. Can be made ahead to this point. Bake for 40 minutes in an oven preheated to 180°C. Remove from the oven and stir well about 15 minutes into the cooking time. Fluff with a fork before serving.

To serve: remove the confit chicken pieces from the oil they were cooked in, then fry in a frying pan until crispy and golden brown on both sides. You don’t need to put any oil in the frying pan as the chicken pieces will all have a light coating. Toast the coconut by stirring it in a dry frying pan over moderate heat until lightly coloured.

Serve the chicken on a bed of coconut rice, with half to three quarters of a cup over reheated curry sauce spooned onto each serving. Garnish with the spring onions, coriander, coconut and lemon or lime wedges.

Serves 6

Slow-roasted lamb with Black Garlic and Herb Pesto

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This recipe is adapted from one I found on the Australian Gourmet Traveller website. We have a special gadget to make black garlic which we keep in the garage. We keep it there for two reasons. Firstly it’s about the size of a rice cooker and we don’t have room for it in the kitchen and secondly we don’t want the whole house to smell of garlic. It takes several several days on a very low heat to turn a dozen bulbs of garlic into black garlic. It makes a very welcome gift to friends and family who like to cook. When buying the fresh garlic you need to choose big ones with large cloves. If you can’t be bothered to make your own, black garlic can be bought at specialty food stores and farmers’ markets.

It’s not easy to describe, but I think it tastes like a cross between black truffles and an aged balsamic vinegar. Quite sweet and not particularly garlicky. A delicious addition to canapés, sauces and marinades, it can also be mashed with butter to serve on top of grilled steaks or blended into mayonnaise to make black garlic aioli.

1 boned leg or shoulder of lamb
1 head of black garlic
2 Tbs olive oil
1 tsp salt
1 cup beef stock
Herb Pesto:
1 cup each loosely packed parsley and mint
½ cup chives or 1 spring onion
4 cloves garlic
2-3 pieces lemon rind removed with a veg peeler
¼ cup lemon juice
4 anchovy fillets
1 Tbs capers
½ cup olive oil

Preheat oven to 140°C. Place lamb in a Dutch oven or large casserole with a lid. Squeeze the black garlic cloves to remove the papery skins and place them in a food processor with the olive oil and salt and blend until smooth. Scrape the mixture out onto the lamb, then use your hands to coat the meat, rubbing it in to every crevice. Place in casserole, add stock and cover with the lid. Can be prepared ahead to this stage.

Roast for 4 hours, basting from time to time. Remove lid for the last 30 minutes of cooking and turn the temperature up to 200°C.

For the pesto, place all the ingredients in a food processor and process, stopping to scrape down the sides, until you have a chunky pesto-like sauce. Keeps for a day or so in the fridge.

When the meat is ready it will be very tender. Remove from the oven and allow to rest for 15 minutes. Slice and serve with the pesto and a drizzle of the pan juices. I served it with a whole roasted cauliflower and some baby potatoes.

Serves 6

Variations: if you are missing one of the fresh herbs you can replace it with rocket.

Watermelon Sorbet with Olive Oil & Maldon Sea Salt

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This recipe is easy to make and never fails to impress. Serve it in shot glasses as a palate cleanser between courses or as a very light starter or dessert. The combination of sweet watermelon sorbet, fruity olive oil and salt flakes is amazing.

2 cups water
1 cup sugar
1½ kg watermelon, rind removed, cubed
Juice of half a lemon (or more, to taste)
1 egg white
To serve:
Extra virgin olive oil
Salt flakes

Place water and sugar in a medium saucepan and heat, stirring, until the sugar has dissolved.  Bring to the boil and boil for 5 minutes.  Cool.  Puree the watermelon cubes in a food processor.  Push through a fine sieve, pressing hard on the solids.  You should have at least 600ml juice.

Add syrup and lemon juice to watermelon juice and mix well.  Tip into a shallow plastic container and freeze for 4-5 hours, covered, or until almost solid.  Scrape sorbet into a food processor, add the egg white and process until smooth.  Return to the plastic container, cover and freeze again.

Serve a scoop or two per person in a shot glass.  Drizzle with a good slug of extra virgin olive oil and sprinkle with a few salt flakes.

Serves lots and keeps for up to a month in the freezer

Fig Jam

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Serve this jam, which is made with dried figs, on a cheese board. It goes well with most cheeses. It also pairs well with pâté, ham and chicken. Serve it in sandwiches or in this easy chicken recipe, instead of marmalade. A jar also makes a nice gift, if you can bear to part with any.

Serve a dollop on Greek yoghurt, or as a topping for baked brie. It also makes an unusual filling for scones, with or without whipped cream.

Last time we were holidaying in France I bought a few cans of pâté de foie gras. I served some recently as a starter, with a mini onion quiche and some brioche toast fingers.

500g dried figs, stems removed
2 cups sugar
3 cups water
¾ cup balsamic vinegar
1 Tbs lemon juice

Cut each fig into quarters and place in a large saucepan with a heavy bottom. Add remaining ingredients. Bring to the boil then simmer for 10 minutes, stirring from time to time. Use a stick blender to puree the jam. Or tip it into a blender or food processor and process using the pulse butter. You want a chunky not smooth finish. Tip the jam back into the saucepan. If you used a stick blender you can do that in the pan. Continue to simmer the jam for 5-10 minutes or until thickened. It will thicken more when it cools. If it gets too thick, add a little water.

Meanwhile wash and dry several small jam jars. Place them in a microwave (without the lids) and zap them for 2-3 minutes on high. When the jam is ready, tip it into the hot jars, then screw the lids on and store them in a dark cupboard.

Note: while balsamic vinegar gives a nice flavour, if you don’t have any substitute another vinegar such as sherry, red wine or cider.

 

 

 

 

Salmorejo with Seafood Medley & Goat Cheese Mousse

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Salmorejo is a Spanish soup, made from tomatoes, bread, olive oil and garlic. It’s served cold and is best described as a smooth Gazpacho. My son-in-law, who is a fabulous cook, served it when we were visiting earlier this year. I had never tried it before and thought it was delicious, so he sent me his recipe.

Having decided to use it as a base for a medley of seafood, I was concerned that when I heated it up in the microwave the Salmorejo might split, but it didn’t. It behaved perfectly.

Salmorejo relies on good quality tomatoes, so if it’s the middle of winter and the tomatoes in the supermarket are looking pale and unloved, use a couple of tins of good quality Italian tomatoes. As you can see from the photo, I didn’t do a very good job of making the goat cheese mousse into a beautiful shape with two spoons. The pressure was on to get the plates on the table for our guests before it got cold, so I ended up just putting rustic blobs. It still tasted good though.

Salmorejo:
600g ripe tomatoes
1 baguette
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 Tbs sherry vinegar (or red/white wine vinegar)
1 cup extra virgin olive oil
Salt to taste
Fish:
1 small piece of skinless white fish per person (I used Ling)
1 small piece of skinless salmon per person
1 large scallop per person
1 large green (raw) prawn per person
50g butter, melted
1 clove garlic, crushed
Salt and pepper, to taste
Basil oil:
½ cup fresh basil leaves
Olive oil
Goat Cheese Mousse:
1 cup whipping cream
100g soft goat cheese

Skin tomatoes, remove cores and place the rest in a blender. Remove the “guts” from the baguette. You should have 2-3 cups. Keep the outer crusts for another use.

Add 2 cups of the bread, vinegar and garlic to the blender. Blend until smooth, adding the olive oil through the chute with the motor running. Add salt to taste. Add more bread if necessary, to achieve desired consistency. Refrigerate till serving time.

Remove shells from prawns, leaving the heads and tips of the tails intact. Melt the butter with the garlic and  season to taste. Use it to brush all the seafood on both sides. Can be prepared ahead to this point and kept in the fridge.

Make basil oil by blending the basil with enough oil in a blender or food processor to make a thick sauce. For the goat cheese mousse, whip cream with electric beaters until thick then add the goat cheese and continue to whip until combined. Keep in the fridge.

At serving time, grill or pan fry the seafood. I cooked the prawns and scallops in the air fryer and the fish on a paper-lined tray in a hot oven. They took about 10 minutes max.

To serve, heat the Salmorejo in a microwave, ladle into 8 serving bowls and top with the seafood. Place a blob of goat cheese mousse in the centre and drizzle some basil oil around the edge. Serve with crusty bread and follow with a green salad – we had fresh rocket from the garden with toasted pine nuts.

Serves 8

Frozen Chocolate Mousse with Coffee Ice Cream

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We were served this dessert in a restaurant in the north of Spain. I can’t remember the name of the restaurant and I didn’t come away with the recipe, just the name and the memory of the delicious flavours and textures.

It’s been in the back of my mind to replicate it, so here is my version. The recipe is easy to halve to serve 6-8.

250g dark chocolate, broken into squares
250g unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
8 eggs, separated
2 Tbs Cointreau or Grand Marnier
Pinch of salt
4 Tbs sugar
1 tub of good quality vanilla ice cream (half a litre)
3 Tbs instant coffee
3 Tbs boiling water
To serve:
A few berries, fresh or frozen
Pouring cream

Melt chocolate and butter in a microwave or in a bowl over boiling water. Cool a bit then mix in the egg yolks and the orange liqueur.

Beat egg whites and salt with electric beaters until soft peaks form. Add the sugar and continue to beat until you have a glossy thick meringue. Add half to the melted chocolate and fold in gently with a rubber spatula. Add the rest and do the same. When thoroughly mixed, pour into small dishes and freeze for several hours or overnight.

Coffee Ice cream: Take the vanilla ice cream out of the freezer for about 15 minutes, so it softens a bit, then scrape it into a bowl. Mix the instant coffee and boiling water until smooth, then mix it into the ice cream. When thoroughly mixed, scrape back into the ice cream container and put it back in the freezer. Recipe can be prepared ahead to this point.

Serve each mousse with a scoop of coffee ice cream and, if liked, a few berries and pouring cream. Mine were frozen home-grown boysenberries, which is why they look frosted in the photo.

Makes 12-16 little mousses, depending on the size of your moulds