Parsnip and Truffle soup Recipe

Parsnip and Truffle soup Recipe

For me parsnips are really under rated as a vegetable. If they are cooked just right they retain their natural sweetness, and once blended they add texture to either soups or purees.

Ingredients

250g shallots roughly chopped
1 kg parsnips, peeled and roughly chopped
50 g butter
2.5 g thyme
3.75 liters vegetable stock
Salt and freshly ground white pepper
Truffle oil to drizzle when serving
Chopped parsley for garnishing

 

Optional Extra

Once you have peeled and chopped the parsnips, and they are in the roasting pan, generously drizzle them honey. It adds favour and also compliments the truffle oil which will be drizzled on the soup as you serve it

Method

Melt the butter in a large thick bottomed pan and gently cook the shallots.

Roast the parsnips with butter and oil in the oven until soft. When the parsnips are soft but not over cooked, add them to the pan of cooked shallots and thyme. Add the vegetable stock, bring to the boil, and then reduce the heat to a simmer, season with salt and pepper and simmer until the parsnips are cooked all the way through, and you are happy that the flavors have infused. Blend the soup until you have a smooth consistency. If you feel the soup is a little thick, you can add a little more vegetable stock until it reaches the consistency you like.

As you serve the soup, drizzle good quality truffle oil over the top of the soup. It adds not only heaps of flavor but also a visual garnish to the dish. Place some chopped parsley in the centre of the bowl, this lifts the dish adding color

Bon Appétit

Interesting facts about parsley

As a vegetable it is rich in calcium, magnesium, and potassium. It is also rich in folic acid, vitamin C, B1, B2, B3, B5, B6 as well as vitamin E

 

 

Beetroot, Pear, Feta and Chicken Salad Recipe

Beetroot, Pear, Feta and Chicken Salad Recipe

Wear an apron when chopping beetroot, and wash your board and hands afterwards or you’ll get red fingerprints everywhere.

Ingredients

4 good-sized beetroots, cooked

3 ripe pears, peeled, cored and cut into eighths
1 x lemon oil dressing see below recipe
 sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
 200g/7oz feta cheese
 a small bunch of fresh mint, smallest leaves picked
optional: a large handful of sunflower seeds

2 chicken breasts cut into strips

Juice of 1 lemon

3 sprigs of fresh thyme

Lemon Oil

¼ cup olive oil

½ cup fresh lemon juice

2 cloves of garlic, mashed and finely chopped

1 tsp salt

Mix all the ingredients together until the oil and lemon juice has infused

 

Method:

Cut the chicken breasts into strips, and place them into a bowl. Squeeze the lemon juice over the chicken, season with salt and pepper. Remove the leaves of thyme from the stalk/sprigs and add them to the chicken.  Mix the chicken with the lemon juice and the thyme. Set this aside so that the flavors can infuse while you continue with preparing the other ingredients

 Cut the beetroot into quarters, and the peeled pears into eighths. Dress with a little of the lemon oil dressing, just enough dressing to coat all the beetroot and pear.

Place the mint leaves into the serving bowl, and then add the dressed beetroot and pear. Using your fingers, gently break up the feta into pieces, and add the feta to the serving dish with the mint, pear and beetroot. Place the salad into the fridge while you fry the chicken

 
Put a pan onto the stove, and drizzle the pan with olive oil. Bring it to a medium to high heat. Add the chicken strips to the pan, and fry at a medium to high heat. Do not add the liquid from the bowl into to the pan; this would cause the chicken to boil instead of fry. Mix the chicken around the pan so that each piece gets a light brown color and then turn down the heat and cook until the chicken is cooked through.

 Add the chicken to the already prepared salad, and serve while the chicken is still warm. Drizzle with the lemon oil and enjoy. Bon Appétit

 Interesting facts:

Beetroot is rich in calcium, magnesium, it is also rich in folic acid and vitamin C, as well as small amounts of B1, B2, B3 and B5

Balsamic Chicken Breasts avec légumes Recipe

Balsamic Chicken Breasts avec légumes Recipe

Balsamic vinegar isn't just something you put over salads as a dressing, it's such a diverse ingredient, and paired with the right ingredients it has the potential to turn something that could be plain, into something super tasty

Ingredients

3/4 cup balsamic vinegar

1/2 cup water

1 teaspoon dried minced onion

1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

1/2 teaspoon dried minced garlic

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

1/4 teaspoon paprika

1/4 teaspoon crushed dried rosemary

1/4 teaspoon dried parsley flakes

1/4 teaspoon chili powder

1/8 teaspoon dried oregano

4 (6 ounce) skinless, boneless chicken breast halves

Method

Whisk together the balsamic vinegar, water, onion, red pepper flakes, garlic, salt, pepper, paprika, rosemary, parsley, chili powder, and oregano in a bowl, and pour into a re-sealable plastic bag. Add the chicken breasts, coat with the marinade, squeeze out excess air, and seal the bag. Marinate in the refrigerator 30 minutes to overnight.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Line a baking sheet with aluminium foil, or lightly grease a broiler pan. Remove the chicken breasts from the marinade, and shake off excess. Discard the remaining marinade, and place the chicken breasts onto the baking she

Bake in the preheated oven until the chicken breasts are golden brown, and no longer pink in the centre, about 40 minutes

Vegetables

Vegetables I would serve with this would be things like
 

-smoked paprika roasted potatoes, roast butternut squash and steamed broccoli florets

-roasted red onion quarters, steamed baby leeks, glazed baby carrots with sautéed cumin potatoes

 

 

Dean Street Townhouse

This restaurant has to be one of my favourite restaurants of all time, especially for their breakfasts.

Having previously worked for the Soho House group, I know their policies when it comes to the food they produce, the menus, keeping in line with seasonality, and without fail the food is always great, no matter which restaurant from the group you go to.

But in my opinion Dean Street Townhouse is something really special. It has a very homely feel to it from the moment you step inside, with smiling staff. The decor is a combination between vintage with classic style.

The menu is packed with many delights, that it makes it hard to decide what you should eat. For me, breakfast is my favourite meal to have there, and this is why. Upon opening the menu, I usually have a good idea of what I want, which is usually the Eggs Benedict, but as you open the menu, there are loads of tasty delights to choose from.

Starting with the Bakery, there are fresh muffins and pastries, which are consistently tasty, or if pastries are not your thing, you can choose crumpets and preserves. Still if nothing appeals to you, let your eyes wonder further down the menu, there is everything from granola and yoghurt's, to poached pears with honey and Greek yogurt. Still nothing.... how about their beetroot hash with poached duck egg or the Full English? There are fresh juices and smoothies to go along with what ever you choose.

So if breakfast is your favourite meal of the day, or if you enjoy great British food, I would recommend Dean Street Townhouse. For me it is a must!!!

Blood Orange Creme Caramel Recipe

Blood Orange Creme Caramel Recipe

Blood Oranges are currently in season. These unusually coloured fruits get its colour from the same pigment found in some flowers. The flesh of the fruit develops is colour as it develops, with low temperatures during the night. Personally I think it is a pretty special fruit.

I remember eating creme caramel as a child, it seems like a pretty easy and basic dessert, but I think with the addition of the blood orange, it takes it from being simple to unique

Makes 6 portions

 

Ingredients:

750ml milk

3 blood oranges, zest
4 eggs
8 egg yolks
250g sugar

For the caramel:

175g sugar

100ml water

Method:

 

Simmer the milk with the orange zest. Remove from the stove and let it infuse for at least one hour.

Mix the eggs and egg yolks with the sugar.

Bring the milk to the boil and temper with the eggs. Pass through a fine sieve if needed

 

Prepare the 8oz tin foil cups with caramel and then pour the mix (150g). Cook in an oven of 120 degrees for about 20-25 minutes

To temper eggs with a hot liquid, is a process of slowly adding the hot or warm liquid to eggs, that have already been whisked, adding a little at a time and whisking so that the eggs do not cook or scramble.  

Maze Sushi

This is amazing, even for someone who cannot eat fish. (Nasty allergy)

As a chef I have always looked up to Gordon Ramsay, for his work ethic and passion for food. I've read all his books, from, Humble Pie to his team up with his Maze cookbook. The passion for food shines though in everything.

But what he has created now in Maze is something rather special, Maze Sushi. With the acclaimed Japanese Sushi Chef Gohei Kishi joining their already great team, success is inevitable.

Guests will be able to enjoy both Sushi and Sashimi, prepared in different ways, right at the counter, and lets not forget the selection of drinks that go as accompaniments to the dishes, both with the Sushi and the meals in the main restaurant.

If you are a Sushi and Sashimi fan then I highly recommend taking a look at Chef’s choice Sushi menu

Maze is one of my favourite restaurants, with incredible dishes. The a la carte menu is a 7 course menu, with the added option of taking the ‘unusual wine pairings’ or with the ‘prestige wine’ pairing.

Either way in my opinion, for the quality of food and service, I would recommend making a booking at Maze, or Maze Sushi.  

Jerusalem Artichoke Soup Recipe

Jerusalem Artichoke Soup Recipe

Christmas has come and gone, and we have all done our share of eating. If you are like me, and keeping in season with the fruits, vegetables, meat and seafood, it's almost just as well that the list of 'in season' ingredients doesn't seem that long.

This recipe for Jerusalem artichoke soup is one that fits in with both being seasonality and being really tasty.

Serves 6-8

Ingredients

1 leek, roughly chopped and washed

5 g thyme
50 g butter
500 g Jerusalem artichokes, peeled and cut in half
1.5 liter vegetable stock
Salt and freshly ground white pepper
60 ml milk

Method

Melt the butter in a pan and gently cook the leek and thyme until soft. Add the Jerusalem artichokes and the vegetable stock then lightly season with salt and pepper, bring to the boil and simmer for about 15-20 minutes until the artichokes are cooked.

Process in a blender until smooth then strain through a fine meshed sieve. Reserve some of the stock when blending to adjust the consistency of the soup if necessary. Return to a clean pan with the double cream bring to the boil and season more if necessary.

Interesting fact about Jerusalem artichokes

Jerusalem artichokes have also been promoted as a healthy choice for diabetics. The artichoke has a underlying sweetness to it from the amount of fructose it has in it