1. In a mixing bowl (heatproof) set over a pan of simmering water. Whisk with a balloon whisk the sugar yolks and champagne until pale. The foam must be sufficiently thickened so that it won’t break down on cooling. Remove from heat and cool until tepid. 2. Mix the berries together with the sugar arrange in oven proof bowls. Then spoon the sabayon over the berries, glaze and serve. 2. recipe: Chocolate GanacheMakes 36 truffles - 275g dark chocolate, minimum 60% cocoa solids, broken into pieces - 50g unsalted butter, at room temperature - 250ml double cream - 4 tbsp rum (if making truffles) - 50g cocoa powder (if making truffles)
This is a basic ganache to which you can add different flavourings, such as rum, brandy, yuzu or maccha (a strong, powdered Japanese green tea - use 1 tsp, and don’t be tempted to substitute leaf tea). If You add more chocolate the mixture will become firmer when cold. You can either shape the ganache into truffles, or use it as a chocolate filing for cakes and desserts (this recipe makes enough to fill and top a 30cm cake). 1. Place the chocolate and butter in a large bowl. Bring the cream to the boil and pour it over the chocolate and butter. stir gently until the chocolate has melted, trying not to create bubbles. lf making truffles, stir in the rum. 2. Place the bowl of ganache in the fridge to firm up, removing it about 15 minutes before you want to use it. 3. lf making truffles, put the cocoa into a bowl. Ensure your hands are cold and dry, then dust them with cocoa. Take spoonfuls of the ganache mixture (use a teaspoon or tablespoon) and roll the mixture into a ba|l in your cocoa-dusted hands. Drop each truffle into the bowl of cocoa, turn it around and then toss it between your palms to remove any excess powder. The truffles can be returned to the fridge and kept for up to 2 days as long as they are stored in an airtight container. 3. recipe: Vanilla Panna Cotta with Balsamic BerriesPanna cotta simply translates as 'cooked cream’. However, this recipe is very light and delicate due to the Gelatine. You must be careful with the amount of gelatine you put in - just enough to hold it firm; use too much and you will end up with a dessert you can bounce off the walls. The addition of balsamic berries adds a lovely sharpness which goes well with the creaminess of the panna cotta. Serves 6-8 - 4 leaves of gelatine - 120ml milk - Zest of 2 oranges - 2 vanilla pods, split - 150g caster sugar - 1.2 litres double cream - 80ml vodka For the balsamic berries: - 200g strawbenies, hulled - 150g raspberries - 100g blueberries - 75ml good-quality aged balsamic vinegar - 25g caster sugar
1. Soak the getatine in the milk and leave to one side. Place the orange zest, vanilla pods and caster sugar in a pan. Add 800ml of the cream and bring to the boil. Simmer until the mixture is reduced by a third. 2. While the cream is reducing, remove the gelatine from the milk and place the milk in a pan to warm gently. When it is warm, add the soaked gelatine and stir to dissolve. Add to the warm cream and pass through a sieve and leave to cool. 3. Lightly whip the remaining cream and fold into the setting mixture, together with the vodka. Pour the mixture into 6-8 dariole moulds, ramekins or similar sized moulds and place in the fridge to set. 4. While the panna cotta is setting' make the balsamic berries. Place the strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, balsamic vinegar and sugar into a large bowl and toss together. Allow to marinate for 2-3 hours, tossing occasionally. 5. Remove the panna cotta from the fridge and slide a knife around the edge to loosen. Alternatively, dip the moulds very briefly in hot water to loosen the panna cotta, Tip them out into the middle of the plates and spoon the balsamic berries around the edge. 4. recipe: orange and cointreau creme brulee Ingredients: 8Egg Yolks 115 gCaster Sugar 2Vanilla pods, split 750 mlDouble cream 250 mlMilk 55 gDemerara sugar 2 orange zest 25ml cointreau
METHOD: 1. Pre-heat the oven to 140°C. 2. Place the egg yolks and caster sugar in a bowl and add the vanilla seeds, zest and cointreau. Using a whisk, gently combine the mixture, then slowly stir in the cream and milk. 3. Pass the mix through a sieve and divide between six small ovenproof dishes or ramekins (about 9 cm in diameter and 2.5 cm deep). Place in the oven and cook for about 1_ - 2 hours until set on the top. To check, move the dish and if the cream mixture still ripples, it’s not cooked. (But over-cooking will cause the brûlée to crack on the top once cooked, so be careful). 4. Remove from the oven and place in the fridge until set: normally about an hour. 5. Dust the surface with the demerara sugar and either blow-torch or grill until golden brown. Serve immediately. 5. recipe: hot chocolate fondant with balck cherries Ingredients: 225 gDark chocolate with at least 60% cocoa solids 4 tbspDouble Cream 100 gButter 35 gGround almonds 2large eggs, separated 35 gCornflour 85 gCaster Sugar Cherries 500gBlack cherries 100mlRed wine Arrowroot 1Cinnamon stick
METHOD: 1. Finely grate 40 g of the chocolate and set aside. Gently melt a third of the remaining chocolate with the cream in a small saucepan, stirring well to mix. Remove and leave to cool. 2. Line a small plate with clingfilm and pour on the mixture. Place in the freezer for about 8 hours until set hard, then stamp out 8 small rounds using a 3 cm round cutter. Set aside. 3. Melt half the butter and brush liberally all over the inside of 8 ramekins. Dust well with the grated chocolate, shaking out any excess. Set aside on a baking sheet. 4. Melt the remaining chocolate (including any shaken out excess) and butter in a small heatproof bowl over a pan of barely simmering water, or in a microwave-proof bowl in the microwave on Full for 2-3 minutes, stirring once. Do not overheat or the chocolate will ‘seize’, or turn solid. Scrape this mixture into a bigger bowl, then beat in the ground almonds, egg yolks and Cornflour. 5. Whisk the egg whites in a separate bowl until they form stiff but not dry peaks. Gradually beat in the caster sugar. You may like to use a hand-held electric whisk for this. 6. Fold the meringue mixture into the melted chocolate mixture. Spoon half the combined mixture into the base of the ramekins, place a chocolate disc on top, then fill each ramekin with the remaining mixture. Smooth the tops of the fondants and chill in the refrigerator while you heat the oven to 180°C. 7. Bake the fondants in the oven for 10-15 minutes until risen and slightly wobbly, then remove and eat as soon as possible. 6. recipe: Vanilla Castle Pudding with Raspberry JamServes 6 - 175g (6oz) butter - 150g (5oz) caster sugar - 1 vanilla pod, split open - 3 eggs - 175g (6oz) plain flour - 1 rounded tsp baking Powder - A jar of the best raspberry jam you can find - 1 normal size Punnet of fresh raspberries
1. Preheat the oven to 180C fan (200C/gas 6) Grease six dariole moulds with a little butter. 2. Put the butter and caster sugar in a bowl scrape the sticky seeds from the vanilla pod into the bowl Cream until soft and pale. Beat in the eggs one by one. Stir in the flour and baking powder until amalgamated. 3. Fill the moulds three-quarters full - any more and you will witness an eruption. Place the moulds on a baking tray and bake for 20-25 minutes until golden and risen. Loosen the puddings with a palette knife, then turn out onto plates, 4. Heat up the raspberry jam, then add the fresh raspberries. Pour copious quantities of the hot raspberries and jam over the puddings and serve. Tip Before turning out the puddings. Cut off any uneven tops. So they will have flat bases to sit on. 7. recipe: rhubarb and orange pie PIE 1lb Short pastry 1/2lb fresh rhubarb 2 Oranges (peeled and segmented) 4 tbsp Castor sugar 25g Melted butter 1 Egg for egg wash CUSTARD 8 Egg yolks 8oz Castor sugar 2pt Milk 1 Fresh vanilla pod Vanilla ice cream Sprig of fresh mint
METHOD 1 To make the custard, split the vanilla pod in halve and scrape out the seeds and place in a pan with the milk and the pod. 2 Bring to the boil and while heating mix the egg and sugar together in a bowl and pour the hot milk on top the eggs stirring all the time. 3 Return back to the heat to thicken do not boil and once thick strain though a sieve and leave to one side. 4 Peel and segment the oranges and mix with rhubarb, 3 tablespoons of the sugar and sauté in a small pan until soft but still in chunks. 5 Butter and line the small moulds with the pastry leaving a little lip on the top edge. 6 Fill the mould with the rhubarb and orange filling well up to the top and top with a round piece of the pastry. Brush with egg wash and sprinkle with sugar before baking in the oven 180c for about 20 to 25 minutes. 7 Once cooked allow to cool slightly before removing from the moulds and serve warm with the custard and a spoonful of the ice cream and a sprig of mint. 8. recipe: wafer thin apple tart with walnut and honey cream Ingredients: 1 lb Puff pastry 6 Golden Delicious apples with honey and walnut2 oz melted butter 1 oz castor sugar flour Cream: 3 tbsp clear honey 1 oz diced walnuts 150 ml double cream
Method: 1. Roll out the puff pastry thinly and dock the surface with a fork. Cut out four 8-9 inch discs. Place in the fridge to rest. 2. Peel and core the apples and cut in half. Cut the apples nice and thin with a sharp knife. Remove the tarts from the fridge and place on a non stick buttered baking tray. Lightly brush the edges of the tarts with melted butter and spread the quince jelly on the middle. Drizzle the top with the melted butter and sugar and bake in a pre-heated oven (200C) for about 5-6 minutes, until golden brown. 3. While they are cooking, whip the double cream until thick, then fold in the walnuts and honey, and place in the fridge. Remove the tarts from the oven and glaze with a little of the remaining butter. Place on the plates and serve with a spoonful of the double cream mixture. 9. recipe: strawberry tart Serves 2 1 ready rolled sweet pastry 1/2 vanilla pod 1/2 pint double cream 50g sugar 25 strawberries 6” tart ring
cut the pastry out to the size the tart ring and bake blind for 10 minutes on 350F. remove and allow to cool. Whip the double cream, sugar & vanilla together until it forms soft peaks. Put the cream into the cooled tart case & fill to 3/4’s. Arrange the destalked strawberries on top of the cream and serve. 10. recipe: Fruit mille-feuille This translates as 'dessert of a thousand layers'. lt must be made with puff pastry, not filo which l've occasionally come across. Make sure you cook the puff pastry right through, as undercooked puff pastry tastes really horrible. Serves 8 - 25g puff pastry or packet of fresh, ready-rolled all-butter puff pastry Flour, for rolling out - 1 egg, beaten - 150ml double cream - 1 dsp icing sugar, sifted, plus extra for dusting - 1 vanilla pod, split - 75ml ready-made custard - 300g raspberries - 250g strawberries, hulled and cut in half - 1 fig, chopped - 100g blueberries
1. Pre-treat the oven to 18O"C/35O"F/Gas mark 4. RoII the pastry on a lightly floured surface and cut out a rectangle measuring 12.5 x 31cm. Place on a non-stick baking tray and brush the top with the egg wash. Bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes, until well risen and golden brown. Remove from the oven, transfer to a wire rack and allow to cool. 2. Meanwhile, whip the cream, sugar and vanilla seeds to form soft peaks. FoId in the custard to combine. 3. Once the pastry is cool, cut it in half horizontally and then spread the base with two-thirds of the cream mixture. 4. Toss aII the prepared fruit together in a bowl, and sprinkle the fruit over the cream. Spread the remaining cream mixture over the bottom of the top side of pastry and then sandwich together. Dust generously with icing sugar to serve. 11. recipe: prune and almond tartIngredients: For the Frangipane: 225 gUnsalted Butter 225 gCaster Sugar 175 gGround Almonds 50 gPlain flour 4Eggs For the tarts: 225 gShortcrust pastry 1 tbsp Cherry jam 275 gFrangipane 225 gPoached prunes– the cooking liquid boiled to reduce by half for glaze 10 gFlaked Almonds 300 mlCrème Anglaise Poire William liqueur
METHOD: 1. Pre-heat the oven to 180°C/350F/Gas 4. 2. Lightly grease 4 x 10 cm fluted, round, loose-bottomed moulds about 2.5 cm deep. 3. To make the frangipane, cream the butter and sugar together until almost white. Mix together the ground almonds and flour in a separate bowl. Add an egg at a time to the butter and sugar mixture, sprinkling in a handful of the almond and flour at the same time. This helps the butter and sugar cream to accept the eggs. Once all the eggs have been added, just continue to fold in the remaining almond and flour mix, to combine. 4. Roll out the pastry and line the tart cases. Spread the cherry jam between the moulds and then fill with the frangipane. Finish by sitting the prunes on the top. 5. Cook in the pre-heated oven for 30-35 minutes, covering with foil or greaseproof paper at the end of cooking if they are browning too quickly. Three-quarters of the way through cooking, scatter the flaked almonds onto the tarts and continue cooking. Once cooked, remove from the oven and allow to cool to a warm temperature. 6. Glaze the tarts with the reduced prune syrup. 7. Gently heat the crème anglaise and liqueur in a pan and spoon the sauce on to a plate. Remove the tart from its mould and sit it in the centre. . Home - http://www.jamesmartinchef.co.uk James Martin - Home - http://www.jamesmartinchef.co.uk/pcc.asp?xpath=&xpathid=&lang=eng James Martin - News - http://www.jamesmartinchef.co.uk/pcc.asp?xpath=/news&xpathid=&lang=eng