west six kitchen

Sourdough pastry class

I spent yesterday in the capable hands of Yoke Mardewi, making sourdough pastries.  It was an amazing class, partly because I learnt so many new skills that it would be really hard to teach yourself at home.

We made croissants, almond croissants, pain au chocolat, escargot and tarte tartin.  I came home with a big block of croissant pastry that I'm going to bake (in various forms) today.  Results to follow...

If you're in Perth and are a keen baker, I can't recommend Yoke's book or classes highly enough.  She is an amazing teacher, and is so generous with her time and resources.  I'm going to miss visiting her a lot when we leave for London.

Boeuf bourguignon

On Thursday I'm cooking a three course meal for fifty, for a French themed evening at work.  Today I practiced one of the main courses, boeuf bourguignon - a recipe which I have adapted slightly from Mastering The Art of French Cooking.  

After the initial prep it was surprisingly easy, and very satisfying knowing the supper was bubbling away in the oven by lunchtime.  Download my recipe (with metric measurements) here: Download Boeuf bourguignon

 
 Browning the beef

 
It is crucial at this stage to get your recipe very, very grubby

 
Bringing it all up to a simmer

 
After four hours in the oven

 
Served with mashed potato, eaten in front of Masterchef, obv.    

Ottolenghi's strawberry oat bars

This recipe is adapted from Ottolenghi's raspberry oat bars (mine are strawberry, as I've still got lots of homemade strawberry jam).  I've changed the recipe a little bit to use whatever nuts I have at the time (as opposed to being specific) - generally almonds, brazils and hazelnuts are good, with a few pistachios thrown in for colour.

 

Chocolate meringues

Bourke Street Bakery chocolate meringues

105g egg whites

210g caster sugar

100g cocoa powder, sifted

1. Preheat the oven to 130C.  In a very clean stainless steel bowl stir together the egg white and sugar.  Place the bowl over a saucepan of boiling water and continue stirring, regularly scraping down the side of the bowl with a rubber spatula to ensure no sugar crystals form.  Once all the sugar has dissolved and you have a smooth, clear, warm liquid, remove from the heat - wipe the bottom of the bowl to ensure no water can come into contact with the mix
2. Transfer the warm liquid to the clean bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a whisk attachment.  Beat for about 10 minutes on high speed, or until the mixture is cool and firm and peaks have formed
3. Using a large serving spoon, scoop out meringues a little larger than a tennis ball and drop into the cocoa.  Working with one ball at a time, swill the bowl to make the meringue roll like a ball and completely coat it in cocoa.  Gently lift the meringue out and place it on a baking tray lined with baking paper.  Repeat this with the remaining meringue to get six in total
4. Gently dig the tips of your fingers into the meringue and drag them upwards, creating streaks of white and chocolate meringue.  Reduce the oven to 100C, and bake for 90 minutes, or until crisp on the outside and soft in the centre

Chocolate pistachio cake

 
A delicious and very easy gluten free cake (although as Nigella points out, not cheap to make).

Boston cream pie

Another recipe from HTBADG.

Maple meringue cake

From Nigella's How To Be A Domestic Goddess (my birthday present)

Top suppers I didn't cook #3

Barramundi or sea bass curry with cucumber (Geng dumii) From David Thompson's Thai Food

Obviously the crappy phone photo doesn't do it justice, but trust me: it was absolutely delicious.

Chocolate chip cookies

Another Hummingbird recipe.  It's pretty standard, but they went down a treat.

Coq au Riesling

A recipe from Nigel's Real Food.

50g butter

1tbsp olive oil

100g streaky bacon or pancetta, diced

2 medium onions, peeled & chopped

2 cloves of garlic, peeled & chopped

4 joints of free range chicken on the bone

200g    small brown mushrooms, halved or quartered

500ml medium-dry white wine

300ml double cream

3tbsp     chopped parsley

1. Melt the butter in a heavy based casserole, and pour in the oil.  Put in the diced bacon or pancetta and let it colour a little, then add the onions and garlic. Leave to cook over a moderate heat until the onions have softened but not yet coloured.
2. Scoop the bacon and onions out with a draining spoon, leaving behind the cooking juices, then add the chicken pieces. Let them brown lightly on all sides.  A moderate heat is best for this but be prepared to add a little more oil if the butter shows signs of browning.
3. Add the mushrooms and continue cooking for a few minutes, then return the bacon and onions to the pan.  Turn up the heat, pour in the wine, bring quickly to the boil and then turn it down to a simmer.  Let everything cook at a gentle bubble for twenty-five minutes, turning the chicken from time to time.
4. Lift the chicken out of the pan and pour in the cream.  Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper and stir in the chopped parsley.  Continue cooking at an enthusiastic bubble, until the cream starts to thicken slightly.  Return the chicken to the pan.  When the chicken is thoroughly hot and the sauce has the thickness of double cream, serve.