caramelised carrot soup

Inspired by the famous French dish Consommé de Boeuf Royale I substituted the components with Modernist Cuisine’s mega flavoured caramelised carrot soup with a coconut cream custard island topped with gently sauteed carrot ribbons, toasted coconut strands, roasted black sesame seeds and fresh tarragon.

A classic dish now with an Asian twist!

For the coconut cream islands:

Take 3 egg yolks and 1 whole egg and 1 cup of coconut cream - mix well and pour into greased dariole moulds. Place the moulds side by side into a baking dish and pour in enough boiling water to come half way up the sides of the moulds and bake for one hour at 130C fan forced. Turn out onto serving dishes when slightly cooled.

With the custards in place gently pour in the soup - not too much as it is very rich. Top the custards with the garnishes listed above and serve.

game pithiviers

These lovely little savoury pies are my favourite things to make at the moment. Filling ideas are endless but as we're in France I couldn't resist using duck confit and pigeon breast. The two ingredients so hard to find elsewhere.. well  that's not entirely true but at least here duck confit can be bought all ready to go which saves hours of time..and we have a local pigeon farmer. Substitute quail breasts for pigeon for ease if you have trouble sourcing them and use a mix of minced veal and duck beast instead of duck leg confit.

The other thing worth noting is the pastry. Here too in France I can buy fresh puff (or any other kind for that matter) in the cold fridge in the supermarket. It's superior pastry and the cooked result is perfect but whatever you do buy puff pastry don't bother to make your own, it's far too time consuming for this.

Recipe is for 6 pithiviers:

Roll out your bought puff or sheet pastry and cut out twelve (12) 10cm circles with a fluted cutter. Place these circles onto baking paper on a large baking tray (or 2 small) and place in the fridge. 

Ingredients:

2-3 sheets of puff pastry

2 duck confit legs, shredded and blitzed briefly in a mini food processor

8 quail or pigeon breasts, finely diced into tiny tiny cubes

1 large carrot, streamed, diced into tiny tiny cubes

1 packet fresh spinach, wilted in boilng water for 1 second and dried out with paper towel

salt & pepper to taste

1 whole egg whisked

25g fresh breadcrumbs

a few fresh French tarragon leaves chopped (or use thyme if you like, instead)

To glaze: 4 egg yolks - NO whites, please

Method:

Oven to 230 C

Mix all the above ingredients together except the pastry and egg yolks.  Remove the ready cut circles from the fridge and brush all twelve with egg yolk and place 60g of the mixture into the middle of 6 circles. Place the other 6 circles over the top but upside down so the egg side is facing down and over the ingredients. Squash out all the air and firm the sides of the circles with your fingers. Brush egg yolk all over and place in fridge for 15 minutes. Remove, brush again with more egg and place back in fridge for another 30 minutes or until you are ready to cook which might even be the next day. DO NOT cover the pithiviers at any stage of this procedure.

When you want to cook them take the next size cutter, 9cm, and recut them so the edges are neat discardng the rough edges.. Gently flute the edges at intervals wth a knife and lightly score the tops for presentation sake. Bake on the baking paper on the tray (s) in a very hot oven, 230C for exactly 15 minutes. Remove and rest for 5 minutes.

Serve with a madeira jus and a little oiled salad on the side or whatever takes your fancy.

Once you have mastered the technique required to make pithiviers use your imagnation to invent novel ideas to fill them. 1 pithivier (pronounced: pee thiv ee ay) is enough for each person as a starter with garnish or for lunch with perhaps a more substantial salad on the side.

Have fun!

duck breast carpaccio

Serves 4 as a starter

Ingredients:

1 duck breast, fat removed

fresh rocket

hazelnuts, chopped

rind of 1 orange

1 small fennel bulb, grated

for the sauce:

juice 1 orange

10ml hazelnut oil

10ml extra virgin olive oil

10ml sesame seed oil 

10ml balsamic vinegar

10ml light soy sauce

pinch of ginger powder

salt & pepper 

Method:

Wrap and place the duck breast in the freezer and leave for 1 hour to firm up enough to slice..

Mix all the sauce ingredients together and leave to one side.

Remove the duck from the freezer and slice either on a machine or by hand into very fine slices. Spread the rocket out onto a serving plate, lay the duck over the rocket. Moisten with the sauce and garnish with hazelnuts, fennel and orange rind.

better for you than a fistful of dollars!

Sunday night pasta

The final of the Australian Open is on tonight and my Djoko is up to grab the title, fingers crossed and I'm not prepared to miss one little bit of it. So am I being lazy or what? Yes, probably but with good reason. Here's what you need to do for a stress free night when you can put your feet up and enjoy this quick pasta dish - tennis and all. 

Cut a whole heap of washed baby tomatoes in half and place them in a microwave proof dish.

Chop up two garlic gloves in tiny pieces and scatter over the tomatoes.

Then scatter on some dried chilli flakes.

Add some washed and dried salted capers.

Sprinkle on a teaspoon of sugar (I use raw).

then add 3-4 chopped anchovies (optional).

Finish with a good grinding of black peppercorns but go easy on the salt if using anchovies.

Tear up a small handful of fresh basil leaves and give the dish a generous slug of extra virgin olive oil.

Microwave on high for 20 mins. Set aside to cool.

Add to cooked pasta of your choice - fettuccini or spaghettini work well -  turn the tomatoes gently through the pasta to incorporate.

Serve with freshly grated Parmesan, a little more torn basil and add extra anchovies if desired.

Eat well and enjoy with a nice glass of red. Here's to Djoko. Cheers!

pomegranate honey

Thanks go to both the food writer Charlotte Wood and Lucy Dodd's food blog Nourish Me for the superb idea of mixing pomegranate seeds and a little shaved skin of the whole fruit into a jar of honey. What could be easier, tastier and better for you and it's a cure for a sore throat as well!

There's nothing to this other than I've stated above. Use a lemon zester if you have one or otherwise use a very sharp knife to finely slice up a little of the skin avoiding the white pith. Wear gloves and an apron when cutting the fruit (pomegranate stains are almost indelible). Cut a whole pomegranate in half and either bang out the seeds or squeeze them out by hand making sure there is no white membrane attached to them. Drain away any juice and reserve on the side to drink later.

Pour a jar of honey into an airtight container, add the drained seeds and the peel and close tightly. Leave in the pantry for a couple of weeks for the flavours to marry. The colour and texture will change to a pinkish hue and will have a thiner consistency. Place in the fridge and simply top up with more honey, seeds and peel as the level goes down with use.

Divine served drizzled over ice cream, yoghurt or on salads or anything that compliments a sparkling sweet-tart flavour.

Pomegranates are loaded with potassium and vitamin C. The seeds are translucent, luscious,  brilliant-red and jewel like. This would be a perfect accompaniment to a Christmas feast and I should have posted this recipe for Christmas this year but like everyone, time got away from me.

HAPPY NEW YEAR !!!

Oeufs en Meurette (eggs poached in red wine)

This is my interpretation of a famous French classic and I've voted it my starter of the year. Fitting I think too for The Food Vine's 6th birthday on 1st November just gone.

You might want to try this recipe several times before serving it for a special meal - it's not easy to do and it takes patience and care but if you take into account the following tips your chances of getting it wrong up are fairly slim.

This is a beautiful and elegant dish and a perfect starter for a French styled meal.

Ingredients for 4 servings:

4 very fresh large eggs
500g fresh mushrooms: portobello, swiss brown etc..
1 eschallot, finely chopped
1 small knob of butter
1 tablespoon parsley, finely chopped
1 tablespoon double cream
4 slices of white bread, toasted then cut into a disc about 2 inches in diameter
1 bottle of good red wine
1 x 28g beef or veal stock pot portion and 2 tablespoons water
2 slices of prosciutto

Method:

Cook the eschallots and mushrooms in the butter over a low heat until the mixture is cooked through and all the moisture has evaporated. Add the cream and finely add the parsley. Turn into a small bowl, cover and place in the refrigerator.

Prepare a bowl of ice and water and leave it standing next to the cooker. Pour enough red wine into a very small frying pan (reserve what's left in the bottle). Bring the wine to boiling point then turn it down to the lowest heat setting. Crack one egg into a small cup then slide the egg into the wine. Set the timer for 3 minutes. Baste the egg yolk continually. After 3 minutes remove the egg with a slotted spoon and carefully place the cooked egg into the ice water. Repeat this with the other three eggs. Place the cooked eggs in the ice bath into the refrigerator.

Pour the wine from the frying pan into a medium size saucepan. Add the rest of the wine to the saucepan from the bottle. Bring the wine to the boil, turn down the heat and simmer until reduced by three quarters of its original volume. Add the stock and 2 tablespoons of water. Reduce by half. The sauce should be thick enough to coat. If it isn't whisk in a pinch of xanthan powder until you achieve the desired consistency. Cover and place in the refrigerator.

To plate up:

Toast the bread. Cut out a two inch disc from each slice. Spread a thick quantity of the mushroom mixer over the top of each disc and place the discs in the centre of four serving dishes.

Cook the 2 slices of prosciutto in a little oil until crisp. Drain. Cut each slice into two. Set aside.

Take the eggs from the refrigerator. Very carefully drain off the ice water. Boil the kettle. Carefully fill the bowl with boiling water and leave to stand for 2-3 minutes. Take a slotted spoon and carefully remove each egg, one by one and place on top of the four discs. Heat the sauce in the microwave for 1-2 minutes. Coat each egg with a little sauce. Place a piece of prosciutto across or alongside each egg and garnish with a little parsley or fresh bay leaf. Serve immediately.

Note:  'Continental' produce highly concentrated stock portions called: Stock Pot - they come four to a pack weighing about 28g each. Ideal for this sauce. If these aren't available to you use any other stock but then you will probably most definitely need to thicken the finished sauce with xanthan powder or similar.

Bon Appetit!

San Sebastian's best....

Pintxos bars:

La Cuchara de San Telmo

Zeruko

Borda Berri

A Feugo Negro

Atari

Ganbara

La Vina

Best value for money restaurant:

La Fabrica

Best restaurants for atmosphere (in the old port):

Marinela and the San Sebastián

Best fine dining:

Mugaritz

Arzak

Martin Berasategui

Going there? try this new tour operator:  tobebasque.com

Simple is best!

 I can't claim to have put this lovely dish together, oh I wish! I actually experienced it in a restaurant in Spain in a place whose name escapes me for the moment. Divine isn't it? Oh so simple - almost nothing at all - a de-seeded, skinned tomato with a slice of perfectly cooked tuna floating above like a cloud. I really don't want to go on about fresh food too much - I think we're all a bit tired of chef talk and their rantings about how important it is to have the freshest of the fresh ingredients. Yes, we all know that! Although I bow to their philosophy I'd just love to hear something new - tell us something different... Meanwhile this dish is all about love, simplicity and yes of course it's fresh.... gloriously so!

tip of the week - make your food shine!

Glucose Wash

Make up a wash comprising one teaspoon liquid glucose (corn syrup) with one tablespoon water. Mix well over a low heat for a minute until combined. Take a pasty brush and 'paint' the piece of meat, fish or chicken you are about to sear -  the painted side (presentation side) goes down first - cook to desired doneness and turn over - paint second side and sear again until cooked to your liking. The perfect shine every time!

Spicy Prunes

These spicy prunes don't photograph very well but believe me they are delicious. This recipe was given to me by Judy Newell who owns Rangimarie Beachstay on the east coast of NZ's north island.  If you don't want to go to the trouble of making spice vinegar any strong vinegar will do instead.

Ingredients:

450g pitted prunes
1 cup spiced vinegar
1 cup soft brown sugar
1 cup water
1 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Method:

Place all the ingredients in a small pan and bring to the boil. Simmer for ten minutes. Cool and bottle.

Spiced Vinegar:

Ingredients:

2 teaspoons allspice
1 teaspoon mustard seeds
2 bay leaves
1 blade of mace
1 teaspoon cloves
1 stick cinnamon
6 peppercorns
1 small thumb ginger, chopped
1 litre vinegar (malt)

Method:

Tie the spices in a muslin bag, place in a covered pan with the vinegar and heat slowly to boiling point. Leave to stand for two hours then remove the muslin bag and discard it except the cinnamon stick. Pour the spiced vinegar and place the cinnamon stick into a suitable bottle for storage. This vinegar keeps indefinitely.

Spain - under my skin

Spain has a way of getting under my skin, it's a country I can't get out of my head once back home. We've just returned from a dream two weeks. Rediscovering Barcelona and Port Andratx on Mallorca and getting to know Valencia and doing the tapas trail in Logrono. As always - not enough time but enough to feel enthusiastic to recreate and evoke the tastes and flavours in my own kitchen here in France. Some of the most remarkable food was the simplest. Isn't it always? My favourite from this trip: sepia (cuttlefish) on the plancha. I'm hooked. In Valencia black paella was new for me as was suckling lamb done in a wood fired oven in Logrono. Absolutely no complaints.

Trouble is getting the ingredients. Here in south west France the local (fantastic) produce is very regional so finding 'proper' Spanish ingredients comes as a challenge. However, I've made a start with a well known dish from where in Spain it comes I'm not sure but it's a safe bet for me. Black pudding is easy to find here and very delicious it is from the town of Vic-en-Bigorre at our local Saturday market.  Black pudding is not everyone's cup of tea but if you have the chance to taste a really good one you'll soon be converted.  The best black pudding I have ever had comes from Burgos in Spain and includes rice and for my money nothing else touches it.

This is not really a recipe as such it's just a case of putting all these splendid ingredients together. I doubt scallops are traditional in Spain but I've married them here with the morcilla (black pudding) as a flavour experiment. The texture of the scallops and the creaminess of the black pudding feel right in the mouth heightened by the succulent beans and the fresh, tangy mint.  It feels good. Essential ingredient next is the sea salt.

I first made this dish about thirty years ago. Spurred on by the loveable English cook, Keith Floyd, whose love of Spain matched my own and whose love of slapping up great simple ingredients with a glass of wine in his hand and a great amount of gusto enthused us all. He made us feel happy, not just about his cooking but about life and living and sharing. I can't quite remember off the top of my head how he made his broad bean dish but ever since then I've been putting together one version or another. The following is how I made it last night. Next time might be different. I might add some jamon Serrano and a splash of white wine or not as the case may be.

Serves: 2 as a main course

1 x 500g small black pudding, sliced into even 2cm slices
500g frozen broad beans
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 medium sweet white onion, finely sliced
6 scallops with or without coral
Sea salt and ground black pepper
Handful of fresh mint leaves

Method:

Transfer the frozen broad beans to a bowl and pour over enough boiling water to cover. Leave for a few minutes to cool then pod each bean of its tough outer shell. Discard the shells and set the podded beans aside.

In a medium sized frying pan heat the oil and sear the scallops for two to three minutes on each side until they are cooked through and lightly browned. Remove and keep warm.

Add the onion to the pan and gently cook until soft and translucent. Remove and keep warm.

Add the black pudding to the pan and cook until it is cooked through - about two to three minutes on each side.

Return the onion to the pan with the black pudding and add the beans. Cook a further few minutes, gently turning the ingredients around to mix together but without breaking up the delicate slices of meat.

Place the scallops on top, scatter over the mint and liberally sprinkle with sea salt and ground black pepper. An extra splash of extra virgin olive oil will help loosen the ingredients and given an extra sheen. Serve immediately.

taking a break!

autumn sunset at Binbilla, our home in the Hunter

Regular posting on the foodvine has suffered since the beginning of 2013 while I sat back to write another cookbook, the Recipe Tin. Now the book is finished, published and for sale (see opposite) I feel I can take a well deserved break from food writing. I apologise to my regular readers but I will make amends in the months to come.

Turkish bread

Don't go on a diet and then decide you can't live without Turkish bread – it's not Moorish for nothing. When you're all back to your slicey self bake a batch and never mind the calories. It's a bit messy forming into ovals so you might curse me at this stage but otherwise it's a simple bread with no kneading involved. You will need an electric mixer - don't attempt it otherwise.

Ingredients:

375ml warm water

2 teaspoons dried active yeast

½ teaspoon sugar

125ml extra virgin olive oil

5 tablespoons plain yoghurt (at room temperature)

562g plain white flour

2 teaspoons salt

½ teaspoon cumin seeds

1tsp sea salt

1 teaspoon nigella seeds or black sesame seeds

Method:

Use the bowl of a mixer like a Kitchen Aid or Kenwood or similar. Place the water in the bowl of the machine and stir in the sugar then sprinkle the yeast over the top. Leave to activate for five minutes. When it starts to foam and you see a little movement on the surface it will be ready.

Add the flour, yoghurt, oil and salt (in this order). Mix on a low speed for six minutes.

Cover the bowl with a clean tea towel and leave it in a warm place for two hours to double in size.

Preheat the oven to 190C.

Line two baking sheets with baking paper.

Turn the dough out onto a floored board and punch down. Divide in two portions. Smooth a portion onto each tray to form ovals approximately of 33cm x 13 cm. Drizzle with a little extra virgin olive oil, sprinkle over the seeds and salt.

Bake the bread in the oven for 23 minutes. Remove (from the oven) the bread tray from the top shelf. Swap the bottom shelf bread tray up to the top shelf. Bake for a further two minutes. Return the first tray to the oven, to the lower shelf and bake both for a further five minutes.

Remove both trays from the oven and slip them off the paper onto a wire rack to cool.

I find two loaves is too much for us so I cut and freeze one as soon as it is cold enough. I love it split and toasted for lunch and it's excellent sliced very thin and used to serve with dips – especially ones like broad bead, carrot and chick pea.

Note:

Three things kill yeast: cold, heat and salt.

Make sure the water is warm and not hot or cold.

The salt is added last during the mixing stage so it does not come into direct contact with the yeast.

the recipe tin

check out my latest cookbook, released today, 21st march 2013

 click on links for a preview and to

purchase printed version and/or ebook at..... 

Blurb

and

Apple ibooks store

146 pages of recipes, photographs, short stories and travel notes -

many not previously published on The Food Vine

Ahu Ahu - a black diamond by a blue sea

I'd heard about the black sand on New Zealand's west coast but I couldn't quite imagine what it would be like in real life. Not my cup of tea I'd thought to myself, being biased. I lived and love the chalk white sand of Jervis Bay on Australia's eastern seashore. It's my kind of sand. Dazzling, pure and whiter than white.

So I wasn't expecting real sand and I wasn't expecting it to be black black and I wasn't expecting it to be diamond bright, or to sparkle and glint at me, with or without the sun. It took my breath away. It's beautiful, it's a shock to all the senses.

Fresh water streams from nearby Mt Egmont lose momentum as they meet the beach, spreading out in ripples across the smooth, untouched, black surface into the sea. Fat seagulls squawk from little and large rocks that litter the water's edge. No-one else is here. I think of Longfellow's “I hope to join your seaside walk, saddened and mostly silent with emotion, not interrupting with intrusive talk, the grand majestic symphonies of ocean”.

Our villa, one of five – the Ahu Ahu Beach Villas. It's thoughtfully designed, under-stated, private and provides everything we need. We meet up with the owners, three nights running. David & Nuala. They generously offer freshly caught tuna and crayfish with homemade marinades and sauces. David even cooks our cray. We're speechless. Words don't come to extoll their virtues.

Ahu Ahu is roughly five hours drive south of Auckland and five minutes from Oakura near New Plymouth. Mt Egmont's viewing platform and climbing station is thirty minutes away. Ahu Ahu Beach Villas are a magic place to stay. Three days was not long enough. Check their website for more details www.ahu.co.nz

David's marinade for (luminous pink) seared tuna

sesame seed oil

sweet chilli sauce

soy sauce

garlic

ginger

lemon infused rice bran oil

lemon juice

David's aioli sauce for the tuna and crayfish

crushed garlic

sour cream

chopped basil

lemon juice

lemon infused rice bran oil

brioche

I love the shape, the shine, the texture, the taste, the flavour and the 'Frenchness' of brioche..

Brioche making is a two to three day affair because very little yeast is used and the dough is usually given three risings, one of which is in a cold place, and this process takes a long time. 

I decided to by- pass all this and kept my dough in the fridge for two hours and gave it no 'warm room' rising at all. I didn't knock it back after the first hour either. It is far too sticky to even contemplate touching. The net result was my brioche was excellent so this way of making it is really worth trying.

Serve brioche thickly sliced and toasted: plain or with any jam or marmalade or a mixture of cinnamon and sugar sprinkled over the top.

Brioche also makes excellent French toast: take 4 thick slices and dip them, one at a time, into a mixture of 4 eggs, 100ml cream and 100ml milk. Make sure each slice is well saturated. Melt a knob of butter in a frying pan and cook each slice about 2 minutes on each side until they are golden brown. Combine 50g castor sugar with 1teaspoon cinnamon powder and sprinkle over the cooked bread. Serve the French toast with a compote of berries and some yoghurt or ice cream.

Ingredients for Brioche:

190g plain organic white flour

2 teaspoons dried yeast

2 teaspoons castor sugar

3 eggs

1 teaspoon salt

125g unsalted butter cut into small cubes, at room temperature

1 egg and 1tablespoon milk for glazing

Method.

Mix all the ingredients together except the butter cubes and the glaze. Stir well. Using electric beaters mix on a low speed for 4 minutes then high speed for 4 minutes. Lower speed to medium and add butter cubes, a few at a time, until the butter is incorporated into the mixture and it's smooth and soft and very sticky.

Transfer the dough to a clean, lightly greased bowl and cover. Place in the refrigerator and leave there  for two hours.

Grease a fluted brioche tin, line with non-stick baking paper. Spoon the dough into the tin and brush lightly with the glaze.

Bake at 180C for 40 minutes. The brioche is cooked when a skewer inserted into it comes out clean. Leave to cool for a few minutes then turn out onto a wire cake rack and let cool completely.

walnut and sultana bread

200ml milk (at body temperature)

1 egg yolk

3 eggs

30g soft brown sugar

3 teaspoons dried yeast

300g organic plain four (sifted)

190g walnut halves

2 teaspoons salt

Glaze: 1 egg white, 1 tablespoon milk)

2 handfuls sultanas soaked in warm water for 30 minutes

Set oven to 200C

Line a 25cm (10 inch) loaf tin, I used a collapsable one, with non-stick baking paper and set the tin on a (round) baking sheet for ease in and out of the oven.

In a large bowl, mix:

milk, eggs, sugar and yeast. Leave in a warm place for ten minutes or until the mixture looks like it is fermenting on the top (bubbling up).

Sieve the flour into the mixture. Mix well. Add the nuts and fruit if you are using it, then the salt. Mix well.

Pour the mixture into the loaf tin and stand in a warm place to prove for 30-45 minutes or until the mixture has risen to within 1cm or ½ inch of the top of the tin. My mixture took nearly 50 minutes to rise. Brush with the glaze, gently and place in the oven.

Bake the bread for 5 minutes then turn the heat down to 170C and bake another 25 minutes and check it. I cooked mine a further ten minutes. All ovens vary so it's important to keep checking.

It is also important to check the bread is not burning on top. Place a piece of foil on it if necessary.

The bread is cooked when a knife is inserted into it and it comes out clean or when it makes a hollow sound when tapped.

Allow to cool in the tin then turn out onto a wire rack. Remove the paper. Leave to cool completely.

Notes: I cooked my bread in a small convection oven which has a round turntable in it which is why I had to use a round baking sheet. It was a very hot day and I didn't want the house getting all hot from the big oven. I let the bread dough prove outside, covered, on a table in the shade as the inside temperature of the house was a bit too cold for the dough to rise. The heat of outside air proved a perfect proving place.

The above recipe is my adaptation of a Peter Gordon recipe.

PG used 1 egg and 3 yolks while I used 3 eggs and 1 yolk. He used ½ teaspoon salt while I used 2 teaspoons salt. He used 2 tablespoons milk for the glaze while I used 1 tablespoon. He used 250gm walnut halves while I used 190gm. I think the walnuts should be roughly chopped so I will do this next time. He didn't use sultanas. I did but I should have put another handful in the mixture. He baked his loaf for 30 minutes while I baked my mine for 40 minutes.

I have to say my loaf was absolutely perfect as my bread expert husband will vouch for but I think if the walnuts were roughly chopped it would result in a better distribution of them throughout the loaf. Next time I'll use more walnuts, either 250gm as PG suggested or even more than that. After all this is walnut bread.

The bread is heaven with cheese, especially goat's cheese and when it's a bit stale it's almost better. Sublime toasted, too.

date-a-date

We always have fresh dates for Christmas. Great mounds of them piled high in fancy bowls alongside fresh cherries and all the nut varieties: hazels, walnuts, brazil and monkeys. A colourful display of Christmas fare and one that always seems a little decadent yet irresistible to me.

Fresh dates stuffed with an almond or walnut make an excellent hors d'oeuvre (little savoury appetisers) served with drinks. Substituting perfumed almond paste takes them to another level and straight into the petit four department. Excellent with a strong coffee after dinner or lunch.

Ingredients:

20 fresh dates, pitted

225gm almond powder

110gm caster sugar

½ teaspoon orange blossom water

1//8 teaspoon cinnamon powder

2 tablespoons of butter - Lescure is a great French butter worthy of its cost for this recipe

Cream the butter and sugar with an electric hand whisk until it is pale and the sugar is incorporated well into the butter with no grainy bits felt on the tongue at taste. A wooden spoon works just as well but requires plenty of elbow grease.

Add the other ingredients and combine well together.

Stuff each date with a little paste. And place in the refrigerator until ready to serve.

HAPPY CHRISTMAS!

Christmas tapa

On the lookout for something fishy and tasty to serve with drinks this Christmas I remembered a tapa we had in San Sebastian this summer. The above tapa is just about perfect considering there's nothing more fitting than prawns for Christmas in Australia. 

Place, in any order, on a short wooden skewer: a stuffed olive or two, half a tinned artichoke heart, two cooked prawns and a small piece of smoked salmon. Glisten the made up tapas with a little olive oil and a sprinkling of sea salt.

Cheers!