LEMON CHIFFON PIE

Let’s bring them back ...Lemon chiffon pie .

But this recipe is no longer ( in cooking terms ) politically correct . 

Can you guess why ?

Combine 250gm of crushed oatmeal biscuits with 75 gm of  melted margarine /butter .

Press this mix over the base and sides of a greased 23cm /9” round springform pan .

Chill.

Separate 4 eggs ( at room temp )

Combine the 4 egg yolks with 100gm of castor sugar , 1 dsp grated lemon rind in the bowl of your electric mixer .

Beat until thick and creamy 

Bring 1/4cup of lemon juice to the boil .

Continue beating  the egg yolk mixture and slowly pour in the hot lemon juice .

Mix together in a small saucepan 1 dsp of powdered gelatine with 60 ml of of dry white wine .

Gently heat till the gelatine has dissolved and then stir into the egg yolk mixture .

In a clean bowl with clean dry beaters , beat the 4 egg whites with 70 gm of castor sugar  ( adding the sugar gradually ) until stiff peaks form .

Now fold this through the egg yolk mixture .

Spoon into the chilled biscuit base .

Refrigerate until set .

Serve topped with thickened cream and thinly sliced lemon .

CINNAMON

Cinnamon is the spice that forms the basis of mixed spice for cakes , desserts and curry powders for savoury dishes .
Cinnamon imparts a warm , woody and sweet flavour to sweet and savoury dishes .
Cinnamon is a very popular spice made from the dried bark of a tree from the laurel family , Cinnamomum zeylanicum , which is either  ground or rolled up into curls called quills .
Cinnamon is commonly confused with cassia , which is a spice from the inner bark of a tropical evergreen tree, cinnamomum cassia , grown throughout China and the East .
Cassia has a similar aroma to cinnamon but is not as delicate .
Cassia is one of the constituents of five spice powder .
Cinnamon quills are used whole in stocks when poaching chicken or dried and fresh fruit .
Add ground cinnamon to marinades for pork and in the glaze for baked ham.
Spice up cakes , muffins and milk based desserts with ground cinnamon .

 

SPICY SWEET BISCUITS

Mix together 125gm of self raising flour with 1/2 tsp of bicarbonate of soda , 1 tsp of mixed spice and 25 gm of castor sugar .
Gently warm75 gm of golden syrup until runny then add 50gm of butter .
Add this to the dry ingredients to form a dough and shape into a ball.
Chill in the refrigerator for an hour .
Preheat your oven 180 deg C.
Lightly spray a baking tray and set aside .
Then roll out the dough on a lightly floured board to 5mm /1/4 inch thick
Cut out rounds with a biscuit cutter and place on the baking tray .
Bake for 12 minutes and cool on a wire rack .

 

SEARED SALMON IN A SPICY GINGER MARINADE .

Salmon is not caught in Asian waters , but Asian spices combine magically with the oil rich king of fish .

MARINADE
Mix the following ingredients together in a shallow bowl ............
2 tbs of soy sauce / tamari
1 dsp of ground star anise
4 tbs of moscato
1 tbs of minced ginger
2 tbs of coriander ( torn leaves and finely chopped root )
1 small red chilli ( finely chopped include seeds ).
Now add 2 x 250gm  salmon fillets and turn to coat in the marinade .
Chill for 2 hours .

When ready to cook , heat a tbs of rice bran oil in a heavy based pan .
Add the salmon ( skin side down ) and sear 2- 3 minutes on both sides .
I serve this with oven baked fennel and brown rice .
A cauliflower mash with asparagus also compliments this salmon dish .

 

BLACKBERRY COCONUT SLICE

Preheat your oven to 160 deg C
Grease a rectangular slice tray.( 18 x 28cm )
Spray with cooking oil and line with baking paper , ( extend paper 3 cm above the tray edges )

BASE........
Mix together in a large bowl .....
 100gm of plain flour
100gm of castor sugar
85gm of desiccated coconut , until well combined .
Use your fingers to rub in 100gm of butter / margarine, to make a coarse crumb .
Separate 3 eggs ( set aside the whites)
Stir in the 3 egg yolks with a blade of a bread knife .
Bring the mix together using your hands to make a dough .
Press the dough into the base of the prepared slice tray
Spread 5 tbs of blackberry jam over the dough .

TOPPING .........
Beat the 3 egg whites in a clean medium bowl with your electric mixer .
Gradually add 75 gm of castor sugar ( tbs at a time ), until glossy and stiff.
Fold in 50 gm of desiccated coconut.
Spoon the meringue mix over the jam layer .
Scatter with a handful of coconut flakes.
Coo in the preheated oven for 25 minutes or until golden .
Leave slice to cool in pan .
Carefully remove from tray using the excess paper overhang and cut into slices .

SUNDAY NIGHT DINNER @THE MANOR

OVEN BAKED PUMPKIN FILLED WITH CAULIFLOWER AND BROCCOLI FLORETS

SLOW COOKED OX TAIL

Rub ox tails with salt and pepper .
Sear on each side for 2-3 minutes .
Transfer ox tails to slow cooker
Pour over a mix of 1 cup of red wine , 400gm tin of diced tomatoes , 800gm tin of shoestring beetroot (strained) , 1/2 cup of Worcestershire sauce , 3 tbs of minced garlic , 1 small red chilli finely chopped
3 cups of chicken stock .
Cover and cook on low for 4 hours or until meats falls from the bone .
Strip meat from the bone and remove bone from the slow cooker .
Add 1/2 cup of chia seeds , 1 cup of wild rice , 1 green and red capsicum sliced .
Cover the slow cooker and continue to cook for 2 hours .
Serve with wedges of oven baked pumpkin .

CRUMBED LAMB’S BRAINS

I haven’t prepared crumbed brains for a very long time .
I will need to start the preparation today for the planned dinner at The Manor  tomorrow night .
Firstly prepare a poaching stock .
In a large pot place 1 onion unpeeled and cut into quarters, 1 carrot roughly chopped , 1 stick of celery , 1 leek roughly chopped ( white part only ), 1 garlic clove unpeeled and halved , 1 bay leaf, 1 cup of dry white wine, 2 litres of water and 1 tsp of salt .
Bring this to the boil and then reduce the heat to a slow simmer .
Now soak 6 sets of of lamb brains in cold salted water for 1 hour .
Then add the the soaked brains to the poaching stock and let them simmer for 4 minutes .
Then remove the brains carefully with a slotted spoon and place them on a tray lined with a clean cotton tea towel .
Refrigerate until completely cold .
Peel away any membrane from the brains and split them in half carefully .
Whisk 3 eggs with  1/4 cup of milk  a medium sized bowl .
In a second  bowl place a cup of plain flour mixed with a tbs of dried thyme .
In a third bowl add 1 cup of panko crumbs .
Now carefully and evenly coat the brains , firstly by dipping them in the flour and thyme mix , then into the egg and milk mix and finishing with an even coating of panko crumbs .
Heat a 1/2 cup of rice bran oil in a large frypan.
Now shallow fry the crumbed brains for 5 minutes or until golden all over .
Drain briefly on a wire rack.
Serve hot with lemon wedges on a handful of peppery watercress as a starter .
And the mains will be braised slow cooked ox tail .