GRATIN
OF BLUEBERRIES AND LEMON
Muscovado sugar comes from Mauritius, goes
from light brown to almost black, and is truly delicious! It is similar in
taste to some of the spicy, floral notes found in Vin de Constance. If
muscovado sugar is hard to find, substitute good quality pure cane sugar.
Blueberries
180 g blueberries
220 g castor sugar
juice of 1 lemon
½ teaspoon Chinese 5 spice
2 tablespoons water
Lemon Gratin
finely grated zest of 1 lemon
100 ml lemon juice
150 g castor sugar
3 eggs, lightly beaten
150 g butter, cut into small pieces
2 tablespoons light brown muscovado sugar
(Serves 6)
Blueberries
Place all the
ingredients in a very wide pan and cook over high heat. Shake the pan to
mix everything together but, if using a spoon, be gentle so as not to
break the fruit. Bring to the boil and simmer for 3 to 4 minutes. Remove
from the heat, cover and leave to cool.
Transfer the blueberries and juice into
individual flat, ovenproof pie dishes.
Lemon Gratin Mix together the lemon
zest and juice, castor sugar and eggs in a glass or stainless steel bowl.
Place over a pan of gently simmering water and stir until the mixture
thickens. This should take 5 to 6 minutes.
Pour immediately into the bowl of a mixer
and whisk at almost full speed, adding the butter piece by piece. After
about 3 minutes the butter should be fully incorporated. Divide the lemon
cream between the dishes, taking care to cover the blueberries. Place the
dishes in the fridge for at least 3 hours.
To Serve Just before serving,
sprinkle the muscovado sugar onto the lemon cream, and place under a hot
grill to glaze and warm.
STIR-FRIED
SPICED FRUIT WITH BAKED EGG CUSTARD
Custard
2 whole eggs
2 egg yolks
50 g castor sugar
450 ml cream
50 ml milk
pinch each ground mace and grated nutmeg, plus extra nutmeg for sprinkling
2 teaspoons rose water
Stir-Fried
Spiced Fruit
1 medium,
golden sweet pineapple
2 large mangoes, slightly under-ripe
2 pears
6 purple plums
3 freestone peaches
24 cherries
6 passion fruit (granadillas)
½ teaspoon each mustard seeds, coriander seeds, ground ginger and ground
cinnamon
3 tablespoons light brown muscovado sugar
2 tablespoons maple syrup
(Serves 6)
Custard
Whisk together the eggs and
castor sugar until pale and creamy. Place the cream and milk in a saucepan
with the mace and nutmeg, and bring to the boil. Pour this onto the egg
mixture, mix well, then add the rose water. Pour the custard into little
dishes or ramekins (teacups are also good), stand in a pan of hot water
and bake at 120ºC for 20 to 30 minutes, depending on the size of the
dishes. Dust with a little extra grated nutmeg and serve at room
temperature (not cold).
Stir-Fried Spiced Fruit
Peel the
pineapple, mangoes and pears. Remove the stones and cores from all the
fruit. Cut everything into bite-size pieces. Cut the passion fruit in
half, scoop out the flesh, juice and seeds, and set aside for later.
Put all the spices in a mortar or spice
mill and crush. Set a large, wide non-stick frying pan over high heat, add
the spices and toss for about 20 seconds to release the aromas. Add the
hardest fruit such as the pears and pineapple, and stir-fry for 30
seconds. Add the muscovado sugar and maple syrup, then the softer fruit,
still over high heat. Finish with passion fruit. You should end up with
fruit that is cooked but still a little firm, with a delicious syrupy
sauce.
To Serve Serve the fruit in a bowl
while still hot, with the custard pots on one side.
LAVENDER
CAKES WITH ROASTED PEACHES AND PISTACHIOS
Use soft, freestone peaches in this
recipe. Unlike clingstone peaches, the flesh comes away easily and cleanly
from the stone; way more luscious to my mind.
Roasted Peaches
4 large, ripe freestone peaches
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
4 tablespoons castor sugar
Lavender Cakes
150g unsalted butter
5 egg whites
150 g castor sugar
60 g ground almonds
60 g plain flour (cake flour), sifted
1 tablespoon edible lavender flowers
finely grated zest of ¼ orange
2 tablespoons clear honey
2 tablespoons whisky
(Serves 4)
Roasted Peaches
To peel the peaches,
place gently in boiling water for 20 seconds, then lift out and plunge
into iced water to halt the cooking. Drain well, then carefully remove the
skin.
Heat an ovenproof non-stick roasting tray
on the stove-top. Add the butter and, when it’s foaming, add the
peaches, navel side up. When browned, turn over and sprinkle with castor
sugar. Bake at 180ºC for 5 minutes, then baste with the sweet juices.
Carry on cooking for about 20 minutes depending on the size of the
peaches, basting regularly. Remove from the pan, cover and keep
warm.
Put the pan on high heat, add the lemon
juice and wine, boil for 2 to 3 minutes, then add the pistachios. Keep
warm for later.
Lavender Cakes
Heat the butter in a
medium saucepan until it turns light brown, then leave to cool. Whisk the
egg whites with the castor sugar until frothy but not stiff. Fold in the
almonds, flour, lavender flowers and orange zest. When smooth, fold in the
butter, including any brown bits.
Fill small buttered cake tins measuring
about 3cm by 6xm two-thirds full. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes at 200ºC
until risen and golden. Meanwhile, warm together the honey and whisky.
Take the cakes out of the tins and baste immediately with the honey and
whisky.
To Serve Place the peaches on plates
and spoon over the pistachios and sauce. Serve with warm lavender cakes.
SAVOY
CAKE WITH APRICOT AND ALMOND PRESERVE
This traditional cake from the region of
Savoie in France is best served warm with fruit compôte or fruit preserve
and, of course, a glass of Vin de Paille, though Vin de Constance would do
just as well! For the best result, the cake should be cooked in an
old-fashioned circular copper tin with the centre filled in. These moulds
are now pretty rare, more often used as decorative pieces of antiquity
rather than for cooking. Modern tins are made of earthenware, aluminium or
even ovenproof rubber. It was also deemed best to bake Savoy Cakes in a
wood-fired oven although a conventional oven will do. But try placing
thick slices of cake onto a barbecue to toast and warm though. Delicious!
Apricot Preserve
500 g ripe apricots
juice of 1 lemon
1 vanilla pod, split and scraped
300 g castor sugar
Savoy Cake
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, and 1
tablespoon castor sugar, for the cake tin
5 eggs
125 g castor sugar
100 g plain flour (cake flour), sifted
200 g potato flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
pinch sea salt
5 egg whites
(Serves 6)
Apricot
Preserve Wash the apricots,
cut in half and remove the stones. Place the fruit in a thick-based
saucepan with the lemon juice, vanilla pod and seeds, and castor
sugar.
Break half the apricot stones to reveal
the kernels. Remove the brown skin around the almond-shaped kernels. They
have a very strong flavour. Place them in the preserve to cook. (You could
supplement – or even substitute – regular almonds.)
Cover with a lid and gently bring to a
simmer. Remove the lid and skim off any scum that has risen to the
surface. Stir gently to avoid sticking. The preserve should take about 45
minutes to cook and thicken like a compôte. Pour into a clean glass jar.
Keep in the fridge until needed.
Savoy
Cake Choose a cake tin able to
take 1,25 litres of batter, with room to expand. Butter it and dust with
castor sugar.
Whisk the eggs with
25 g of the castor
sugar for 10 minutes until very thick and pale. Fold in the flours, baking
powder and salt. Whisk the egg whites until soft and frothy, then add the
remaining castor sugar and continue beating until firm. Fold the egg white
into the yolk mixture. Pour the batter into the tin and bake at 200ºC for
10 minutes, then a further 30 minutes at 170ºC. Check by inserting a
small knife into the cake: if it comes out clean, it is cooked. Remove
from the oven, leave for 2 to 3 minutes, then turn out on a wire rack to
cool.
To Serve
Slice the cake and serve
with apricot preserve.
VIN DE CONSTANCE