Plum Cheesecake

The winner of the last KKVKVK N°11, namely Ninnie de Mitaine Ecarlate chose cheesecake as the theme for the 12th edition. So this is my first real cheesecake (not the ready-mix sort!) Well it must have been alright, given the speed at which they disappeared, and the rest of the family seems to agree... As for the decoration, after 2 days of plum jam making, there could only be one possible choice!

Preparation : 1 hour
Refrigeration : 5 hours
Ingredients for 6/8

150 gr shortbread biscuits
80 gr butter
3 eggs
150 gr sugar
1 sachet vanilla sugar
350 gr coattge cheese
Juice of 1 lemon
4 gelatine leaves
20 cl single cream
Presentation :
3 plums
Mint leaves
Blackcurrant syrup

• Mix the biscuits with the butter in a food processer.
• Spread this paste over oven-proof paper to line the bottom of a mould, or 9 circles.
• Leave to cool in the fridge.
• Soften the gelatine leaves in cold water.
• Mix the egg yolks with 100gr of sugar, and the vanilla sugar powder in a mixer.
• When the mixture begins to froth, add in the drained cottage cheese.
• Warm the lemon juice, then dissolve the gelatine into it.
• Whip the cream until firm, and add to the cottage cheese.
• Beat the egg whites with the 50gr of remaining sugar until firm.
• Mix the egg whites and lemon juice into the cottage cheese preparation.
• Fill the moulds and smooth the tops.
• Leave in the fridge for 5 hours.

Presentation

• Turn out the cheesecakes with the aide of a sharp knife.
• Cut the plums into thin slices, and use to decorate the tops of the cheesecakes.
• Add the mint leaves, and decorate the dish with blackcurrant juice.

Blackberry cakes

I've been tempted by this recipe from Régis Marcon for some time now.

It's filled with memories, as a child I used to pick wild blackberries with my grandmother during the summer holidays. We would make them into jams together. So last time I was at my mother's, I brought back some of her blackberries. They smell so good!

Preparation and cooking time : 45 minutes

Ingredients for 4

6 egg whites

250 gr butter

100 gr plain flour

150 gr castor sugar

150 gr icing sugar

150 gr powdered almonds

300 gr wild blackberries

• Preheat the oven to 180°C.
• Butter a mould of around 30 cm in diameter, or 9 circles of 6cm.
• Mix the flour, the sugars and the powdered almonds in a bowl.
• Beat the egg whites until firm.
• Heat the butter gently until it begins to colour. Add the egg whites and the butter to the flour mix.
• Mix well.
• Pour 3/4 of this preparation into the moulds, then add the blackberries in the center, and finally add the remainder of the preparation.
• Bake a large tin for 30 minutes, or 20 minutes for the circles.
• Blend the remaining blackberries into a liquid, to garnish the cakes once out of the oven.
• Serve warm.

Salmon in goat's cheese with poached egg

I came across this recipe in a woman's magazine in a dentist's waiting room. Well as the magazine was already in quite a poor state, I 'borrowed' the page. I guess the dentist won't mind... It's a recipe by Christophe Leroy du restaurant la table du Marché à Saint-Tropez. I added the poached egg to give the dish a little more colour.

Preparation : 25 minutes

Refrigeration : 1 hour

Ingredients for 4

4 very thin slices of raw salmon

200 gr fresh goat's cheese

1/2 bunch of chopped dill

1/2 bunch of chopped basil

1/2 bunch of chopped chives

juice of 2 lemons

7 tbsp olive oil

1 lettuce

Salt, pepper

Poached eggs :

4 eggs

1 tbsp vinegar

• Mix 5 tbsp of olive oil, the lemon juice, and half of the dill and basil.
• Marinate the salmon for 30 minutes in this sauce. Season with salt and pepper.
• Drain the salmon, and keep the marinade juices.
• Mix the goat's cheese with the rest of the olive oil, and add pepper.
• Mix in the chopped chive with a fork.
• Spread this mixture over the salmon slices.
• Roll up the salmon slicesa and wrap in kitchen film. Leave for at least 30 minutes in the fridge for the slices to firm.

Poached eggs :

• Bring the water to the boil with 1 tbsp vinegar added (but no salt).
• Break each egg into a soup ladel, and then plunge them into the boiling water.
• Remove the saucepan from the heat, and cover with a lid.
• Leave the eggs to poach for 3 minutes : they are ready as soon as the yolks are covered with a fine translucent film.
• Remove the eggs with a perforated spoon, and plunge them into cold water to stop the ccoking process.
• Trim the whites to give a smooth outline.

Presentation

• Lay out washed lettuce onto the plate.
• Just before serving, slice the salmon roll into 2cm discs.
• Place on the lettuce, and season with the marinade juices.
• Finally add the poached egg, and serve.

Hot crab soufflés

Before leaving for the Auvergne, I tested out this crab soufflé recipe on my mum. They're best served straight out of the oven.

Variation : Replace the crab with salmon or lobster. The fish should be cooked first seperately.

Preparation and cooking time : 35 minutes

Ingredients for 6

50 gr butter

3 tsp finely ground breadcrumbs

4 finely chopped spring onions

1 tsp madras curry powder

25 gr plain flour

7 tsp coconut milk (or ordinary milk)

150 ml whipped cream

4 egg yolks

4 egg whites

225 gr crab meat

1 drop of Tabasco

Salt and pepper

• Butter 6 ramekins and sprinkle fine breadcrumbs to line the inside.
• Shake off the excess breadcrumbs.
• Preheat the oven to 200°C (mark 6).
• Fry the onions in butter.
• Add the curry powder, and stir on a low heat for 1 minute.
• Add in the flour and cook for another minute.
• Add the coconut milk and the whipped cream.
• Cook to obtain a thick paste.
• Off the heat, add in the egg yolks, and then the crab meat.
• Season with salt and pepper, and add a drop of Tabasco.
• Beat the egg whites with a pinch of salt until firm.
• Use a metal spoon to add the whites to the crab mixture.
• Bake for 8 minutes. The soufflés should be golden brown.
• In a single large souffle dish, you would need between 15 and 20 minutes baking time.

Serve quickly before the soufflé deflates!

Cornets de Murat

I made the most of the sunshine by collecting plums from the garden and making jams. The left-overs gave me an idea for a recipe tonight...

Preparation and cooking time : 1 hour
Ingredients for 4

Cornets de Murat :
2 eggs
120 gr sugar
120 gr plain flour
1 tbsp cane sugar
20 gr icing sugar

Chantilly cream :
50 cl cold single cream
1 tbsp cane suugar
Spicy plums :
450 gr plums
2 tbsp water
Mixed spices : pepper, nutmeg, cinnamon, clove
20 cl red wine

60 gr sugar

Cornets de Murat :

• Preheat the oven to 180°(mk.6).
• Beat the eggs and sugar together with a mixer.
• Add in the flour and the cane sugar.
• Make up cone shapes from firm paper or card.
• From a sheet of oven-proof paper, cut out 10cm diameter circles with a pair of compasses.
• Spread a thin layer of the mixture onto each circle.
• Bake for 6 to 7 minutes.
• Out of the oven, quickly turn over the circles, and roll them around the cones. You can do around 4 circles before they harden.
• Leave the cornets to cool.

Spicy plums :

• Clean the plums and remove the stones.
• Heat them in a saucepan with 2 tbsp of water.
• Off the heat, add in the sugar, the spices and the red wine.
• Simmer for another 6 minutres, then leave to cool.

Chantilly cream:

• Whip the very cold single cream in a mixer.
• Add in the cane sugar.
• Pour into the syphon and screw in a gas cartridge.
• Shake vigorously 4 times, then remove the spent cartridge.
• Leave the syphon on its side in the fridge.

Presentation :

• Fill the cornets with the chantilly cream.
• Sprinkle icing sugar over the cornets, alongside the plums.

Smoked Haddock flan

A classic combination of smoked fish with potato in pastry, another recipe from the highlands. Once again, the whole family loved it...

Preparation : 1 hour

Cooking time : 40 Minutes

Ingredients for 4

Shortcrust pasty :

225 gr flour

1 pinch of salt

115 gr of softened butter

3 tbsp cold water

Flan :

200 gr smoked haddock

600 ml milk

Thyme

150 ml crème fraiche

2 eggs

200 gr potatoes

Pepper

Variation : you can add hard-boiled eggs cut into quarters before laying out the potato.

Pastry

• Preheat the oven to 200° (mark 6).
• Put all the pastry ingredients together in a mixer, or large salad bowl.
• Mix together, then add the water to obtain a ball.
• Kneed the dough (pressing it out in front of you with the palm of the hand) to equalize it.
• Wrap in film and leave in the fridge for 30 minutes (where it will firm and loose its elasticity).
• Roll out the dough, and place in a quiche dish ( I used only half of the dough at this stage).
• Prick with a fork.
• Place greaseproof paper over the pastry, and weigh down with beans or similar so as to prevent the pastry from rising.
• Cook for 20 minutes.

Haddock Flan

• Poach the haddock in a saucepan with the milk, pepper and the thyme for 10 minutes, then leave to cool.
• Beat the eggs with the crème fraiche. Add the cooled liquid from the haddock poaching.
• Remove the skin and the bones from the fish.
• Peel and cut the potatoes into very thin slices.
• Fill the pastry with the potato slices, then add the haddock.
• Pour the cream mixture over the top.
• Bake in the oven for 40 minutes.

Sea trout mousse

For a Sunday picnic to go with some home-smoked salmon, I tried this Scottish recipe for trout mousse (you can also use salmon). Yet another mousse variation!

Preparation and cooking time: 30 minutes

Refrigerator: Overnight

Ingredients for 6

250 gr trout fillet

120 ml fish stock

2 leaves gelatine

Juice of 1/2 lemon

30 ml Sherry or Vermouth

2 tsp parmesan cheese

300 ml whipped cream

2 egg whites

15 ml sunflower oil

Salt and pepper

• Poach the trout in a saucepan of boilig water for around 4 minutes.
• Leave to cool.
• Soak the gelatin leaves in cold water.
• Warm the fish stock, and then off the heat add in the gelatine leaves (drained).
• Stir, and then leave to one side.
• Flake the flesh from the trout, taking care to remove the bones.
• Mix the stock, the trout, the lemon juice, the sherry or vermouth and the parmesan in a mixer.
• Wait until the preparation has fully cooled.
• Add in the whipped cream, and chill until the mousse begins to set.
• Beat the egg whites into snow, add a pinch of salt.
• Delicately add the egg white to the trout mix.
• Oil the ramekins with sunflower oil, and fill with the mousse.
• Leave overnight in the fridge to obtain a very light mousse.

Rhubarb fool

This is a really quick and simple dessert. You can also use apples, plums, or peaches, mango...

Preparation and cooking time: 25 minutes

Refrigerator: 1 hour

ingredients for 4

450 gr rhubarb

75 gr castor sugar

3 tbsp water

20 cl crème fraiche or greek yoghurt

20 cl crème anglaise

Honey

• Peel the rhubarb and cut into small pieces.
• Cook in a saucepan with the sugar and a little water whilst stirring for 10 minutes.
• Leave to cool.
• Mash the rhubarb into a paste with a fork.
• Mix the crème fraiche (or greek youghurt) and the crème anglaise.
• Add in the rhubarb, and mix. Leave in the fridge for an hour.

Serve topped with a little honey.

I served accompanied with Scottish Shortbread from Chez AnneE Station Gourmande.

Red mullet tian with spinach and tomato

My garden looks a little more colourful this last week. It desperately needed some water, like most of France. My mother had advised me not to water the tomatoes... I thought she was mad! But, for once in my life, I listened, and in fact the tomatoes are great this year. I suppose the roots had had to extend further down to find a constant supply of water. Nature is surprising sometimes, though over the last few years has probably been troubled by frost and hail in April, heat waves in July. Next it'll be snow in August...

Anyway, here's a recipe to put those magnificent tomatoes to good use, along with of course, some of the herbs.

Preparation and cooking time: 1 hour

Ingredients for 4

8 red mullet fillets

800 gr fresh spinach

100 gr butter

5 tomatoes

1 chopped onion

Olive oil

Garlic

1 bouquet garni (bunch of various herbs, tied with string)

250 ml de fish stock

Thyme

Basil

Rosemary

Salt, pepper

• Wash and cut the ends from the spinach. Boil them in salted water for 5 seconds. Drain well.
• Fry in a little butter, and then keep to one side.
• Blanch, peel and chop the tomatoes.
• Sweat the onions in a little olive oil and butter.
• Add the tomatoes, the bouquet garni, and season with salt and pepper. Cook for 7 minutes.
• Reduce the diluted fish stock, then add in the tomatoes, the thyme and the basil.
• Add in the butter, and stir to bind the sauce.
• Butter the presentation circles, and place them onto greaseproof paper.
• Cut the mullet fillets into thin strips.
• Fill the circles with spinach, a spoonful of the tomato mixture (this is quite liquid), and the mullet strips (skin-side up) on top.
• Brush with a little olive oil, and place some rosemary leaves on top.
• Cook for 3 to 4 minutes in a hot oven.
• Place the circles and the paper onto a plate, slide away the paper and remove the circle. The juice will then spread around the plate.

Serve immediately!

Melon with iced milk and white chocolate

Melon, a starter or a dessert?

For this recipe inspired by Chef Jean-Paul Thibert, I opted for a slightly peppered dessert, and was pleasantly surprised! As for the iced milk, it couldn't be easier!

Preparation time: 45 minutes
Ingredients pour 4

1 or 2 melons
1 feuille de brick
20 gr melted butter
1 pinch of white pepper
Iced milk:
50 cl milk
200 gr white chocolate

Iced milk and white chocolate

• Boil the milk in a saucepan.
• Finely chop the white chocolate.
• As soon as the milk boils, take it off the heat and skim the skin from the surface.
• Add the white chocolate and stir to even the mixture.
• Leave to cool completely, and then freeze with an ice-cream maker.
• Leave in the freezer.
• Cut the melons in two, and remove the seeds.
• Confection small balls of melon with a spoon.
• Preheat the oven to 150° (mark 5)
• Make four small circles and four bowl-sized circles from the feuille de brick.
• Butter on both sides.
• For the larger discs, place them in a bowl, with a smaller bowl on top. Bake for 7 minutes. Turn the smaller discs over during the baking.
• Remove from the oven and leave to cool.

Presentation

• Season the melon balls with white pepper, and warm in a hot frying pan for 2 to 3 minutes.
• Divide up into the baskets.
• Confection the iced milk into quenelles and place over the melon.
• Add the smaller discs.

Serve immediately

Smoked Haddock pâté

On our visit to Stafford, I was delighted to meet up with an old friend, Marie and her husband Thierry, two French ex-pats in England. It's always nice to see each other around the dinner table.

On this rather special evening, I monopolised the kitchen to prepare some Scottish recipes. And for once, even my husband helped! Mind you, I spent an hour more than usual at the supermarket, it's difficult abroad to find the products you're looking for, or similar substitutes. This recipe for smoked haddock pâté is very quick and simple. I served Scottish oatcakes, a recipe for which you can find here Tuyau de Poêle, both with the starter and the cheese.

Preparation and cooking : 45 minutes
Ingredients pour 6 ramekins:

225 gr of raw smoked haddock
275 gr cottage cheese
3 eggs (beaten)

30 ml lemon juice

• Remove the flesh from the haddock with a fork and put into a bowl.
• Add the cottage cheese and mix.
• Add the beaten eggs, the lemon juice and season with salt and pepper.
• Butter the ramekins, and pour in the preparation.
• Cook in the oven in a bain-maire for 30 minutes.
• Leave to cool for a few minutes out of the oven before delicately turning out with the aid of a sharp knife.

For our cheese plate, we made a trip to the village of Hartington in Derbyshire, home of the famous Stilton.

Until our next dinner in December...