Salmon Galette Recipe

Ingredients:

•    400g smoked salmon
•    Half a cucumber, grated
•    5 radishes, grated
•    2 dessert spoons finely chopped chives
•    10g leaf gelatine
•    125ml hot chicken or vegetable stock
•    200g cream cheese
•    125ml mayonnaise
•    125ml double cream lightly whipped
•    Juice of half a lemon

Rocket Salad:
o    1 small packet picked & washed rocket leaves
o    1 punnet cherry tomatoes washed & halved
o    Half a cucumber, washed & grated
o    1 desert spoon chives, finely chopped
o    50g roasted pine nuts
o    2 lemons cut into wedges
o    Olive oil

Australian beer bread:
o    550g self raising flour
o    1 teaspoon salt
o    1 dessert spoon caster sugar
o    375ml lager

Method:

Line a 400g bread tin with cling film, then line the base and sides, overlapping the edges so that there is enough to cover the top with smoked salmon. Save a few slices of salmon in case they’re required for covering and chop the rest to add to the filling.

Prepare the cucumber, radish and chives and drain in kitchen paper. Soak the gelatine in a bowl of cold water until soft – this should take about 5 minutes. Remove the gelatine from the water, and dissolve it in a pan in 3 tablespoons of the hot chicken stock.

Gently stir the cream cheese to soften it, then gradually add the mayonnaise and continue to blend slowly. Add the rest of the stock to the gelatine mix, then whisk this into the cheese mix. Add the cucumber, radish and chives and the chopped salmon. Add salt, pepper and lemon juice to taste. Fold in the lightly whipped double cream, then pour the mix into the prepared tin. Fold the overlapping salmon over to cover the galette completely and transfer to the fridge to set.

Prepare all the salad ingredients, then toss all except the lemon together. Dress the salad with a little olive oil and lemon juice. Slice the galette and arrange on plates alongside the salad. Add a lemon wedge to each plate and serve.

The beer bread is delicious with butter as an accompaniment to the galette. Pre heat the oven to 180°C. Sieve the flour and salt into a bowl, add the sugar and mix thoroughly. Form a well in the flour and stir in the lager, mixing gently until a dough forms. Transfer the dough to a greased loaf tin and bake for about 50 minutes. Turn the loaf out of the tin and leave to cool for about one hour to prevent excessive crumbling when sliced.

This recipe has been sent in by Terrace Restaurant at The Highgate House in Northamptonshire.

Lamb Kleftico Recipe by Highgate House

Ingredients:

•    8 lamb shanks
•    2 carrots, chopped
•    2 medium onions, chopped
•    4 celery sticks, chopped
•    4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
•    2 bay leaves
•    8 black pepper corns
•    A few sprigs fresh thyme
•    1.5kg washed new potatoes
•    200g unsalted butter
•    1kg fine green beans
•    2 shallots, peeled and chopped
•    1 small jar redcurrant jelly
•    200ml red wine
•    good olive oil

Method:

Heat the oven to 180 degrees (celcius). Place the lamb shanks in a suitable casserole dish with the chopped vegetables, bay leaves, a few black pepper corns and the fresh thyme. Cover with water and bring to the boil on top of the stove. Cover with a lid or silver foil and transfer to the oven for about two hours or until the meat is completely tender and is coming off the bone. This can be done in advance

Bring the new potatoes to the boil and cook for 20-25 minutes. Drain into a colander and tip back into the pan with a good splash of olive oil. Using a traditional masher, crush the potatoes, taking care not to completely mash them. Season to taste.

Top and tail the fine green beans and cook in salted boiling water for 8 minutes or so until they are al dente. Place the chopped shallots, redcurrant jelly and red wine in a saucepan and reduce by half. Add 250ml of the cooking liquor from the shanks as stock. Reduce by half again, pass through a fine sieve and taste for seasoning.

Heat the oven to 180 degrees (celcius). Place the lamb shanks on a roasting tray and coat them with a little of the redcurrant sauce, then roast for approximately 20 minutes or until golden brown.

Toss the fine green beans in a little butter and arrange on the serving plate. Place the crushed potatoes in the middle of the plate with a lamb shank on top. Spoon the sauce over the lamb and serve.

This recipe has been sent in by The Terrace Restaurant at Highgate House in Northamptonshire.

Fresh Strawberry Tart with Clotted Cream Recipe

Ingredients (serves eight):

Sweet Pastry: – can be substituted by shop-bought
o    500g plain flour
o    250g soft butter
o    170g icing sugar
o    Pinch of salt
o    2 eggs
o    2 yolks

Three punnets of English strawberries
Glazing jelly or a small jar of apricot jam
Clotted cream

Crème Patisserie:
o    500ml milk
o    120g caster sugar
o    70g plain flour
o    10g custard powder
o    2 eggs
o    1 vanilla pod

Method:

Of course, a more enjoyable method is to book a private dining room at Barnett Hill and celebrate with friends, family, customers or colleagues – click here to make an enquiry.

For the pastry mix, mix the flour, salt and icing sugar until a breadcrumb consistency is formed. Add the eggs and yolks and bring together to form the pastry, then rest for about 20 minutes before rolling out the pastry and placing over a 25cm fluted flan ring, overlaying the edges to allow for shrinkage. Leave to rest for a further 10 minutes.

Place baking beans or rice in greaseproof paper and press into the pastry ring, making sure to fill the edges (this stops the pastry from rising and allows it to cook at the same time). Put into the oven at 170°C and cook until completely golden brown: remove the baking beans and allow to cool.

For the crème patisserie, whisk the eggs and sugar together then add the flour and custard powder and beat to a smooth paste. Boil the milk with the vanilla pods, making sure that the seeds are removed by splitting the pods lengthways and running down the length of the pod with the back of a knife. Pour two thirds of the milk onto the egg mixture and mix, then place the mixture back into the remaining milk and onto the stove, stirring continually and making sure to cook out the sugar. The cream should thicken as it cooks, and should take 3 to 5 minutes to form the correct consistency. Allow to cool in the fridge.

To assemble, place and smooth off the crème patisserie inside the pastry case. Neatly arrange the strawberries on top. Gently warm the glazing jelly or apricot jam and brush it over the strawberries to glaze the whole tart. Serve accompanied by the clotted cream.

This recipe was created by The Terrace Restaurant at Highgate House in Northamptonshire.

Lemon Curd Parfait by Grey Lady restaurant

This is a fabulous summer time pudding which can be enjoyed at any time of year at the grey lady head chef Phillip Gibson serves it with a wonderful homemade basil meringue but why not try it with fresh raspberries?

For the lemon curd
4 lemons, zested and juiced
4 eggs beaten
110g butter
450g castor sugar

For the pate bombe
100ml water
400g sugar
10 egg yolks

For the lemon curd parfait
320g pate bombe
600g lemon curd
2 lemons, zested and juiced
325ml double cream, semi whipped

Lemon curd
Fill the sauce pan with water and bring to a simmer over a low heat. Melt the butter, lemon juice, zest and sugar in a bowl over the sauce pan making sure it doesn’t touch the water. When the sugar has dissolved add the beaten eggs and continue to cook the curd, stirring gently with a whisk, until it thickens. Remove from the heat and leave to cool.

Pate bomb
Place the water and sugar together in a heavy based saucepan and bring to the boil at 120c using a sugar thermometer to check the temperature. Whisk the yolks until they double in size then pour the sugar slowly over the yolks, continue to whisk as the mixture cools.

Lemon curd parfait
In a large bowl whisk together the Pate Bombe, lemon curd and the juice with the lemon zest, then fold in the semi whipped double cream. Pour the mix into a lined tray and place in the freezer for 24 hours.

Click here to view the Grey Lady restaurant in Leicester.

Recipe for Lamb Sweetbreads

The velvety texture and mild flavour of sweetbreads makes them a real delicacy and they can be cooked in almost any way. Here they are quickly pan-fried to melt in the mouth tenderness and served with a slice of ham hock terrine as an original starter.

All sweetbreads must be carefully prepared for cooking. First soak them in cold water for at least several hours to get rid of any traces of blood. Then blanch them by putting them in a pan of cold water and bringing to the boil. After boiling point is reached they should then be plunged into iced water to cool. (Larger sweetbreads can be simmered for a few minutes before cooling) Trim off any veins, gristle or exterior membrane. Now you are ready to proceed with this recipe.

Amount
8 Portions

Ingredients
8 Sweetbreads (cleaned, picked, poached)
1 Egg (beaten)
110g / 4 oz Breadcrumbs
Seasoning
Butter

Method
Gentle press the sweetbreads: lay them on a clean towel on a tray, in one layer. Place another towel over them and then a second tray. Weigh the tray down with a heavy weight. Leave them in a cool place being pressed for about two hours.
Once they are cool, dip the pressed sweetbreads in beaten egg and then breadcrumbs.
Pan fry on all sides in butter until golden brown.
Season with care

To Serve
Drain on kitchen paper

Points to Watch
All sinew and muscle must be removed