Rosemary Shrager
Smoked Haddock in Puff Pastry
Ingredients:
6 smoked haddock fillets
1¼ lbs. puff pastry
1½ cups milk
8 tbsp. unsalted butter
¼ cup all-purpose flour
Pinch saffron
1 egg yolk
Seasoning
Chervil
1 tomato (finely diced)
Oven: 400ºF / 200ºC
Method:
Roll out the puff pastry on a floured surface to ¼ inch (5mm) thick. Cut out six rounds approximately 3 inches (7cm) in diameter and place onto a baking tray. Score a smaller circle onto the tops of the rounds (later, this will form the lid of the pastry case). Brush the inner circle with egg yolk but be careful not to go over the edges of the inner circle, because the egg yolk will stop the pastry from rising. Cook for approximately 15 minutes until a pale color and well risen. Remove, cut off the lids and remove the soft dough inside. Leave on a grid until required.
Gently cook the haddock in the milk, 4 tablespoons of the butter and a pinch of saffron. Simmer for a couple of minutes and then cool. Remove the haddock from the pan draining them on kitchen paper, and strain the liquid and reserve until later. Take the skin off the haddock and remove any bones that might be there. Put the flesh on a plate until required.
In a pan, melt the remaining butter, add flour and stir gently over heat for one minute. Add the strained liquid and stir constantly until well mixed and thickened. Cook for another couple of minutes.
Warm the puff pastry, divide the smoked haddock between the six pastries, spoon two to three tablespoons of the sauce over each one and place the lid on top. Garnish with springs of chervil and diced tomato and if you like, hollandaise sauce.
Extras:
Puff Pastry
Makes approx 5 lbs. (2.5kg)
Ingredients:
7¾ cups all-purpose flour
10 tbsp. well-softened unsalted butter
2 tbsp. salt
4 egg yolks
2 ¼ cups water
9 ½ cups unsalted butter
3 ½ cups all-purpose flour
Method:
In a large mixing bowl mix the flour, salt, egg yolks and water into a dough. Make the dough into two equal size balls, cut a cross half way down in the top and then place into the fridge. Now soften the butter, either on a table or in a mixer (not food-processor) with the 3 ½ cups of flour and blend in to one large cake before refrigerating.
At this stage it is important to have the pastry and butter at more or less the same stage of suppleness when rolling out. Roll out the dough to form a clover shape, rolling each clover leaf out separately. Place the butter on the top of the dough. Bring the sides up over the butter so there are no gaps and it is well sealed. Carefully roll the dough into a rectangle shape, place on a tray and place into the fridge for 30 minutes.
Afterwards, roll gently into a thinner rectangle about 1/8 inch thick, each time rolling from the center out to each end. Fold the dough back to two thirds up the rectangle and fold the final third back onto the dough. Place this in the fridge for a further 20 minutes. Place the folded dough open side facing you and roll out again. Then fold again and repeat one more time. Put into the fridge for a further 3 hours. Finally, cut up in to the required sizes, and freeze or refrigerate.
Hollandaise sauce recipe
This is enough to accompany asparagus, salmon etc for four people. There are many simpler ways to make a similar sauce, but this is the very best and not very difficult; once you've tried it, you won't want to lower your standards.
Ingredients:
½ lb. unsalted butter, clarified
1 tbsp. white wine vinegar
3 tbsp. water
1 bay leaf
8 peppercorns
4 egg-yolks
Juice of 1 lemon juice
Salt
Method:
Combine the water and vinegar in a small pan, bring it to the boil and reduce it to one dessertspoonful. Allow it to cool, then put in the egg yolks and thicken, being careful NOT to scramble. Then put into a bowl over a barely simmering hot water bath and whisk in the thickened egg mixture. Then bit by bit pour in the clarified butter, stirring constantly. Finally stir in lemon juice to taste, and salt. Do NOT leave over the water for too long without stirring, otherwise it will curdle.
How to skin a tomato:
Cut out the hard stalk in the center of the tomato, cut a cross in its base then put it into boiling water for 10 seconds. Then quickly run it under cold water.
Traditional Roast Grouse
Ingredients (Serves 4):
4 young grouse
4 slices bacon
4 sprigs thyme
Olive oil
2 tbsp. toasted breadcrumbs
Seasoning
For the sauce:
1 stalk celery, finely chopped
½ leek finely chopped
1 shallot, finely chopped
4 tbsp. butter
½ bottle red wine
1½ cups game/chicken stock
½ cup blackberry puree
1tbsp Rowan jelly (see below) or sour cherry preserves
Oven: 425ºF / 220ºC
Method:
Truss each grouse with bacon on the breast and sprig of thyme in the cavity. Sprinkle salt and pepper on top. Next, prepare the sauce. To do this, soften the leek, shallot and celery in 2 tbsp. of butter, add the wine and then the stock, reducing by half after each addition. Stir in the puree and the jelly and reduce again until it reaches a good consistency, then season it to your taste and strain it through a fine sieve.
Sear the grouse on all sides in hot oil and then roast them for fifteen minutes, turning them every five. If you prefer your grouse less pink, cook them for up to five minutes more but no longer. Remove them, cut off the string and allow them to rest for a further ten minutes. Finish the sauce by whisking the remaining butter into it. Serve each bird on a crouton, with bread sauce, and game chips, accompanied by the sauce.
Extras:
Good Game
If you are offered the choice, select young grouse as the are sure to be succulent. The mistake people often make with grouse is to overcook it, making it tough and dry.
Bread Sauce
Bread Sauce is one of those things that you either love or hate. If, like me, you love it, you cannot imagine chicken or grouse without it.
Serves 4
Ingredients:
1 small whole onion
6 whole cloves of garlic
2 cups 2 tbsp. fresh breadcrumbs
2 ¼ cups milk
1/3 cup double cream
Seasoning
Method:
Stick the cloves into the onions and put them in a small pan with the milk. Bring it to the boil and allow it to cool and infuse. Remove the onion and beat in the breadcrumbs, simmer for about three minutes, and, at the last minute, stir in the cream and season to taste.
Game Chips
Game chips are very fine, very crispy chips. They're best when they're done in advance. Grate the potatoes finely - with a mandolin if you have one - then cook them in a deep fat fryer until the crisp up and turn a light golden color (if the potatoes have been in water, make sure you dry them off otherwise the won't cook properly). Then leave them aside, and just before heating, put them back into the fryer until the turn a deeper brown.
Croutons
4 slices of bread and ½ cup of clarified butter (butter that's been slowly heated so that the impurities sink to the bottom and can be strained off).
Cut the bread into 3 inches (8cm) circles, brush them on both sides with clarified butter and then bake them for five minutes until they become large golden brown croutons, turning them if necessary. Remove them and allow them to cool on a rack.
Feuilletine - Thin layered biscuits with raspberries
Ingredients (Serves 4):
1lb (450g) puff pastry
Powdered sugar
1lb 4oz (600g) raspberries
2 tbsp. crème patisserie
½ cup heavy cream
Raspberry coulis
4 sprigs of mint
Oven: 400ºF / 200ºC
Method:
Sprinkle the powdered sugar on a clean surface and roll out the puff pastry in the sugar until quite fine. Roll the pastry up like a scroll and place in the fridge until needed.
Now cut the pastry into ½ inch (1.5 cm) thick pieces and roll out paper thin. Cut them into 4 inch (10 cm)rounds and put them into the over for approximately fifteen minutes or until golden brown. Place the circles of pastry onto a metal tray, and press down with a heavy pan filled with ice. Carefully remove with a palette knife. These will store very well for a few days.
Carefully whip the heavy cream until soft peaks are formed. Fold 1 tbsp. of crème patisserie into the whipped cream, slightly loosen the mixture with the spoon and then fold in the remainder.
On a serving plate, make a round later of raspberries, place a biscuit on top and then a layer of crème. Carry on layering finishing with a biscuit layer. Sprinkle with powdered sugar, and serve with raspberry and a mint leaf.
Extras:
Puff Pastry
Makes approx. 5lbs. (2.5kg)
Ingredients:
7¾ cups all-purpose flour
10 tbsp. well-softened unsalted butter
2 tbsp. salt
4 egg yolks
2 ¼ cups water
9 ½ cups unsalted butter
3 ½ cups all-purpose flour
Method:
In a large mixing bowl mix the flour, salt, egg yolks and water into a dough. Make the dough into two equal size balls, cut a cross half way down in the top and then place into the fridge. Now soften the butter, either on a table or in a mixer (not food-processor) with the 3 ½ cups of flour and blend in to one large cake before refrigerating.
At this stage it is important to have the pastry and butter at more or less the same stage of suppleness when rolling out. Roll out the dough to form a clover shape, rolling each clover leaf out separately. Place the butter on the top of the dough. Bring the sides up over the butter so there are no gaps and it is well sealed. Carefully roll the dough into a rectangle shape, place on a tray and place into the fridge for 30 minutes.
Afterwards, roll gently into a thinner rectangle about 1/8 inch thick, each time rolling from the center out to each end. Fold the dough back to two thirds up the rectangle and fold the final third back onto the dough. Place this in the fridge for a further 20 minutes. Place the folded dough open side facing you and roll out again. Then fold again and repeat one more time. Put into the fridge for a further 3 hours. Finally, cut up in to the required sizes, and freeze or refrigerate.
Crème Patisserie Recipe
Ingredients:
1 ¼ cups milk
¼ cups all-purpose flour
2 ½ tsp. cornstarch
4 egg yolks
¼ cup sugar
This makes quite a lot, but I like to keep any that is left over in the fridge to use in other recipes.
Method:
In a bowl whisk the egg and sugar together, then add the cornstarch and the flour. Pour the milk into a saucepan and bring it to the boil. Very slowly add the milk to the egg mixture making sure you whisk continuously. Remove from the heat.
Pour the mixture into a clean saucepan and bring it up to simmering point until it thickens. Cook gently for about 1 minute. Finally take the saucepan off the heat and leave the crème to cool. Cover with plastic wrap to prevent the mixture forming a skin.
Recipe for Raspberry Coulis
This can be kept in the fridge for up to four days, and can be used to accompany sorbets, mousses, ice creams etc. This recipe uses raspberries, but you can use many different kinds of fruit.
Serves 4.
Ingredients:
½ lb. fresh raspberries
Juice of 1 lemon
1 ½ tsp. syrup*
Method:
Puree the fruit and the lemon juice in a blender, pass it through a fine sieve and then add the cold syrup.*
*syrup - the sweetness of the coulis depends on your taste, so you can add more or less syrup, as you like. The basic recipe is:
1 ½ cups sugar
1 cup water
1/3 cup glucose
Why the pan?
When you press the cooked biscuits down with a pan of iced water, you're not just keeping it flat, you're also cooling it down. The hot sugar in the biscuit will carry on cooking if you don't cool it down.
What is Rowan Jelly?
The Rowan is a small deciduous tree, also known as the mountain ash, native to much of England and Scotland. It produces a large number of edible berries that are traditionally made into a jelly served as a condiment with game. It is a tart/sweet jelly with a slight bitter finish.
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