Individual Beef Wellingtons

The Beef Wellington (not named after the 1st Duke of Wellington, it was apparently invented for a civic reception in Wellington, New Zealand) is a very famous and decadent dish. There are many variations and mine is an adaption of Gordon Ramsey's where he uses Parma ham around the fillet opposed to a crepe, which helps to keep the moisture away from the puff pastry. Instead of using a whole fillet of beef (a bit expensive and you'd need 8 hungry mouths) this recipe is for individual steaks. It's quite a simple recipe so give it a go you'll be glad you did! I served mine on dauphinoise potatoes with purple sprouting broccoli and a red wine reduction.

Ingredients (serves 4)
For the Wellingtons:
4 8oz fillet steaks
250g ready made puff pastry
6 chestnut mushrooms
1/2 red onion finely diced
Handfull of washed spinach
2 gloves of crushed garlic
4 slices of Parma ham
1 sprig of thyme
1 egg beaten
For the dauphinoise potatoes:
4 maris piper potatoes
1/2 red onion sliced
1/2 pint double cream
1 garlic glove crushed
For the red wine reduction:
1/4 of an onion chopped
1 garlic clove crushed
1 pint quality beef stock, thickened
1 glass of red wine
2 tbsp red currant jelly
12 purple sprouting broccoli stems

Method
First take your steaks out of the fridge and let them get to room temperature. Splash a bit of olive oil into a frying pan and get smoking hot, seal the steaks and set aside. Pour some of the red wine into the pan to
de-glaze it and lift up the intense steak flavours left over from the sealing process, keep this liquid. Finely chop the mushrooms and fry them in a pan with the onion, thyme and garlic, when it's cooked (after 2 mins) add a splash of red wine and the spinach and keep cooking until the spinach has wilted, season. Roll out or unroll the pastry on a floured surface and let it get to room temperature (makes it easier to work with). Instead of covering the entire steak in pastry we're going to make a lattice effect with the pastry. You can buy a small roller that does it for you but it can easily be done with a knife:

 
Using a knife measure out the width of each steak and measure it out on the pastry and cut it into a rectangle. Then with a sharp knife cut through the pastry like the picture above. When you've done this gently stretch out the pastry like the picture below:

Top each steak with the fried mushroom and onion mixture (duxelle) and wrap them in the Parma ham. Then carefully lay the pastry over each steak and tuck the pastry underneath and brush with the beaten egg:

The Wellingtons are now ready for cooking and can be stored in the fridge for around 12 hours if needed to. Now it's time to make the dauphinoise potatoes, peel and thinly slice the potatoes. Fry the sliced onions in a little olive oil for a minute then add the garlic and double cream. Then add the potatoes and bake in an oven proof dish at 220C for half an hour or until a knife slides easily through the potatoes.
For the sauce fry the chopped onions for a minute in a little olive oil then add the garlic and red wine. Simmer this mixture for 3 minutes to burn off the alcohol then add the stock and redcurrant jelly. Leave to simmer until it reduces by half.
Cook each Wellington on a greased baking tray at 220C, when the pastry is golden brown then they are medium rare and ready! If you prefer your steaks cooked a little more turn the oven down to 175C and add a further 3 minutes for medium or 7 for well done. Boil some water in a pan and cook the broccoli, once it comes back to the boil add 2 minutes and it's cooked. Place the potatoes in a circular cake cutter in the middle of a plate, pour the sauce around the potatoes put the Wellington on top and place the broccoli on the plate. Now you're ready to impress! Good luck and have fun......

 

Baked Alaska with an industrial blowtorch

A few years ago, as a single guy, I discovered that one the best and easiest crowd pleasers is to produce Baked Alaska at the end of a meal, or a just a surprise addition to few mates getting together for a few drinks. The wow factor is huge, and people who are resolute in 'no dessert for me' quickly change their minds.

The recipe is pretty simple too;

Make a simple sponge
Whisk egg whites in a very clean bowl until it starts turning white, then add sugar
Continue to which until peaks start to form or until you can turn the bowl upside down without the contents falling out (!)
Spoon a generous dollop of vanilla ice cream onto the sponge, cover completely with the egg-white mixture
Blow torch gently until it starts to brown, and serve!

Serve, and enjoy!

Garlic and ginger king prawn stir fry with a timbale of coconut rice topped with tempura tiger prawn

I grew up in Hong Kong so Oriental food has a very special place in my heart. The smell of onions, garlic and ginger frying take me right back to my childhood for me there is no better smell! The idea behind stir fry's is that they are cooked very quickly at a high heat. When they are served they should have a 'breath of the wok'. 

Ingredients(serves 2)

18 tiger prawns shelled and de-veined (keep one back for the tempura prawn)

1 cup of rice

1 tin of coconut milk

1 chilli seeded and finely chopped

4 garlic cloves crushed

25g of ginger finely diced

2 tbsp of oyster sauce

1 red onion finely diced

8 pieces of mange tout

8 baby corn sliced in half

4 florets of broccoli

1/2 a red pepper finely sliced

4 spring onions sliced

1/2 cup of chopped corinder

Oil for deep frying (for the tempura prawn)

1 egg

1 cup ice cold water

1 cup of all purpose flour sifted

Method

Cook the rice in a sauce pan with the coconut milk, add some water if it starts to dry out during the cooking process. 

To make the tempura batter beat the egg in a bowl, add the iced water and flour and mix lightly be careful not to over mix. Heat the oil for deep frying.

Heat a splash of vegetable oil in a wok and get smoking hot. Add the onion, chilli, garlic and ginger, fry for 30 seconds. Add the prawns and all vegetables except the spring onions and coriander. Deep fry the tempura prawn until it floats, then remove and leave on some kitchen paper. Add the spring onions, coriander and oyster sauce to the stir fry mix and stir well. Place the cooked rice in a timbale and turn onto a plate and top with the tempura prawn. Divide the stir fry mix between 2 plates, serve and enjoy!

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Fillet of Haddock with cauliflower puree, dauphinoise potatoes and an oyster and chive cream

This recipe is a bit more hands on, but well worth the effort. Make sure your fish and oysters are nice and fresh.

Ingredients:

(serves 2)

2 fillets of haddock

4 live oysters

1 red onion diced

8 florets of cauliflower

500ml double cream

2 garlic cloves crushed

250g butter

200ml white wine

2 spring onions sliced

Salt and pepper

Flat parsley leaves

Method

Firstly trim your haddock into nice sized fillets. Place the trimmings in a pan with water, skin of the onion and any other bits you may have lying around that would be good for the fish stock. General rule for stocks are vegetables that grow under ground are good. Simmer the stock VERY gently otherwise it will become cloudy. Simmer for no more than an hour then strain through a fine sieve.

Slice the potatoes quite thin, put them into a sauce pan, cover with cream add 1/2 the onion and some garlic. Season and simmer gently for 10 mins (this gives the dauphinoise a head start before you put them in the oven). Pre heat your oven to 220c and put the potatoes in (make sure your sauce pan is oven proof!)

Bring the cauliflower to the boil in some salted water and continue to boil till tender. Drain then put them in a blender with a nob of butter and a splash of cream, season then blend till fine. Pass through a fine sieve and return them to the sauce pan.

In another sauce pan melt a knob of butter and add the other half of diced onion. Fry for a minute then add the garlic and shucked oysters. Fry for 30 seconds then add the white wine, simmer the wine until the alcohol burns off (about a minute) . Add the double cream, season and leave to simmer very gently.

Now would be a good time to check the potatoes, if a knife sinks through them then they're done. Cover with foil and leave them on the side, they will retain their heat.

Heat a frying pan with a splash of oil and a knob of butter. Season the haddock and fry skin side down for 30 seconds, carefully turn over fry for another 30 seconds then into the oven for 5 minutes.

While you're waiting heat up the cauliflower, check the sauce for seasoning and get your garnishes ready (sliced spring onion and parsley leaves). Arrange as per the photo, serve and enjoy!