Sumac Strawberry Shortcakes

Sumac Strawberry Shortcakes 

The magic ingredient here is a citrusy spice that adds a sweet-sour sweetness to juicy summer strawberries. Make the shortcakes and macerate the strawberries in advance and then whip the cream just before serving.  Serves 6
Ingredients:
2 1/2 cups self-rising flour, plus extra for dusting
1/2 teaspoon fine salt

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar

1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, chilled and cubed

1 egg

1/2 cup milk

1 1/4 cup double cream

1 tablespoon demerara sugar, optional

1 quart strawberries, roughly chopped

Sumac for sprinkling 

1/2 teaspoon vanilla bean paste

Directions:

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.  Sift the flour into a large bowl.  Using a fork or whisk, stir in the salt, baking powder and 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar. (3/8 cup) until evenly combined.  Cut in the 1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon chilled butter until you have a course crumble mixture.  Whisk the egg and milk together, then using a fork to mix it in until you have a rough dough.

Place the dough on a lightly floured surface and knead briefly 20 - 30 seconds to bring it together, then use your hands to shape it into a 7" X 14" rectangle about 2/3" thick.  Cut six  2 1/3" inch squares.  Transfer to the parchment lined baking tray.

Preheat oven to 400*F.  Brush 1 tablespoon cream over the squares or use any leftover egg cream mixture and sprinkle with demerara sugar.

Bake at 400*F for 14 to 18 minutes or until golden.  Transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely.

Meanwhile in a large bowl mix the strawberries, sumac, 1 1/2 tablespoons sugar and 1 tablespoons water, set aside to macerate for 1 hour.

Place the remaining cream and the vanilla bean paste in a bowl and whisk it until soft peals form.  Serve the shortcakes filled with cream and strawberries sprinkled with a little sumac.

Note,  Use any fruit, i.e. peaches, blueberries, mango, figs, with this recipe.  Be creative!

 

Roast Beef With Blackberry & Port Sauce

Roast Beef With Blackberry & Port Sauce

The secret to keeping this topside juicy is fragrant Bay Leaves whizzed up into a verdant green brine.  Add a rich port-spiked sauce and you are in for a treat-- just make sure you have enough left over for sandwiches.

Ingredients:

2kg beef topside from the joint i.e.  (4 1/2 pounds top sirloin roast)

3 tablespoons fine sea salt

10 fresh bay leaves

2 large red onions, trimmed (skin-on) and halved width ways 

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

4 tablespoons all-purpose flour 

250ml (1 cup) ruby port (or rich red wine)

500ml pot fresh beef stock, 

1 tablespoon Red Currant jelly

300g (2 cups) frozen blackberries defrosted

Directions:

The evening before cooking (or up to 2 days before), brine the beef. 

Whizz the salt and 5 bay leaves in a small food processor, until finely ground to a pale green salt.  Put the beef inside a rimmed baking dish and coat evenly with the salt mixture.  Cover with foil and chill until ready to cook.

Preheat the oven to 150*C (300*F).  Put the remaining 5 bay leaves in a medium, deep roasting roasting pan with the onion cut side down.  Wipe off and discard the brine from the beef, then pat dry with kitchen towel.  Put on top the onions and coat with oil.

Roast for 2 hours to 2 1/2 hours, checking with a meat thermometer until cooked to your liking.  Carefully transfer to a serving platter and leave to rest for 30 minutes carefully tented with foil.

Meanwhile make the sauce.  Put the roasting pan (with the onions and bay leaves in) on the stove with a high heat.  Sprinkle in the flour and cook, whisking constantly, for 3 to 4 minutes, until just starting to thicken.  Pour in the port and boil rapidly, scraping the base of the pan as you go, until thickened again.  Add the stock and redcurrant jelly whisking again for another 1 - 2 minutes, then pass through a fine sieve onto a medium pan, pressing to extract as much juice as possible.  (discard the onions and bay).  Add any resting juices from the beef plus the blackberries.  Simmer briskly for 2-3 minutes, until thickened to your liking and the berries have burst a little, season if needed.  Thinly slice the beef and serve the sauce on the side.

Roasted Orange, Maple, And Fennel Seed Glazed Parsnips And Carrots

Roasted Orange, Maple, And Fennel 

Seed Glazed Parsnips And Carrots

 Pro tip:  Adding a glaze at the final roasting time is the best way to ensure perfectly tender veggies and a gloriously glossy finish, (without burning the glaze).  You can us maple syrup, honey or agave.

Ingredients:

500 grams Parsnips or one pound

1 kg carrots or two pounds

1 1/2 tablespoon olive oil

2 tablespoon maple syrup

1 orange, scrubbed and zested, then juiced of 1/2 of the orange

1 1/2 teaspoons fennel seed

Directions:

Preheat oven to 180 C or  350 F.

Cut the parsnips and carrots into planks of like size and arrange on a baking sheet.  Toss in the oil and season, then roast for 30 minutes or until just tender.

Meanwhile, in a large bowl mix together the remaining ingredients.  When the vegetables are ready to toss through the glaze and cook for a further 10-15 minutes, until glossy and slightly burnished.    

Serves 6 to 8

Leftovers?  Try using with making  "Roasted Vegetables & Taleggio Focaccia Pugilese".  Recipe follows tomorrow.

Zingy Clementine And Shaved Sprout Salad

Zingy Clementine And Shaved Sprout Salad

Sprouts are definitely not just to be reluctantly eaten on Christmas day.  Sliced finely, they make a fantastic crunchy salad-cum-slaw.  I love this as a starter, but it is also delicious alongside poultry, ham, or fish.

Serves 4 as a light starter.

Ingredients: 

200g Brussels Sprouts finely shredded (1 cup)

2 clementines

20g whole skin-on almonds (5 teaspoons)

12g flat leaf parsley (6 tablespoons leaves only)

1 tablespoon nonpareille capers, drained

30g Parmigiano Reggiano (1/4 cup)

Dressing:

2 clementines, scrubbed, zested and juiced

3 tablespoons evoo

1 teaspoon sherry vinegar

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

Generous 1/2 teaspoon castor sugar

3 anchovies in oil, finely chopped

1 clove garlic, crushed

10g Parmigiano Cheese (4 teaspoons)

Directions:

Combine the dressing ingredients in a large bowl with a pinch of salted whisk into a glossy, thick and emulsified.  Add the shredded sprouts and mix well.

Cut the peeled clementines into 0.5cm slices horizontally (1/4 inch), then break these into little segments, letting them fall over the sprouts as you do so.  Add the almonds, parsley and capers and mix again.  Divide between plates and use a potato peeler to create shavings of the cheese and scatter over the salad.

Serve with a Savignon Blanc