cream

Pavlova

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 If you are entertaining or visiting and have offered to do dessert there is nothing easier than a Pavlova. The simple rule of thumb is the double the amount of sugar to eggs for example: 6 egg whites and 12 ounces of sugar. The dessert was created in honour of the Russian ballerina Anna Pavlova either during or after one of her tours of New Zealand in the 1920s. Make this dessert even easier by using the bottled egg white and save yourself having to think of what to do with the leftover yolks! This dessert contains no flour and so is gluten free!

225 millilitres egg whites approximately 6 eggs

330 grams /12 ounces 1 ½ cups caster sugar

1 teaspoon cider vinegar

1 teaspoon cornflour

To serve

500 millilitres fresh cream lightly whipped

Fruit of your choice, I used raspberries,blueberries and strawberries

Icing sugar to dredge

Preheat the oven to 150C/ 300F

Place the egg whites in a spotlessly clean bowl and whisk on high speed until stiff. Test by tipping the bowl upside down, the egg whites shouldn’t fall out!

Gradually add the sugar one tablespoon at a time waiting about 30 seconds between each addition. Once all the sugar has been added, scrape down the bowl and add the vinegar and cornflour. Whisk for a further 5 minutes until the mixture is stiff and glossy. If you don’t whisk in the sugar fully your pavlova will ooze a sticky sugar syrup while it is cooking making it impossible to remove from the parchment paper.

Pile spoonfuls of the mixture onto a baking tray lined with parchment paper and using a spoon shape to form a 20 centimeter mound with a dip in the centre to hold the fruit and cream once cooked.

Reduce the oven temperature to 120C/ 250F and bake for 90 minutes or until dry and crisp to the touch. Turn the oven off and allow the pavlova to cool completely in the oven.

Decorate with cream and fruit and dust with icing sugar and serve at once!

Saucy Sauces

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We eat a lot of chicken in our house and  I mean a lot, so it makes a change to have a variety of sauces that will even  change the humble chicken goujon  into something even more appetising!

The Perfect Orange sauce
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I have searched for years for the perfect orange sauce and this is it! The addition of lemon juice really brings out the citrus flavour! It’s great over chicken and pork. You can now even attempt the classic duck a la orange and impress your family and friends. Freshly squeezed orange juice is great in this recipe but you can cheat too by using regular store bought orange juice. This recipe is super fast if you have cup measures so think about investing in some!

½ cup/ 100g grams of white sugar

¼ teaspoon salt

3 tablespoons cornflour (cornstarch)

1 ¼ cups/ 300millilitres of orange juice

¼ cup/ 60 millilitres lemon juice ½ cup water

1 tablespoon butter

1 tablespoon each of grated orange and lemon zest (optional)

In a saucepan mix all your dry ingredients, then stir in your juice and water. Cook over a low heat stirring constantly until the mixture boils. Allow to boil for about three minutes.  Add the tablespoon of butter to get rid of the scum. Any leftover sauce can be frozen!

 

Pesto Cream Sauce

This sauce was served to us in a restaurant on holiday this summer with fresh tuna. The chef was reluctant to part with his recipe but I am glad that I eventually persuaded him as it has become a much asked for sauce in our house! I serve it with chicken and with pasta.

Fresh Pesto

2 cups/ about 70 grams fresh basil leaves, packed

½ cup/50 grams freshly grated Parmesan Reggiano cheese

½ cup/120 millilitres extra virgin olive oil

1/3 cup/ 45 grams pine nuts roasted (pignoli)

3 garlic cloves minced, about 3 teaspoons – adjust to your taste

Salt and freshly ground pepper

Heat a small frying pan over a low heat; cook the pine nuts until golden shaking occasionally. Place the basil leaves and pine nuts into a food processor and blitz, then add garlic and cheese and blitz again. Scrape down the sides and slowly add the olive oil in a steady stream to emulsify your pesto. Stir in some salt and pepper to taste. It will keep in the fridge for two weeks.

For the Pesto Cream

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Use your fresh pesto (above) or cheat by using store bought pesto from the chilled section.

Allow 1 heaped teaspoon and¼ cup/ 60 millilitres of cream per person.

Cook off the pesto in a saucepan until you can smell the garlic, about 30 seconds, then add the cream and bring to a boil whisking continuously. As soon as its boils reduce the heat and allow it to reduce to create a pouring sauce consistency.

 

Vermouth and Tarragon Cream

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This is adapted from Nigella’s Tarragon Chicken. Tesco stock Vermouth here in Cork and I use Vermouth Bianco.  You can make yourself a Manhattan cocktail while you cook. This is great served with chicken!

½ cup/120 millilitres of vermouth or white wine

½ cup/120 millilitres cream of cream

2 good sized spring onions, thinly sliced (scallions)

Olive oil

1 clove of garlic chopped finely

½ teaspoon freeze dried or dried tarragon

Fresh tarragon chopped to serve – optional

Fry off the garlic, tarragon and spring onions over a medium heat in the olive oil making sure it doesn’t burn. Add the vermouth and allow to bubble up to burn off the alcohol, then add the cream and bring to a boil whisking continuously. As soon as its boils reduce the heat and allow it to reduce to create a pouring sauce consistency.