Sunday 28 April 2013

Udon Salad with Sesame dressing


Making udon:


Ingredients

300g Udonko - Wheat Flour w/ protein content 9.0~9.5% (10.6oz)  - we used bread flour instead
15g Salt (0.529oz)
130ml Water (4.40 fl oz)
50g Corn Starch or Potato Starch (1.76oz)


we used Pasta machine which made rolling a lot easier.

We then mixed it with
- panfried Halloumi
- toasted sesame seed/ sunflower seed/ hazelnut
- salad + tomato
- slices of omelette (3 eggs)
- sesame salad dressing
- sesame oil
- pepper

Mocha Orange Swiss Roll

It's very light and NO butter/oil at all
(but with lots of cream and sugar p ) 

Recipe

Weak/Cake Flour 1/2 cup ( I substitute it with Plain flour + cornstarch)
Cocoa Powder 1/3 cup
Bicarbonate soda 3/4 teaspoon
Salt 1/4 teaspoon
Large egg white 5 
Large egg yolk 5
Caster Sugar 1/2 + 1/4 cup
Instant Coffee powder 2 tablespoon
Vanila Essence 1 teaspoon

Filling 
Whipping cream
pinch of sugar
grated chocolate
1 Orange zest
some orange meat


1. Preheat oven 400 oF/ 200 oC / Gas mark 6
1. Whisk egg yolk + 1/4 cup sugar + coffee powder till creamy (roughly 3 min if by hand)
2. Mix Weak flour, cocoa powder, bicarbonate soda and salt
3. Whisk egg white till foamy, then add 1/2 cup sugar and whisk till firm
4. Add half of the flour mixutre into the egg yolk mixture + a dollop of egg white
    Fold  in the flour 
5.  Repeat 4. 
6. Fold in the rest of the egg white
7. Cover Greaseproof paper on a baking tray  15 1/2" x 10 1/2" x 1" 
8. Spread the mixture on the tray
9. Bake for 12min and let it cool 

Filling
1. Whisk the whipping cream 
2. then fold in the rest of the ingredients 

Assemble
- spread the filling over the cake and roll it up
(you might want to search on youtube for tips on how to roll it up)
- put it in the fridge for a while till the cream firms up before cutting 

Monday 15 April 2013

Bar at the Top of Gherkin

Amazing view of london 




Fish & Chip 
Small portion and not very exciting.... 


Steak sandwich



It costs around 15-20 quid per person (more if you have alcohol)
The food was very ordinary..
You can only go up if you know someone who's a member/works in the building

Thursday 11 April 2013

Grapevine, Odiham

A family run little bistro on  Odiham high street - a little village near Hook/Basingstoke.  


We were there for lunch.
It offers a very good value 3 course lunch - for only 17.95.
with 5 options per course to choose from

Starters
Tandoori spiced fillet of Seabass with tempura crispy onions and coriander yoghurt
beautifully presented
seabass perfectly cooked with flavoursome spicy crust


Pan fried breast of Pigeon with barkham blue risotto, tomao and smoked paprika oil
Pigeon soft and pink 
he risotto was a little overcooked for me but still very nice
 Main
Slow roasted shoulder of lamb, salsa verde, butternut squash puree and fondant potato

Passion fruit creme brulee and rhubarb Ice cream

Saturday 6 April 2013

Tarte tatin


Ready made puff pastry

175g/6oz granulated sugar
900g/2lb red dessert apples
finely grated zest and juice of 1 lemon
75g/3oz caster sugar

Preheat the oven to 220C/425F/Gas 7.

For the caramel
Place the granulated sugar and 6 tbsp water into a stainless steel pan.
Stir over a low heat until the sugar has dissolved and there are no granules.
Remove the spoon and increase the heat.
Boil until a golden straw colour and immediately pour into a 23cm/9in fixed-base deep sponge sandwich tin. Don’t get it too dark or it will be bitter – this is very important!

For the topping
Core the apples then thinly slice.
Arrange a layer over the caramel in the tin in a circular pattern – start from the outside of the tin and work inwards.
Toss the remaining apples in the lemon zest and juice, scatter in the tin and press down.
Roll out the pastry to a round, slightly bigger than the tin.
Cover the apples and tuck the edges of the pastry down around the apples.
Make a small cross in the top of the pastry to let the steam out.

Bake for about 40 minutes until the pastry is crisp and golden-brown and the apples are soft.
To finish, before turning the tarte out, tip the juices from the tin into a saucepan. Add the caster sugar and boil until syrupy.
Turn the tarte tatin out onto a plate and spoon the syrup over the apples.
Serve with cream or crème fraîche.


http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/marys_tarte_tatin_89344

Monday 1 April 2013