Day: May 10, 2012

[Recipe] Tourtière du Lac St-Jean

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Ingredients

1.3 kg cubed venison
1.2 kg cubed pork (or boar)
500g rabbit loins
2 large red onions, chopped
1 teaspoon white pepepr
1/2 teaspoon rosemary
1 teaspoon thyme
2 bay leaves
10 allspice berries, crushed
10 cloves, crushed
1 teaspoon cinnamon
750 ml still cider
8 or 9 medium potatoes, peeled and cubed
3 portions of shortcrust dough (see below)
1 cup chicken stock (or more, if required)
salt to taste

Method

Marinade the cubed meat with all of the ingredients (except potatoes, salt and stock) for 24 hours.

Soak cubed potatoes in cold water for at least 1h.

While potatoes are soaking, prepare 3 portions of dough and combine in two balls, one large (2/3) and one small (1/3). Wrap in cling film and chill for 1h.

Pre-heat oven to 375F/190C.

Roll out the large dough ball and cover the bottom of a large high-walled, lidded, oven-proof dish.

Add 1/3 of meat mix, some salt and half the potatoes. Repeat alternating meat and potatoes. Pour the marinade over the mix.

Roll out the small dough ball and cover the tourtière, crimping firmly the two layers of pastry. Cut small slits in the top pastry and make a large hole in the middle to let steam out (the chimney).

Pour stock through the chimney until it reaches the top of the meat layer but doesn’t touch the pastry top.

Cook uncovered for 30 minutes then lower the oven to 250F/125C and cook for 4.5 hours (occasionally checking the stock level through the chimney and topping up if low).

Remove lid and cook uncovered for 1h until top is golden.

Shortcrust pastry

1.5 cups all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
115g unsalted butter, very cold, cubed
75ml water, very cold

Put flour. salt and butter in food processor and blitz for 10 seconds.
Add water and pulse until the mix becomes lumpy. Do not pusle until it becomes a big ball.
Dump mix out and hand form it into a flattened ball.
Wrap in cling film and chill at least 1h before using.

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[Recipe] Tourtière

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Ingredients

2 1/2 pounds ground pork, ideally organic & local
1 1/2 cups cold water
1 cup finely chopped onion
1/2 cup finely chopped celery
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 bay leaves
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary
1/2 teaspoon grated nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
Salt
1/2 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
Pastry for two double-crust, 9-inch pies
1 egg, beaten, for glaze

1. In a large, heavy frying pan, combine pork with cold water and heat to boiling point. It should be slightly soupy.

2. Add onion, celery, pepper, bay leaf, thyme, rosemary, nutmeg and cinnamon. Cook, covered, over medium-low heat for 1 hours; stir often. Add more water if mixture dries out.

3. Halfway through cooking time, season with salt to taste.

4. Stir in rolled oats and cook, stirring, for 1 to 2 minutes. Remove bay leaf and allow to cool.

5. Meanwhile, line two 9-inch pie plates with pastry. When meat mixture is lukewarm, divide it between two pie shells and spread it out evenly.

6. Brush around outer edge of pastry with the beaten egg. Place top crust on the tart and press gently around the edge to seal. Trim pastry, crimp edges and cut steam vents in top crust. Decorate as desired.

7. Bake in preheated 425°F/220°C oven for 15 minutes, then reduce heat to 375°F/190°C and bake another 25 minutes or until crust is golden.

Makes two 9-inch meat pies.

Make ahead

Is there any point in making just one meat pie? Not really. They freeze beautifully; whether pre-cooked or frozen with raw pastry dough, which ensures that you can get a hot, filling meal during the busy days ahead. Pies can be frozen directly after assembly, with the dough still raw. Wrap them well in plastic wrap and freeze.

To cook:

Remove pie from the freezer and unwrap.
Brush the top with a little beaten egg and place frozen meat pie in a preheated 375°F/190°C oven.
Bake until golden and heated through, about 50 minutes.

Pies can also be baked and cooled, then wrapped and frozen.

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[Recipe] Michel Roux Snr’s Lemon Tart

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Serves 8

Prep 25 mins
Cook 1 hr plus chilling

Ingredients

Pastry (makes double)
500g plain flour , plus extra for dusting
140g icing sugar
250g unsalted butter , cubed
4 egg yolks

Filling
5 eggs
140g caster sugar
150ml double cream
juice 2-3 lemon (about 100ml/3.5fl oz)
and 2 tbsp lemon zest

Method

1. To make the pastry, mix the flour and icing sugar in a bowl. Rub the butter into the flour with your fingers until crumbly. Mix in the egg yolks. If the pastry is still too dry, add 1-2 tbsp water until it comes together. Roll into a ball and divide in half (freeze one half for another recipe). Flatten out the pastry with your hands, wrap the dough in cling film, then chill for at least 30 mins. While the pastry is chilling, make the filling. Beat all the ingredients, except for the zest, together. Sieve the mixture, then stir in the zest.

2. Roll out the pastry on a lightly floured surface to about the thickness of a £1 coin, then lift into a 23cm tart tin. Press down gently on the bottom and sides, then trim off any excess pastry. Stab a few holes in the bottom with a fork and put back in the fridge for 30 mins.

3. Heat oven to 160C/140C fan/gas 3. Line the tart with foil and fill with rice or dried beans. Bake for 10 mins, then remove the tart tin from the oven, discard the foil, and bake for another 20 mins until biscuity. When the pastry is ready, remove it from the oven, pour in the lemon mixture and bake again for 30-35 mins until just set. Leave to cool, then remove the tart from the tin and serve at room temperature or chilled.

Notes:

  • The quantity of pastry given is about double the amount that you’ll need because if I’m going to the effort of making my own pastry, I always make double and freeze half for next time. If you don’t want to freeze some, simply halve the pastry quantities.
  • To make this tart even more decadent, whip some whipping cream with icing sugar and a bit of lemon juice, then fold in a sheet of soaked leaf gelatine. Top generously and leave to set.
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[Recipe] Oven-baked calamari

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Ingredients

Cooking spray
1 pound calamari, tubes and tentacles
1 1/2 cups panko bread crumbs
1/2 cup white tortilla chip pieces (2 inch pieces)
1 1/4 cups low-fat buttermilk
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

Method

Preheat oven to 200oC. Coat two large baking sheets with cooking spray.

Pat calamari dry with a paper towel. Cut tubes crosswise into 1/2-inch thick rings (do not cut tentacles). Set aside.

Combine panko and tortilla chips in a food processor and process until finely ground. Transfer mixture to a bowl.

In a separate bowl, whisk together buttermilk, 2 tablespoons of the flour and black pepper. Place remaining 1/2 cup of flour in a large freezer bag.

Add calamari rings and tentacles to the bag with the flour and shake to coat. Working in batches, dip the flour-coated calamari into buttermilk mixture and then into panko mixture. Arrange calamari, in a single layer, on prepared baking sheets. Spray the surface with cooking spray.

Bake 15-20 minutes, until calamari is tender and coating is crisp and golden brown.

Serves 4

Serve with lemon wedges and warm tomato sauce/salsa on the side for dunking.

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