The beaver is a proud and noble animal

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/3 cup red wine vinegar
1 large lemon, juiced
2 tsp minced shallot
2 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1/2 tsp dried rosemary
1/4 tsp sea salt
1/4 tsp fresh black pepper

Put all the ingredients in an airtight container and shake to combine. You will need to re-shake before each time you serve it.

First off, the recipe isn’t clear, but you need cook the rice and prep some caramelised onions. I added a stock cube and some cinnamon stick to the rice. I made my own tikka mix (see below).

2 tsp. ground ginger
2 tsp. ground turmeric
1 tsp. ground paprika
1 tsp. garam masala
1 tsp. ground coriander
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. kosher salt

The recipe is super tasty, but needs more veg. Next time, I’ll add cauliflower and peas to the curry sauce. Maybe some spinach.

Cookie Crust:

150g cookie crumbs (sugar cookie, graham cracker, digestive, etc.)
85g unsalted butter, melted
50g granulated sugar

Dark Chocolate Ganache Filling:

340g good quality dark chocolate, finely chopped
240ml heavy whipping cream
60g unsalted butter room temperature, broken up

Toppings:
Maldon Sea Salt Flakes

Preheat oven to 350F/175C.

Crust:

Combine all crust ingredients in a medium bowl until crumbly. Press firmly into a 9″ tart pan (sides first, then bottom). Bake for 7-8mins. Cool completely in pan.

Filling:

Place chopped chocolate and butter into a large bowl.

In a small saucepan, bring cream just barely to a simmer. Pour over chopped chocolate and cover bowl immediately with plastic wrap. Let stand 5 mins. Stir with a spatula until combined and smooth.

Pour into cooled tart shell and allow to set – overnight at room temperature or 1-2 hours in the fridge.

Sprinkle with sea salt.

Serve at room temperature.

NOTES & TIPS:

You can use any kind of cookie crumbs to make the base (graham cracker, digestive, Oreo, etc).

This freezes very well. Store in fridge for up to a week or freeze for up to 1 month.

Slice with a hot, clean knife for cleanest results. Run it under hot water for a few seconds, dry, then cut — do this between each cut.

1 tsp sugar
1 tbsp fresh lime juice
1 tbsp mirin (sweet Japanese rice wine)
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp unseasoned rice vinegar
60g thin rice noodles
12 8-inch rice paper rounds
150g halved little gem lettuce leaves
250g shredded rotisserie chicken
1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced into 2-inch matchsticks
1 medium carrot, very thinly sliced into 2-inch matchsticks
1 English cucumber, thinly sliced into 2-inch matchsticks
1 red chile (such as Fresno; optional)
25g cilantro leaves with tender stems
25g mint leaves

Stir sugar and 1 Tbsp. warm water in a small bowl to dissolve sugar. Stir in lime juice, mirin, soy sauce, and vinegar; set dipping sauce aside.

Soften rice noodles according to package instructions. Drain; run under cold water until chilled.

Fill a shallow dish with warm water. Working with 1 rice paper round at a time, dip in water, turning occasionally, until just pliable but not limp, about 20 seconds (replenish with more warm water as needed). Transfer to a cutting board.

Place a ½ lettuce leaf in center of the rice paper. Top with a small handful of rice noodles and a few pieces each of chicken, bell pepper, carrot and cucumber. Top with chile, if using, and cilantro and mint. Fold bottom of rice paper over filling, then fold in sides and roll like a burrito into a tight cylinder; cut in half if desired. Place roll, seam side down, on a platter. Repeat to make 11 more rolls. Serve with reserved dipping sauce.

200g dark chocolate (at least 50% cocoa)
125g butter
100g all-purpose white flour
1 packet of baking powder (10 g)
4 large eggs
150g icing sugar
1 pinch of salt

1. Cut the chocolate and butter into small pieces. Melt them in a double boiler until they have a homogeneous mixture. Remove from heat.

2. Add the sifted flour and baking powder to the melted chocolate.

3. In a bowl, whisk the eggs with the sugar. Then add the chocolate mixture.

5. Pour this mixture into a baking dish covered with parchment paper (24 to 26 cm in diameter).

6. Bake for about 20 to 25 minutes in a preheated oven at 180C. Bake until cake tester comes out clean.

2.5kg bone-in beef short ribs, cut crosswise into 2-inch pieces
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 tbsp vegetable oil
3 medium onions, chopped
3 medium carrots, peeled, chopped
2 celery stalks, chopped
3 tbsp all-purpose flour
1 tbsp tomato paste
1 750 ml bottle dry red wine (preferably Cabernet Sauvignon)
10 sprigs flat-leaf parsley
8 sprigs thyme
4 sprigs oregano
2 sprigs rosemary
2 fresh or dried bay leaves
1L low-salt beef stock

Preheat oven to 350F/175C. Season short ribs with salt and pepper. Heat oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high. Working in 2 batches, brown short ribs on all sides, about 8 minutes per batch. Transfer short ribs to a plate. Pour off all but 3 Tbsp. drippings from pot.

Add onions, carrots, and celery to pot and cook over medium-high heat, stirring often, until onions are browned, about 5 minutes. Add flour and tomato paste; cook, stirring constantly, until well combined and deep red, 2-3 minutes. Stir in wine, then add short ribs with any accumulated juices. Bring to a boil; lower heat to medium and simmer until wine is reduced by half, about 25 minutes. Add all herbs to pot. Stir in stock. Bring to a boil, cover, and transfer to oven.

Cook until short ribs are tender, 2–2.5 hours. Transfer short ribs to a platter. Strain sauce from pot into a measuring cup. Spoon fat from surface of sauce and discard; season sauce to taste with salt and pepper. Serve in shallow bowls over mashed potatoes with sauce spooned over.

Pastry

190 g all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
115 g unsalted butter, cold, cubed
45 ml ice-cold water

Filling

2 tbsp cornstarch
2 tbsp all-purpose flour
375 ml maple syrup
125 ml heavy cream (35% fat content)
1 egg

In a food processor, mix all dry ingredients and pulse. Add butter and pulse in short bursts until the mix is pea-sized. Add water and pulse in busts until the dough just begins to form. Add water as needed. Tip out onto a surface and form into a disk. Wrap in cling film and chill for 30 minutes.

On a flour-dusted surface, roll to a circle of 3mm thickness and line a round 9″/23cm pie dish. Chill while making filling.

Preheat oven to 200C/400F. In a large bowl, mix cornstart and flour. Add maple syrup and whisk until smooth and cornstarch is fully incorporated. Add cream and egg. Whisk again until homogeneous. Empty into pie shell. Bake for 45 minutes or until the filling is set. Leave to cool down at room temperature for 2h.