Tag: entertaining at home

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Christmas cooking

Duck and pheasant terrine

Duck and pheasant terrine

Picture of a terrine dish dish with an orange lid by the side of it. The terinne has been decorated with bay leaves on top. You can find the recipe at Gourmandises Academy, Cambridge

Ingredients:

Two deboned duck legs 

Two pheasant breasts

3 chicken livers

5 slices of belly pork (without the bone and the skin)

Freshly ground pepper and salt 

4 bay leaves

Three table spoon of plum rum ( you can use whisky or port too)

Plenty of fresh thyme

One egg

Pre-heat your oven at 170º C

You will need a terrine dish for this (mine is roughly 20 cm X 17 cm and 9 cm deep)

Method:

You will need to mince your belly pork and livers first, if you don’t have a mincer you can use a knife instead (a really sharp one) that will allow you to mince manually.  The duck and the pheasant will need to be chopped with their skin (the fat coming from the skin is really important here) into small pieces, we don’t want them to be totally minced like the pork. 

Then mix everything together in a large bowl, rum, egg, thyme included. Season with salt and pepper. For that amount start with half a tsp of salt.

To see whether you have enough salt, cook a little bit of the mixture and taste it, if you need to add more salt do so. 

Pop your mixed ingredients in your terrine, place the bay leaves on top, lid on and let your terrine cook in a 170°C oven for a good 1H30. Once cooked, leave the terrine to cool and pop it in the fridge. It’s best to eat your terrine the day after you made it, to allow the flavours to develop. 

 

Bon appétit!

Corinne

How do you eat duck terrine?

Slice your terrine into small chunks. In France we tend to serve it with cornichons (gherkins) and bread. But it also works well with a good chutney or a piccalilli. It’s the perfect dish to serve during the festive season, especially at a party with a buffet.

You can find out more about my cookery journey here 

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Green tomato galette with green tapenade and goat cheese

Green tomato galette with green tapenade and goat cheese

image of a tart with sliced green tomatoes and goat cheese on top, you can find the recipe on the blog of Gourmandises Academie, Cambridge

Ingredients:

One to two tomatoes sliced 

I make my own shortcrust but one roll of shop bought shortcrust pastry is fine too.

One jar of green olives 

3 cloves of garlic

Olive oil

Plenty of fresh thyme

Goat cheese (if you don’t like goat cheese, you can replace with camembert or cheddar)

Pre-heat your oven at 180º C

Method:

Start by making the tapenade. In a food processor, blend the olives, garlic and thyme to a coarse paste. 

Roll out your pastry and prick the bottom with a fork. Spread two to three TBSP of tapenade on the base, don’t cover all of the pastry, leave a 2 cm gap for a border. Then, place the tomatoes on top and then the goat cheese, as much cheese as you like.  Then fold the 2 cm gap of pastry that you left to form a border (as per picture above). Pop in the oven for a good 30 minutes until the pastry is golden on top. Serve hot or cold with a salad. 

Bon appétit!

Corinne

What can I do with a lot of green tomatoes?

Apart from the obvious pickle and chutney, did you know that you can get them to ripe? Pop them in a draw with a few tomatoes that are already red and a banana or two. And they will ripe eventually, just be patient. Trust me it works. You just have to remember to change the bananas.

If not, you can also use them in a curry like you would with a ripe tomato or a even in a chilli. I also make a delicious tomato salsa with them. So don’t panic if you have green tomatoes!

You can find out more about my cookery journey here 

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Cherry and rum ice cream

image with a bowl of ice cream with cherries inside, the recipe can be found on the blog of Gourmandises Academie, Cottenham, UK

Cherry and rum ice cream

image with a bowl of ice cream with cherries inside, the recipe can be found on the blog of Gourmandises Academie, Cottenham, UK

Ingredients:

600 g of cherries, pitted (you can use frozen for this)

One tin of condensed milk (397 g tin)

600 ml of double cream

150 g of icing sugar 

Three TBSP of cherry rum (or kirsch)

 

Method:

If you are using fresh cherries like I did, you are gonna have to remove the stone first.  Once pitted, pass them through a food processor and give them a quick blast, you don’t want them puréed, just roughly crushed.  In a bowl, pour your cream, condensed milk, icing sugar and whisk to a thick consistency. Then fold in your cherries with three TBSP of rum. Pour everything into a Tupperware and freeze overnight. The ice cream comes out soft and creamy like an Italian gelato. Pure joy!

What is cherry rum?

Every country has their own way of fermenting fruits when they come in abundance. In Reunion Island, where I come from, Rum is often flavoured with the glut of the summer, such as pineapples, mango and litchis. I am in the UK, so I do  the same using the fruits we grow here. Cherries are perfect for this, when ripe, put them in a jar with a bit of sugar and cover them with dark rum. Let them infuse for a good six months and use it in cocktails or any of your bakes. That is cherry rum. 

Bon appétit!

Corinne

You can watch the step by step method of this recipe on YouTube

Check out my other recipes here 

You can find out more about my cookery journey here 

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Moules marinières à la créole

Picture of mussels cooked and opened in the pot, you can learn how to make this dish on the blog of the cookery school Gourmandises Academie, Cambridge

Moules marinières à la créole

Picture of mussels cooked and opened in the pot, you can learn how to make this dish on the blog of the cookery school Gourmandises Academie, Cambridge

Ingredients:

 

1 kg of fresh mussels 

Ginger, the size of a TBSP

5 cloves of garlic

Half bottle of white wine

Fresh thyme

A little bit of turmeric

A TBSP of tomato puree

Double cream

One onion

Three TBSP of vegetable oil

You will need a deep pan for this.

 

Method:

First thing first, clean your mussels. I plunge them in cold water and scrub off the barnacles and hairy beard that are on the shells. Discard of the ones that are open still. In a pan, add your vegetable oil and onions and fry until the onions are translucent. Crush your garlic and ginger into a paste and add to the pan, stir and cook for a minute, add a little bit of turmeric at this point, not too much, less than a 1/4 of a tsp. Then add your white wine, the fresh thyme and the tomato puree. Stir everything and let your sauce simmer for about 15 minutes. Add your mussels and a little bit of double cream, lid on and let them cook for a good five minutes until they’re all opened. Et voilà! I didn’t think that turmeric, ginger and garlic would work with white wine, but it absolutely does! I hope you give it a go, well worth it!

Corinne

If you enjoy shell fish you might like to try “Lobster tail in a rich tomato and turmeric sauce”. 

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recipe

Basquaise style chicken

picture of a blue casserole dish on top of a towel with red stripes, with pieces of chicken, red and green peppers in a tomato sauce, the recipe is available on the blog of the cookery school Gourmandises Academie, Cambridge

Basquaise style chicken

picture of a blue casserole dish on top of a towel with red stripes, with pieces of chicken, red and green peppers in a tomato sauce, the recipe is available on the blog of the cookery school Gourmandises Academie, Cambridge

Ingredients:

3 chicken thighs (chicken legs work well too)

Two peppers (green and red for contrast)

A glass of white wine

One onion (thinly sliced)

5 cloves of garlic (crushed and sliced)

Fresh thyme

A table spoon of tomato paste

Method:

I use a cast iron pan, but any heavy base pan will do. Season your thighs with salt and pepper first. Then, brown the chicken on both sides,  in a little bit of olive oil. Take the meat out of the pan. Then add the thyme and the onion. Once the onion has reached that translucent colour, add the garlic and stir. Slice the peppers into strips and add them to the pan, give them a good stir again. Add the tomato puree, a glass of wine and a sprinkle of paprika. Put the chicken thighs back on top, cover, reduce the heat and let it simmer for a good 45 minutes, giving it a stir now and then. The dish is ready once the peppers are soft and the sauce velvety. I serve my poulet basquaise with rice.   

Corinne

You can watch the step by step method of this recipe on YouTube

If you enjoy peppers you may want to give my padrón peppers recipe a go.

Categories
recipe

Duck confit

picture of a terrine dish with a cloth around it, filled with goose fat and bits of meat appearing on the surface, you can learn how to make this confit on the blog of cooking school Gourmandises Academie

Duck confit

picture of a terrine dish with a cloth around it, filled with goose fat and bits of meat appearing on the surface, you can learn how to make this confit on the blog of cooking school Gourmandises Academie

Ingredients:

4 duck legs 

Sea salt

Bay leaves

Thyme

Garlic

Black pepper corns

750 g of duck fat

A glass of water

Method:

This recipe happens over two days.

On day one, place your duck legs on a tray and add your garlic, pepper corns and your herbs, as much or as little depending on your taste. Rub your duck legs generously with salt. Cover the tray with cling film and leave it to rest in the fridge for 24 hours.

On day two. Slowly melt your duck fat in a pan, be careful not to bring it to the boil. Rinse your duck legs thoroughly under a cold tap to get rid of the salt. Put them in a pan with the herbs, pepper corns and garlic and pour the melted duck fat over them, don’t forget to add a glass of water also (the water prevents the legs from sticking and burning at the bottom of the pan). Cook them on a very low heat for a good 3 hours, until the meat is nice and tender, almost falling off the bone. At that stage, I transfer the legs in a smaller container, like a terrine and cover them with the duck fat. The confit will keep in the fridge, for a good month or more if totally covered with fat. You can use them in a cassoulet, or lightly fry them in a pan and eat them with sautéed potatoes or even a green salad. 

Corinne

You can watch the step by step method of this recipe on YouTube, part one and part two.

This is the season for comfort food, here’s another recipe you might like to try, chicken parcels.

Categories
recipe

Chicken curry with courgettes

Chicken curry with courgettes

image with a blue pan on a wooden table, filled with bits of chicken in a tomato sauce and parsley on top, recipe available at cookery school Gourmandises Academie, Cambridge

Ingredients:

This recipe is for 4 people

3 courgettes cut into small pieces

1 chopped onion

4 cloves of garlic

Ginger (the size of a table spoon) 

1 TBSP of tomato puree

2 TBSP of hot chicken curry powder (mild, if you don’t like the heat)

4 chicken thighs, cut into pieces, with the bone and skin

200 ml of water

A dollop of creme fraiche

Fresh coriander to sprinkle on before serving

Vegetable oil

Method:

I use chicken thighs because they have much more flavour than the breast, with the skin on please! But if you must, use breast.  

I know this is not the way they do it in India, but I like to brown my meat for extra flavour. So, in a pan, add two to 3 TBSP of vegetable oil and fry your pieces of chicken until golden brown. Then, add your chopped onion and stir for a minute or two. Crush your garlic and ginger into a paste and add to the mix. Add your curry powder and courgettes and stir. Finally add your tomato puree. Pour your water, stir, turn the heat down and let your curry seemer for half an hour. 10 minutes before the end, add a good dollop of creme fraiche.  Springle with fresh coriander before serving. Serve with basmati rice or a gorgeous bit of naan bread. 

Bon appétit!

Corinne

You can find my latest recipes here

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Baked cauliflower with turmeric

image with a baking tray filled with baked yellow cauliflower and cheese, you can find the recipe on the blog of cooking school, gourmandises academie, cottenham

Baked cauliflower with turmeric

image with a baking tray filled with baked yellow cauliflower and cheese, you can find the recipe on the blog of cooking school, gourmandises academie, cottenham

Ingredients:

 

To serve 4 people  

Two cauliflowers

Salt and pepper to season

5 TBSP of vegetable oil 

4 TBSP of creme fraiche

150 g grated cheddar (gruyere, or a good Italian cheese works well too). 

2 TBSP of turmeric

A baking tray 

Pre-heat your oven at 180º C

Method:

Cut your cauliflower into florets and place them in your baking tray. Drizzle your florets with vegetable oil and add your turmeric. Season with salt and pepper, mix well, I suggest wearing surgical gloves for this, as it is best to mix everything by hand, but you’ll end-up with yellow hands if you don’t wear gloves. Once your cauliflower is coated with turmeric and oil, place your tray in the oven. Bake for 15 minutes then mix again with a spoon and place back in the oven for another 15 minutes. Then add your creme fraiche and mix and add your cheese on top. Place back in the oven for another 10 minutes. And that is it! So a very easy recipe indeed. Serve hot with your roast lamb or whatever vegetarian option you are serving.

Note: don’t use frozen cauliflower for this dish as it would release too much moisture. Also don’t throw away the green leaves, chop them up and place them in a tupperware box in your fridge. They will keep for a week and can be used in stir fries, curries or cooked like any other greens. 

 

Bon appétit!

Corinne

You might also want to try my passion fruit crême brulée for dessert

 

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recipe

Passion fruit crême brulée: my Easter dessert

image with a dark background with a spoon and a creme brulee, you can find the recipe on the blog of cookery school gourmandises academie, cambridge

Passion fruit crême brulée: my Easter dessert

image with a dark background with a spoon and a creme brulee, you can find the recipe on the blog of cookery school gourmandises academie, cambridge

Ingredients:

3 passion fruits

400 ml double cream

100 ml milk

1 vanilla pod

100 g granulated sugar

6 eggs yolks

2 to 3 tbs light brown sugar for the topping.

You will need 4 to six ramekins for this dessert and an oven proof tray for your bain marie

Pre-heat your oven at 150º C

Method:

Pre-heat your oven to 150°C static. Whisk the sugar and egg  yolks until light and creamy.  Split your vanilla pod in half, with a knife take out the black seeds and mix them with the sugar and egg mixture and put the pod in the milk. Bring your milk and double cream to  boiling point. Then slowly pour onto your egg mix whisking all the time (you can use a strainer at this point, I personnally don’t, the choice is yours).

Add the passion fruit at the bottom of your ramekins and pour the cream over the top. This mix is enough for 4 to 6 pots.

Cook in a hot bain-marie in a 150°C oven for 40 minutes to an hour. (it’s cooked when you have a slight wobble).

Once cooked, leave to cool and put in the fridge for at least three hours. Once completely cold sprinkle some light brown sugar on the top of your ramekins. You can either use a blow torch or the grill to caramelise the top.

Serve immediately.

Bon appétit!

Corinne

 

If you’re looking for a more chocolaty dessert for Easter you my like to try my boozy raspberry brownies

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recipe

Apple tarte fine

Apple tarte fine

Image of an apple pie on a wooden table, the recipe can be found on the blog of cooking school Gourmandises Academie

Ingredients:

A roll of puff pastry

Muscovado or demerara sugar (you can use caster sugar but you won’t get that indulgent caramel flavour)

70 g salted butter

3 to 4  apples depending how big they are (you can use any type of apples for this)

A baking tray big enough to hold your pastry (lined with baking paper, I personally keep the paper the pastry comes with) 

Pre-heat your oven at 180º C

Method:

First thing first, slice your apples thinly, about 3 to 5 mm thick. Then prepare your pastry, with a knife I draw a rectangle close to the edges of my pastry to create a border. Then I lay my apples in rows until they have completely covered my puff pastry.  At that point, sprinkle your apples with a generous amount of muscovado sugar, and add nuggets of butter on top of your apples. To add a bit of colour I also added a few blueberries, you could use blackberries also at this time of year. Pop your tart in the oven, for 20 minutes or until the edges and bottom of the tart are cooked. This is a dessert that can be eaten warm or cold, the choice is yours.  

Bon appetit!

Corinne

You can watch the step by step method of this recipe on YouTube

As it is apple season, you might also want to check out my mince meat recipe