Fish Pie

In need for a hearty meal in this Christmas time? Then this fish pie is just perfect =)
I took the recipe in the December issue of Delicious. Magazine, and for a first try it turned out amazingly good.

Fish Pie (adapted from Delicious. Magazine)
Serves 6

250ml fish stock - 200ml double cream, plus a couple of extra splashes - 500 g salmon fillets - 400 g white fish fillets (I used cod) - 100g butter - 1 leek, white and light green parts only, finely sliced - 4 tbsp flour - 125ml dry white wine - 1,2 kg potatoes, cut into chunks - 100g gruyère or cheddar cheese, grated - 2 pinches herbes de provence

1. Put the fish stock and the cream in a large pan. Add the fish (in one layer) and bring to the boil, then leave to simmer gently for 6 minutes. Remove from the heat, leave for a few moments and strain, reserving the cooking liquid. Place the fish into an ovenproof dish, in as large chunks as you can.

2. Meanwhile, prepare the potatoes and cook them for 15 to 20 minutes, then drain and return to the pan. Mash with 50g of the butter, then add nearly all of the cheese, a couple of splashes of cream and season well.
3. Preheat the oven to 200°C. In a pan, melt 50g of the butter, add the leeks, and cook for 1 minute. Add a pinch of salt, then cook over a low heat for 5 minutes, covered. Sprinkle in the flour, cook for 2 minutes, stirring. Whisk in the wine until you have a smooth paste, then slowly add the reserved cooking liquid from the fish. Bring to a simmer, then cook for 15minutes, stirring frequently. Add the herbes de Provence.
4. Add the sauce to the fish, and top with the mashed potatoes. Sprinkle with the remaining cheese, and bake for 45 minutes until golden.

Pie au poisson (adapted from Delicious. Magazine)

Pour 6 personnes


250ml de fumet de poisson - 200ml crème liquide, ou un mélange de crème fraîche et de lait, et un peu plus pour la purée - 500 g de filets de saumon - 400 g de filets de poisson blanc (j'ai utilisé du cabillaud) - 100g de beurre - 1 poireau, coupé finement, seulement les parties blanches et vert clair - 4 c. à s. de farine - 125ml de vin blanc sec - 1,2 kg pommes de terre, coupées en morceaux - 100g de gruyère ou de cheddar râpé - 2 pincées d'herbes de provence


1. Mettre le fumet de poisson et la crème dans une grande poële. Ajouter le poisson (en une seule couche) et faire bouillir, puis laisser frémir pendant 6 minutes. Enlever du feu, attendre quelques minutes, puis passer dans une passoire, en réservant le liquide de cuisson. Mettre le poisson dans un plat qui va au four, en gardant des morceaux les plus grands possibles.

2. Pendant ce temps, préparer la purée. Faire cuire les pommes de terre 15 à 20 minutes, les égoutter et les remettre dans la poêle. Ecraser les pommes de terre avec 50g de beurre, puis ajouter presque tout le fromage, ainsi qu'un peu de crème. Bien assaisonner.
3. Préchauffer le four à 200°C. Dans une casserole, faire fondre 50g de beurre, ajouter les poireaux, et cuire pendant 1 minute. Ajouter une pincée de sel, puis cuire les poireaux à couvert pendant 5 minutes, à feu doux. Ajouter la farine, et remuer pendant 2 minutes, puis ajouter le vin blanc, en fouettant jusqu'à ce que le tout forme une pâte lisse. Ajouter doucement le liquide de cuisson du poisson réservé. Amener à frémissement, et faire cuire pendant 15 minutes, en remuant fréquemment. Ajouter les herbes de Provence.

4. Ajouter la sauce au plat de poisson, puis répartir la purée dessus. Parsemer du reste de fromage râpé, et enfourner pour 45 minutes jusqu'à ce que la pie soit bien dorée.

My First Cheesecake

 Yesterday was my first time having more than one friend around for dinner, and I really wanted to make a great dessert. Then I happen to check Joy The Baker's blog, who had just published her recipe for a Salted Caramel Cheesecake. I saw the photos and decided right away that I would bake that cheesecake. I needed to bake that cheesecake.

So. I was in quest of cream cheese and ginger snaps in Paris - a very difficult task - but after talking to an American friend, she advised me to go for speculoos instead. I also didn't have any vanilla extract or corn syrup so I just omitted them. I don't know why I had always thought that making a cheesecake would be difficult, but it was really easy. You only need a few hours ahead of you and everything falls into place perfectly.

My friends really appreciated the lemon in the cream cheese and the rich caramel sauce on top. I'll definitely be making it again!

Caramel Cheesecake (barely adapted from Joy the Baker's Cheesecake)
Ingredients:
For the crust: 230g speculoos biscuits - 1 tbsp brown sugar - a pinch of salt - 4 tbsp melted butter
For the cheesecake: 230g cream cheese - 125g granulated sugar - 1 large egg - 120g heavy cream - 2 tsp lemon zest, chopped
For the caramel: 95g granulated sugar - 2 tbsp water - 75g heavy cream - 1 tbsp butter - a pinch of sea salt.

1. Make the crust. Preheat the oven to 180°C. Crush the speculoos biscuits to crumbs. Add brown sugar, salt, and butter. Stir well to moisten all the crumbs. Press the mixture into a mould with high edges covered with baking paper. Cover the bottom and the sides. Bake for 15 minutes. Remove the mould from the oven and leave to cool.

2. Cheesecake filling: Whisk the cream cheese and sugar together, until smooth and fluffy. Beat in the salt, the egg. Once incorporated, add the heavy cream, and the lemon zest. Pour the cheese filling into the crust. Put the mould back into the oven, on the middle rack. Place a pan half-filled with boiling water on a rack at the bottom of the oven. Bake for 1 hour or so. Turn the oven off and leave in the oven for a further 30 minutes, leaving the oven door slighlty ajar. Remove from the oven and leave to cool for at least 4 hours.

3. Caramel: Put the sugar and the water in a saucepan. Let it brown on a medium heat. Remove from heat and pour the heavy cream and butter. Stir well. Add the salt and stir again. Pour the caramel sauce into a bowl. Once cooled, cover with cling film and cool in the fridge for at least 4 hours.

4. Pour the caramel sauce over the cheesecake (the sauce will be quite thick and sticky), and put the cheesecake back in the fridge until 5 min before serving.

Cheesecake au caramel
Ingrédients:
Pour la pâte: 230g de spéculoos - 1 c. à s. de vergeoise - une pincée de sel - 4 c. à s. de beurre, fondu.
Pour le cheesecake: 230g de cream cheese (type Philadelphia) - 125g de sucre - 1 gros oeuf - 120g de crème fraîche- 2 c. à c. de zeste de citron, haché finement.
Pour le caramel: 95g de sucre - 2 c. à s. d'eau - 75g de crème fraîche - 1 c. à s. de beurre - une pincée de sel/fleur de sel.


1. Préparer la pâte. Préchauffer le four à 180°C. Ecraser les spéculoos en miettes fines.Ajouter la vergeoise, le sel, et le beurre. Bien mélanger pour imbiber toutes les miettes. Préparer un moule à bords hauts en le couvrant de papier cuisson, y verser les miettes et les presser contre le fond et sur les bords pour bien les recouvrir.Faire cuire pendant 15 minutes. retirer le moule du four et laisser refroidir.

2. Cheesecake: Battre le cream cheese avec le sucre, jusqu'à ce que le mélange soit homogène et ait pris un peu de volume. Ajouter le sel, puis l'oeuf, fouetter pour incorporer. Puis ajouter la crème fraîche,et le zeste de citron. Verser le mélange dans le fond de spéculoos préparé. Remettre le plat dans le four, sur la grille du milieu. Placer un moule rempli à moitié d'eau bouillante sur une grille plus bas. Faire cuire le cheesecake pendant 1 heure. Eteindre le four mais y laisser le cheesecake  pendant encore 30 minutes, avec la porte du four légèrement entrouverte. Retirer du four et laisser refroidir pendant au moins 4 heures.

 3. Le caramel: Mettre le sucre et l'eau dans une casserole. Laisser bouillir puis caraméliser. Retirer du feu, et y verser immédiatement la crème et le beurre. Mélanger rapidement. Ajouter le sel et mélanger. Verser le caramel dans un bol et le laisser refroidir, puis le protéger avec un film étirable avant de le mettre au frigo pendant au moins 4 heures.


4. Verser la sauce au caramel sur le cheesecake (à ce stade le caramel doit être épais et relativement collant). Remettre le cheesecake au frigo jusqu'à 5 minutes avant de servir.

Tagine with Apricots and Prunes

Mum wanted me to test a tagine recipe she had found earlier, so I decided to have a look. However, it turned out that she had bought pork tenderloin instead of the lamb the recipe called for. According to her, the cooking time is nearly the same. I made several changes to the original recipe - I don't know where she found it as there is no reference on the recipe she cut out. But it was really nice, the cinnamon flavoured the pork delicately and my brothers both left their plates empty so I guess I have a winner with this recipe =)






Pork Tagine with Apricots and Prunes

Serves 5-6 with leftovers

Ingredients:

750g potatoes, peeled and quartered - 2 onions, finely chopped - 900g pork tenderloin (you can use the same amount of lamb), cut into 3cm cubes - 8-10 dried apricots - 20 prunes - 1/2 tbsp cinnamon - 1/2 tbsp paprika - 2 tbsp olive oil - 30g butter - 45cl chicken stock - salt.

1) Heat the olive oil in a casserole dish, add the butter. When it is foaming, pour the onions and the cinnamon. Stir well, then add the pork (or lamb) pieces to the casserole. Brown the meat on a high heat.

2) Add the apricots and the prunes, potatoes and paprika. Salt well. Pour the stock over them, and leave to simmer for 50 minutes.

3) Put the meat pieces, the potatoes, prunes and apricots into a serving dish. Then reduce the remaining sauce by half, by boiling it on a high heat.

Tajine aux Abricots et aux Pruneaux

Pour 5-6 personnes, avec des restes.

Ingrédients:

750g de pommes de terre, pelées et coupées en 4 - 2 oignons, finement hâchés - 900g de filet mignon de porc (ou bien utilisez de l'agneau), coupé en cubes de 3 cm - 8-10 abricots secs - 20 pruneaux - 1/2 c. à s. de cannelle - 1/2 c. à s. de paprika - 2 c. à s. d'huile d'olive - 30g de beurre - 45cl de bouillon de volaille - sel.

1) Faites chauffer l'huile d'olive dans une cocotte, ajoutez le beurre. Lorsqu'il mousse, versez les oignons et la cannelle.Mélangez bien, puis ajoutez les morceaux de porc (ou d'agneau). Faites les dorer à feu vif.  

2) Ajoutez les abricots et les pruneaux, les pommes de terre et le paprika. Salez généreusement. Versez le bouillon, et laissez mijoter pendant 50 minutes.

3) Mettre les morceaux de viande, les pommes de terre, les pruneaux et les abricots dans un plat de service. Faites réduire de moitié la sauce, en la faisant bouillir, puis versez dans le plat.

The Betty's Experience

Take two girls queuing under the rain, waiting to be accepted into the quintessential British tearooms. And a miracle: a vacant table for two - the possibility to walk past everyone else! Welcome to Betty’s =D

We took refuge into the lower room, with panelling and mirrors on the walls. The waitresses, perfectly dressed in black and white, were smiling and helpful. While we were waiting, we had a look to the diverse leaflets on the table: cookery courses to a price so high it is not worth mentioning – no student could ever afford it.

Going through the three plates of the cake stand was like a trip to heaven. The lower plate starred four mini-sandwiches – smoked salmon for the ones and chicken for the others - and I could choose between onion, apple and tomato chutneys to enhance their delicate flavour.

The second plate featured a fat sultana scone, accompanied by strawberry jam and clotted cream. No comments needed except that biting into the scone was pure delight. We took our time to savour the different flavours combining together harmoniously. This I think is what we believe is inherent to British tea: a classic scone and a cup of tea.

The last plate was presenting three different elements: a mini lemon drizzle cake, a miniature chocolate macaroon and a mini raspberry tart. The hardest challenge was to decide which one to try first. I went for the lemon cake. The acidity of the drizzle topping was definitely a big hit. It was fresh, lemony and light, just what I needed after the “scone episode”. I had a try at the macaroon, which seemed a bit dry to me but was chocolaty enough to please me. And I finished with the raspberry tart, where the buttery pastry framed the custard filling and tangy raspberries perfectly.

Chocolate Considerations

On Wednesday it was my last time baby-sitting B. I was about to leave when his parents offered me a box of chocolates from... Betty's. For those of you who are foreign to York, Betty's is admittedly the best tearoom in the city. Well, about its chocolates, they were divine. Round and flat, scattered with almonds, pistachios and raisins, you have both the delicate sensation of the chocolate melting on your tongue, and the crunchiness of the nuts.

I have "a thing" with chocolate. You know, the kind of "thing" that you experience when you are deeply in love with someone. It may be even worse, since I am a real chocoholic... from my chocolate milk in the morning, my lovely "goûters" made of baguette, butter and a few squares of chocolate, my chocolate cakes, brownies, mousses, fondues, nutella(!), to the fact that my boyfriend can actually keep the flame alive with the help of a single bar of Lindt dark chocolate à la fleur de sel.

Next week is my birthday, and I plan on making a chocolate tart as my family is coming all the way up to York It is a recipe from Alain Ducasse, and you'll get the recipe and the photos if it turns out as I expect: a soft, goey filling with an intense chocolate flavour. Oh and I am going to Betty's on Monday, and I am pretty excited about it.

Spicy Chicken Couscous

Looking for a healthy, rather quick lunch with a kick? Do stop by. I did this with what I had left in my cupboard and fridge. Staple, simple ingredients put together to make this yummy spiced couscous. Loads of flavour goes into this, just what I wanted to get the courage I needed to go through my dissertation writing... At least cooking helps me let off steam.

Spicy Chicken Couscous
Serves 1 - 15 minutes to make

Ingredients:

1/2 glass couscous - 1/8 red pepper, finely chopped - 1/8 onion, finely chopped - 1 tomato, cut into chunks - 1 chicken breast, cut into pieces - 1 tsp olive oil - 1/2 tsp curry powder - 1/4 tsp paprika + 2 pinches - 1 tbsp chopped parsley.

1) Prepare all the ingredients. Heat the olive oil in a pan. Add the onions and red pepper, and cook on a low heat for 2-3 minutes.

2) Pour the couscous in a large bowl with salt, pepper, and the two pinches paprika. Pour boiling water just to cover, then put a lid on the bowl and leave aside for 5-7min.
3) Add the chicken pieces to the pan and the remaining spices. Stir well to coat. When the chicken is almost done, add the tomato chunks and stir. When it is done, fluff the couscous with a fork, pour the contents of the pan into the bowl, add the parsley and stir to blend.

Couscous poulet-épices

Pour 1 personnes - préparation 15 minutes

Ingrédients:

1/2 verre de semoule de blé dur - 1/8 d'oignon, hâché finement - 1/8 de poivron rouge, hâché finement - 1 tomate, coupée en dés - 1 blanc de poulet, coupé en morceaux ou lanières - 1 c. à c. d'huile d'olive - 1/2 c. c. de curry en poudre - 1/4 de c. à c. de paprika + 2 pincées - 1 c. à s. de persil hâché.

1) Préparez tous les ingrédients. Faites chauffer l'huile d'olive dans une poêle, ajoutez les oignons et le poivron rouge. Faites cuire à feu doux pendant 2 à 3 minutes.
2) Versez la semoule de blé dans un saladier, avec sel, poivre, et les deux pincées de paprika. Versez de l'eau bouillante, jusqu'à ce que la semoule soit recouverte. Couvrez et mettez de côté pendant 5-7 minutes.
3) Ajoutez les morceaux de poulet à la poêle, ainsi que le reste des épices. Mélangez bien. Lorsque le poulet est quasiment cuit, ajoutez les morceaux de tomate et mélangez de nouveau. Lorsqu'il est prêt, retirez la poêle du feu. Egrennez la semoule de blé avec une fourchette, versez le contenu de la poêle dans le saladier, ajoutez le persil hâché et mélangez.

Marvellous Lemony Lemon Curd Cake

I definitely have a thing with lemons. Take lemon tarts, for instance. I love it when the sweetness of the shortcrust pastry balances the delicate tanginess of the lemon curd filling. This specific taste approaches perfection to me. But I've always been disappointed when it comes to lemon cakes. Too thick, too sweet, too dry... Not enough lemon. I've never tested any recipe which could satisfy me.

So today I decided to do something about it. I made out a recipe from what I knew could work for a cake base, and decided to add more lemon than in the other recipes I generally see, and above all to add some lemon juice in it. I also chose not to put the double cream some recipes call for, and replaced it by some milk.

And it came out... just heavenly. In fact, the result was tangy lemon curd balancing the two layers of a soft, smooth, moist, lemony lemon cake...

The Marvellous Lemon Curd Cake

For 6-8 people

Ingredients:
For the cake
50g softened butter - 120g sugar - 150g flour - 10g baking powder - 75ml lemon juice - 75ml milk - 2 eggs - zest of two lemons
For the lemon curd

3 egg yolks - 50g sugar - 30g unsalted butter - zest and juice from 1 large lemon

1. Start with the cake. Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F. In a large bowl, put the sugar and lemon zest together, rubbing the zest into the sugar so that it becomes moist and infused with lemon. Leave aside while you prepare the rest of the ingredients. Add the butter to the sugar-lemon zest bowl. Whisk until well combined. Add the two eggs, and whisk until the batter appears creamy.

2. In another bowl, sift the flour, baking powder and a pinch of salt together. Gradually whisk into the first bowl (in 3 or 4 additions). Pour in the milk, then the lemon juice, whisking until well combined. The batter should be quite creamy and fluffy. Pour in a buttered and floured round tin and put on a rack at the centre of the oven, for about 30 minutes.

3. While the cake is baking, prepare the lemon curd. Bring a large saucepan of water to a simmer (be careful: when you put your bowl on the saucepan, the bottom must not touch the water). Put all the ingredients in a stainless steel bowl, and place it over the saucepan. Whisk all the ingredients to combine, and whisk until the mixture thickens. Remove from heat, leave to cool, then put in the fridge until needed. The lemon curd will thicken while cooling.

4. When the cake is done, take it out from the oven, and leave to cool for 10 minutes. Then unmold it, and leave to cool on a wire rack. Once it is thoroughly cooled (and not before, otherwise your cake will crumble when you cut it), cut it in half with a serrated knife. Carefully remove the top of the cake. Spread the lemon curd on the bottom part, then replace the top.

Le Merveilleux Gâteau au Citron

Pour 6-8 personnes

Ingrédients:
Pour le gâteau
50g de beurre - 120g de sucre - 150g de farine - 1 sachet de levure chimique - 75 ml de jus de citron - 75 ml de lait - 2 oeufs - le zeste de 2 citrons.
Pour la lemon curd
3 jaunes d'oeufs - 30g de beurre - 50g de sucre - le zeste et le jus d'un citron.

1. Préparez le gâteau au citron. Préchauffez le four à 180°C/350°F. Dans un grand saladier, mélanger les zestes de citron avec le sucre du bout des doigts, jusqu'à ce que les zestes infusent le sucre de citron. Mettre de côté le temps de préparer les autres ingrédients. Ajoutez-y le beurre, et fouettez jusqu'à ce que tout soit bien incorporé. Ajoutez les deux oeufs, et mélangez au fouet jusqu'à ce que le mélange augmente légèrement de volume et devienne crémeux.

2. Dans un autre saladier, tamisez la farine, la levure chimique et une pincée de sel. Ajoutez ce mélange en 3 ou 4 fois dans le saladier sucre-beurre-oeufs. Versez le lait, puis le jus de citron, en fouettant jusqu'à ce que le mélange soit lisse. Le mélange doit être assez crémeux. Versez dans un moule rond, beurré et fariné. Mettez à cuire sur une grille au milieu du four, pendant environ 30 minutes.

3. Pendant que le gâteau cuit, préparez la lemon curd. Mettez une casserole d'eau à chauffer (attention: lorsque vous placerez le bol sur la casserole, le fond ne doit pas toucher l'eau). Maintenir l'eau à un frémissement. Mettez tous les ingrédients dans un saladier ou un grand bol en acier inoxydable, et le placer sur la casserole. Fouettez pour mélanger les ingrédients, et continuez jusqu'à ce que le mélange épaississe légèrement. Otez du feu, laisser refroidir. Mettez le mélange au réfrigérateur en attendant de l'utiliser. La lemon curd va épaissir en refroidissant.

4. Lorsque le gâteau est cuit, sortez-le du four, et laissez refroidir 10 minutes dans le moule, avant de démouler sur une grille. Lorsque le gâteau est complètement refroidi (et pas avant, sinon le gâteau va s'émietter lorsque vous le couperez), coupez-le en deux horizontalement avec un couteau à pain. Otez le dessus avec précautions. Répartir la lemon curd sur la partie inférieure, et replacez le dessus.