Starter: Coquilles St-Jacques au Beurre Blanc
This is my first time making beurre blanc (literally white butter). Wow what a delicious sauce this is and perfect for seafood. I followed Hopkinson's recipe all the way right before adding the butter. I whisked in a mixture of single cream and butter, and adjusted the sauce amount just enough for two. Yes, I know sprinkling some chopped parsley on the final product would have been nice. The good thing is my next trial in this recipe will be soon!
Salad: Apple, beetroot and grapefruit salad
The salad is here to create an illusion of a balanced meal.
Only three words: YUM YUM YUM!!!
I have become a faithful follower of Felicity Cloake's Guardian column. In every post, she features one dish and summarises her thoughts/experiences in trying a number of recipes she's come across. In the end, she presents her version of the featured dish, incorporating the elements she feels most complement to the dish. I found one of her comments quite useful on the protective layer for the beef before wrapping it with the puff pastry. In her experience, not only none of the protective layer worked (crepe or parma ham), but also it created an unnecessary distraction from the awesome beef. She wrote, "if the pastry is good and thin, buttery and rich, nothing is nicer than a meat-soaked crust". I admitted I had some doubts initially when I first read this. Once I bit into my meat-moistened crust, I was a believer. In fact, the button crust remains some of its crispiness and is not soggy. And you always have the top crust for your ultimate enjoyment.
I really enjoyed my cooking experiments this holiday. And now I have another year to look forward to.
Happy New Year to you all!
No comments:
Post a Comment