CHERRY BLANCMANGE

 Serves 6

Ingredients:

· 450g Flaked Almonds 600ml Water

· 25g Gelatine

· 100gCaster Sugar

· 6 tbsp Cherry Brandy

· 225g Fresh Cherries

Instructions

1. Pound the almonds to a smooth paste with a pestle and mortar. Put the paste into a bowl and gradually mix in 600ml tepid water. Leave for 20 minutes.

2. Put a sieve lined with muslin over a bowl and pour in the almond mixture. Squeeze the muslin until you have extracted 600ml almond milk.

3. Gently heat the gelatine in a small pan in 60 ml of the almond milk, stirring until the gelatine has dissolved. Remove the pan from the heat.

4. Pour the rest of the almond milk into a saucepan and stir in the sugar. Set the pan on low heat and stir until the sugar has dissolved.

5. Stir the dissolved gelatine into the almond milk and mix thoroughly. Cool the almond milk and stir in the cherry brandy.

6. Lightly oil a 600ml jelly mould and pour in the contents of the saucepan. Let the blancmange cool and then put it into the refrigerator for 2 hours to set completely.

7. Turn it out and serve it with the fresh pitted cherries.

COCONUT FLUMMERY

 Serves 6  

Ingredients

· 1 x 170g tin Evaporated Milk

· 5 tbsp  Chilled Creamed Coconut, 

· 300ml Water

· 2 tbsp Gelatine

· 175g Caster Sugar

· 4 Egg Whites

Instructions

1.  In a small mixing bowl, mix together the evaporated milk with the creamed coconut.

2.  Place the water, gelatine and sugar in a saucepan and heat, stirring constantly, until the gelatin and sugar have dissolved. Remove from the heat.

3. Stir in the condensed milk mixture, mixing well and leave to cool for 1-2 hours, stirring occasionally.

4. In a clean mixing bowl, whisk the egg whites until stiff and fold into the coconut mixture.  Rinse an 18cm /7 inch tin with cold water and fill with  the coconut mixture. Chill for at least 2 hours or until set.

STICKY FIG TART

Ingredients (serves 8)

• 1 quantity Basic sweet shortcrust pastry or 3 sheets frozen ready-rolled shortcrust pastry, partially thawed
• 215g packet dessert figs, chopped
• 1/2 cup dry port wine
• 180g butter, chopped
• 1 1/2 cups firmly-packed brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten
• 1/2 cup self-raising flour
• 3/4 cup pouring cream
• pure icing sugar, to serve

Method

1. Preheat oven to 180°C. Grease a 3cm-deep, 23cm (base) fluted loose-based flan pan. Roll out pastry between 2 sheets of baking paper until 3mm thick. Line pan with pastry. Trim excess pastry and reserve for lattice. Refrigerate for 10 minutes. Place pan on a baking tray.

2.

Combine figs, port and 1/2 cup cold water in a saucepan. Bring to a simmer over medium heat. Cook for 5 minutes. Add half the butter, half the brown sugar and all the vanilla. Cook, stirring, for 2 to 3 minutes or until butter melts. Remove from heat. Cool slightly. Add eggs and flour. Stir to combine. Pour fig mixture into pastry case.

3. Press reserved pastry together. Roll out between 2 sheets of baking paper until 3mm thick. Cut into 1cm-thick strips. Place in a lattice pattern across pie top. Press edges to seal. Trim excess pastry. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes or until golden. Remove from oven. Dust with icing sugar.

4. Combine cream, remaining butter and brown sugar in a saucepan over low heat. Cook, stirring, for 2 to 3 minutes or until sugar dissolves. Simmer for 1 to 2 minutes or until slightly thick. Serve tart with sauce.

EASY FIG JAM

This simple fig jam tastes delicious on hot buttered toast or scones.

Makes about 2 cups

Ingredients

• 1 kg ripe figs, trimmed, roughly chopped
• 500g caster sugar
• 1 vanilla bean, split, seeds scraped
• 1 cinnamon quill
• Pared rind and juice of 1 lemon

Method

1. Place ingredients in a bowl, cover and stand overnight at room temperature. Transfer to a pan over low heat and stir to dissolve sugar. Bring to the boil, then cook over very low heat, stirring regularly, for 45 minutes or until thick and sticky. Mash figs gently with a fork or masher to break up a little. Remove vanilla pod, quill and rind, then cool slightly, and seal in sterilised jars. Store for up to 3 months.

CAJUN PASTALAYA

 

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon of bacon fat, canola,olive oil, or a combination
• 500gms boneless skinless chicken breast
• 500gms of a spicy smoked sausage
• 1/2 cup of coarsely chopped onion
• 1/2 cup of coarsely chopped green bell pepper
• 2 teaspoons of minced garlic
• 2 cans of diced tomatoes, undrained
• 1 cup of water
• 2 cups of dry medium shell pasta
• 1 teaspoon of dried thyme
• 1 teaspoon of dried basil
• 1 tablespoon of dried parsley
• 1/2 teaspoon of Cajun seasoning
• 1 tablespoon of butter
• 1 green onion, sliced
• Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper, to taste

Instructions
Heat fat in a large covered pot or skillet and add the chicken, and brown well on both sides. Remove and set aside. Slice the sausage in half lengthwise, then chop, adding to the skillet and cook until browned. Stir in the onion and green pepper and cook for about 5 minutes, or until tender. Add the garlic and cook another minute.
Stir in the diced tomatoes and water; bring up to a boil. Meanwhile, cut the chicken breast into cubes and return to the pot, adding in the dry pasta, thyme, basil, parsley, and Cajun seasoning, return to boil; reduce to medium low, cover and cook for 25 minutes or until pasta is tender and most of liquid has been absorbed. Stir in the butter and green onion. Taste, add salt and pepper, adjust seasonings as needed and serve with hot French bread to soak up the juices.
Variation: Mix and match the protein by using chopped cooked pork or cooked crawfish tails. You can also use peeled and deveined raw shrimp, adding in the last 5 minutes of cooking time.

DANISH POTATO SALAD

· 1.8kg potatoes

· 3 Tabsp finely chopped onion

· 2 celery stalks finely chopped

· 250ml sour cream

· 250ml mayonnaise

· 1 teaspoon mustard powder

· ¾ teaspoon of celery seed

· 5 Tbspns chopped fresh dill

· Salt & ground pepper to taste

Boil the potatoes in lightly salted water for 20-25 mins until tender then drain and allow to cool. Peel and coarsely chop the potatoes and place them in a large mixing bowl. Then add the onion and celery.

To make the dressing in a separate bowl stir together the sour cream, mayonnaise,mustard celery seed dill salt and pepper .

Add the dressing to the potatoes and toss gently to coat evenly. Adjust the seasoning then cover the bowl and chill until needed.

THE LIBRARY

THESE ARE SOME OF THE MANY COOK BOOKS THAT ARE AVAILABLE FROM OUR LOCAL LIBRARIES

I HAVE HAD SOME INTERESTING CHATS WITH SONYA FROM HUONVILLE LIBRARY WHO HAS SADLY RELOCATED TO KINGSTON.

BUT IN FUTURE SHOWS I WILL FIND OUT MORE ABOUT THE FOOD SECTION OF THE LIBRARY WITH THE NEW MANAGER, MANDY OLIVER AND LOOK FORWARD TO CHATTING WITH HER