Bistro des Z'Artes - Latest Blog Entries

Cream of roast garlic

Sun, 05 Sep 2010 03:18:00 -0500

Makes 1Litre

Ingredients

150g Garlic in bulbs & not peeled

300ml Cooking oil

200g Potato

1Ltr Water

Salt & pepper to taste

100ml Cream

Method

Put the garlic in a pot that is taller than it is wide & cover with cooking oil.
Bring up to the boil & then turn down to a slow simmer for 2 hours.
Remove the garlic from the cooking oil & place it in the soup pot with the sliced potatoes.
Pour on the water & cover with a lid.
Simmer for 20 minutes.
Blend with a soup gun & correct the seasoning.
Strain out all the garlic skins through a sieve & add the cream to make it silky smooth.
Serve piping hot with great bread.

Caesar salad

Sun, 22 Aug 2010 02:57:00 -0500

Serves 6

Ingredients

20g Onion

1 clove Garlic

60g Parmesan cheese (freshly grated)

30ml Vinegar

1 Egg yolk

50g Mayonnaise

30g Anchovy fillets

20g Mustard

100ml Olive oil

100ml Vegetable oil

A handful of Croutons

Method

In a tall jug add the egg yolk, mayonnaise, onion, garlic, anchovy fillets, mustard & 10g of the parmesan cheese.
Blend well with a stick blender.
Add in the olive oil a bit at a time while constantly blending.
If the sauce gets too thick add in a spoon of hot water.
Now add the vegetable oil the same way always blending. Season and keep.
Wash the romaine (cos) lettuce well & dry in a salad spinner so that the sauce coats the leaves & does not run off.
In a large bowl add the leaves with the croutons (bread cubes baked with olive oil & seasoning) & pour over the sauce, toss this well without breaking the leaves.
Place on plates or deep bowls & sprinkle with more parmesan.

Note;

Always use a good quality parmesan cheese as it will make all the difference

Only mix the leaves when your guests are seated and ready to eat as the sauce will make the leaves collapse

You can add grilled chicken, salmon, beef, tuna or prawns too this recipe to make different variations.

Enjoy

Caesar salad

Sun, 22 Aug 2010 02:57:00 -0500

Serves 6

Ingredients

20g Onion

1 clove Garlic

60g Parmesan cheese (freshly grated)

30ml Vinegar

1 Egg yolk

50g Mayonnaise

30g Anchovy fillets

20g Mustard

100ml Olive oil

100ml Vegetable oil

A handful of Croutons

Method

In a tall jug add the egg yolk, mayonnaise, onion, garlic, anchovy fillets, mustard & 10g of the parmesan cheese.
Blend well with a stick blender.
Add in the olive oil a bit at a time while constantly blending.
If the sauce gets too thick add in a spoon of hot water.
Now add the vegetable oil the same way always blending. Season and keep.
Wash the romaine (cos) lettuce well & dry in a salad spinner so that the sauce coats the leaves & does not run off.
In a large bowl add the leaves with the croutons (bread cubes baked with olive oil & seasoning) & pour over the sauce, toss this well without breaking the leaves.
Place on plates or deep bowls & sprinkle with more parmesan.

Note;

Always use a good quality parmesan cheese as it will make all the difference

Only mix the leaves when your guests are seated and ready to eat as the sauce will make the leaves collapse

You can add grilled chicken, salmon, beef, tuna or prawns too this recipe to make different variations.

Enjoy

Beetroot, vodka & orange sorbet

Tue, 10 Aug 2010 03:58:00 -0500

Makes 1ltr

Ingredients

400ml water

400g sugar

100ml white wine

1 whole orange

3 cooked & peeled beetroots

Juice of 3 oranges

Vodka (to taste)

Methods

Boil the sugar & the water together unntil all the sugar has dissolved.
Leave to cool
Cut up the orange & beetroot.
Blend the orange, beetroot & wine in a food liquidizer on full power.
Strain this mixture & mix into the sugar syrup.
Freeze.
Scoop into glasses & when ready to serve pour over a little orange juice & a splash of vodka.

Breast of chicken stuffed with mango in a mustard crust

Sun, 08 Aug 2010 03:43:00 -0500

Serves 4 persons

Ingredients

4 Chicken breasts

1 mango

1 cup fresh breadcrumbs

1 egg yolk

50ml mustard

1/2 glass white wine

30ml olive oil

Salt & pepper to taste

Method

Remove the skin from the chicken breasts & Lay skin side down on the chopping board.
Fold back the fillet & cut a pocket into the breast.
Season with salt & pepper & place in a slice of the mango.
Fold closed the breast.
Mix the egg yolk with the mustard and brush onto the skin side of the breast.
Press on breadcrumbs onto the mustard.
Heat a heavy nonstick pan with the olive oil.
Place in the breast, bread crumbed side down and cook until golden.
Turn over the breasts & add the wine, put the pan into the oven and bake at 190C for 8minutes (cut open one of the breasts to check if it is cooked).
Serve with your favourite vegetables a sauce or chutney of your choice.

Algarvian fish soup

Wed, 28 Jul 2010 08:14:00 -0500

Ingredients

150g Prawns (can be just the heads & shells, use the tails for some other dish or add to the soup at a later stage)

30ml Olive oil

1 Onion

3 cloves of Garlic

1 bunch Coriander

1 Tomato

1tsp Oregano

Salt & pepper to taste

80g Peas

150g Mixed fish & seafood in cubes

1,5ltr Water

80g Stale rustic bread

Method

Fry off the prawn heads, & shells in the olive oil until very well coloured 6 cooked through.
Add the chopped onion, half the coriander (mainly stems) and cook off more.
Add the chopped tomatoes & cook out for 10 more minutes.
Add water & simmer for 20mins.
Blend & strain.
Season with salt & pepper & bring back to the boil.
Toast the stale rustic bread with olive oil.
Add the toasted bread & simmer for a while, then blend.
To serve add the peas, the rest of the chopped coriander & the diced fish.
Simmer for 5 minutes & serve in hot soup plates.

John Kettley’s smoked salmon & creamy vodka pasta bows

Wed, 21 Jul 2010 09:12:00 -0500

Serves 4 persons

Ingredients

1/2 Onion

1 clove Garlic

30ml Olive oil

60ml White wine

250ml Cream

40ml Vodka

280g Pasta bows

Salt & pepper to taste

320g John Kettleys smoked salmon (unsliced)

Method

Fry off the chopped onion & garlic in the olive oil.
Add the white wine & reduce until nearly all has evaporated.
Add the cream & season as required.
Reduce the cream by half.
Add the cooked hot pasta bows & mix well.
Add the vodka & toss. Serve immediately.
Arrange the smoked salmon in thick slices on top.
Sit back & enjoy.

Gazpacho

Sun, 18 Jul 2010 03:08:00 -0500

Serves 6

Ingredients

1/2 Onion

1 clove Garlic

1/2 Cucumber

1 Red pepper

1 Green pepper

4 very ripe tomatoes

1stpn Oregano

50ml Olive oil

2 slices Rustic bread

20ml Vinegar

Salt & pepper to taste

1 tsp Sugar

Method

Dice up all the vegetables & leave to soak with the bread & oregano in the fridge overnight.
Add the rest of the ingredients & blend.
Strain if you want & correct the seasoning.
Serve ice cold.

Tagliatelle Vongole

Sun, 11 Jul 2010 02:41:00 -0500

Serves 4 persons

Ingredients

80ml Olive oil

60g Onion

4 cloves Garlic

1kg Clams

small bunch of Coriander

1 Tomato

Salt & pepper to taste

Glass of white wine

300g Tagliatelle

Method

Soak the clams in cold water, changing it regularly.
Heat up a large sauce pan that has a tight fitting lid.
Add in the clams, garlic,chopped onion, half the olive oil, coriander & wine.
Cover & cook until all the clams are open, shaking occasionally.
Strain off the clams & keep them covered so that they do not shrivel up.
Cut the tomato in half & add to the juice, boil it down to half the quantity.
Add the cooked tagliatelle & toss well, then ADD the clams & mix again.
Check the seasoning and serve immediately.

Breast of chicken with tarragon & creme fraiche

Sat, 03 Jul 2010 06:00:00 -0500

Serves 4 people

Ingredients

4 chicken breasts with the skin on

4 sprigs of tarragon

1 small tub creme fraiche

1 small onion

1 clove of garlic

1 glass of white wine

Method

Heat a nonstick frying pan (just the right size to fit the chicken breasts snugly) as hot as it will go.
Carefully lift the skin of the chicken & push in some creme fraiche & tarragon. Season the breasts on both sides.
Place the breasts in the pan skin side down and cook until golden.
Remove and add a little olive oil, cook the chopped onion & the whole clove of garlic.
Add back in the breasts skin side up & pour over the wine.
Put in a hot oven at 200C for 8minutes (remove & cut into one to check if it is cooked).
Remove the breasts from the pan & keep warm. Just before serving mix the rest of the creme fraiche into the juice from the chicken & serve with new boiled potatoes & your favourite veg.
Do not boil the sauce once the creme fraiche is added as it will split horribly.

Chicken samosas

Thu, 17 Jun 2010 05:49:00 -0500

Serves 8 persons

Ingredients

250g cooked shredded chicken

20ml Olive oil

80g Chopped onion

1 clove garlic

1/2 tsp curry powder

100g frozen peas

60g breadcrumbs

100ml chicken stock

1 packet filo pastry

150g butter

Method

Fry off the onion & garlic in the olive oil until well cooked, add the curry powder & cook over a low heat for a further 2 minutes.
Mix with the peas, shredded chicken, breadcrumbs & chicken stock ( the mixture should be moist, but not wet or dry, add more stock as needed).
Open out the filo pastry packet & lay on the table with the long side vertical and the short side nearest you.
Lay out one sheet the same way, brush with melted butter & lay another sheet on top.
Cut down the middle from top to bottom (making 2 perfect halves), then do the same again to make 4 long strips exactly the same width & length.
On the near end of each strip place a small quantity of the chicken mixture and fold the bottom left corner at 45 degrees onto the right side thus creating a triangular shape.
Then fold the tip of the triangle up onto itself and continue until the top of the strip of pastry. Brush all over with melted butter to seal & place on a tray ready to go into the oven.
When all 16 are done, place in a preheated oven t 200C until golden & crispy (approx 10 minutes).
Serve with any chutney or dip you like.

BBQ chicken on a beer can

Thu, 17 Jun 2010 05:37:00 -0500

Ingredients

1 can of beer

1 chicken

3 cloves garlic

20ml soy sauce

20g butter

pinch of black pepper

20g sugar

Method

Take the beer can & get rid of half the beer (use your preferred method)
Take all the other ingredients except the chicken & beer & blend them together.
Baste the chicken all over with this paste.
Place the beer can up the cavity of the chicken (now the legs will act as a tripod). As the chicken is cooking, the beer will boil & keep he inside meat of the chicken moist.
Place the chicken on a preheated BBQ (on low) & close the lid, if the BBQ has no lid you can place a metal bucket over the chicken.
Cook for approximately 1hour basting regularly & then cut into the leg to see if the juices run clear. When they do, the chicken is ready. If after 1 hour the chicken is not cooked, leave on for more time, checking every 15 minutes.
serve with you favourite BBQ accompaniments.

Roast figs flambeed with Irish whiskey

Sun, 06 Jun 2010 02:40:00 -0500

Serves 4 persons

Ingredients

8 figs

60g butter

30g Sugar

30ml Irish whiskey

2 lemons

Method

Melt the butter in a non stick pan over a low heat.
Add in the sugar.
Cut a cross in the top of each fig (so that it will open out as it cooks)
Place the figs onto the sugar.
Place the pan in a hot oven 220C for 7minutes until the figs have opened.
Remove and carefully divide the figs between 4 plates.
Put the pan back on the heat and add the whiskey, light with a match (being very careful) and Cook until all the alcohol has burned off.
Add the lemon juice & mix around until all the juices have dissolved together.
Pour over the figs & serve with your favourite ice cream or sorbet.

Gratinated scallops in a champagne vegetable cream

Sun, 30 May 2010 02:47:00 -0500

Serves 4 people

Ingredients

320g Scallops (fresh with no coral)

20ml Olive oil

60g Onion

1 clove Garlic

1 Carrot

1 Leek

1 glass Champagne

150ml Cream

Method

Cut the scallops in half across the grain & season with salt, pepper & olive oil.
Place the chopped onion & garlic in a pan with some Olive oil and sweat gently until the onions are see through.
Add in the finely cubed (brunoise) of leek & carrot.
Sweat for 5 more minutes to bring out all the flavours from the vegetables.
Add the champagne and boil down until it has nearly all evaporated (this will intensify the champagne flavour in the end product).
Add in the cream & season with salt & pepper.
Leave the sauce to the side.
Heat a non stick pan as hot as it will go and sear the scallops on each side for 8-10 seconds (this can be done in small batches cleaning & reheating the pan after each batch).
Lay the seared scallops on another pan that fits in the oven or a baking dish.
Pour the sauce over & bake in a hot oven (220C) for about 4 minutes (the oven must be at this temperature when the scallops go in).
Serve this with the rest of the champagne & some really buttery mashed potatoes.

Cherry & apple strudel

Sun, 23 May 2010 03:00:00 -0500

Serves 8

Ingredients

1pkt Filo pastry

80g butter

100g fresh pitted cherries

600g apple

100g sugar (plus a small amount to sprinkle over when cooking)

A splash of brandy or kirsch

Method

Wash the apples, core them & cut into bite size chunks.
Place in a pan with the sugar & cook covered util soft.
Add the cherries & bring back to the boil.
Drain the juice & add the breadcrumbs (Leave aside to cool).
lay out one sheet of filo pastry (the wide side to the bottom).
Brush half the sheet with melted butter & fold onto itself as if closing a book.
Brush with more butter (this is to stop the fruit mix from turning the pastry to stodge).
Place one eight of the fruit mixture onto the end of the pastry & gently fold in the sides.
Roll it up so that it resembles a fat cigar (all the time brushinng liberally with butter).
To serve place on a well greased baking tin & sprinkle with sugar.
Bake at 200C for 10minutes or util the sugar has caramelised a bit.
Do not cover after cooking as this will make the pastry soft & soggy.

Guinness Braised Mussels

Fri, 14 May 2010 04:38:00 -0500

Serves 4 People

Ingredients

2Kg Fresh mussels

100g Onion

2cloves Garlic

Sprig of thyme

Salt & pepper to taste

50ml Guinness

100ml Cream

50g Spring Onion

Method

Check the date on the mussels to be sure they are ok to eat.
Remove the beards & clean the shells. Wash in loads of cold running water.
Remove the mussels from the water so that any sand or grit stays at the bottom of the container.
Heat a large pot on the range as hot as it will go.
Add all the ingredients except the cream & the spring onions.
Put on a tight fitting lid.
Shake the pot vigorously every minute until the mussels have all opened.
Add in the cream & chopped spring onions. Stir well.
Serve immediately with more cold pints of Guinness & brown soda bread.

Fillet of Seabream St:Tropezienne

Sat, 08 May 2010 02:17:00 -0500

Serves 4 people

Ingredients

2 Sea breams (Dourada) approx 1kg each (scaled)

100ml Olive oil

5ml Pernod

10ml Dry martini

Juice of 1/2 Lemon

Sprig of fresh Tarragon

80g Turnip

80g Courgette

80g Mixed peppers

80g Fennel

250g Potatoes

3g Turmeric

100g French beans

Method

Ask your fish monger to fillet the sea breams (keep all the bones for stock).
Cut the peeled potatoes into cubes & cook in boiling salted water with the turmeric until nearly cooked through.
Cut the french beans to the size you want & also cook in boiling salted water, then run under cold water to keep them green.
Cut the peppers, fennel, courgette & turnip into perfect 2mm cubes & blench in loads of boiling salted water. Then refresh immediately in iced water.
Mix the chilled vegetables with the chopped tarragon, Pernod, martini, olive oil & lemon juice. Season & keep aside.
To serve at the last minute place the 4 fillets of sea bream skin side up in a very hot non stick frying pan with a little olive oil.
After 30 seconds carefully turn over & season, pan fry for another minute, then carefully remove to an oven tray & cook until cooked through (approx 4mins) in a hot oven.
Heat the potatoes & beans in boiling water & arrange in the middle of each plate.
Place the sea bream fillets skin side up on the potatoes and drizzle over the heated sauce (do not boil the sauce).
Serve & enjoy.

Pan fried fish cakes

Sun, 02 May 2010 03:17:00 -0500

Serves 6 people

Ingredients

50g Onion

1 clove Garlic

30ml Olive oil

pinch of Curry powder

150g White fish fillet

150g Salmon fillet

150gPrawn tails (peeled)

1 Egg white

100ml Cream

Salt & Pepper to taste

80g Flour

2 Eggs

100g Breadcrumb

1 bag Mixed salad leaves

Method

Finely chop the onion & the garlic & sauté in the olive oil.
Add the curry powder and cook to take out the raw curry flavour (2 mins approx.)
Remove this from the pan & leave to cool.
Dice the salmon & white fish. Keep 30g of each aside.
In a food processor add the other 120g of salmon, white fish, the egg white, seasoning, cool onion mix & the cream.
Blend on high speed until you have a smooth fish paste.
Lay out a sheet of cling film on your worktable & spoon the mixture onto the middle of it.
Roll this up into a sausage shape & tie the ends, then roll in more cling film.
Place in a steamer or poach in boiling water until cooked through (20mins approx.)
Leave to cool & then leave in the fridge overnight for everything to set.
Remove the cling film & slice into discs.
Pass each disc through the flour, then the egg mixed with a little water & finally the dried breadcrumb.
To serve pan fry these lightly on both sides in olive and finish in a hot oven (200C) until golden & crunchy.
Place on top of freshly dressed salad leaves & maybe a little chutney.

Gratinated mussels

Sat, 24 Apr 2010 03:44:00 -0500

Serves 6

Ingredients

40g Onion

1 clove Garlic

1 Bay leaf

30ml Olive oil

80ml White wine

1kg Mussels

200ml Milk

20g Flour

1 Egg yolk

1 cup Breadcrumbs

Method

Place the cleaned & bearded mussels in a hot pot along with the white wine & bay leaf.
Place on a tight fitting lid & cook over a high heat until they are open (shaking from time to time).
In another pan fry off the onion & garlic in the olive oil until golden.
Add the flour & cook until a sandy texture is achieved.
Bit by bit add the liquid from the mussels (always keeping them covered so that they do not dry out and shrivel up).
This mixture has to be stirred continuously so as not to stick to the bottom of the pot & that there are no lumps.
Slowly add the milk, still stirring & correct the seasoning.
When the mixture is smooth & has boiled for a few minutes remove from the heat & cover with cling film (leaving to cool).
Remove all the mussels from their shell, keeping one half of each shell.
Fill the base of a baking tray with rock salt & place in the half shells of the mussels.
Place a mussel in each shell.
Add the egg yolk to the sauce & mix well.
Place a spoon of the sauce on top of each mussel (being careful the sauce will not overflow out of the shell).
Sprinkle each mussel with breadcrumbs.
Bake in the oven at 220C until golden on top.
Serve immediately.

Pineapple & pink peppercorn upside down cake

Fri, 16 Apr 2010 07:22:00 -0500

Serves 6

Ingredients

1/2 Pineapple

80g Sugar

5g Pink peppercorns

2 Eggs

Sugar, Butter, Flour (see method for quantities)

3-4 drips of Vanilla essence

Method

Butter & line a pound loaf tin with greaseproof paper.
Place the sugar in a dry non-stick pan and caramelize rolling the pan gently until all the sugar is golden.
Pour the caramel evenly into the bottom of the tin.
Sprinkle in the pink peppercorns.
Core & slice the pineapple & place in the bottom of the tin.
Weigh the eggs & weight the same weight of butter, flour & sugar.
Beat the sugar & butter together until smooth and white.
Add the eggs one at a time, then the flour & the vanilla essence.
Pour this mix over the pineapple & bake in an oven for 30 minutes at 180C. Test with a toothpick, if it comes out clean the cake is ready.
Leave in the tin on a warm surface for 2-3 minutes.
Turn out onto a plate taking great care with the liquid caramel in the bottom of the tin.
Serve hot with some great homemade ice cream.

Notes:

Play around with other fruits to make this cake with your own touch.