Main Course

Hello Bloggers!

Today is the final day of the Valentines menu and we have the main course to warm the heart of you love one courtesy of our chefs here at Lindley.

Duck with Spiced Apples & Braised Beetroot 

What you need: (makes 4)

2 duck breasts

6 medium sized beetroot, topped and tailed and peeled 

25g butter

Half glass of red wine

Half onion, chopped

2 cloves of garlic, finely sliced

Dessertspoon of balsamic vinegar

Teaspoon of Demerara sugar

Sprig of thyme

Four black peppercorns, lightly crushed

Sea salt

100ml of duck stock

Aluminium foil

Handful spinach

Also for the Duck stock you will need:

Duck carcass from the above

5lb carrots

4 onions

Bay leaves

1 head of celery

Bunch thyme

Now what you need to do:

1. Cook the duck crowns side down in a roasting tray for about 10 minutes in a hot oven. 240C and allow to rest.
2. Place the peeled beetroot in a large pocket of aluminium foil along with all the other ingredients except the butter!
3. Seal tight and place in an ovenproof dish with a generous amount of water in to prevent the foil burning.
4. Bake at 160-170C, gas mark 6 for approximately 1 ¼ hours to 1 ½ hours.
5. Open the foil with caution as the steam could burn.  Test with a sharp knife to see if the beetroot is cooked and soft (otherwise return to the oven until cooked).
6. When cooked drain the juices through a sieve into a pan, bring to boil and add the duck stock and reduce to make the sauce.  Finish by whisking in a little butter.

To cook the apples

What you need

1 Granny Smith apple, cut into 8 pieces

Icing sugar

Few drops of olive oil

Good pinch mixed spice

What you do

1. Sieve the icing sugar into a hot pan and allow to caramelise to golden brown.
2. Add the turned apples, sprinkle with mixed spice and toss until richly coloured.

Serve with a little wilted spinach.

Top Tip: To prevent red colouring on your hands, a pair of rubber washing up gloves are great for peeling beetroot.

Be My Valentine Pt2

Good Morning everyone and HAPPY CHOCOLATE DAY! ! !

Yes that's right today is Chocolate day so its only right we jumble the menu up and bit and give you the recipe for your Valentines Day dessert, it has chocolate, it has passion fruit it will have your partner week at the knees. Ladies and gentleman we give to you Paul Heathcotes:

Profiteroles with Passion Fruit, Cream and Rich Chocolate Sauce

What you need:

For the Choux buns

65ml of water

65ml of milk

50g of butter - diced

Pinch of salt

Half a tea spoon of sugar

75g of plain flour - sifted

2 eggs

Now we have the ingredients let get these profiteroles started. 

• Set the oven to 200 centigrade, gas mark 6 and grease a metal baking tray.
• Bring the water, milk, butter, salt and sugar to the boil until the butter has melted; beat in the flour vigorously until whole of the mix is coming away from the sides of the pan. Allow to cool until warm but not hot, crack the eggs in a bowl and whisk. 
• Add a little of the eggs to the mix and beat in well a little at a time.
• Either pipe onto the baking sheet or use a teaspoon to drop a small amount of the mix (approx 1.5cms wide), very gently flatten with the back of a fork.
• Bake for 15-20 minutes until risen and crisp. 

Top Tip: after 5 minutes open the door for 30 seconds to allow so of the steam to escape.

What you need:

Passion fruit cream

3 yolks

65g of Caster sugar

20g of plain flour - sifted

250ml of milk

Half a vanilla pod - split and seeded

Icing sugar

75ml whipped double cream

4 passion fruits cut in half and pulp scraped out

• To make the cream filling, whisk the egg yokes and caster sugar until creamy white in colour and then whisk in the flour.
• Bring the milk and vanilla to the boil, remove the vanilla pod from the milk and pour a little of the milk in the yoke mix - whisk vigorously before adding the remaining liquid in a couple of stages. 
• Return this to the pan and stir over a low heat with a wooden spoon until the mix becomes thick, taking caution that it does not burn.
• Place in a bowl, sprinkle over icing sugar (this prevents a skin forming) and allow to cool before adding the passion fruit pulp.
• Finally, gently fold in the 75ml of whipped cream.

Finally process now and then its time to tuck in The Chocolate Sauce.

What you need:

100g of good quality chocolate (70%)

75ml milk

25ml of cream

20g sugar

Melt the chocolate in a microwave or in a bain-marie (pan with a small amount of boiling water in - rest the chocolate in a bowl on top making sure the bowl doesn't touch the water).

Bring the milk, cream and sugar to the bowl and remove from the heat. Pour over the chocolate and whisk well. That's it sauce made.

Place the passion fruit cream inside the choux buns by inserting a little hole and piping into the centre, alternatively cut in half and spoon in, serve 3-4 as a portion and pour over the chocolate sauce.

Top Tip no.2: If the chocolate sauce has cooled while you were preparing the buns simply pop it in the microwave for a few seconds to re-heat.

Bobs your uncle, Lindley's your cupid your done! Enjoy!

Be My Valentine?

Roses are red

Violets are blue

It feels like ages since i blogged to you! 

Hello Bloggers, so valentines is approaching and as you all know food is the language of love hence we have recipes to melt the hearts of the one in your life.

This week our Development Chef Andy Wardle has been cooking up a menu to die for and we will be posting a different course a day over the next week.

So lets get this love boat motoring, with the starter.

Salmon Fragrant Broth

Ingredients:

600 ml vegetable stock

2 lemon grass stalks

2 shallots

1 sml chillies

80g grated carrot

100g mushrooms oyster

Tsp chopped fresh coriander & basil

1 tsp sugar

600 g salmon fillet

100g-baby spinach

2 tsp thai fish sauce

                                                     1 tbsp lime juice

Process:

1. Put the stock, lemon grass, carrots, shallots, chilli, mushrooms and sugar into a saucepan on a medium heat and leave to simmer.
2. Take your salmon fillets and cut into roughly 1cm cubes, then take a hot pan with a little oil and sear the sides of the salmon. Do not cook through we are just sealing the fish to lock in the flavour and moisture.
3. Once seared add them to the broth and cook on a gentle simmer until the fish is cooked. 
4. The finishing touches now, add the spinach, herbs, fish sauce and lastly the lime juice to add the sweet, sour and sharp taste of the broth.

And thats it your ready to impress! Easy.