While you wait for dining out to open,indulge in a three-course feast to whet your appetite.
Not long to go now,Melburnians. A return to restaurants is so close you can taste it. The last weeks of lockdown cannot stop you enjoying fine dining though. I've come up with a menu worthy of a fancy restaurant that any home cook can make. No difficult techniques or fancy equipment are required – just a handful of simple tricks that will help you create dishes that look as good as they taste. Let's go.
Roasted broccolini with pecorino
Don't be fooled by its pretty-as-a-picture appearance. This tart is just store-bought puff pastry smeared with goat's cheese and topped with smoked salmon and veg. You don't need to use everything on the ingredients list either. Use what you want or can get,while keeping in mind the goal:colour and variety.
INGREDIENTS
Puff pastry base
- 1 sheet frozen butter puff pastry
- 1 yolk mixed with a splash of warm water
Goat's cheese filling
Serves2
Tips
Use the flowers of mature everyday vegetables such as broccolini,bok choi and Chinese broccoli to garnish.
Assemble the tart shell while the puff pastry is still partially frozen. When fully thawed it gets sticky and floppy. To ensure it puffs,cut straight down with the knife rather than dragging it through the pastry and and avoid getting egg on the cut edges.
To make parsley oil,bring a saucepan of water to the boil and add 150g parsley leaves for 15 seconds. Remove parsley and immediately place in a large bowl of ice water. Drain and squeeze out excess water. Dry the leaves and place in a jar with 300ml of grapeseed or canola oil. Using a stick blender,blitz to a puree then strain using a coffee filter or muslin cloth. Store for a week in the fridge or a month in the freezer.
Gateau au chocolat
Here's a neat trick that transforms an everyday brownie to a restaurant-worthy dessert. Refrigerate the brownie so it becomes firm enough to cut into neat pieces,then let it come to room temperature so you get that melt-in-your-mouth fudginess,and add some simple but effective garnishes. Result:chef's kiss.
INGREDIENTS
Brownie
If you don't have a pastry brush,use the back of a dessert spoon to make an artistic swirl or smear,or pour a pool of chocolate into the middle of the plate and place the brownie on top.
To make an ice-cream quenelle,drag a large dessert spoon across the surface of the ice-cream to form a football shape,then use a second dessert spoon to shape it.
This recipe makes more brownies and ganache than you'll need for two servings because it's difficult to make less. But you don't need me to tell you what to do with leftovers. (Hint:It involves a spoon and your mouth.)