Pumpkin Pie - Danish/Scottish/Australian Style!

Today's dish has had an interesting journey to get to you - from Denmark - via Scotland, via Australia. The original recipe was passed on to me from my sister, who lives in the Highlands of Scotland. Where she is in the Northern Hemisphere, they have recently celebrated the old festival of Samhain, a celebration marking the end of the harvest season and the beginning of winter on October 31. This old Pagan festival has morphed into what is celebrated around the world in modern times as Halloween. Foods of the harvest are traditionally shared at this time of the year, with pumpkin being a very common ingredient to go into Samhain celebration dishes.

Andrew has been asking me to make a pumpkin pie for a while, and so when my sister sent me a Danish pumpkin pie recipe this week that she had made and recommended - and we had a glut of pumpkin at our house - I thought it was a great time to give it a try. I made a few changes to the original recipe, omitting the brandy (not being brandy drinkers, we didn't have any in the house so I just left it out), tweaking the dairy and spice component and adding vanilla, as well as a pecan/hazelnut pastry base.

You could easily use store bought plain shortcrust pastry for this recipe if you wanted to simplify the preparation, but if you have time, the nutty base is really delicious and adds another taste and texture element to the dish. I used a mixture of ground hazelnut and pecans - just because I had them in the pantry. I blitzed the nuts in the food processor until they were blended finely. You could use almond meal too if you liked.

Pumpkin Pie

with Hazelnut & Pecan Pastry

The pumpkin pie is rich, so I served it in quite small slices, dusted with a little icing sugar and eaten with a small scoop of vanilla ice cream, a few walnuts and a drizzle of maple syrup. It would also be great with some thick cream on the side, dusted with some praline.

The very warm, spicy aroma of this dish remind me very much of traditional Christmas flavours. The pumpkin pie would be a great addition to a Christmas dinner - or if you are in the States, Thanksgiving.  Although the flavours are rich, the texture is light, so it gives you lots of taste without heaviness. You could also do little individual tarts which would look fantastic.

Whether you are celebrating Christmas, Thanksgiving, Halloween or Samhain - or even if you are not - this is a delicious dish to serve and share.

Pumpkin Pie

served with walnuts & maple syrup

You will need:

For the pastry - 2 1/2 cups plain flour, 1/3 cup caster sugar, 1/2 cup ground hazelnuts, 1/2 cup ground pecans, 175g chilled butter, 2 egg yolks, 2 tablespoons iced water.

For the filling - 500g peeled pumpkin, 175g brown sugar, 4 eggs, 2 cups cream, 2 teaspoons cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon allspice, 1/2 teaspoon grated nutmeg, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, 1/2 teaspoon salt.

Method:

Chop the pumpkin into cubes and steam until very soft (I do this by putting the cubes of pumpkin on a large flat plate, covering with plastic wrap and cooking on high in the microwave for about 6 minutes - you do not need to add any water at all) Place the cooked pumpkin in a strainer for at least 30 minutes and allow the excess moisture to drain away.

In the meantime, make the pastry. Place the flour, sugar, nuts and butter in a food processor and blend until just combined.

Whisk together the egg yolks and cold water. Add to the flour mixture and process until it mixes and then forms a large ball of dough. Do not over process your mixture.

Turn the ball of dough onto a floured board and knead gently until the dough holds together well. Shape into a rough disc shape, cover with plastic wrap and put in the fridge to rest for 30 minutes.

Once the pastry has rested, roll the pastry flat and line a pie dish. Bake at 180C for about 15 minutes.
Remove from the oven and set aside.

To make the filling, put the pumpkin and all of the other filling ingredients into a food processor and blend until smooth. The consistency will be quite runny - don't be concerned - it will firm up during the cooking process.

Pour the filling into the pastry case.

Bake the pie at 180C for about 1 1/4 hours. Allow to cool before dusting with icing sugar. I serve mine with walnuts, a drizzle of maple syrup and a scoop of cream or ice cream.

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Hazelnut Meringue-A-Rama

Whilst sweet things are not generally my favourite dishes to cook or to eat, I do admit that I love anything remotely meringue-like. Whether they are crispy or mallow-ish, creamy like the Italian style meringue, bite size or king size, I love them. I will say no to cake, but always say yes to pavlova, or pretty meringues in a cake shop window. Today I had a day off and thought I would have a go at making a hazelnut meringue, which is my absolute favourite kind.

The nuts add a great texture dimension, as well as that heavenly hazelnut taste. You could make individual meringues, but today I went with a large round one, which I decided to serve with Chantilly cream and fresh strawberries, which are in season now and are particularly good. I confess that I cracked the meringue a bit when getting it from the tray to the serving dish, but the beauty of this sort of dish is that you can hide any cracks under a delicious topping. No dramas.

The Chantilly cream is very easy to make, (you could add some cocoa to it if you wanted a chocolate cream) but I beg you not to use that awful fake vanilla essence in this recipe - or any other for that matter. Invest in proper vanilla extract - it is worth the few extra dollars I promise. Fake vanilla essence is the work of Satan and has no place in the kitchen, except for cleaning the inside of your fridge with.

Although this dish needs over an hour in the oven, it is actually quite simple, so worth giving a go - even if like me , you aren't really the baking type. You could get really creative with the toppings too - roasted nuts, shaved chocolate, different kinds of seasonal fruit. Drizzling it with raspberry or chocolate sauce would be lovely too. You could also shape the meringue to be taller than mine, if you wanted it to be more pavlova like.

Bon Appetit!

Hazelnut Meringue

with Chantilly Cream & Strawberries

You will need: 4 free range egg whites, 1 cup caster sugar, 1 cup ground hazelnuts, 1 teaspoon white vinegar, 2 teaspoons cornflour, 300ml whipping cream, 2 teaspoons vanilla extract, 2 tablespoons icing sugar, 1 punnet strawberries.

Method: Preheat the oven to 120C. Line an oven or pizza tray with baking paper.

In a very clean, dry, metal or ceramic bowl, beat the egg whites until soft peaks form. Gradually add the sugar, a tablespoon full at a time and continue to beat until all combined. Add the cornflour and vinegar until mixed through.

Gently fold in the hazelnuts until evenly mixed. Transfer the mixture to the baking tray and using a spoon or spatula, form the meringue to the desired shape. I build up the sides a little for presentation purposes and for ease of serving later.

Wipe any excess off the baking paper. Bake meringue for 1 hour and 15 minutes. When it is done, turn off the oven and allow the meringue to cool there, without removing it. You can leave the oven door slightly ajar to speed up the process a bit.

In a bowl, combine the cream, sugar and vanilla extract. Beat together until firm enough to spread. Use this to top the cooled meringue. Finish with the strawberries and serve.

Serves 6-8 people

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A Christmas Choc-Berry Bonanaza!

Every year, my work colleagues and I get together for a big Christmas morning tea. A lot of us really enjoy cooking, so people tend to bake up a storm with all sorts of tasty delights to share (and we always over cater, so we inevitably end up inviting everyone in the building to come down and join us so nothing goes to waste) Usually I make something savoury - a vegetable tart, savoury muffins, little meatballs and dipping sauce - stuff like that.

This year I looked in the fridge and realised I had lots of beautiful seasonal fruit and thought I would base my dish around that and do something sweet. I also wanted something that looked a bit festive, so my first thought was a traditional trifle, made with jelly and custard - just like we always seemed to have at Christmas when I was a kid. Then I was thinking that a rich berry mousse might be nice. In the end I came up with my version of a trifle that merged both ideas - a white chocolate and berry mousse trifle. I was really happy with how it turned it, and it tasted really delicious. It is pretty rich, and you would serve smallish portions, so you could feed quite a big group of people with a trifle the size of mine - not that big.

Although it was really easy to put together, ideally you need to start the recipe a day ahead. This means that everything can set properly. This is important, as the mousse is not one of those super firm style mixtures. It does not contain gelatin, so although the mousse does firm up enough to hold together nicely, it has a fairly soft texture that requires chilling overnight.

So, what did I do? First, I used a couple of packets of good old fashioned Aeroplane Port Wine Jelly and made it according to the instructions. I poured this into a trifle dish and added a handful of berries over the bottom. Then, I let the jelly set until firm.

Next, I made up a big batch of white chocolate mousse. (You will find the recipe below) When it was done, I divided the mixture in half, and to one of the bowls of mixture I added just under a cup of fresh, pureed raspberries. You could probably use frozen ones, but I would drain them really well before pureeing them, as all of the extra moisture may cause issues with the mousse setting. The next step was to cut 2 pieces of sponge cake to the size of the trifle bowl, and gently push it down onto the jelly layer, brushing it with some strawberry liqueur when I was finished.

After the first sponge layer was in place, I poured the raspberry mousse into the bowl - then the second layer of sponge, a brush with the liqueur again, and then the plain white chocolate mousse over that. The trifle then went in to the fridge overnight to set, covered in plastic wrap. I decorated the trifle just prior to serving with fresh strawberries, blackberries, raspberries and blueberries.

 White Chocolate and Berry Mousse Trifle

 

This would be a really nice do-ahead Christmas dessert - either as a large dish, or in small individual serves. I was thinking of lots of summery variations to this - passionfruit and mango, coconut and lime, peach and raspberry. Alternatively, you could ditch the fruit focus and make it with dark chocolate, kirsch liqueur and cherries, to make a sort of black forest trifle. All of that would be easy to adapt.

Here is my basic white chocolate mousse recipe to get you started. You could easily serve it as a mousse on it's own - or do what I did and make it the basis for another dessert.

White Chocolate Mousse

You will need: 350g White Chocolate, 1/3 cup milk, 2 teaspoons vanilla extract (the good stuff - not the faux "essence"), 3 large eggs separated, 375ml Cream.

Method: Melt the chocolate, milk and vanilla in a double boiler (or do what I do and use a small metal mixing bowl sitting over a pan of boiling water. Make sure the water isn't touching the bowl, or it will be too hot and the mixture may go too far and harden) Allow the chocolate mixture to cool for about 10-15 minutes.

While the chocolate is cooling, whip the cream until firm. Set aside.

Add the egg yolks to the chocolate mixture and whisk together well - the warmth of the mixture will gently cook the eggs to form a sort of custard like consistency.

Take a very clean and dry metal bowl and beat the egg whites until firm. Remember that egg whites will not firm up when beaten if there is even a tiny amount of oil/butter or other fat in the bowl - even some residue in a plastic bowl will ruin them - which is why we never whip our egg whites in plastic. It doesn't hurt to be a bit OCD with your metal bowl either and give it a couple of good washes to make sure it is super clean.

Now fold the cream and the chocolate mixture together until combined.

Next, gently fold through the egg whites through the cream/chocolate mixture. Spoon into dessert cups or use as part of a trifle or gateaux like I did.

Variations: You could of course use dark chocolate or any other kind that takes your fancy for this mousse. You can also turn this in to a fruit flavoured mousse by making up the white chocolate version, but adding about a cup of fruit puree to the mixture. I used just under a cup of fresh pureed raspberries for the raspberry mousse in my trifle. Mango or passionfruit would be a lovely alternative.

This recipe serves 6 people as individual servings. Double the recipe if you are using the mousse for a trifle or dessert like mine, and you want a couple of layers.

 

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Stay Cool

Life has taken a hectic turn over the past few weeks, so apologies that my usual updates haven't been as frequent. As well as day to day work responsibilities keeping me busy, hosting interstate guests and pre wedding preparations, I also attended my first molecular gastronomy class - titled "Foams & Emulsions" Very exciting stuff! A wonderful mix of mathematics, chemistry and cooking that pushed my food nerd buttons in all the right ways. I walked out of my first class with my mind churning over new ideas and with a better technical understanding of why certain ingredients behave the way do, the effects of temperature, the chemical make up of ingredients and the distillation of flavour. All the things that happen when you create any dish.

We made a beautiful aromatic herb foam that we served on Kingfish sashimi, as well as a tangy citrus foam, a Mojito foam (yep, it tasted just like the cocktail). On the sweet side, there was an amazing raspberry espuma (a kind of mousse) and a decadent dark chocolate ganache espuma that tasted so rich, but was also light and ethereal. The application for these techniques are so varied and I am looking forward to having a bit of a play in the kitchen to see what I can come up with. I love the idea of flavour without bulk - particularly when creating degustation menus made up of numerous courses. I plan to continue my molecular gastronomy classes throughout the year and will share the results of some of my experimenting as I go.

Speaking of molecular gastronomy, I am counting down the days until I get to be in the same room as my culinary crush, and all round gastronomic icon Heston Blumenthal on 15 March. http://www.events.com.au/default.aspx?s=events_display&eventid=367  Can't wait to hear him talk about his food and his adventures in molecular gastronomy. I just worship the guy - to me , he is what cooking is all about.

Enough news, now to today's recipe -

A chilled soup is a lovely start to a meal, particularly in hot weather. I am a big fan of chilled soups, although you do not see them very often on menus these days. (A bit retro maybe? Don't mind if I do!) As well as being a delicious start to a meal, small servings of chilled soup make a great finger food option. Serve the soup in chilled shot glasses or Chinese tea cups. One of my favourite chilled soups is a variation on the classic French Vichyssoise - a creamy soup of leek and potato. My version adds some fresh zucchini to the mix and I serve it with fresh chives and homemade croutons. Directions for making croutons are at the bottom of the post.

Regular readers will recall that I catered a degustation birthday party a few weeks ago. We started the menu with my chilled zucchini and leek soup. You could use all kinds of vegetables in place of the zucchini - fresh in season asparagus would be great, or perhaps some spinach. The recipe is very forgiving, so play around and see what works for you. Here is my version as served a few weeks ago...

Chilled Zucchini and Leek Soup

You will need:

3 medium zucchini, 2 large peeled potatoes, 2 leeks (white/pale green part only), 4 cloves chopped garlic, splash of olive oil, 1 litre chicken or vegetable stock, 2 bay leaves, 1 tablespoon fresh chives, 1 cup small sized croutons**, 1 cup pouring cream (or milk if you want something with a lighter taste), 2 tablespoons salted butter, pinch cayenne pepper, pinch freshly grated nutmeg, salt and pepper to taste.

Method:Heat the olive oil in a soup pan. Add the leeks and garlic and cook on a medium heat for about 8 minutes, or until the leeks are translucent and soft. Do not brown them – you want them to be pale as possible.

Chop the peeled potato and zucchini (leave the skin on) into chunks roughly 5cm in diameter. Add these to the leek mixture and stir through. Allow to cook for a further 5 minutes. Add the bay leaves and the stock (the vegetables should be covered by the liquid – top up with water if necessary)

Bring to the boil and then simmer for about 25-30mins, or until the vegetables are very soft. Remove from the heat and take out the bay leaves (very important! if you leave the leaves in you will end up with a soup that has an unpleasant bitter taste)

Once you have removed the bay leaves, puree the mixture until very smooth. I use a hand blender for this, but a food processor would be fine. While the mixture is still warm, add the cream, nutmeg, cayenne and butter. Keep blending until well combined. Taste for seasoning and add salt and pepper as required. If the mixture is too thick, add some extra milk. The soup should have a pleasant, velvety consistency.

Allow the soup to chill completely - overnight is best - before pouring the soup into small bowls or cups and serving with a sprinkling of freshly cut chives and croutons. I find chilling the soup in a pouring jug makes for easier serving later. Chinese tea cups are ideal for serving this soup and are very inexpensive.

This recipe will serve 10-12 people if using Chinese tea cups. Serves 6-8 if using small bowls.

** To make croutons: Cut plain white bread into small cubes, until you have about 2 cups of cubes. Combine in a bowl with a generous splash of olive oil, plenty of salt and pepper and a teaspoon of paprika. Mix thoroughly but gently with your hands. Place the bread in a single layer on a baking tray and bake in a moderate oven until lightly golden. This will take 10-15 minutes. Allow to cool. Store in an airtight container.

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Posh Pasta

Lush is the only way to describe today's dish - creamy, garlicky pasta and beautiful fresh asparagus, topped with pan fried salmon tail and goegeous salty salmon roe. This dish is extremely rich, so serve quite small portions - and if you are serving it with other courses it would be wise to choose light, fresh tasting options to avoid the meal being too heavy. The great thing about this posh pasta is that it is so, so easy to put together. Just be sure to choose super fresh salmon and make sure your asparagus is at it's very best. (Don't try and make this when the asparagus is less than perfect - the dish relies on the quality of the ingredients to make it shine)

If salmon isn't your thing, then you could substitute scallops or prawns in this recipe. Even a combination of both would work well. This dish needs to be made just prior to serving - definitely not a make ahead or freezable option. Have everyone at the table when you start this - give them a decent glass of wine and they won't mind waiting the 20 mins or so it takes to create this delicious dish. The amounts below will serve four.

Creamy garlic and horseradish  pasta

with asparagus, pan fried salmon tail and salmon roe

You will need: 4 small pieces of salmon tail (or salmon fillet), 2 tablespoons salmon roe, 2 bunches asparagus, 4 cloves crushed garlic, 1 large white onion, about 375ml pure cream, 1 tablespoon horseradish cream, splash of olive oil, salt and pepper, dry or fresh fettuchini/spaghetti for four (depending on how big you want the serves to be)

Method: Cut the woody ends from the asparagus and slice each spear diagonally into 3 pieces. Finely chop the onion. Set both of these aside.

Bring a large pot of well salted water to the boil (you will cook the asparagus and the pasta in this, so make sure it isn't too small) Add the asparagus and allow to cook for about a minute. Remove with a slotted spoon and run the asparagus under cold water to stop it cooking any further - it should still be quite firm to the touch.

In a seperate pan, add a splash of olive oil and cook the onion for a few minutes until it is soft and transparent. Now add the pasta to the pot of boiling sallted water and give it a good stir so that the pasta does not stick together.

While the pasta is cooking, return your attention to the sauce. Add the garlic to the onion and cook gently for a minute. Be careful not to brown the garlic or it will give an unpleasant bitter flavour. Now add the cream and stir well. Bring the cream to a simmer and add the horseradish cream. Taste it and season accordingly with salt and pepper. Allow the cream to simmer until it thickens and reduces in volume to about half.

Season the salmon with a touch of pepper. Heat a frypan or grill pan and cook for a minute of two each side, depending on the thickness. Be careful not to overcook the fish or it will become dry. Set the salmon aside to rest in a warm place while you assemble the rest of the dish.

Add the asparagus to the cream sauce. Drain the pasta and toss through the sauce so that it is evenly distributed. Divide the pasta into portions, top with the cooked salmon and finish with a spoonful of salmon roe. Gorgeous.

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Frittata - With a little help from my friends......

I'm heading off with my other Beatles obsessed friends to our mate Damon's house this afternoon to play the eagerly anticipated "Beatles Rock Band". Word has it that he has set up his attic to accomodate us (closest thing we have to "The Cavern"!) and I have no doubt it will be a riotously entertaining time for all. Lots of gin and tonics and bad singing will ensue, I'm sure. Now, even the real Fab Four must have had to stop for a snack break occasionally, so I cooked a few things this morning to make sure that we keep our strength up for those dodgy renditions of "I am the walrus". The recipe I'm posting today is one of the things I have made to take to Damon's.

Today's dish is a simple to make mushroom, leek and fennel frittata but I have given it a bit of a twist by serving it with a delicious, fresh tasting horseradish and mint cream. I will be serving small slices of it with a dollop of the cream on the top. Of course you can serve the frittata alone if you want to. This dish works as a finger food but would also be a nice spring entree or a vegeatarian main course. It would also be perfect for a picnic.
Either way, you'll love it. (Yeah! Yeah! Yeah!)

Mushroom, Leek and Fennel Frittata with Mint and Horseradish Cream

You will need: (For the frittata) 1 doz free range eggs, 1 cup cream, 1/2 cup grated cheddar cheese, 1/3 cup grated parmesan, 1 bulb fennel sliced finely, 1 large onion sliced finely, 1 large leek sliced finely, 1/2 cup sliced spring onion, About 3 cups sliced mushrooms, 1 tablespoon finely chopped continental parsley, 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard, splash of olive oil, salt and pepper.

(For the topping) 1 cup sour cream, 1/2 cup natural yoghurt (I use an organic Greek style yoghurt), 1 tablespoon each of chopped continental parsley and fresh mint, 1 tablespoon horseradish cream ( You will find this in the mustard/condiment section of the supermarket)

Method: First, combine all of the topping ingredients well and then refrigerate until you areready to serve.

In a frypan, add a splash of olive oil, the spring onions,regular onion, fennel and leek. Cook on a moderate heat for about 5 minutes. You do not want the ingredients to brown, so keep an eye on it. Add the mushrooms, season with salt and pepper. Cook for another 5-8 minutes, until the fennel and leeks are soft. Turn off the heat and set aside.

In a mixing bowl, combine the eggs, cream, grated parmesan, Dijon mustard and salt and pepper. Whisk until well combined.

Line a baking dish with baking paper. Tip the leek/fennel mixture into the dish and spread it out evenly. Sprinkle the cheddar cheese over the top and mix it in a little bit, so it doesn't all sit on the surface. Pour over the egg mixture and ensure it is evenly distributed.

Sprinkle with the parsley and cook in a moderate oven for about 20 mins, until the frittata is set. Let it cool for at least 10mins before cutting it into pieces. Serve topped with a spoonful of the horseradish cream mixture and some extra mint leaves.

This recipe will make around 40 small pieces or will serve 6-8 people as an entree or main course.

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