British Invasion @ Orlando, Florida

BRITISH INVASION! A POP-UP DINNER 

ORLANDO, FLORIDA! 

NOVEMBER 6, 2014 - I WILL BE PREPARING A FEW PROPER ENGLISH TREATS AT REDLIGHT REDLIGHT BEER PARLOUR. 

$20 TICKET GETS YOU -- 1/2 SCOTCH EGG, CHEESE & ONION PIE AND A RARE ROAST BEEF YORKSHIRE PUDDING WITH ARUGULA, HORSERADISH CREAM AND ONION RINGS PLUS A PINT OF BEER.

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Milk Chocolate Tart

Everyone raves about dark chocolate and how the high cocoa content makes it the most superior of all chocolates, but I love the smoothness and sweetness of milk chocolate. Gimme CANDY any day! And there are lots of people who will agree, as this is one of the cornerstones of my business. Use a high-sided tin for an extra deep milk chocolate filling and for the finishing touches, dust with cocoa powder and serve with thick cream.

This rich and indulgent chocolate dessert is sure to become a firm dinner-party favourite.

A FEW PASTRY TIPS...

• Clean, cold hands give best results when working with pastry.
• Careful not to over mix when making the dough.
• When rolling the pastry... roll on a cold, dry surface.
• When blind baking, push the 'baking beans' into the corners as mush as possible to retain the shape of the tin.
• Do not be beaten by pastry... YOU ARE THE BOSS!

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MY MILK CHOCOLATE TART

Ingredients

(serves 8 - 10)

FOR THE SWEET CRUST PASTRY:

• 225g plain flour, plus extra for dusting
• 75g icing sugar
• Pinch of salt
• 150g butter
• 1 free-range egg (beaten)
• egg yolk for brushing

FOR THE FILLING:

• 600g of milk chocolate (over 35% cocoa)
• 450ml single cream
• 150ml whole milk
• 3 free-range eggs

Method

FOR THE SWEET CRUST PASTRY:

In a food processor, mix together the flour, sugar and salt, then add the butter and mix until the mixture resembles bread crumbs. Be careful not to over mix. Next add the beaten egg and pulse until the pastry forms a ball (Unlike short crust, the pastry will be more paste-like and a little sticky). Wrap the dough in clean-film and chill for at least an hour and allow to firm up.

*Note: If you're making by hand, sift all the dry ingredients into a bowl and gently rub in the butter between your fingers until you have a bread crumb like consistency, mix in the beaten egg until the dough comes together. Wrap the dough in clean-film as per recipe.

Preheat the oven at 180°C/Gas 4.

Roll out the pastry on a lightly floured surface to 2mm thickness. Use pastry to line a 28cm/4cm tart ring placed on a baking sheet. Rest the lined tart ring in the fridge for 20 mins.

Line the rolled tart ring with greaseproof paper and fill with baking beans to keep the dough from losing its shape and rising when cooking. Bake blind for about 20 minutes. Remove the greaseproof paper and baking beans and return to the oven for 5 to 8 mins or until the sweet crust pasty is starting to turn golden. Take out of oven, brush all over with egg yolk and return to the oven for 1 minute to 'dry' out (The egg yolk when dried will act as a barrier preventing the filling from escaping through any holes or cracks in the crust).

Turn the oven down to 130°C/Gas 1.

FOR THE FILLING:

Into a bowl break the chocolate into bite size pieces, bring the cream and milk to a boil and pour over the chocolate and stir until chocolate and cream are mixed. Allow to cool for 5 mins. Beat the eggs then add to the chocolate and mix well. Skim with a ladle if lots of froth/bubbles.

Fill the pastry with the chocolate filling. Carefully place in the middle of the oven and bake for 25 to 35 minutes or until the filling appears set but with a slight wobble. Do not allow filling to boil and rise.

Allow to cool to room temperature before serving. Dust with cocoa powder and serve with thick cream.

Alternatively... Why not try white chocolate instead of milk chocolate and cover with raspberries once cooked and rested.

Candied Bacon Cinnamon Rolls

I first came up with this recipe as a starter for my Rescue Brunch pop-ups. Although a strange sounding fusion to us here in Blighty, over the pond in the States it's a well-known indulgent brunch treat. My twist is making the bacon 'candied' by cooking it with brown sugar, cayenne and chilli, taking the idea from the famous "Millionaires' Bacon" which originated in San Francisco. These flavours add an extra sweetness and spice that works perfectly with the smoked bacon and cinnamon in the bun.

Topped it all off with an icing glaze made of Bourbon, icing sugar and the sticky sweet bacon cooking juices. This is the perfect treat for a weekend brunch with friends and family. 

But even better, these rolls can be cooked and stored for up to 3 days in the fridge and reheated through a warm oven then glazed. Or the dough may be frozen after being rolled and portioned but before second proof for later use.

Photos by @TheGaztronome

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My Candied Bacon Cinnamon Rolls 

Ingredients

(Makes 16 rolls) 

• 250ml whole milk
• 50g unsalted butter
• 500g strong white flour
• 30g caster sugar
• 1 tsp salt
• 7 grams sachet fast acting yeast
• 1 large egg, beaten
• vegetable oil for greasing 
• additional melted butter for brushing over the buns

For the candied bacon:

• 16 slices of streaky smoked bacon
• 125g brown sugar 
• 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1 tsp dried chilli flakes 

For the paste:

• 150g brown sugar
• 3 tbsp ground cinnamon
• 60g soft unsalted butter 

For the icing:

• 100g icing sugar
• 50-100ml of Bourbon
• leftover cooking juices (fat) from the candied bacon 

Method

Lay the bacon on a baking tray, sprinkle with chilli flakes, cayenne and brown sugar. Grill on both sides till cooked but not crispy (must be able to be rolled into the dough). Pour the candied bacon cooking juices into a bowl and reserve until later. 

Put the milk in a pan and add the butter, melt over a lot heat and allow to stand until lukewarm. 

In a large bowl, add the dry ingredients, flour, sugar, yeast and salt. 

Pour the milk and butter mixture into your dry ingredients then add one large egg and mix into a soft dough. Knead on a lightly floured surface until smooth and elastic, about 8 - 10 minutes. 

Place in a lightly oiled bowl covered in a tea towel for one hour or until doubled in size. Leave to prove in a warm place. 

Place the dough on a lightly floured surface and roll out until it measures approximately 40x50 cm. Mix the sugar, butter and cinnamon to make the paste and spread over the dough, then lay the bacon slices away from you covering the dough (one slice of bacon per roll).

Grease a high baking tray line with greaseproof paper. 

Starting from the long edge, role into a tight log. Trim the ends and then cut in 16 equal portions giving one slice of candied bacon per roll and place on to the greased baking tray swirl side up.  

Again, cover with a tea towel or cling film and leave to rise/prove for 45 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 180C / 160F / Gas Mark 4. Brush the the top of the buns with milk and pop into the oven for 30-35 minutes or until golden.

While your rolls are baking, grab the bowl with the remaining bacon cooking juices and whisk in the Bourbon and icing sugar to a smooth icing. Pour over the warm rolls before serving.

Pineapple Cake with Passion Fruit & Caipirinha Drizzle

During a visit to a local street market in Rio I find a stall set up next to a local jazz band selling Caipirinhas, lots of them! The owner of this stall/bar is Luizinho and he's a local legend. He set up his stall in the mid 1990's when he was placed in charge of serving cocktails during a political campaign. This triggered invites to other events which eventually led to his own business. Nowadays he is at his happiest talking to his customers, listening to music and of course making cocktails.

His caipirinhas are made in the traditional way with lime, sugar and Cachaca (Brazilian rum) but also with tropical fresh fruit and berries which make them very drinkable indeed. Luizinho then gets me behind his bar to give me a lesson in caipirinha making. As I look around I begin to understand exactly why he has chose this as his profession, the sun is shining, people are smiling, chatting and dancing. And of course the cocktails are flowing, it's a street celebration!

And what better way to celebrate than with cake... I've based the flavours in this cake around the caipirinha cocktail and my favourite combination that I tasted that day which was Cachaca, pineapple and passion fruit. 

ENJOY!

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My Pineapple Cake with Passion Fruit & Caipirinha Drizzle

Ingredients

• 1 medium pineapple, peeled, cored and sliced
• 175g caster sugar
• 125g plain flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 50g desiccated coconut
• 1 large egg
• 2 egg yolks
• 175g unsalted butter, melted, plus extra for greasing
• 250ml whole milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the drizzle:

• 2 passion fruit
• 50g icing sugar
• 50ml cachaca
• Juice of 1 lime

Method

Preheat the oven to 160 degrees Celsius or 325 degrees Fahrenheit and grease and line a 23cm springform cake tin with baking parchment.

Place the pineapple slices and 50 grams of the sugar into a large non-stick frying pan and cook gently for 4 to 5 minutes until caramelised. Set aside to cool.

Sift the flour, baking powder and salt into a large bowl and stir in the desiccated coconut and the remaining sugar. In a separate bowl, whisk together the egg yolk, eggs, melted butter, milk and vanilla until smooth.

Stir the mixture into the dry ingredients to make a smooth batter. Transfer a few spoonfuls of the batter into a separate bowl. Mix the pineapple slices with the larger amount of batter and pour into the lined tin.

Give the tin a tap to knock out any air bubbles then pour the reserved batter over the top. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes or until set with a slight wobble in the centre.

Transfer to a wire rack, leave to cool slightly then prick the surface all over with a toothpick or small skewer.

Meanwhile, cut the passion fruit in half and spoon the flesh into a small food processor. Pulse a few times to break down the pulp and loosen the seeds then pour into a bowl with the remaining ingredients.

Stir until the sugar has dissolved then spoon over the cake. Leave the cake to cool completely then cut into wedges and serve.

Salt Cod Kedgeree Cake

I caught back up with my guide, Tereza who's promised me something special in Praia do Forte, Salvador, Brazil. The Souza Beach Hut is one of the most traditional spots on the beach. Set up in 1996, it's runs by Antonio Maurillo, and his famous snacks, Bolinho de Peixe or fish fritters are the talk about town. These are not your typical fritter, he uses a really authentic recipe of indigenous ingredients and all that I am allowed to know is that inside them there was shredded fish, coconut milk, green peppers and coriander.

For the recipe below I'll be keeping the fritter idea going but sticking with flavours more close to home.

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Ingredients

For the risotto cake:

• 100g salt cod
• 500ml hot chicken stock
• Olive oil
• 25g unsalted butter
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 1 teaspoon curry powder
• ½ teaspoon ground turmeric
• ½ teaspoon ground cumin
• 150g Arborio rice
• Small bunch coriander, chopped
• Zest of 1 lemon
• Sea salt and black pepper
• 150g plain flour
• 3 eggs, beaten
• 150g dry white breadcrumbs
• Vegetable oil for deep frying

For the pea purée:

• 250g frozen peas
• 50g mashed potato (for substance to the pea purée)
• Knob of unsalted butter
• 50ml double cream
• Small bunch mint leaves
• 4 medium eggs, to serve
• Dash white wine vinegar, to serve

 

Method

Rinse the salt cod under running water for 10 minutes then place in a container and cover with cold water. Leave to soak overnight, changing the water 2 to 3 times throughout the soaking.

The next day, drain the cod, place it in a saucepan and cover with cold water. Bring to the boil then remove from the heat and drain thoroughly. When cool enough to handle, flake the cod into small pieces and set aside. Heat the olive oil and butter in a wide, heavy based saucepan until the butter is foaming. Add the onion along with a pinch of salt some black pepper and cook gently for 5 minutes until softened. Add the rice to the pan and fry for 5 minutes until the rice starts to turn translucent and smells slightly nutty. Add the spices and fry for a further minute until fragrant. Add a ladleful of the stock to the rice and keep stirring until the liquid is almost absorbed. Continue adding the stock in this way, stirring constantly until all of the stock has all been incorporated, this will take around 20 to 25 minutes. The rice should be soft but still have a little bite in the centre. Stir through the flaked cod, chopped coriander and lemon zest and season to taste.

Leave to cool completely then divide into four balls, flatten into cakes and lay on a plate lined with greaseproof paper. Refrigerate for 20 minutes until firm. Toss each risotto cake in flour, then in beaten egg, then in breadcrumbs. Repeat with a further coating of beaten egg and breadcrumbs. Heat the oil for deep frying to 160 degrees Celsius to 325 degrees Fahrenheit. Add the risotto cakes and fry for 6 to 8 minutes until golden brown (you may have to do this in batches). Drain thoroughly on kitchen paper and season with sea salt.

Meanwhile make the pea purée. Put the peas into a liquidiser and pour in just enough boiling water to cover. Blitz until smooth, add the remaining ingredients and blitz again. Season to taste then transfer to a pan to keep warm.

Bring a saucepan of water to a gentle simmer and add the vinegar. Crack the eggs into the pan and poach gently for 4 to 5 minutes or until cooked to your liking. Remove from the pan and drain thoroughly.

Serve the risotto cakes on a bed of pea purée and top each with a poached egg.