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Archive for December, 2009

Ferrero Rocher Tart

Posted in Uncategorized, tagged , , , , on December 6, 2009| 37 Comments »

Ferrero Tart

Where do you draw inspiration from?  When I’m cooking or baking I’ll usually browse through a number of cookbooks or call my Mom and ask for a recipe.  Sometimes I’ll search the web for great ideas or check out other blogs.  Honestly, I’ve never looked to an iconic chocolate for inspiration.  That is, until a day or two ago.  I was fortunate enough to be invited as a guest of Ellie to the launch of Ferrero’s Festival of Light which was held infront of the Customs House in Sydney.  The event was hosted by Charlotte Dawson and was officially launched by Rocco Perna from Ferrero Australia.  What a great way to kick start the Christmas season than with a spectacular light show!

Drawing inspiration from Ellie’s beautiful Ferrero macarons, I decided to make a Ferrero Tart and Verrine, both desserts are perfect when you are looking for that additional extra to entertain during the holiday season and are made from the same components, just served differently.  In true Ferrero form, this dessert is made with a chocolate tart, hazelnut mousse and topped with crushed candied hazelnuts enrobed in a chocolate  and hazelnut ganache.

Ferrero Tart

Tart Base (adapted from Matt Moran)

 

  • 60 grams cocoa powder
  • 150 grams cold butter, diced
  • 75 grams caster sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 320  grams flour
  • 5 grams baking powder
  • pinch of salt
  1. Place the butter, caster sugar and cocoa powder in a food processor and pulse until it resembles fine bread crumbs.  Add the eggs, flour and baking powder and process until the mixture just comes together.
  2. Lay the dough on to a lightly floured surface and knead into a disc measuring around 2 cm in height.
  3. Cover with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour to rest.
  4. Once the dough has rested, place the dough back on to a lightly floured surface and roll out until around 2 mm thick.  Cut the dough such that it is at least 1 cm wider than the tart shell (which will form the wall of the tart).
  5. Place the cut dough in the tart shells and allow refrigerate for another 1 hour.
  6. When ready, blind bake the pastry for 10 minutes in a pre-heated fan forced oven at 180c.  Once done, bake for another 5 minutes (this time, do not blind bake).
  7. Remove from oven and allow to cool.

Inspired by Ferrero

Hazelnut Mousse (adapted from Baking and Pastry, Culinary Institute of America)

 

  • 375 grams milk
  • 75 grams caster sugar
  • 3 eggs
  • 37 grams cornflour
  • 80 grams hazelnut praline  (or nutella)
  • 250 grams  cream
  • 5  grams gelatin (titanium strength)
  1. Mix the sugar and cornflour into a bowl and slowly add the eggs.  Ensure that this is well mixed, removing and lumps.
  2. Bring the milk to the boil.  Once the milk is boiling,  pour the milk slowly into the bowl with the egg mixture.
  3. Pour the egg and milk mixture back into the pan and cook on medium heat for a few minutes until the custard becomes thick.
  4. Remove from heat and allow to cool.  Cover with a plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator until ready to use.
  5. When the custard has cooled, place the gelatin sheet in a bowl of cold water to soften.
  6. In the meantime, mix the hazelnut praline (or nutella) with the custard using a whisk.
  7. Semi-whip the cream.
  8. Remove the gelatin from the water and heat in a microwave proof container for 15 seconds on high.  Mix the gelatin with the custard.
  9. Fold the custard into the semi-whipped cream.
  10. Cover with plastic wrap until ready to use.

Chocolate Hazelnut Thing (adapted from David Chang’s Momofuku Cookbook)

  • 55 grams hazelnut praline paste (or nutella)
  • 55 grams  gianduja or milk chocolate
  • 1/4 teaspoon grapeseed oil or any neutral oil
  • pinch of salt
  • 10 grams smallish pieces bittersweet chocolate, ideally 70% to 72% cacao range
  • 1/2 teaspoon light corn syrup
  • 4 tablespoons crushed caramelized hazelnuts
  1. Place all the ingredients in a microwave proof bowl and microwave in 20 second intervals on high until the chocolate has melted.
  2. Add the caramelized hazelnuts until ready to use.

One Iconic Chocolate, served 3 ways

Caramelized Hazelnuts

  • 100 grams sugar
  • 50 grams water
  • 200 grams toasted hazelnuts
  1. Bring the sugar and water to a boil in a heavy based pan and let the temperature reach 115c (using a candy thermometer)
  2. Add the toasted hazelnuts and take the pan off the heat.
  3. Mix the nuts until the texture changes to become sugary like and bring back the pan on the heat.
  4. Mix carefully until the sugar turns into a golden caramel colour and place on a silpat or baking paper to cool.

Ferrero meets the Ferrero Tart

Assembly

Tarts

To assemble the tarts, pipe some hazelnut mousse on to the chocolate tart shells and then top with the Chocolate Hazelnut Thing and a few caramelized hazelnuts.

Verrine

To assemble the verrines, crush the chocolate tart shells and spoon into a clear glass.  Pipe some hazelnut mousse and then spoon some more crushed chocolate tart shells and top with the Chocolate Hazelnut Thing.  Finally, add a few caramelized hazelnuts.

 

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Fideos (“Toasted Pasta” Paella)

Posted in Cook, El Comedor, tagged , , , , on December 3, 2009| 28 Comments »

The Spanish Pasta Dish to Rival Paella

Fideos (“Toasted Pasta” Paella)

It must be difficult being a noodle in Spain.  How can you stand up to the wonderful rice dishes that the Spaniards are known for.  Almost every Spanish cookbook I own will have a section on Paellas*, and at the back of the section is maybe one (if lucky) recipe on the fideos.  It doesn’t even get its own section!   It’s a pity that fideos tends to take second place to the Paella when I think it is just as delicious – and for me, a much more forgiving dish!

Fideos, translated into english, refers to noodles – they are thin pieces of noodles, no longer than your thumb.  Many recipes call for fideo noodles, there is no reason why you can’t use thin spaghetti or angel hair noodles, broken into 1.5 to 2 inch lengths.  In my Mom’s restaurant they used to bake their fideos with pork spareribs and sausages but today I’ve decided to share with you my version – with mussels and prawns.  A little bit healthier and just as good!

I like to think of fideos as the rebel dish.  It breaks a lot of rules!  Let me explain… with most pasta dishes you throw your noodles into a large pot of boiling water, enough water so that the pasta has enough space to float around.  With fideos, traditionally they are made in a paella pan and only enough liquid is placed so that the noodles absorb the cooking broth resulting in a rich, and flavourful dish.  When making a paella, I’ve been taught, once you add the broth, do not stir rice around.  How many of us have been tempted to STIR when we were told NOT TO STIR?!  Well, as I said, fideos is more forgiving – you stir the dish often enough until you see that the liquid has coated the noodles and seafood in an almost syrup like coating.

Traditionally fideos has been made with saffron.  If you aren’t willing to spend on good quality saffron, I wouldn’t even bother putting it as inferior quality saffron will hardly make a dent in the taste.  If you can’t get a hold of saffron, or don’t wish to shell out the money for it, I suggest you omit it completely.

Also, this is traditionally made in a paella pan.  Tonight, I couldn’t be bothered and  used a heavy based pan instead.  It turned out just as well!

As I said – this dish breaks a lot of rules!

Prawn and Mussel Fideos

Recipe (for two)

  • 120 grams fideos or dried angel hair pasta, broken into 2 inch lenghts
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1/2 onion, finely diced
  • 2 cloves garlic, crushed
  • 1 teaspoon sweet paprika
  • 2oo grams canned tomatoes,  crushed
  • 375 ml fish or chicken stock (good quality store bought is fine)
  • 70 ml dry white wine
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 6 large prawns, peeled and deveined
  • a handful of mussels, cleaned and debearded OR you can use clams or a combination
  • salt and pepper to taste
  1. Heat a pan with one tablespoon of olive oil and lightly fry the fideos noodles until golden brown but not burned.   This should take around 5 minutes.
  2. Remove the noodles from the pan and set aside
  3. Next, add more olive oil and saute the onion and garlic until translucent.
  4. Add the sweet paprika and the canned tomatoes and cook until the tomato sauce is thick, this will take around 10 to 15 minutes.
  5. In a separate pan, heat the stock, white wine and the bay leaf.    Once boiling, add this to the tomato sauce.
  6. Immediately add the noodles and stir frequently until the noodles have absorbed the liquid.  This took me around 15 minutes.
  7. When you can see that the noodles are almost done, add the seafood and simmer gently for a minute or two until the prawns are cooked through and the mussels have fully opened.
  8. Serve immediately.

Fideos

*Interestingly enough, what we have come to know as Paella the rice dish made with all sorts of wonderful toppings from seafood, chorizo, rabbit etc., actually refers to the pan in which they are made in.  Over time however, people have started referring to the dish inself and not the pan as Paella.

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All They Want For Christmas Series: Indian Spiced Nuts

Posted in Cook, Holiday, tagged , , on December 3, 2009| 14 Comments »

Spiced Nuts - perfect for those who prefer savoury treats!

I am one of those people who prefer savoury to sweet.  Given a choice between an entree or dessert, I prefer having and entree… or two!  So the next treat in my All They Want for Christmas Series is perfect for people like me!   These Indian-inspired spiced nuts are incredibly addicting.  They are moreish and it is impossible to stop at one.  This recipe was adapted from the Taste website.

Recipe – makes 3 jars (see above)

  • 250 grams of your favorite nuts (I used cashew, almonds, brazil nuts,  almonds, pistachios)
  • 1 egg white
  • 1 teaspoon peanut oil
  • 1 teaspoon each of ground cumin, ground coriander, garam masala, sweet paprika, ground fennel, ground turmeric
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • freshly ground pepper

Method

  1. Preheat oven to 180°C (fan forced). Combine the nuts with the egg white, oil, cumin, coriander, garam masala, paprika, fennel and turmeric in a bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Place in a large roasting pan.
  2. Bake in oven, stirring every 5 minutes, for 15 minutes or until nuts are toasted and mixture is aromatic. Add raisins and gently toss to combine. Set aside for 30 minutes to cool to room temperature.

Package in little glass jars

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Stuffed Mussels (Mejillones Relleñadas)

Posted in Cook, El Comedor, tagged , , , on December 1, 2009| 25 Comments »

Stuffed Mussels with ham, bechamel and melted cheese

When I was little, I would sometimes tag along with my Mom when she went to work.  Work, being her Spanish restaurant.  Over the 34  or so years of El Comedor (that means the “Dining Room” which was what the restaurant was called), some of my best memories was when I was allowed inside the kitchen to watch the cooks as they went about their work.

None of the cooks in El Comedor ever went to cooking school, I am pretty sure none of them even graduated high school.  They originally started as  house help (doing the cleaning) for my Grandmother (who we fondly called Mama).

When she started the restaurant they were tasked to cook in the kitchen.

Imagine if you will, a young man, Manny (his nickname for Manuel), who has never finished high school, who has never picked up a cookbook in his life, never held a chef’s knife, never tasted paella,  being asked to give up cleaning, the only job he has ever known,  to cook in a fine dining Spanish restaurant?  It must have taken a leap of faith by my Grandmother, and Manny to both give it a go!

When Ellie mentioned Spanish food to me recently, I realized that I have been very delinquent in posting some of the delicious recipes I remember eating so many years ago when Manny would sneak a little tapa to me while no one was looking. I must have looked like a drooling labrador to him, just watching him cook.  And I guess he took pity on me.

“Don’t tell your Mom okay?” he would say as he handed me a little croqueta or some of the stuffed mussels pictured above.  At the restaurant we called them Mejillones Relleñadas.     I call them – Mussels a la Manny.  They are made with mussels, ham, white wine, an uber creamy bechamel sauce and topped with parmesan cheese. This recipe is so simple and you can make it ahead, just top with parmesan cheese and let it rest in the refrigerator until you are ready to serve.  It’s perfect when you are expecting guests – just bake them in the oven prior to serving.

Sadly,  Manny passed away a few years ago but to this day I still think of him when I make this dish – from something that has very humble beginnings – such a beautiful dish!

Buen Provecho Manny!

They're delicious even without baking!

Recipe

  • 25 mussels, cleaned and debearded
  • 3 tablespoons butter
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1/2 onion, diced
  • 2 cloves garlic, crushed
  • 1/4 cup ham, finely diced
  • 1/4 cup flour
  • 1/4 cup white wine
  • 3/4 cup milk
  • 3 tablespoons chopped parsley
  • grated parmesan cheese to top
  • salt and pepper to taste

Top with a sprinkle of parmesan cheese

  1. Place the mussels in a pot of cold water and bring to the boil.  When they are open, remove from the heat to cool.  Be careful not to overcook.  When they are cool enough to handle, remove the meat and chop (not too finely) and reserve half of the mussel shell.
  2. Heat the butter and olive oil in a sauce pan and add the onions, salt and pepper.  Add the garlic and cook until translucent.
  3. Add the ham and cook for another 2 minutes over medium heat.
  4. Add the flour and cook out for a few minutes, then add the white wine and cook for two minutes, and then gradually add the milk.
  5. Add the chopped mussel meat and the parsley.
  6. Place a spoonful on the reserved mussel shell.
  7. Top with parmesan cheese and bake in a 180c (fan forced) oven for 10 minutes until the cheese has melted.

Stuffed Mussels with ham, bechamel and parmesan cheese

BY THE WAY, on the side of this post is a link called RECEIVE EMAIL!  If you would like to be on my mailing list and receive an email when a new post is up – please click on the link.  Thank you!

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