Wednesday, 27 January 2010
Tuesday, 19 January 2010
Game On
-Wild Mushroom Risotto
-Watercress w/ Lemon, Soy, Balsamic Dressing
-Cauliflower & Parsnip Soup w/ Blue cheese
-Pigeon Pie Served w/ Pan Fried Pigeon Breast And Cucumber Salad w/ Wholegrain Mustard
-Pan Fried Venison Fillet w/ Blackcurrant Jus, Roast Potatoes,
-Soft Centre Chocolate Cake w/ Cream
For this menu, we honestly didn’t care about the cost. We didn’t care that we would just be breaking even. We got the pigeons from Steve Hatt – proved to be much more expensive than other butchers but the quality was outstanding. Our venison fillets came from Yorkshire – all 5 kg of it! It was like one of those moments where upon if we were going to experiment, we might as well experiment well and use the finest ingredients never mind the cost.
As I am always front of house and I have served over 300 guests so far, I can instinctively know how everyone feels about our food and I am extremely proud to say that this has got to be the top three greatest menus we have ever done. The venison fillets were perfectly cooked by Simon, tender and pink in the middle, melting like smooth velvet in your mouth. The pigeon pie was a lovely warm, rich, spicy, sweet yet a savory parcel. He hand made all the pastry - the bacon swirl rolls were heavenly with the egg, cooked to perfection dripping slowly as you cut into it.
There were some issues, like not prepping earlier enough, made us fail on the tarragon jelly not setting properly and cooking the risotto too early. I know I should never cook it before and serve it an hour later but panic set in and I did! Which I am still very ashamed about. (I think I must have been an Italian in my past life). Everyone finished it though. It did taste good, just wasn’t al dente! booo hisss
However, our guests loved everything we made, the improved cauliflower and parsnip soup went down extremely well, the bowls looked like they had been cleaned. This time we managed to garnish the soup with parsnip that were peeled into flakes and deep fried. This turned it into a boat where the roasted cauliflower and saint agur cheese could sit on without sinking to the bottom by the time it reached the table.
Cauliflower & Parsnip Soup (For 12)
Ingredients/ How I do:
IN ROASTING TRAY
1 x Cauliflower – Cut into small pieces
4 x Large Parsnip – Cut into small pieces
1 x Bulb Garlic – cut in half so that it is still held in the bulb – this is more like infusing the vegetables for subtle taste
2 Sprigs Rosemary
-Roast the above in the oven for about 30 mins or until golden.
-Leave enough pieces of cauliflower (just one or two per bowl as garnish) on the side for later. Remove the garlic and rosemary.
IN SOUP POT
1 x Onion diced – brown in the pot you intend to cook the soup in
-Add the roasted cauliflower and parsnips with a litre or more of chicken stock. (Add more or less depending on instinct or taste for thicker or thin soup)
-Blizt with handheld blender or put in food processor – get it nice and smooth.
-Cook some more and season with salt and pepper.
-Add a little bit of single cream – say 2 or 3 tbs.
GARNISH
1 x Parsnip - Peel with peeler into thin long pieces – put in deep fryer until crispy and golden.
Serve in bowls with some parsnip chips (that float : ))
-Roasted cauliflower
-Saint Agur (or blue cheese of your choice)
-Parsley or Basil
Monday, 11 January 2010
Recipe: Vietnamese Pho Tai (Beef Noodle Soup / pot-au-feu / A Pot Of Fire)
This is recognised as one of the Vietnamese national dishes, it’s often made with chicken instead of beef. This version is made with slow braised short rib and oxtail and is topped with rare sirloin steak. It’s seasoned with fish sauce then topped with chopped herbs, thinly sliced onions and lime juice, which add wonderful fragrant notes to the meaty noodle broth.
I like to make mine with shredded cucumber instead of noodles, with gives the broth a fabulous light summery flavour, traditionally it's made with rice noodles.
ingredients for the beef pho (serves 6)
for the stock
3L water
2 chicken stock cubes
75g ginger (cut into 4 slices & charred)
2 large onion (cut into 8 & charred)
6 star anise
2 cinnamon stick
4g cardamom
25g rock sugar (or brown sugar)
12 small oxtail segments (2pp)
3 short ribs (1/2pp)
100ml fish sauce (to taste)
40g lime juice (1 or 2 limes)
for the pho
600g fresh noodles (100g pp)
or 3 cukes (shredded)
500g sirloin / ribeye (80g pp medium rare)
i.e. 2 large steaks!
for the garnish
10g thai basil (4 leaves pp)
20g coriander (10 clovers pp)
4 spring onions (cut into rings)
1 red onion (cut in half, then semi circles) [REF flageolet image 741?]
2 chillies (cut into rings)
fish sauce (tsp pp)
1 lime (1/6 each)
equipment
knife
large boiling pot
method
stock
OK, the first step seems counter intuitive, but it results in a clearer broth!! Boil the oxtail and short ribs separately for 5-10 minutes, until it stops releasing scum. Once they stop, discard the water it was boiled in, and rinse the meat under a cold tap.
Char the ginger and onion on a griddle pan, this adds a nice flavour, giving a more complex broth.
Put all the ingredients into a boiling pot, bring to the boil, then turn the heat down to simmer. (Volume knob to 3 or 4!)
Simmer for 3 hours, skimming scum off the top of the broth constantly as it’s cooking. This helps produce a clearer broth.
Take the steak (for the tai component) out of the fridge so it’s at room temp when you cook it.
Salt it (a couple of pinches of salt on each side - evenly distributed) and leave it in a takeaway box. (or similar)
pho
Just before the stock is ready, remove the short ribs and place on a chopping board.
Cook noodles for 2 minutes in boiling water, then strain and place in hot serving bowls.
Add a glug of oil to the steaks, turning them to cover both side.
Place them into a hot pan, and brown on both sides, turning once after 2-3 minutes.
Remove and place on a chopping board. Leave them there (to rest) while prepping the garnish & assembling the pho.
to serve
Remove the meat from the short ribs by cutting along the flat part of the bone. Slice the meat thinly.
Prep the garnishes as shown. Share out the oxtail and broth into bowls, slice the steak and garnish!!
Good to go!!
thinking ahead (aka for when you really can’t be bovered)
Put the stock, including oxtail and sliced short rib, in a resealable plastic bags. 600g / bag.
Bust it out of the freezer when you want a pho!
Nuke it for 10mins (800W microwave). Make the noodles and steak while it defrosts!
Great hangover cure with minimal effort!

Tuesday, 5 January 2010
Review By GastroGeek

When we first started Fernandez & Leluu, we found Rejina Sabur's fantastically well written food blog. Her language and turn of phrase not only describes the beauty and delights of food itself but also embroiders the intricate journeys of taste, desire and being. What a great gift to have found.
When reading Rejina's words, it feels like eating a delicious and nourishing meal. In many blogs we have researched through in the last three months, hers has to be one of our favourites. Each line, each paragraph is written with love. Having only met Rejina twice, she is not only a beautiful lady but charming and radiant. I would hope that one day, I will possess all her work on my book case as I also love literature!
Posted By Uyen Luu
Sunday, 3 January 2010
New Year's Eve/ Pesto & Tuna Pasta Recipe
It started with me queuing for 40 mins outside Steve Hatt's Fish Monger on Essex Road - thankfully I had ordered the fish the day before because they had sold out of most of their stock. It was quite nice to see a big ice box labelled 'Fernandez & Leluu' - made it feel very official and formal after waiting in line for so long, and also gave me a big self gratifying evil grin.
Pesto
I used to think that making my own pesto would make a cheap dinner but after buying all fine quality ingredients for it, I wouldn't really class pesto as something cheap! However, it does go a long way - if you don't share it with anyone or let anyone have your jar!
I remember, once, my lovely friend, Anja came from Berlin and stayed over and polished the whole lot before I even stepped through the door! She said, "Sorry Uyen, it was so so good!" And if there is any in the fridge, William is sure to polish most of it off - he is English you see and will never take the last bit! hehe...
Rejina and Gail seemed to have loved the pesto I put on the table on New Year's Eve so here is the recipe: (to no surprise - it was all gone by the time I sat down!)
Post New Year Brunch
I have never expected in my life to ever wake up, check the iPhone for messages but to receive and read reviews about US! Ever! Its an amazing feeling that we have been having over the last 3 months -one of the things that make it all worthwhile.
Here is one we got and I read out aloud from TomEatsJenCooks: Thank you so much guys! We feel so honoured to be part of your great blog!!
Top 5 Restaurant Reviews of 2009
Fish Tales Revisted Review
Then, Simon decided to have a bath whilst I made this simple lunch from leftover sashimi grade tuna. The bits you shouldn't serve as sashimi (on the edge of the flesh) you could simply fry up for a real tuna pasta. (I do not understand how anyone can eat canned tuna - though I have been eating junk food since 2010 started and considering another kebab or curry as I write this - from the guy on the moped)
When Simon got out of the bath, we saw that Simon had actually sank the bath! Can you believe it? Who sinks a bath?! All the tiles fell off the side like a little sunk ship! I wish I took a picture. So unfortunately, he didn't enjoy this meal as much as he should have done! But it was utterly delicious in my book.
Ingredients
-Pasta - (Make sure its al dente - the packet always says you should cook it for about 3 mins more than you are suppose to - this is a crime! I usually boil most pastas for about 8 mins, check it and if neccessary add another minute. Don't forget that it will still cook as its still hot).
-Half small onion
-2 cloves of garlic
-Fresh Tuna - marinate in a bit of terriyaki sauce while the water is boiling
-Corriander (or herb of choice, basil or parsley is nice)
-Salt & Pepper
-Butter
While the water is boiling, marinate the tuna. Dice the onions & garlic.
Once the pasta is in, you have about 8 mins
You do not need to start cooking the fish.
At about 4 minutes left, heat the pan (takes about 1 or 2 mins)
With Olive Oil fry the onions til brown
Then throw in the marinaded tuna with the garlic
Brown the fish quickly then add corriander and season - tasting all the time.
The pasta should then be drained and poured into the pan with the fried tuna
Add some butter, mix all together and serve.
Happy New Year! Hope that 2010 will bring you all great feeds!
We will be doing more events fortnightly and trying out things outside our comfort zone. We seem to love living on the edge - I wish you can see the near misses, the almost end of, the drama, the tears, the tantrums and sinking of the bath... Do everything with love!