Recipe: Cherry Pie, Chocolate Tart, Super Simple 5 ingredient BLISS!

by Simon Fernandez of ferdiesfoodlab

This is the kind of recipe that’s I love writing about, those little triumphs in the kitchen that can really take the edge off a crappy day. Not just the relaxation and distraction of creating, but the “phoenix from the ashes moment” of having created something really very nice out of leftovers (and bits and things).

After the the supper club last week we had some left over cherries, I’d bought a box to go with the petit fours:

I new I’d have a busy week ahead, and I could just imagine them, the following Saturday, in the same bowl on the kitchen table, with a giant bloom of mould growing on them. So I had a look around the kitchen this is what I found: mascarpone cheese, a roll of flaky pastry, and a lemon.

Well pastry screams PIE (and smiles!) so I hunted around for a tart tin but the only thing I could find was this dingy sized pyrex dish which would have made a half decent glass bottomed boat! Kept looking . . . muffin tray? Maybe, could make 12 mini pies . . . kept looking and found a rather dinky pyrex dish, not exactly the tart tin I was looking for but about the right size, the sides were too high but, mheh, yeah, I reckon it’d do, so I rolled with it.

Found some sugar for a stock syrup, and an egg . . . right ready for action!

ingredients (serves 6-8)

for the cherry pie

375g flaky pastry (1 pack / pre rolled)

400g cherries (stoned)

400g stock syrup (200g sugar & 200g water)

250g mascarpone cheese

300g chocolate spread

1 egg

4 sheets (gelatine)

1/2 lemon (juiced)

3 star anise (optional)

pinch of cinnamon

for the garnish

soured cream (something sharp, to complement the sweet tart).

apparatus / equipment

22cm pyrex dish

pastry brush (or a bit of kitchen towel works well)

method - quick version 

Blind bake the pastry @ 180C for 20min. Seal it with beaten egg.

Mix the chocolate spread and mascarpone cheese until smooth and spread it onto the pastry for the bottom layer.

Soften the stoned the cherries in a stock syrup and infuse with star anise and cinnamon for at least an hour.

Once infused, strain, and place the cherries on top of the chocolate to create the middle layer. 

Add gelatine to the syrup, reduce by 1/2. cool and pour over the cherries. Allow to set.

DONE!

method

This is so simple! That’s what makes this cherry and chocolate tart even better. Turn the oven on to 180C.

Butter the pyrex dish, and unroll the pastry onto it. Lift the edges so the pastry can be pushed right to the bottom without tearing. (specially if it’s deep) I reckon a loaf tin would would work too. It would result in more of a terrine style pie.

At this point I’d normally line it with baking paper, and add some ceramic balls to blind bake the pastry. But, as I said, I was doing a bit of free styling in an unfamiliar kitchen. So no baking balls!! I did brush the pastry with a beaten egg though to water proof it from the filling. Bake for 20mins @ 180C

While the pastry is in the oven, put the water and sugar into a sauce pan and put it on full on the hob. Add the star anise and the cinnamon. While that comes to the boil, wash and stone the cherries. Add them to the boiling syrup (taking care not to splash yourself) and as soon as it’s back up to the boil take it off the heat.

Put the gelatine into some cold water, leave it for 5 mins then squeeze it of excess water and add it to the syrup.

Next, mix the mascarpone and the chocolate until you have a smooth and creamy chocolate pate.

Spread the mix into the bottom of the pastry lined dish. Then sieve the cherries, keeping the syrup, and place them on top of the chocolate. Then put the whole tart in the fridge to set. (Best to cover it in cling film so it does’t take up any weird flavours like kippers or blue cheese)

Reduce the the syrup by half, then add the lemon juice, allow to cool and pour onto the tart. (after removing the cling film obviously) Return to the fridge to set.

to serve

Once set, cut into slices and serve as is, or with a scoop of soured cream, or maybe a lemon ice cream

Sooo good! So so good!

thinking ahead

You can make this a few days in advance and keep it in the fridge no problem.

what could go wrong? (notes)

“I tried to warm up my portion of tart” - DO NOT do that unless you want a pool of chocolate sauce with a bunch of angry cherries looking up at you!! Last thing you want!

“My gelatine turned into gloop and I could’t get it out if the water!” - Soak the gelatine in COLD water NOT warm water.

techniques used

Patience (required for the setting of the tart)

variations

I reckon this would be pretty good with a mix of soft fruits, strawberries, blueberries etc

Use agar to make the veggie version of this, or reduce the sauce a little more and don’t use a setting agent at all!!

ENJOY!!

Recipe - Leftover Challenge: Chicken Croquettes

by Simon Fernandez of ferdiesfoodlab  
Croquettes are something very dear to my heart. As a kid we'd get them once a year! They were like absolute gold dust, which is sort of ironic because they were made from leftovers! Turkey, to be precise! And bloody good they were too. 

 








I have no idea how my mum used to make them! The other day I was faced with some leftovers, and it had been so. so long since I'd had one, that I thought - why the hell not?!! In fairness, they took about 2hrs to make, which is probably why we only got them once a year!! But I made enough to keep me in frozen croquette for a while . . . . reeee..sult!!

Here's how . . .

ingredients (makes 16-18)
for the croquettes
150g left over roast chicken 
     (about 1/4 - 1/3 of a roast chicken)
150g mushrooms
250ml pint chicken stock
1 tbsp gelatine powder
     or 2 sheets gelatine (optional)
80g flour
80g butter
50ml milk
4 egg yolks
1 egg (whisked with a touch - 10ml - of milk)
old/toasted bread / bread crumbs(for coating)
oil for frying (veg/sunflower)

for the coleslaw
1/3 cabbage (finely sliced)
12 black olives (stoned, quartered)
50g pea shoots or other green leaf
8 cherry tomatoes (quartered)
1 tbsp mayonaise
500ml 5% brine (boiling)

croquettes
Clean the mushrooms, then add them to the chicken stock and leave to simmer.
Debone the chicken and dice it: medium small dice. If you like your croquettes super smooth, you can blend it! Personally, I like a bit of texture in my creamy croquettes. Also nice to be able to identify what you're eating, neigh-ce pas? (Boom boom!)
Make a roux by melting the butter in a pan, then adding the flour and mixing until a smooth paste is formed. Remove from heat.
Remove the mushrooms from the liquor with a slotted spoon and place them onto a cutting board to cool down.
 
Mix the gelatine powder into the hot liquor until completely dissolved. If you're using sheets soak them in cold water for 5 mins first, squeeze any excess water from them and add them to the liquor, mixing in until dissolved.
Add about 3 tbsp of the liquor to the chicken and mix until well coated and glossy.

Add the milk to the roux and loosen it. (Mix in until smooth)
Add the remaining liquor to the roux and mix until smooth, put it on a gentle heat until the flour is cooked out. (10-15m) A little more stock and this would be a velouté. Take off the heat.




Chop the mushrooms to a similar size as the chicken.
Add the chicken and mushroom to the creamy mix, then add the egg yolks and mix in with a wooden spoon, stir until the mix is thick and silky, season if required.
At this point the classic route would be to pour the mix into a tray and let it cool for 2hrs until it's set, then coat in bread crumbs.

But I was absolutely starving at this stage so I took matters into my own hands:
Run the cold tap until you have an inch (2.5cm) of water in the sink, then place the pan in and keep stirring, this will quickly lower the temperature of the mix. Once it's cold the mix will be thick enough to quenelle.

Quenelle the mix with table spoons onto a tray of flour, roll to coat in flour.
Coat in egg wash, (the whisked egg) then bread crumbs, and place onto a tray lined with bread crumbs.

Once you have enough to fill your frying pan, heat your oil to a medium temp (160C for deep fat fryers - 4mins) and place the croquettes into the oil with a pair of tongs, fry them until golden brown turning occasionally so they are evenly cooked.

Once they're ready, remove them and place in a sieve (green option) or onto kitchen towel to drain.


At this point it's important not to let the little blighters get the better of you by having a sneaky taste, you will burn your mouth!
Let then drain for a moment, then place on a hot serving tray and serve immediately!

coleslaw
Prep the ingredients as listed.
To make the brine weigh out 25g of salt and add 500ml of boiling water, stir and dissolve the salt.
Add the sliced cabbage to the brine and leave for 30mins, then rinse under cold water and drain. This will have 2 effects: it seasons the cabbage and parboils it, softening it slightly for the coleslaw.
Once the cabbage is completely drained, mix the ingredients together and put aside until required.

thinking ahead
Croquettes freeze very well so you can make a big batch - 'cos let's face it, they take a while! - and bust 'em out of the freezer when the mood takes you!

what could go wrong?
When dicing the chicken and mushrooms, if you dice them too big it will be difficult to roll them into croquettes. 4mm chunks max!

to serve
Place a healthy portion of coleslaw onto a warm plate, add the croquettes and dress with a sprig of parsley if you're feeling like the '70s. Alternatively, you can load a serving dish with croquettes and large bowl with the coleslaw, place them on the table, and let folks help themselves!
 
variations
The list is endless, but here are a few: Ham, lamb, potato, beef, cheese, rice, salted cod and mussels. They can also be of the sweet variety, for example, made from rice pudding thickened with egg yolk then coated and fried!!

Ski Series - Recipe: Banana Tatin w/ Banana Creme and Passion Fruit Sorbet

by Simon Fernandez of ferdiesfoodlab 

Banana Tatin w/ Passion Fruit Sorbet & White Chock Whisky Sauce - Verbier version

I cobbled this recipe together one evening, sat on the balcony listening to the chatter from the balcony above, and looking over the resort, it was the first week and I hadn't really got a complete menu together, and was stressing out a bit. I've kinda constructed it out of all the desserts I'd made before, and a leftover sauce (whiskey and white choc) I had from the previous night! The flavours go well together, and I developed it a little further for the foodlab menu.

Banana Tatin w/ Passion Fruit Sorbet & White Chock Whisky Sauce - ferdiesfoodlab version

apparatus
swiss roll tin,
ice cream machine / food processor / alpine mountainside

for the banana tatin - (Bake 10-15m @ 200C / G6) 
4 bananas (cut into rounds 2.5 cm long) see tip on ripeness (6 pieces per banana serves 8 @ 3pp)
300g puff pastry cut into 5x5cm squares (35x23)
100g sugar
100g butter
2 tbsp water (optional)

for the banana crème
400ml crème anglaise (custard)
75ml whiskey
125ml white chocolate (broken into small pieces or grated)
banana offcuts from the banana tatins
 
for the passion fruit sorbet 
200ml orange juice
150g sugar
4 star anise
50ml glucose
1 1/2 gelatine leaves
500ml passion fruit juice

banana tatins
Peel the bananas and cut off 3cm from each end. Keep the offcuts for the banana creme, then cut the remaining bananas into six pieces each; each piece should be 2.5cm / 1inch approx.

Pre-heat the oven and put the swiss roll tin in. TIP - This is so it's hot when the caramel hits the tin and the caramel remains liquid.

Lay the banana rounds out flat and cover each with a square of pastry. If you like, trim them so they're neat and round. Personally I like them a little scruffy, and I love a bit of extra pastry ; ) Put them into the fridge until required.

Next make the caramel, put the sugar into a pan, spread evenly and take to a light brown caramel, don't stir it, simply shimmy the pan a little to move it around if required. Remove swiss roll tin from the oven and pour the caramel into it, then add in the tatins banana side down.

If you want to do then sliced lengthways do them at 180C/G4/20-25m.


banana crème
Warm the custard to 80C, then turn off the heat and add the white chocolate, stirring until smooth, then add the whisky.
To make the banana creme, blend the ends of the banana with a dash of milk or cream and then add into the white chocolate and whisky custard blend until smooth. Job done.
 
passion fruit and star anise sorbet
Mix the orange juice, sugar, star anise & glucose in a pan and bring to boil, then simmer for 5mins.
While the juices simmer, soak the gelatine in water, until soft. Remove, and squeeze out the excess water.
Take the mix off the heat and stir in the gelatine until completely dissolved.
Add passion fruit juice, and cool.
Chuck it in an ice cream machine until it's at the desired consistency, or if you happen to be in the Alps, pop the lid on and put it in a drift outside, stirring frequently until set! Then move to the freezer.
Put in fridge for 10 mins before serving so that it softens!!

to serve
Spoon the banana creme onto a plate and spread it in a smooth line, dot with passion fruit. Place a banana tatin at one end and a quenelle of passion fruit sorbet at the other. Serve immediately.

tip: At the start of making the caramel, adding a couple of tablespoons of water helps.  You can add more if you want, it will evaporate off during the process. Spread the caramel mix out evenly to start, don't stir the caramel after that, crystals on the spoon can cause the mix to crystallise.

tip:  If cutting the banana lengthways, a less ripe banana will hold together much better, and complement the  caramel. This is less important if you're cutting it into rounds since they don't present any "falling apart problems" when serving and the sharpness of the mango balances the dessert.