Vegetarian @ Maida Hill Place 30th Jan

by Simon Fernandez of ferdiesfoodlab

Our next event is a vegetarian dinner at Maida Hill Place in support of their Vegetarian January (click to see other events) 

So due to popular demand, I've gone through our menu portfolio and have been doing some vegetarian development in the kitchen!!

Now all the dishes below can't be on the menu, but for those amongst you who have expressed an interest in a veggie night it should give you an idea of what to expect.

All comments welcome!! As are funky menu ideas!! : )

How to Book

palm of heart salad w/ beef tomato & shredded white omelette topped w/ egg yolk butter croutons & poppy seeds

snowburst nectarine w/ ultralight crepe served w/ grapefruit & basil syrup

vegetable soup w/ vegetarian haggis & poached egg 
topped w/ spring onion, black sesame and sesame oil

popcorn icecream & salted caramel fudge maple cookies w/ maple syrup

spicy arancini w/ poached egg, pea butter sauce on a bed of peas

cauliflower soup w/ gorgonzola, basil oil & parsnip crisps

chocolate delice w/ iced chocolate strawberry, white whiskey sauce & sesame & pistachio tuile

carrot cake (foodlab style) w/ carrot tuile & orange carrot and thyme ice cream

rosemary butter crostini

banana tatin w/ banana & whiskey creme, passion fruit & passion fruit sorbet

onion soup w/ basil crostini & spinach

pistachio oil cake w/ white chocolate & pistachio foil - petit four

hand crafted almond biscotti

smokey linguini

salted caramel & vanilla cake w/ black olive ganache & thyme & orange syrup

sage infused aubergine stacks w/ micro mushroom ketchup

sweet potato tortilla w/ oyster mushrooms noisette and rosemary bread

aubergine w/ cardamom spiced honey

roast sweet potato w/ spicy coriander dressing

vegetarian haggis w/ caramelised apple & thyme

dwarf snowburst nectarine w/ pistachio spears & basil served w/ black olive ganache - petit fours

cauliflower couscous w/ preserved lemon and medjool dates

thai basil & carrot salad w/ black sesame & cracker bread

asian style spicy orange sauce

Recipe: Oyster Mushrooms Noisette

by ferdie

This is an unassuming but tasty little number, I often do it if I'm doing tapas since you can cook them in the afternoon and reheat them when you need them. Sitting in the clay dish with a little parsley on top they look very prosaic. Which is kinda what you want so that with that first bite your guests will have that look of mixed surprise and delight at the nutty loveliness.

They go well with tortilla, and as an accompaniment to a variety of things (add link to chorizo crisps), and are a great vegetarian option on their own, and, for example, with a little cream and tagliateli or torteloni.  

Oyster mushrooms, extra virgin olive oil, salt.

INGREDIENTS
400g oyster mushrooms
150ml Noilly Prat (dry white vermouth or failing that white wine)
50g unsalted butter
extra virgin olive oil
parsley to garnish
flakey salt and pepper

METHOD
Put enough olive oil to coat the bottom of the pan with generous coat of oil and add the mushrooms, turn up the heat.
Add the mushrooms just before the oil starts to smoke and toss them in the oil to coat them all over.
Once coated sweat off the mushroom don't move them around too much allow them to brown from the heat of the pan.
Once they have released most of their moisture and are nice and golden brown, remove them from the pan to a bowl.
Get the pan hot, pour in the Noilly Prat / white wine - it should bubble as soon as it hits the pan - and boil until you can no longer smell evaporating alcohol. When you reach this point return the mushrooms to the frying pan, stirring them to coat them all over.
Once there is almost no liquid left in the pan remove the mushrooms to your bowl again and add the butter.
Melt the butter and heat it until it turn a light brown, (You do not want this smoking!) and then return the mushrooms to the pan, coat well. Once all the juices are soaked up, you can serve or put aside until later.

After they've taken a little colour they should like this. Fab!

If you put it aside simply return it to the pan to warm through.

Serve in a clay tapas dish with a few leaves of parsley on top and some rosemary bread.

A vegetarian dish: Oyster Mushrooms Noisette w/ Tagliateli and Baby Courgettes