Recipe / Experiment: Orange Powder

by Simon Fernandez of ferdiesfoodlab

It's always fun to try new techniques, sometimes it's a disaster and you learn a great deal, sometimes it's a disaster and it takes 3 more attempts to get even close to the desired result - (bread was a good example of this one for me) and some, like this one, are nice and easy, and it's simple enough to get the desired taste.

ingredients (makes ~70g)
for the orange powder
300g sugar
50ml water
6 oranges (zest only)

Add zest to syrup	Reduce 20mins	Pour out onto silicone
Spread out	Dehydrate in oven 50C	Crunchy Nut Corn Flakes!

method
Zest oranges - therein lies the trick! The important thing is to get as little pith (the white bit between the orange flesh and the outer skin) as possible. You could use a zester, but you lose half of the zest. A micro plane the best way to go - quite expensive. Or a speed peeler and a bit of practice!

The orange on the left is attempt 1, the orange on the right is after about 4 oranges. It's important to use the sharp edge of the peeler almost like a knife. That is, moving it sideways almost like a knife, instead of using it like a peeler.

Once you have acquired your zest, add a 5mm depth of water to your pot, then pour the sugar in the middle. Once all the sugar has turned translucent - as in it has fully adsorbed the water - give it a little stir until the sugar has dissolved in the water and add the zest. Leave it to simmer for 15-20 mins. Turn the heat off and let it cool a little. Turn it out once it's cold enough to handle, break it up and distribute it evenly on a silpat or some baking paper.
Bake it for 60 - 90mins at 50C - the aim is to remove all the water from the zest and sugar.

At this point you'd be forgiven for thinking 'crunchy nut cornflakes!!' - because they look so alike!!

Next step is to pop the crystallised sugar zest into a spice mill and turn it into powder

Next make an OJ out of the oranges and time to start powdering everything to see what kind of cracking pairing I can come up with for the banquet!

 
  

variations
This dehydration technique can be used on all manner of things.

Right time to start dusting everything with orange powder - dust, dust, dust . . . . .    : )

Recipe - Classic: Steak / Beef and Onion Pie (or Oxtail & Prune Pie w/ Red Cabbage)

by Simon Fernandez of ferdiesfoodlab




OK I'm going to have a rant for a moment. Something I've often been presented with when ordering a pie is some kind of china bowl or ramekin with a bit of pastry almost hovering on top, as if they had been combined by accident, having nothing to do with each other. It's as if a bowl of stew was being stalked by a bit of pastry that always wanted to be a pie but somehow never made the grade. As far as I'm concerned, if it doesn't have a pastry bottom it isn't a pie! (Ahem . . . . . with the small exception of my Christmas left over turkey pie!! That doesn't count - it's Christmas and it's left overs!!)

Anyway rant over . . . . .  and thoughts turn to PIE! Can't beat a good pie! Even better if it's got a bottom!! Not a soggy bottom, mind you, we can't be doing with that!!

 







ingredients (makes 2 pies)
for the oxtail & prune pureé filling
2.5kg oxtail
750g (10) med onions (peeled & cut into 6ths)
100ml extra virgin olive oil
20g thyme (bouquet garni)
8 cloves garlic (cut into 1/4s lengthways)
750ml red wine
20 prunes (pitted)
3L chicken stock
plain flour for dusting
cinnamon powder

for the pie case
2x 375g puff pastry (want to make your own? here's how)
1 egg (beaten)
splash milk

for the red cabbage & beetroot
600g red cabbage (sliced)
2 beetroots (peeled, then 1 cm cubes)
300ml water
600ml tawny port
50g salted butter (small cubes)

special equipment
rubber gloves for beetroot
stick blender
2x 23cm loose bottomed tin (circular)
 

oxtail & prune pureé filling
Trim all the excess fat off the larger pieces of oxtail.
Season and coat the oxtail in flour and fry off in a pan until golden brown, then add to the boiling pot.
Oxtail usually comes held together with a piece of butcher's string.
You can use this to make a bouquet garni with the thyme: take the thyme, fold it in half, tie it with the string and add it to the pot.Add the onions, prunes, red wine, garlic, extra virgin olive oil and pour in enough chicken stock to cover the meat by 1cm.
Bring to the boil and then turn the heat down to a simmer, leaving the lid off.
Top up with chicken stock occasionally to keep the water level above the meat.

The oxtail should be ready after about 2.5 hours. When it is, remove it with a slotted spoon into a tray and pick the meat off the bone, it should fall away with very little effort.

Remove the bouquet garni and dispose of it. Pass the stock through a sieve and return it to the pot, reduce until it is a thick sauce.
Once reduced, return the contents of the sieve and the picked oxtail to the sauce. Mix it together. That's the pie filling ready.


pie casing
Rub the pie tin with a little oil or butter so the pastry doesn't stick to it.
Line the tin with pastry - this is the base - then using a brush, paint the pastry with beaten egg. This water proofs your base so when you fill it you don't end up with a soggy bottom - no body want a soggy bottom! Now you could cover the pastry with oven proof paper and fill it with dry beans and blind bake it. or you can, as you can see from the pics, chuck it directly into the oven and bake it as is. 200C for 15mins. 15 minutes is enough to seal the pastry with egg and almost completely cook it.

assembly
Once the base is out of the oven, fill it with the (hot) spectacularly tasty filling. Add a splash of milk to the beaten egg and whisk it in, then brush around the edges of the pastry - so the top sticks to it. Place the pastry top on and trim it with a pair of scissors.
Throw it back into the oven 200C for 20mins.

red cabbage & beetroot in port reduction
Add the cabbage and the water to a pot with a lid and bring to the boil.
After 3 mins add the beetroot cubes and replace the lid.

After 2 mins more remove the lid and allow the liquid to evaporate until there is almost none left.
In a separate small pot (without a lid) bring the port to the boil and reduce by 3/4 to 150ml.
 



what could go wrong? (TIPS)
My reduction burnt! TIP: Watch anything you are reducing like a hawk. To begin with, it will seem like it will never reduce, but the more it reduces the faster it goes, and it will evaporate completely and burn if you don't keep an eye on it in the final stages!

I burnt my kitchen down! TIP: When reducing alcoholic liquids, be careful. Always keep the lid at hand so that if they catch fire, you can simply put the lid on to put it out. (or let it burn off carefully!)


to serve
Turn out the pie! Easy way to do this is to put the loose bottomed tin onto a tuna tin (better be line caught and not blue fin tuna!) and gently push down the rim of the tin revealing the fabulous pie . . . chef bursts into song with pride, and does a quick victory dance!! Cut up and serve immediately with some cabbage and beetroot!



thinking ahead
You can make the cabbage in the afternoon, and reheat it in minutes when you need it.

Recipe - Classic: Brussels Paté (Liver Paté)

by Simon Fernandez of ferdiesfoodlab

Over the years I've learnt a lot by simply watching others (chefs or not) experiment or create something they've done a million times! This one I picked up from my mum. I remember thinking, when I found out how this is made, "Is that it? Wow how simple! Wow I didn't realise how much butter is in that!!" But it couldn't be simpler. 

Brussels paté is made from pork liver often with brandy, in this recipe I use chicken liver, some madeira and butter. Truly delicious!!

ingredients (make 800g-1kg)
for the paté
450g      chicken liver
200ml  madeira
750g butter (clarified)
10g  thyme leaves (bruised)
olive oil for frying

for the garnish
small branch of thyme

apparatus / equipment
food processor

paté
Put butter on to clarify, include the thyme leaves: Cut the butter into chunks and melt in a pan with the thyme. As soon as it bubbles turn off the heat and leave for 20-30 mins so the flavour of the thyme infuses into the butter. Use salted butter as then no further seasoning is required.

Cook the liver on a gentle heat. The aim is to cook the liver evenly throughout, no crispy outer surface. This will give an even texture once it's blended - no tough bits, no pink bits!! (mit cuit - just cooked)

Put the cooked liver into a food processor.
If the butter has set warm it a little until it's liquid, skim off any scum from the surface and remove, any thyme twigs. Pour 2/3 of the clarified butter (the fat floating on top) into the food processor leaving the white liquid at the bottom in the pan.
Run the motor until you have a smooth paste. That's the paté made!! : )

Pour it into ramekins and make the surface flat. Seal the paté with the remaining clarified butter, by pouring a thin layer over the top of the paté, and leave it to set. Consume at will!!

thinking ahead
This will keep in the fridge for a week if it's sealed. For months in the freezer.

to serve
Bust out some French stick, (toasting optional) some cornichons (little green pickled cucumbers), mayo, tomatoes, a little cucumber. Give everyone a glass of madeira and let them help themselves. Really nice home made paté for about 20mins, if that, of actual effort!

variations
This recipe is a great base to create all sorts of variations. For example: Adding parsley, and caramelised onion at the blending stage and then mixing it with (cooked) chicken thighs or mushrooms - fabulous, and makes a great starter.

Recipe: Mothers Day Cake! (Technique / Experiment)

by Simon Fernandez of ferdiesfoodlab

Last night I thought I'd surprise me mum and make her a cake, kind of last minute idea that occurred to me when a friend asked me for a recipe. I had a mooch around the kitchen to see what I had available - it was after all about 8 o'clock already. Eggs, sugar, some dark chocolate, cocoa powder, nuts, flour, corn flour . . . .  things were shaping up!! Quick look in the freezer and I found half a piping bag of paté choux - result!! Got me thinking, croque en bouche??? Not chocolaty enough, and a lot of critical timing sugar work, it's already 8.30PM (As I write it's 2PM the following day!) and the chocolate filling is setting in the freezer in a piping bag. Having got together a bunch of bits I start  with no real plan to speak of . . . . .

5.30PM - This is what's now setting in the fridge for later : ) 

HAPPY MOTHERS DAY MUM!

and here's how I made it . . . . .
(I'll update with more photos later)

ingredients (makes 24cm tart)
for the chocolate biscuit base (makes 210g - all used)
135g  choc digestives (pulse blend - fine)
50g  butter salted (melted, clarified)
15g  icing sugar (or caster sugar for more crunch!)
25g  cocoa powder

for the choux buns (makes 35 x 1.5cm - 17-20 required for 24cm tart)
150g  plain flour
125ml  water
125ml  milk
1 tsp  caster sugar
100g  butter
4  eggs (~220g)
(makes 40 3cm choux ~ 16g each - 25 per domestic tray G4/25m)
(makes 80 1.5cm choux ~ 8g each - 35 per domestic tray G5/15m) 
 
for the praline (makes 110g  - I swear I didn't eat any! ahem - 20g used)
50g  pecan nuts
100g  sugar
a little water

for the chocolate sauce (makes 500g)
150g  milk chocolate
150g  dark chocolate
300ml  stock syrup (50/50 water sugar)

for the chocolate crème pâtissière (makes 900g - what you find in a custard slice)
6  egg yolks
125g  caster sugar
40g  corn flour
500ml  milk
1  vanilla pod (or 1 tsp vanilla paste)
75g  dark chocolate (broken into small pieces - 50% cocoa is fine)(to fill 1.5cm choux buns 12g - 14g crème pâtissière)
 
for the crème Chibouste
chocolate crème pâtissière
italian meringue
gelatine
(didn't have time to make this)

for the 'creme pour le filling' (winging it at this point - it's a nod to crème Chibouste)
280g crème pâtissière
250ml double cream
2 sheets gelatine

for the salted caramel (will update soon!)
we make our own at ferdiesfoodlab but was in a bit of a rush last night
you can buy it ready made from the folk who make condensed milk
150g caramel
a touch of salt
 
apparatus / equipment
24cm loose bottomed flan tin
spice mill / blender
heavy based pan
cream gun / whipper (not essential)
temp probe




methods . . .
chocolate biscuit base 
Blend biscuits w/ all ingredients except butter in food processor to make the chocolate powder. Mix this with the clarified butter until a smooth paste is formed.
To clarify the butter (that is to remove the water and milk solids): Slice the butter up into chunks so it melts with less heating. Once all the butter is completely liquid a white scum will form on the surface. Hold the pan at 45 degrees and skim this off. Then pour the clear clarified butter off (in this case into the chocolate powder) leaving the opaque white liquid (which is to be disposed of) in the pan.

choux buns (180C / 15-20m) 
Melt butter and water in a pan bring to a rolling boil then add the flour and mix in
heat until mixture comes away from the pan. Mix in the eggs one at a time. Keep mixing until mixture is smooth and glossy and slightly sticky. Use a couple of tea spoons to lay on to a baking sheet. (or put into a piping bag and pipe onto baking tray)
You can freeze this without any ill effects.


praline (170C)
Roast the pecans in an oven at 180C for 6-8 mins, no more than that or they will become bitter. 
Pour enough water into the pot to cover it by about 3mm. Pour the sugar into the centre of the pot and let it soak up the water, give it a little jiggle, until all dry sugar soaked up. 
Keep the sugar away from the sides, use a brush with water, to brush any excess sugar away. Turn on the heat and let it start bubbling. Boil until it's turned a caramel colour. BE CAREFUL! When it starts to caramelise it will do so quite quickly, so keep an eye on it. 
Once it's turned a nice caramel colour - around 170C - take it off the heat, mix in the pecans so they're all coated and pour the mix out onto a silpat. (or a baking tray lined with greaseproof paper)
Once the mixture has cooled it will be hard and brittle, break it up into smaller pieces and turn it into a coarse powder with a food processor or spice mill. It's ready to dust the cake or dress plate etc etc . . 


chocolate sauce
If your chocolate is in bars break it into chunks ready to add to the syrup.
To make a stock syrup simply mix water and sugar and heat until a smooth syrup is formed.
For a denser syrup double the amount of sugar.
Once the syrup is ready add the chocolate and take off the heat, stir until the sauce is completely smooth.
I happened to have some black olive ganache so I replaced a third of my chocolate with that.
No reason not to use orange, or chilli chocolate for example to make the sauce.

chocolate crème pâtissière
This is the same as crème anglaise (custard) but when it's set it's thicker. To make crème anglaise use exactly the same method just leave out the flour.
Whisk the egg yolks and a third of the sugar until the mix is lighter in colour and texture and forms light ribbons then whisk in the flour.
Add the rest of the ingredients except the chocolate, to the milk. Dissolve, and bring to the boil.
Whilst stirring the egg yolk mix add the milk slowly, mixing it in as you do. Then return the smooth mix back into the pan.
On a medium heat cook the mix stirring continuously until it has thickened and the flour has cooked out. (i.e. there is no remaining grainy texture due to the flour)
Add the chocolate, and mix until smooth! (See TIPS)

creme pour le filling! This bit's experimental . . .
Soak the gelatine in cold water for 5 mins
Warm the cream up enough so the gelatine dissolves easily ~70C.
Squeeze the excess water from the gelatine and add it to the cream, stirring it in until it's dissolved.
Pour the mix into a cream whipper, and add one canister of gas.
Cool the cream by running the canister (the one I use has metal - conductive - canister) under cold water.
Shake well and add a third to the creme pat, folding it in.
Repeat twice more with the rest of the cream.
Pour the mix into a piping back and put in the freezer to set a little - 45-60mins
(makes rather good ice-cream!!)

thinking ahead
My advice is, should have made it last night!!!

what could go wrong? (har de har, whoar har har . . .  list is endless)
chocolate crème pâtissière
TIP 1: Adding the milk to the eggs (as opposed to adding the eggs to the boiling milk) stops the eggs cooking instantly and turning into threads / omelette = bad!

TIP 2: When stirring use a flat ended spatula to 'reverse paint' the bottom of the pan. Constantly removing the mix from the bottom of the pan like this means it cooks evenly and again minimises your chance of getting threads. (applies especially to creme anglaise)

TIP 3: One last thing that will stop you making omelette instead of custard is to keep the temperature below 80C through out the process!





assembly
Line the loose bottom baking tin with greaseproof paper.
Put the warm base mix (210g) in middle and spread it out to the rim forming an even layer.
Drop a good spoonful of caramel onto the base mix and spread it out evenly. Sprinkle with a pinch of salt!
Put a third of the creme pat into a small disposable piping bag, and cut the end off leaving a tiny hole. (2-3mm approx)
Fill the choux buns with the gorgeous choccy creme pat and place around the edge of the base.
Take filling mix from the freezer and pipe it into the centre. Then dust with praline.
Coat the choux buns with chocolate sauce and chill. Then let everything set for a couple of hours.





to serve
Walk into the room with a broad smile of general delight taking the tart directly to the recipient! In this case my mum!

Happy Mothers day Mum!!

What's the story? Fore-rib glory!!!

by Simon Fernandez of ferdiesfoodlab

This year's opening banquets have been absolutely buzzing, the atmosphere, the food the whole ferdiesfoodlab crew have stepped up to deliver, and our guests have been just phenomenal, so I thought I'd write a wee post about last week's (week before coming soon!) Right now . . . last weekend's 20kg beef forerib bonanza!!!

This was one of the stars of the show, one of two 10kg foreribs of beef, being seared for the oven.


I'll start with a patchwork of cuttings from the comment cards that we got from the evening:

 

< < < < <  ferdiesfoodlab is "the tits!"

(this is, apparently, pretty good)

 
 

 

 













I cannot thank you all enough for the wonderful feedback. It's so good to mingle at the end of the night. Everyone is unique, so different, you don't know what to expect, or what people are going to say - it's always great fun to engage with our guests!! : )

 
I've included the un-edited comment cards at the bottom ; )

the spiced carrots we served with the beef

 

Better check it fits in the oven!

Next stage is searing the outside!

Need to be in the oven by 2PM if we're to serve at 9PM

After leaving it to rest for 40mins or so time to CARVE!

the Candlestick Maker

The beef is ready! Time is of the essence at this point so Ian (of the Candle Stick Maker, my sous chef on this occasion) carves one forerib while I do the other.

We're carving in front of the banquet for a couple of reasons. So people can see and appreciate the beauty, the sumptuous gorgeousness and the size of the joints I've lovingly slow roasted for them, and so that folk are very much aware that the next course is imminent and it's a corker! We carved quickly and held the beef on a bed of hot stone, and from there to the banquet table on a warm wooden serving board. . . .

separate the ribs

isolate the ribeye

serve immediately

after 7hrs the beef was perfect - result!

Ollie did an amazing job on the potatoes - as usual!

It was a really great crowd last weekend, we had two birthday groups in. Happy SURPRISE!! Birthday Bonnie! Thanks for you comments : ) delighted you had a lovely evening!

And somehow I suspect that Olivia knew about her birthday! : ) Whilst beavering away in the kitchen I'm sure I heard at least  6 rounds of happy birthday!!

At one point there was a huge roar from the banqueting hall, which is a pretty frequent occurrence to be fair, but always entices me out to investigate . . . I can't help it it's great to see people having fun! This was a first though! When I opened the door I was greeted by 2 lasses - one of whom I believe to be Olivia, although I didn't know it at the time - gayly skipping around the hall along the outside of the banquet tables to all sorts of clapping and cheering. I wish I'd got a photo!!! : )



























































 




The night progressed in a similar vein and by the time we'd finished plating the dessert and petit fours folk in the hall seemed to be in a pretty good mood, so much so that I entered to a spontaneous round of applause. Which was very nice indeed, I feel I must mention at this point the wonderful ferdiesfoodlab crew who were critical in delivering the food and service for the evening. 

Dave (FoH / Kitchen), Ollie (MD / Kitchen) & Ian (Kitchen)

Anna (FoH / Kitchen) doing a great job of the sugar work for the pralines, Ollie getting his hands dirty!!

Me (ferdie /Host), Ian (Kitchen), Ollie (MD / Kitchen),  Joy (FoH / Service)

~~============ The food we've started the year with! ============~~

I've tried to keep courses on the the move especially for our returning guests - it's always nice to have something different to try. There are of course quite a few courses that folk love to see return to the menu!! The roast ribeye, the Cambodian salad the pork belly and wonton all being examples of this. We've started the year with new petit fours, a cracking dessert, a new terrine board, a new super fresh edamame, pea and egg combo with a croquette, a new duck dish and last weekend a rock and roll double full forerib of beef!

 

Here are a few pics to give you an idea!  : )  Happy days! . .  

 

Cambodian Chorizo Salad	Duck L'Orange Jasmine Rice	Country Terrine w/ Thyme & Orange
Petit Fours	Forerib of Beef	Poached Egg
Morcilla	My Sandwich Filler	Infused Oils
Salted Caramel & Orange Thyme Cake	Roasties	Oil Cake & Pistachio Praline

=========================================================

*** see comment below

* * * The next day, I trimmed out the intercostal meat, heated it gently in a small pan, seasoned it and added a little green sauce and slapped it in between two slices of bread and butter. I cannot remember the last time I had such a nice beef sandwich! I wish I could have taken a full palette olfactotastygraph of it for all of you to savour.




More comments and feedfack: 

* Salad was ablolutely perfect
* carrots s3x
* XXX
          Emily

I thought the egg was a ball of mozarella until i cut into - it woah!!! Beautiful, really really nice!

The food was rediculously tasty adn varied
Thea atmosphere and location fantastic
and the banter just as we were hoping for
Well done. A marvelous night Thank you!
A fantastic night was hadby one and all.
BIG heart XX
 Alexa

Thank you ferdie
X
The food was amazing
really delicious 
Bella & Bonnie

loved everything!
amazing ~croquettes~
dessert needs improvement

it tasted like oreos
dessert reminded me of oreos - I used to work for them

it taste of oreos
the second dessert with the melted sugar was great

XOXO
AWESOME JOB

(later an oreo phobia was declared!! 

not sure, but I don't think there's a lot we can do about that!!!)

Waht can I say? the food, as usual, was
outstanding! The rare beef was lush UL and
I particulary loved the yum salaad.
Allergies were well caterred for. 
Tres bien cherrie!
Dudz
XX
PS whens the next one? Merci
beaucoup [SIC] pour L'Elysium


Full comment cards will be up here soon!!

Hope the next one's just as good, we try and make it better every time!!

If you fancy coming along just send an email with you details!!
Here's how . . . .