Vanilla Panna Cotta with fresh blueberry sauce

Panna Cotta is my go-to dessert for entertaining gluten-free friends. It doesn't require any tinkering because it's already naturally gluten-free and as it can all be prepared the day before, it makes for a very easy pudding. 

I've talked before about how I never choose panna cotta in restaurants because I find them all too solid and rubbery. This recipe is different however; I use just enough gelatine to allow it to set, but it still has a glorious wobble. I find the all-cream versions too heavy; the perfect ratio for me is half milk (full-fat of course) and half double cream. However, if you prefer a creamier version, just up the cream to 300 ml and reduce the milk to 200 ml. See the recipe for a note about the sugar too.

The crowning glory is the blueberry sauce. Heating the fruit with a little water, sugar and lemon juice so that it releases those wonderful, purple juices transforms what is quite a bland fruit into a beautifully flavoured sauce that complements the creamy panna cotta perfectly.

RECIPE

250ml double cream
250ml full-fat milk
60-70g caster sugar (I use 60g as I don't like it too sweet but you can increase the amount of sugar if you prefer)

1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4g gelatine leaves

For the blueberry sauce

100g blueberries

2 teaspoons sugar
juice of half a lemon
grated lemon zest

1 tablespoon water

Put the gelatine sheets in cold water to soak.

Put the milk, cream, vanilla and sugar in a saucepan and heat gently, stirring until the sugar is dissolved. When it's just about to boil, remove from the heat and stir in the squeezed-out gelatine. 

Pour into small moulds and leave to set in the fridge overnight. 

The blueberry sauce can be made the day before too. Just put all the ingredients (blueberries, water, lemon juice and zest, sugar) in a saucepan and heat gently for about 10 minutes until the blueberries are soft. Strain through a sieve, squashing the fruit so the pulp goes into the sauce, leaving just the skins behind. 

To serve, run a knife around the panna cotta before inverting onto a plate. Serve with the sauce and a few fresh blueberries if you like.

Warm Asparagus Salad with Prosciutto and Parmesan

It is a surprising thing for me to write but I think it's true when people say that you can have too much of a good thing. Our long weekend in Paris last week proved this point rather well. It was wonderful. I mean, it was Paris in spring time and you can't really get much better than that. Under blue skies, we walked and ate crêpes, we walked and stopped for coffee and pâtisserie, we walked and ate Ladurée macaroons, we walked and .... well, you get the idea. There was a lot of walking, a lot of rich food and oh yes, there was wine too.

Les Jardins des Tuileries, May 2013

It was a perfect weekend but it did have the effect of  leaving me longing for some lighter meals and salads, something with crisp green vegetables and refreshing flavours. This warm asparagus dish seemed appropriate. The spears are not boiled but chargrilled on a ridged pan which gives an intense smoky flavour that I love. Combined with the sweet prosciutto and salty parmesan, it makes a delicious spring starter or the ideal lunch after a weekend of  gluttonous excess.

I'm linking this up to two blogging challenges. The first is the One Ingredient Challenge run by Laura (this month's host) from How to Cook Good Food and Nazima from Franglais Kitchen. Their theme for May is Asparagus and as I love it, I'm really looking forward to seeing everyone's ideas.



The other is Ren Behan's Simple and In Season Challenge, another blog event that encourages us all to use local, fresh, seasonal produce.




RECIPE - serves 2

250g asparagus  
4 slices prosciutto
about 30g fresh parmesan
extra virgin olive oil
balsamic vinegar

Wash the asparagus and snap off the tough, woody ends - they usually break naturally. You can trim them with a knife if you prefer to have all the spears the same length. Drizzle the spears with a little olive oil and place them on a very hot ridged pan. Cook for about 3 minutes on one side so they get nice grill lines and then turn them over using tongs. Cook for about the same amount of time on the other side.

Divide the asparagus between two plates and drizzle over some extra virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar to taste. Tear the prosciutto into thin strips and drape over the asparagus. Use a potato peeler to make shavings of parmesan and let it fall naturally over the other ingredients. 

Drizzle over some more olive oil and serve while the asparagus is still warm. 

Courgette-topped Sea Bass

I sometimes get quite panicky about what I would say in one of those 'What's your favourite...?' kind of interviews. I mean, take films; easy, I think, my favourite film is The Philadelphia Story (Katharine Hepburn and Cary Grant). But then what about Mediterraneo? And Bullitt? To Kill a Mockingbird? Cinema Paradiso? I could go on.

I don't fare much better, in fact much worse, with books - how on earth can you narrow that one down? One Hundred Years of Solitude, Small Island, Il Gattopardo, Pride and Prejudice, Mapp and Lucia...the list really is endless...oh, and I've missed out Dickens and childhood favourites (Anne of Green Gables and Little Women of course). I think I could manage better if the interviewer asked me very specific questions: What was the best book you read in the first six months of 2012? Who is your favourite author of contemporary fiction? Which is your favourite town in Italy? (Major Pettigrew's Last Stand; Anne Tyler; Siena).

When the imaginary interview then moves onto the topic of food, well, all hell breaks loose. I would have absolutely no chance of answering a question such as 'What is your favourite dish?' I can't even pick a general food type, where do I start? Cheese, bread, cakes, chocolate...and what about the meaty delights of a perfectly roast chicken or a just seared sirloin? GL maintains that his all-time favourite dish is spaghetti with clams and fresh tomatoes but I see how his face lights up in front of a large hunk of roast meat, committed carnivore that he is.

I'll keep working on my answer to the favourite dish question. Maybe if I draw up a list of my top fifty dishes, I can then just jab one with a pin when the question is asked. One thing is certain - fish would feature heavily. I'll start the list with this courgette-topped sea bass. Prepared in minutes, it's flavoured with lemon zest, garlic and parsley under its crust of courgette and it's wonderful. One of my favourite dishes actually - did I happen to mention that?

This post is making its way over to one of my favourite challenges, Herbs on Saturday, created by Karen from the wonderful Lavender and Lovage and hosted this month by London Busy Body.



I'm also sending it to Javelin Warrior's wonderful weekly challenge which encourages everyone to cook from scratch, Made with Love Mondays.

RECIPE

4 sea bass fillets
1 courgette
zest of one lemon
1 clove garlic
handful fresh parsley, roughly chopped
salt and pepper
extra virgin olive oil

Pre-heat the oven to 180 °C .

Start by thinly slicing the garlic clove and courgette. You can do this by hand or, my preference, with a mandolin. Season the fish fillets with salt and pepper, drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle over the parsley and lemon zest and lay a few of the garlic slices on each fillet. Top the fillets with the courgette slices and drizzle again with olive oil.

Place the fillets on a lightly greased baking tray and put in the oven for about 15-20 minutes, depending on the thickness of the fish fillets. The courgette slices should be just turning golden brown and the fish still moist underneath. 

Chocolate and Chilli Mousse

A sixties bistro classic, chocolate mousse has endured the vagaries of culinary fashion to become a perennial favourite. This is a classic version with a modern twist in the form of chilli.

I've tried lots of recipes for chocolate mousse over the years, some with butter, others with cream, but I don't think you can beat the simplicity of the original French version - just chocolate and eggs. You can add any flavours you like to this basic recipe - vanilla, coffee, brandy, it's really up to you. I personally love the subtle kick of chilli that comes through the intense, rich chocolate.

This is the one place that I don't use chocolate with more than 70%  cocoa solids as it is much harder to incorporate into the egg whites and has a tendency to turn grainy. In fact I find that a dark chocolate with about 50% cocoa solids is about right here - it mixes in perfectly and the extra sweetness works well because the recipe doesn't include any sugar.

I love this with some extra thick double cream spooned over the top - the bland, cool cream is a perfect foil for the rich, spicy mousse.


RECIPE - serves 4 normal-sized portions or 8 mini ones (see photo)

200g dark chocolate (see note above)
4 eggs, separated
a pinch of chilli flakes (see note above)

Begin by melting the chocolate. You can do this in the microwave (just go gently) or in the traditional way by breaking the chocolate into pieces and putting in a bowl over, but not touching, a pan of simmering water. When the chocolate begins to melt, turn the heat off. Stir until smooth.

Beat the egg yolks and add them to the melted chocolate while it's still hot. Mix thoroughly. At this point you can add the chilli flakes or any other flavours you're using.

Whisk the egg whites into soft peaks. Spoon about a third of the egg whites into the chocolate mix and whisk in. Fold the rest very gently into the mixture until just combined (be careful not to overmix), and then put into bowls or glasses and refrigerate for at least four hours until set.

Herby trout with potatoes

Before I write about this dish, I feel I have to come clean about its origins. GL devised the recipe and indeed cooked it for the photo above so I cannot claim any credit for it. However, I have a feeling it will become a staple as it worked so beautifully on every level. The fish, protected by the herbs and potatoes stays wonderfully moist, the herby layer gives the fish a fresh lift and the potatoes provide a crunchy texture to contrast with the softness underneath.

This post is making its way over to one of my favourite challenges, Herbs on Saturday, created and hosted by Karen from the wonderful Lavender and Lovage http://www.lavenderandlovage.com/2012/09/herbs-on-saturday-september-challenge-win-a-copy-of-herbs-river-cottage-handbook.html.

    

RECIPE - serves 2

2 trout fillets
a large handful of fresh parsley
1 clove garlic
2 teaspoons capers
4 medium sized, waxy potatoes
extra-virgin olive oil

Pre-heat the oven to 180 °C .

Peel the potatoes and parboil for about 10 minutes. Allow to cool slightly (so you don't burn your hands) before slicing thinly.

While the potatoes are cooking, make the herb mixture. You do this by whizzing the parsley, garlic and capers in a blender with about a tablespoon of olive oil until smooth. Season with a generous quantity of freshly-ground black pepper and add salt to taste.

Drizzle some oil in a roasting dish so that the fish doesn't stick - GL lined it with foil as well. Place the fillets on top, spread with the herb mixture and top with the thinly sliced potatoes. Drizzle liberally with olive oil and place in the oven for about 25 minutes. When done, the fish should be cooked but still moist and the potatoes should be crisp and golden brown.

 

Grilled aubergines

Aubergines prepared in this way are incredibly versatile. They can be eaten on their own, with just a chunk of cheese and some good bread or they can accompany a whole variety of meat and fish dishes; my current obsession is aubergines with lamb, particularly if the lamb has been simply cooked on the barbecue - the flavours work so well together. I sometimes use them as a sandwich filler too - try a few slices on a crusty roll or ciabatta, along with some buffalo mozzarella. Another point in their favour is that they can be prepared in advance - indeed, the dish tastes even better the next day because the aubergines have had time to absorb the subtle aromas of the herbs.

The recipe below is how I've been making them recently (my mint has been getting out of hand and this is a great way to use it) but you can vary the herbs as you wish, perhaps changing them to suit the dish that they will be served with. The quantities are also quite approximate here because again, it's a matter of personal preference.

The generous quantities of herbs used in this dish mean that it can be sent to one of my favourite challenges, Herbs on Saturday, thought up and hosted by Karen from the wonderful Lavender and Lovage http://www.lavenderandlovage.com/herbs-on-saturday.



As aubergines are at their best in August, I'm also sending this to Ren at Fabulicious Food for her Simple and In Season challenge, which is always so inspiring.



RECIPE

2 aubergines
a handful of fresh basil
a handful of fresh mint
1 clove garlic
balsamic vinegar
extra virgin olive oil

Slice the aubergines fairly thinly (about half a centimetre). Heat a ridged grill pan and cook the aubergines in batches, until quite soft and nicely striped on both sides.
Remove the slices to a wide dish and dress while still warm with olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Roughly chop the herbs and garlic and add, along with some sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to the aubergine slices, mixing all the ingredients gently together with your hands.
Cover with cling and leave in a cool place for a couple of hours or up to day.
When you want to serve them, arrange the slices on a serving plate and sprinkle over a few more fresh herbs.

Insalata Caprese - tomato and mozzarella salad

Now, I know that you probably don't actually need a recipe for this salad but I include it more as a reminder really. It is an all-time favourite of mine, simple and yet utterly delicious, perfect for lunch at this time of year. It requires almost nothing of you in the way of preparation, ready to eat in less than 3 minutes, but in such a simple dish the quality of the ingredients is paramount. The basil has to be as fresh as possible and the tomatoes must be ripe and full of flavour (don't even think about making this in winter!). Make sure that they haven't just come out of the fridge either, the cold diminishes their flavour. Olive oil is used alone here so make sure it's the best - this is the time to use your single estate, cold pressed, unfiltered extra virgin stuff. Oh, and the mozzarella should be from buffalo milk (although I have to confess that I love this salad so much I even enjoy eating it with the bog-standard rubbery mozzarella from supermarkets).

As you can see from the photo, I don't go in for the classic 'Caprese' presentation as I find the overlapping spiral of perfect slices rather clinical and austere. I just tear the mozzarella, roughly chop the tomatoes and pile it up on a plate - so much more inviting and just begging to be devoured.

RECIPE (for one person)

a ball of mozzarella (buffalo if possible)
a handful of tomatoes (any size or variety as long as they've got flavour!)
fresh basil leaves, about 5 or 6, or to taste
extra virgin olive oil
sea salt

Roughly chop the tomatoes and tear the mozzarella into chunks. Place on a plate, scatter over the basil leaves, drizzle with olive oil and season with salt. (I use black pepper too because I think it really enhances the flavour of tomatoes but you would never see it in Italy).
Serve and eat.

Crema di mascarpone

This recipe comes from Lombardy in northern Italy and is usually served at Christmas time with panettone. However, I think it goes really well with fresh summer berries and on its own, makes an elegant pudding served with some crisp langue de chat or tuile biscuits. It can be made the day before and kept in the fridge.

Some versions of this are very rich and sweet; I prefer to reduce the sugar and make it a lighter consistency by whisking the egg whites. I suppose it's a bit like an Italian style syllabub. I've used sweet marsala here but you can pretty much use any alcohol you like - brandy, rum and sherry are all good. Just remember that you might need to add more sugar if the alcohol you are using is on the dry side.

RECIPE - serves 4

2 large eggs, separated
100ml sweet marsala
250g mascarpone
50g caster sugar

Whisk the egg whites until stiff and put aside for a moment. Beat the egg yolks with the caster sugar until thick and pale yellow. Add the mascarpone a spoon at a time, mixing well between each addition. Then mix in the marsala. Finally, fold the egg whites in carefully and pour into glasses. Leave in the fridge for at least 3 hours before serving.

Pollo alla Cacciatora

This 'hunter-style' chicken dish originally comes from Tuscany but is popular all over Italy. As with any classic dish, every family has their own way of making it but the variations are usually minimal, an extra ingredient here, a different cooking method there. When I see this dish abroad, it sometimes seems to veer so far from the original that it is almost unrecognisable.

The recipe below is a standard one; if you wish, you can add some pancetta or maybe a few mushrooms to it. Just don't get too carried away.

RECIPE - serves 4

1 chicken, jointed (or 8 pieces)
1 onion
2 carrots
3 sticks celery
1 clove garlic
1 glass red wine
a few sprigs of rosemary
400g tin chopped tomatoes
olive oil
a handful of fresh parsley, chopped

Finely chop the onion, carrots, celery and garlic (or whizz together in a food processor for a few seconds). Heat a little olive oil in a large frying pan (with lid) and add the vegetables. Cook over a low heat until soft, being careful not to let them brown. Remove to a plate.

Add a little more oil to the pan and brown the chicken pieces on all sides, over a high heat. When the pieces are golden brown, return the vegetables to the pan, add the rosemary and pour the wine in.

Let the wine bubble up for a few minutes, then add the tomatoes and some salt and pepper and bring to the boil. Turn the heat down, cover with a lid and simmer over a medium heat for about 30-40 mins, or until the chicken is tender and cooked through. Give everything a gentle stir from time to time so that it doesn't burn on the bottom and add a little water if it seems to be getting too dry.

When the chicken is ready, sprinkle the parsley over and serve with mashed potatoes or soft polenta.

 

Bresaola, rocket and parmesan salad

Bresaola is cured beef fillet, produced in the Lombardy alps. After being cured in salt, it is air-dried for several months, during which time it turns a dark red colour.

It makes a delicious summery salad, perfect for a light lunch or an effort-free starter.

RECIPE - serves 2 as a light lunch or 4 as a starter

150g bresaola
a handful of rocket
parmesan shavings

half a lemon

extra virgin olive oil

Make parmesan shavings by using a vegetable peeler (a Y-shaped one works best for this).

Arrange the bresaola slices on individual plates or one big serving platter. Tear the rocket leaves and scatter over, followed by a handful of the parmesan shavings.

Just before serving, squeeze over the lemon and finish with a good drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.

Coconut and Cherry Slices

My Aunt has a whole repertoire of recipes for bars and slices and these have been a favourite of mine since I was little. I loved how the chocolate layer at the bottom went slightly granular after being cooked in the oven. Even people who say they don't like coconut eat these and they're great for the gluten-free brigade as well. They are known as 'picnic slices' in my family and are indeed well-suited to outdoor eating although they are also perfect with a cup of tea or coffee to combat mid-afternoon slump. For some inexplicable reason, nobody made these for years and when I decided I wanted to resurrect them, I couldn't even find the recipe. Happily however, my mum came across it when she was sorting out her cookbook cupboard last year and they have since made a successful comeback, appearing at most family gatherings throughout the year.

RECIPE

200g milk chocolate
75g soft butter
150g caster sugar
150g desiccated coconut
75g sultanas
75g glace cherries, chopped
1 egg

A baking tin, 17 x 26cm approx, greased and lined with greaseproof paper

Preheat oven to 140°C

Melt the chocolate and spread it evenly over the bottom of the tin. Leave to cool.

When the chocolate has hardened, cream the sugar and butter together. Add the egg and mix again.

Mix in the remaining ingredients and spread evenly over the chocolate base, smoothing the top.

Bake in the oven for 40-45 mins.

Leave in tin till cold, then remove and cut into slices.