Nonnas Shortcust Pastry

Ala,

Today marked my first attempt into homemade pastry. We didn't have lard so it is an all butter shortcrust. The ratio is half fat to flour...I knew pastry was bad for you but wow! However this makes scaling up easier. I naturally have cold hands which I think makes it easier. I had to crumble in the butter from a height so it had lots of air worked through until it resembled sand. Then I used bottled water from the fridge to ensure it was cold adding a little at a time until it formed a dough. The dough ball was then divided into two and the first piece was rolled out to make the base. The filling was apple and blackberry and left quite tart for a fruity kick. Then the second piece of dough rolled out and laid on top of the filling. At this point there was a tear so my baking signature is the Harry Potter scar! Once cooked we left it too cool slightly before adding sugar and enjoying with single cream.

Delicious! Also made the boy a pasty for his tea tomorrow with left over roast dinner.

Polly x

Challenge Four: Baguette

Ala,

Yesterday I made mini baguettes and pain de epi's (which is the same recipe but cut fancier!) I am pretty down at the moment and baking is helping me get my head straight. I am still yet to bake a big loaf so I think that is on the cards next. Nearly broke into the next dough section and make an olive dough. I am trying to be strict with myself as per completing the challenge so it will be white dough all the way until they are all done. I am still finding the method difficult and have since developed my own way,  I still get a good crumb so I am getting air into it but its definitely not what the book suggests! It kinda makes me look like a pizza maker, all in the air and flouncy...strange!

Anyway, we enjoyed these with roast pork and cider gravy.

Polly x

My Six Questions with Majestic Stratford

 I was lucky enough to be asked to take part in a quick fire quiz by Majestic Wine...here are my answers!

1. Best bottle ever drunk?

Without a doubt I have to say a bottle of 1994 Duckhorn Cabernet Sauvignon drunk with roast beef. What can I say the stars aligned.
 

2. Best food and wine match?
Roquefort and Sauternes is my favourite - There is something special to be said about this combo; the saltiness of the cheese works really well with the sweetness of the wine.

3. Favourite wine region to visit?

I can't say I have visited many but I think England's vineyards are underrated and deserve recognition for making some excellent sparkling wines.

4. Wine guilty pleasure?

Struggling on this one, why should any pleasure be burdened by guilt? That said, I am sure plenty of wine snobs would dissaprove of my love of cheap sweet rose and the ample use of fine wine in my gravy.

5. Wine to try before you die?

82' Latour simply because I love sideways (the book!)

6. If it's not wine in your glass, what is it?

I'm quite a big fan of cider

Polly x

http://www.majestic.co.uk/stratforduponavon

Restaurant Review: Purnell's Birmingham

Me outside the restaurant

Ala,

So last night we went to Glynn Purnell's restaurant in Birmingham to celebrate Nonna and the boys birthday.  The decor is not what you expect and feels very informal. We did the Purnells tour which was 8 courses of the best dishes he offers. Before we began we had champagne in the bar areas with some fantastic olives and the waitress came around with cheese profiteroles- similar to what Lorraine Pascale cooked in this weeks fast fresh and easy. 

We moved to the table and were served the amuse bouche- it was crispy pearl barley with a leek and potato soup, served cold. Personally I was not sure on this, but it served the purpose to cleanse the palette and excite the tastebuds. It did remind me of eating sugar puffs with cold soup so seemed a little odd. The bread however was amazing! Pain de Campagne served warm with a butter quinelle and rock salt, incredible. I dream of baking bread this good. My guess there is a fair amount of butter and milk worked through the dough. OMG the bread was good.

pain de campagne

The next course was the much anticipated curried cornflakes. It was a poached egg yolk on smoked haddock with a smoked haddock foam and a smoked haddock croquette served separately. This was the boys favourite. I love smoked haddock but I am not so keen on foam, I feel it could have benefitted from more crunch- but maybe I am just  a heathen for not liking foam.

After this came emotions of cheese and pineapple. It was a concept dish that really packed a punch in terms of flavour. It was so complex with lots of different processes, I really enjoyed this. However Nonna would have preferred it on a plate rather than in a bowl.

Then came the crab course which was fantastic. Devonshire crab with apple and celeriac puree with smoked paprika honeycomb. Very moreish.

The star of the starters was undoubtedly the Carpaccio of beef with black octopus. Absolutely amazing, honestly one of the best things I have ever eaten. We all agreed on this one- simply delicious! I didn't think I liked octopus but I do now!

After this came the masala monkfish. Very fragrant and the first of the hot courses. Monkfish masala, indian red lentils and pickled carrots with coconut and coriander. This I feel played to Birmingham's heritage as a leader in asian cuisine. The fish was meaty and flavourful and the micro coriander packed an amazing punch. This is when we started to realise that the we were saying that each course was our favourite only to be outdone by the next course. 

Nonna and Glynn

Out of all the savoury courses my favourite was the course that followed. Venison rolled in liquorice charcoal served with pear slices and braised fennel. This was without a doubt one of the best dishes I have ever eaten. The succulent venison went so well with fennel to create a mildly aniseed twang. The highlight though had to be that Glynn himself came out and poured mine and non's gravy... Priceless! We have been fans of Glynn for many years and to meet him was a real treat. Being born in Marston Green not far from Glynn's Chelmsley Wood, I am really proud of all his achievements. The UK is lucky to have him but Brummies should be extra proud to claim him as ours. Lovely man, wonderful chef and him and his staff really made Nonna's birthday.

'Chocolate' was the first of the sweet courses. It arrived with a board of passionfruit chocolates served separately. Extremely rich chocolate with mango sorbet and a chocolate crumble. 

The best dessert I have ever eaten..EVER

Now I have a sweet tooth and am a noted chocoholic however the next course for me was my favourite of the night. Burnt english custard egg surprise, red wine marinated strawberries and crystallised tarragon.  It sounds good but it tastes so much better. The surprise was the custard which was served in an actual egg and arrived to the table in a wicker basket. I think the reason why this was so spectacular is that it was surprisingly spicy. I have never had a spicy dessert before. I have had of black pepper and strawberries as a foodie combination before but this dish took it to the next level. The accompanying brandy snap was heavily laden with what I guess was pepper, to the point that it was almost too much on its own. But together it was mind blowing. I feel I could write an essay on how much I loved this but if you have made it this far I figure you have already read quite a bit. Fantastic.  Oh and the crystallised Tarragon what an amazing idea, aniseed sweetness and a bit of crunch- delish!

We then shared a selection of british cheeses but by this point I was quite full so only had a little taste of each. Very strong but great to see a supporter of local and british produce. We have much to be proud of and it is great when a restaurant as renowned as Purnells champions the little producers.

Finally I had  a peppermint tea  to settle my stomach which was served in the lounge accompanied by petit fours. My favourite being the cassis jellies. Adult jellies are a big trend in London at the moment so it was great to sample some of the best. Maybe a little sour for some but for me they were perfection.

Overall, an amazing night was had by all. 

Polly x

Restaurant Review: Three Choirs Vineyard

Ala,

On Sunday it was the boys birthday. For his present I adopted him a vine at Three Choirs vineyard in Gloucester. The weather was beautiful and the vineyard was stunning. I really recommend a visit. We have been to English Vineyards before and have found that often you are not allowed to freely explore. Here, we were given a generous glass of white wine to toast our vine and told to go off in search of it. If you visit we are in row 61. 

After toasting our vine we had a lovely meal in the restaurant.  We hoped to sit outside on the terrace overlooking the vineyard but it was fully booked. As it was Sunday it was a special Sunday menu. We had some of England's finest sparkling wine to wet our appetites while we perused the menu. I had poached salmon salad with a dill dressing. pleasant but nothing special however I chose it because I wanted something light and this did the job- kinda wish i had the celeriac soup though. The boy had deep fried brie with beetroot chutney- I stole a bite and it was delicious! We both had roast beef for main, and it was served with roast potatoes and Yorkshire puddings with vegetables served separately. It was scrumptious- the only complaint was there was very little gravy, we even overheard another couple request some, so we were not alone in our thoughts. Being a sweet tooth I had sticky toffee pudding for dessert served with clotted cream- yum! This was the highlight for me, it was absolutely divine! We shared a cheeseboard which was nice but could have done with little markers as we didn't know what was what.  I am sure some were local specialties so it would have been nice to know.

Overall a wonderful day, if we come again we will try and book into one of the lodges nestled amongst the vines as these log cabins fulfill a shared romantic dream. The best vineyard we have visited by far. the staff are friendly and the atmospheres is welcoming. Far from some of the experiences we have had at other vineyards.

Happy Birthday @wood_and_wine

Polly x

Challenge Three: Sesame and Aniseed Breadsticks

Ala,

So Challenge Three was bread sticks.  It involved the same basic white dough recipe but I made half a batch. In retrospect it is easier to work the dough in larger quantities as it was difficult to get the air in when the dough ball was so small.  As a result I left it to rest longer than suggested until it doubled in size and after shaping I also proved it for longer. The aniseed comes from 5 star anise ground into a  powder mixed with sesame seeds. The spice mixture is then worked through the dough while shaping. 

I am an eternal experimenter. What I love about baking is the endless possibilities that are only limited by your imagination. So instead of making 12 bread sticks, I also made 3 plaited loaves. I found it difficult to get the sesame seeds to stick so I also brushed the loaves lightly with toasted sesame oil to act as an adhesive. I kept the bread sticks true to the recipe so I could compare taste. Personally, I really like the nuttiness that the toasted sesame oil brings, I also think it makes the crust crisper. I am not sure if it the power of association but the plaited loaf tasted similar to the pork scratchings off  Lorraine Pascale's Roast Pork with fennel seed rub.  (I highly recommend this recipe-Honestly Google it, its a game changer) The spice mix and the crispness from the oil made the bread surprisingly meaty and very delicious.  An unexpected bonus of the plaited loaf is that it easily breaks off into bite sized pieces making it great for entertaining. 

 

I am looking forward to trying the bread stick later with parma ham wrapped around. Italian style.

Polly x

Challenge Two: Pain de Mie

Ala,

So here it is challenge two: the pain de mie A.K.A the everday loaf. Same method as the white dough but with the tasty addition of butter and milk. I am getting used to the new working the dough method, which I have found has the added bonus of an upper arm workout! Of course, this could lead to thinner arms, yet, with the increased intake of bread it just means that its all on the even keel!

I was instructed not to let the loaf prove over the loaf tin by placing a baking tray over the tins while they were prooving. Which is why the loaf resembles a brick, albeit a delicious brick. I am not sure if it is the british way but personally I prefer big bouncy loafs that spill out in all directions.

As per the suggestion I attempted a Croque Monsieur with the bread.

How to make Croque Monsieur:

Ingredients 
(serves 4 as starter/lunch. serves 2 as main with frites)

8 slices of bread
1 tbsp butter 
1 tbsp self-raising flour
150ml of milk - I didnt have a jug so I used a champagne flute which I am told by the boy is approx 150ml- he has his uses!
good quality ham
Cheese to top


Make bechamel sauce: 

1.melt butter in a pan, dont let it colour or it will have a nutty taste. 

2. add the flour and mix into a paste- use a wooden spoon and save your pan!

3. Slowly add the milk and keep stirring until the milk has goen and you have a smooth silky sauce

4. you can a cheese to the sauce if you are feeling naughty and a pinch of nutmeg if you have it.


assembly:

layou the bread onto a baking tray. Top one side with a thin layer of bechamel and add ham. Make it into a sandwich, then add a thicker layer of bechamel to the top of the sandwich and top with cheese. Bake in a preheated oven for 12-15mins at 200


Enjoy!

Polly x