Sunday, 30 November 2008

Lime & Ginger Tart

This recipe started off life as Jamie Oliver's Lemon & Lime Tart, which is fab. I made it for desert following a Mexican Feast. Its light and pallet cleansing, and everyone seems to love it, I know I can always manage seconds.

Gradually with each new one I made it became this. I get asked for the recipe all the time, so it was time to share the secret.

20cm spring form tin

200g Ginger nuts
100g Butter
8 Large Eggs
350g Caster Sugar
200ml Lime Juice
Zest of 4 Limes
300 ml Cream

Pre-heat oven to 175C

1, make the biscuit base. Crush the biscuits in either a food processor or by putting in a plastic bag and banging with a rolling pin
2, Melt the butter, mix in biscuit crumbs and evenly line the base of the tin. Put in fridge to set, for at least 30mins
3, Whisk together the Eggs, Sugar and lime zest
4, Gradually whisk in the cream and then the juice.
5, Add the mix to the biscuit base and put in the oven for about 45 mins. It should still have a little bit of wobble in the middle.
6, Turn the oven off but leave tart in there for about 10-15 mins
7, Place on wire rack to cool
8, Serve when completely cold

Friday, 21 November 2008

Golden Syrup Crispy Cakes - Mum Style!

My mum never melted chocolate and mixed cornflakes into it to make chocolate cripies. Her version was a gooey, chocolaty goodness which we all loved. No other crispie cake measures up - give it ago!

80g of Cornflakes
1oog Dark chocolate
50g Butter
5 tbs Golden syrup

1. Break up the chocolate into small pieces into a saucepan. Put on a low heat and add the butter and syrup. Gently stir until melted.
2. Remove from heat and add cornflakes
3. Spoon into paper cases and put in the fridge to set

Easy :)

Friday, 14 November 2008

Gypsy Tart

Mr H had never heard of Gypsy Tart. Neither had a lot of people when I asked them. It seemed only those who grew up in Kent knew what it was and thought it was lovely. I guess it's one of those many childhood foodie memories.

My parents were coming up to dinner, and as Gypsy Tart is one of Mum and Dad's favourite things I made one for desert. Needless to say, My H hated it. He thought it was vile. So for you Kentish Folk out there who understand the joy of a gypsy tart, go make one :)

14 floz Evaporated Milk
12floz Dark Muscovado Sugar
A short Crust pastry case (you know what to do, bake it blind before adding filling) I advise a deep pie tin for this ;)

You need a hand whisk for this!

1. Preheat oven to about 200
2. Whisk the milk and sugar for about 10 mins until its full of bubbles, light and coffee coloured.
3, Pour the mixture into your pastry case and bake for 10 mins. It should still have a bit of a wobble when you take it our, but it will set more as it cools.
4, put on wire rack to cool and set
5, Serve cold

Saturday, 8 November 2008

Roast Rabbit

Can you get much more eco than eating British Rabbit? Not really, maybe squirrel? They are free range, there are millions of them, low fat, cheap and of course, yummy! So Mr H recently asked a local butcher to get us a couple, they have been in the freezer for a couple of weeks, and today was the day. I have eaten rabbit many times in restaurants, and we have cooked it at home, but this has always been stewing a jointed rabbit, I was a little concerned about having the whole beast on a plate and carving into it!

Now, I must confess that I regularly claim that you have to not just know where the meat you eat came from and know that the animal has a decent life, but you have to be comfortable with butchery. I am a TV student of Hugh, and agree with all he says. However. today I became a 5 year old vegetarian when we realised the whole rabbit had not been gutted! Mr H on the other hand without a moan got the sharpest knife and got busy with removing lungs, heart, liver, kidneys and other unrecognisable innards. I watched for a couple of moments, determined to stick to my principles until I noticed poo on his hands, which is the point I turned into a child! Please don't let this put you off, just be sensible and ask the butcher to do it for you! I do wonder if they had a little joke "ha ha, we will show that lanky city-hippy!"

Once the beast was washed we stuck it in a pot of apple juice and left it in the fridge for about 6 hours. And this is what we did next (it was Delicious)

Ch0p 2 apples, a few sage leaves and a red onion
Mix with a good glug of olive oil
Stuff mixture into the rabbit and use cocktail sticks to keep the stuffing inside
wrap bacon around the whole rabbit
Put rabbit on top of some carrot sticks and roast - check with your butcher for cooking times. We had a medium to large and cooked it for 1 hour 10 mins. The first 45 mins with foil over the top.

Have a look online there are plenty of recipes. I must admit, to date my fave is rabbit pie.

note - My sisters pet rabbit, Mylo recently went missing. Julie has always kept rabbits as pets and therefore refuses to eat them. When I told her (with a mischievous grin on my face) that I had a couple of bunnies in the freezer she was disgusted with me, so my mother, as tactful as ever said "ooh it might be Mylo!" My sister has not been round for dinner since.