Dinner with Friends

We had some friends over to dinner last night, so I decided to do a special meal seeing as it's nearly Christmas! 

So, after the usual aperitifs and a few nibbles we had:

MISE EN BOUCHE:

Oysters with cucumber salad

Oysters - I did 2 each

Cucumber - cut into fine strips

A few Chervil leaves

Lime juice

Pepper

Make the cucumber salad by combining the cucumber, chervil, lime juice and pepper.

To serve, lift the oyster from the shell and place a spoonful of cucumber salad on to the shell. Top with the oyster and serve.

STARTER:

Prawn Avocado Tian with a Watercress Shot

Prawns - I used a bag of frozen ones

2 ripe avocadoes - chopped

2 tomatoes, peeled and deseeded - diced

1 lemon, juice and zest

Olive oil

Coriander leaves

Red onion diced (opt)

Mayonnaise to bind

dash of tabasco

teaspoon of tomato puree

Salt and pepper to taste

Salad leaves

Chilli oil - oil infused with chopped red chilli

Basil oil - I used some of my frozen basil mixed with olive oil

1 clove garlic - finely chopped

WATERCRESS SHOT

1 bunch of watercress

150g frozen peas

200ml vegetable stock

Pouring cream

10ml lemon infused olive oil

Salt and pepper to taste

First make the Watercress Shot:

Put the peas into a pan with the vegetable stock, bring to the boil and simmer for around 10 minutes.  Strain the peas, keeping the stock.  Chill both the peas and stock, when cold put the peas and seasoning into a processor to blend for approx 1 minute, scrape down the sides and blend again.  Slowly add the stock and mix until combined.  Then add the watercress and blend till smooth.   Add the pouring cream, add more seasoning if needed. 

Then pass the soup through a fine sieve. Chill until ready to serve.

Heat some butter and a bit of oil into a pan, add the prawns, garlic and seasoning and fry for around 5 minutes, drain and leave to cool.

Chop the prawns, reserving four whole ones each for decoration. Put the prawns into a bowl, add some mayonnaise to mix, tomato puree and tabasco, zest of lemon and season. 

Mix the avocado, diced tomato, lemon juice, coriander, olive oil and onion into a bowl.

To assemble:- Place a metal ring onto a plate, layer the avocado mix on the bottom and top with some of the prawn mixture.  Arrange four whole prawns on the top.  Remove the ring.

Drizzle with the chilli oil, basil oil. 

Pour the watercress soup into the shot glasses and drizzle lightly with the lemon infused oil.

Garnish with a small bunch of salad leaves and place the shot glass on the plate.



And for the non-oyster eating guest:

Baby Gem Parcel

1 Baby Gem lettuce leaf

small wedge of Saint Agur cheese

1 slice of prosciutto ham

Wrap the cheese in the slice of ham and place inside the lettuce leaf - simple!

MAIN:

Quail with Fresh Figs

8 oven-ready quail

6 firm ripe figs, quartered

15g butter

90ml white Pineau de Charantes or dry sherry

300ml chicken stock

1 garlic clove, finely chopped

fresh thyme

1 bay leaf

1 1/2 teaspoons of cornflour blended with 1 tbsp water

Salt and pepper

Season the quail inside and out with salt and pepper.  Put a fig quarter in the cavity of each quail and tie the legs with string.

Melt the butter in a deep frying pan over medium heat.  Add the quail and cook for 5-6 minutes, turning to brown all sides evenly. 



Add the Pineau de Charantes or sherry and boil for 1 minute, then add the stock, garlic, thyme and bay leaf.  Bring to the boil, reduce the heat and simmer gently, covered for about 20 minutes.

Add the remaining fig quarters and continue cooking for a further 5 minutes until the juices run clear when the thigh of a quail is pierced with a knife.  Transfer the quail and figs to a warmed serving dish, cut off the string and cover to keep warm.

Bring the sauce to the boil, then stir in the blended cornflour.  Cook gently for 3 minutes, stirring frequently until the sauce is thickened, then strain into a sauce boat.  Serve the quail and figs with the sauce.

I served the quail with roasted diced parnsip, sauteed gnocchi and broadbeans, but you can just serve with a salad if preferred.

As I don't eat meat, I had something else:

Lobster with Thermidor butter

150ml dry white wine

1 shallot , very finely chopped
handful tarragon leaves, chopped
handful parsley leaves, chopped
1 tsp Dijon mustard
juice 1⁄2 lemon
pinch paprika
dash Tabasco sauce
5 tbsp Parmesan , finely grated
140g butter , softened
1 small lobster - I bought a very cheap frozen one

First make the butter. Put the wine and shallot into a pan, then bring to the boil and simmer until nearly dry. Tip into a bowl to cool, mix all the ingredients together, roll into a log, using cling film or foil, then chill to harden. I made this butter the night before and froze until needed.

Snap away the claws from the lobster. Using a large knife, cut the lobster in half and wash the head cavity under cold water, then dry with kitchen paper. Lay the lobsters, cut side up, on a baking tray. Crack the claws and remove the claw meat. Divide claw meat between the head cavities.

Heat grill to high. Slice the butter into thin rounds and lay it along the lobster so all the meat is covered. Grill for 5-8 mins until the butter is bubbling and starting to brown. Put the lobsters on the plate, pouring any butter from the tray over it and serve.

CHEESE COURSE:

DESSERT:

Chocolate Profiteroles

For the choux pastry:

65g plain flour

50g butter

2 eggs lightly beaten

For the chocolate sauce:

125g plain chocolate

15g butter

2 tbsp golden syrup

2-3 drops of vanilla extract

For the filling and decoration:

150ml double cream

icing sugar for dusting

To make the choux pastry, sift the flour on to a plate.  Put the butter and 150ml water in a saucepan.  Heat gently until the butter has melted, then bring to the boil.  Remove the pan from the heat and tip the flour all at once into the hot liquid.  Beat thoroughly with a wooden spoon.

Continue beating the mixture over the heat until it is smooth and forms a ball in the centre of the pan - take care not to over-beat or the  mixture will become fatty.  Remove from the heat and leave the  mixture to cool for 2 minutes.

Beat in the eggs, a little at a time, adding only just enough to give a piping consistency.  I use a hand held electric beater for this.  Continue beating until the  mixture develops an obvious sheen. 

Spoon the mixture into a piping bag and pipe 20 small bun shapes on a dampened, greased baking sheet. 

Bake in the oven for around 25 minutes or until well risen and golden.  Reduce the oven temperature, remove the buns and make a hole in the side of each with a knife to release the steam.  Return to the oven for another 5 minutes to dry out.  Leave to cool on a wire rack.

To make the chocolate sauce:

Melt together the chocolate, butter, 2 tbsp water, golden syrup and vanilla essence in a small saucepan over a very low heat.  Stir well until smooth and well blended.

Whip the cream until it just holds its shape.  Spoon into piping bag and fill the choux buns through the holes in the sides.

Assemble the choux buns onto a serving plate.  Pour over some of the chocolate sauce, leaving the rest to serve separately.  Dust with icing sugar.

Needless to say, we had a brilliant evening!