The Cafe Cat: Recipes

Showing posts with label Recipes. Show all posts

Monday, 10 August 2015

Caramel Poached Peaches & Blueberries with Brioche French Toast & Mascarpone | Celia's Saucer

Drawing back the curtains, he demanded to know where the sun was. "Our British summer is over." He declared. While I hold a little more faith, I have to admit that it is a little too cool for over-indulging upon salads, cold soups and pitchers of iced tea in the garden, apart from the odd day here or there that calls for granita to be made quick-sharp.

Brioche French toast on the other hand... or, I correct myself, brioche French toast towering with peaches and tumbling with blueberries poached in caramel, with just a small scoop of mascarpone, and then you're talking. It's bright enough to pass the summery test but also with some substance to keep you full for quite a while.

While the weather might not be as great as we vainly hope each year, our grocers still boast an abundance of soft fruit and berries to enjoy so at least if the outdoors isn't all you hoped it to be, whatever you put on your plate will more than make up for it, if you give it a little thought.

From my breakfast plate, I wanted to elicit the sun, cotton-wool clouds, and that summer sunshine that spills almost everywhere, beaming forth from a sky so blue, it's almost sapphire.

I like to think I captured that here.

And so to the how to...

Heat an empty, heavy-based saucepan until you can feel a strong heat rising. Sprinkle in the sugar. It should start to caramelise. Swirl the pan as the sugar dissolves and turns dark golden, but do not stir.
When most of the sugar has caramelised, carefully pour in 500ml/18fl oz just-boiled water, and stir with a long handled spoon. It will spit, so take care. The sugar will become firm, but keep heating and stirring and it will dissolve again. Add the lemon zest and vanilla. Simmer for 5 mins.
Score the peaches in half and twist to separate. Remove the stones. Slip the peaches into the syrup in a single layer.
Return the liquor to a gentle simmer and turn down the heat until it barely simmers. Cook for 3-5 mins until the flesh feels tender when pierced. Remove the pan from the heat, mix in the lemon juice and allow to cool. Mix in the blueberries and serve at room temperature or chilled.

(From BBC Good Food)

Spoon over brioche french toast, serve with a dollop of mascarpone and two spoons to share.

This post is in collaboration with, and inspired by Seasonal Berries. You can follow other summer berry recipes through #BerriesSaySummer

Monday, 24 November 2014

Cranberry and Port Sauce | Celia's Saucer

Christmas will be held at my house this year. Might I have let myself in for trouble? Probably. Might there be A LOT of cooking to do? Definitely.

I've spent the last few days wondering how I can prepare ahead for the hoard and, taking first steps first, set to researching an easy cranberry sauce recipe, which is possibly along one of the most important things on the menu, alongside devils on horseback and beetroot chutney for cold Boxing Day sausages and cheese.

I was surprised at how very easy it was and even made the decision to added finely grated orange zest and to infuse it with a cinnamon stick and star anise.

The results were a sauce-to-suck-your-cheeks-in-at and a warming glow that finished with a clean swipe across the palate.

What will you be making ahead of the festive season? And above all, what advice can you give a first time Christmas host? I have a feeling I'll be needing all the help I can get.

Sunday, 26 October 2014

Celia's Saucer | Lindt Chocolate Mousse & Lava Cakes

While I'm generally a 'from scratch' kind of gal in the kitchen, it's always good to know there are quicker options to draw upon in a time of need, especially when all that's required is a extra twist to bring them to life.

Sunday, 22 June 2014

Celia's Saucer: Sea Bass Ceviche

The Cafe Cat's easy recipe for a Sea Bass Ceviche

The best thing my sister ever brought home from her travels in Peru was a passion for ceviche and it is one that caught on quickly within the family. We're quite a feisty bunch and so the sweet, salty and punchy flavours suit us down to the ground. I'm not sure therefore, how I didn't manage to make my own for almost 12 years but last weekend, that all changed.

With National Ceviche Day coming up on the 28th of June, I thought it best that I got stuck in with a trial run and when I say stuck in, I went out and bought the whole darn sea bass even though I know next to nothing about gutting, cleaning or filleting.

My advice? Either pull up your sleeves and get as messy as I did with a youtube tutorial or get your fishmonger to do it for you.

Here's a quick and simple recipe, should you wish to rustle this up for yourself, and it serves about 3 people.

1 large sea bass (about 350g)- skinless, boneless and filleted

6 limes - the juice of

1 small red onion

1 large avocado

1 red chilli

Salt

Coriander

Chop your red onion and pop it into a bowl of iced water, to take off the strong edge. While it's doing its thing, slice your fish fillets into 2cm cubes and sprinkle with coarse sea salt.

Drain your onion and mix with the fish, juice of the six limes, your sliced avocado and finely shredded chilli.

Leave for fifteen minutes for the fish to cure in the citrus juices, top with roughly chopped coriander and serve.

We had our with candied sweet potatoes but this works well on toasted rustic bread, with tortilla chips or a crisp green salad.

It will keep for up to a day in the refrigerator but will become chalky the longer it sits in the citrus - anytime between 10 minutes and 2 hours is the perfect incubation period.

Enjoy!

The Cafe Cat's easy recipe for a Sea Bass Ceviche from Peru

Sunday, 15 June 2014

Celia's Saucer: Tarka Dal

I've been working on the perfect tarka dal for a while now.

A serious contender for most people's favourite dish, it's warm, comforting, healthy and easy to make. Plus, it's inexpensive, lasts for ages in the fridge and makes a transformative constituent - from a lovely soup (just add a can of coconut milk) to a rich sauce for chicken.

If you haven't had it yet, go order some from your local curry house or pick up the ingredients and set to work. You won't regret it.

You'll be needing:

400g mung dal (aka as yellow lentils)

As much garlic as your like - I favour 4 cloves or more- crushed

A hunk of ginger- about a 4cm piece- grated

1 tbsp turmeric

2 green chillis- finely chopped

2 tbsp ghee or oil

2 shallots - finely sliced

1 tbsp cumin seeds

1 tbsp black mustard seeds

Fresh coriander for serving

First things first, be sure to wash your lentils and then immerse them in a heavy-based saucepan (I use my ancient Le Creuset) in cold, salted water that rises about 3inches above your lentils.

Bring to the boil and skim off the white scuzz that will form on the surface.

Turn the heat down to a simmer and add your grated ginger, crushed garlic, turmeric and chopped green chillies.

After an hour and a half, your dal ought to have broken down and have become quite creamy - add more water if you'd like it thinner but I prefer mine to be quite thick in the winter and thinner in the summer. Depending on how I feel, I might also add a heaped teaspoon of vegetable bouillon for extra spoon-licking stockiness.

For your tarka, heat the ghee in a frying pan and add your shallots, finely sliced, until they start to turn crisp and golden. Add the dry spices and seeds until you can hear the mustard seeds crackling.

Scrape into your dal with a generous handful of chopped coriander, stir and serve with other delights such as rice, naan or poppadoms.

Tarka Dal will keep for about a week if it's covered in the fridge and simply gets better as the days pass.

A dish you can always rely on.