raspberries's Journal

Ricotta pancakes with blueberry compote

Blueberry compote
500g frozen blueberries
1/4 cup sugar
Juice of ½ lemon

1. Combine the blueberries, sugar, and lemon juice in a saucepan over a medium heat.
2. Cook, stirring frequently, until some of the liquid cooks off and the sauce thickens.

Ricotta Pancakes (serves 4)
1 cup fresh ricotta cheese
4 large eggs, separated
3/4 cup buttermilk, shaken
1 cup self raising flour
Pinch of salt
1/4 cup sugar

1. Whisk the ricotta and egg yolks together in a large bowl to combine, then whisk in the buttermilk.
2. Sift the flour and salt into the ricotta mixture.
3. Stir with a whisk until just combined.
4. Using an electric mixer, beat the egg whites and sugar in a large bowl until stiff peaks form.
5. Gently fold the egg whites through the batter
6. Melt some butter in a small frying pan over a medium-low heat. Ladle a spoonful of batter into the pan and cook until the pancake has bubbled and is almost fully cooked through. Flip, let cook on the other side for one minute. Be careful that the frying pan doesn’t get too hot or the pancakes will burn (less then half heat).
7. Serve with blueberry compote and whipped cream.

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Ingredients
500grams mushrooms; sliced
250ml chicken stock
1 cup dry white wine
2 tablespoons cream (or for a healthier version us cornflour to thicken)
1 onion; chopped
3 cloves garlic; finely chopped
4 pieces of bacon; chopped
Handful of parsley; roughly chopped
Butter
Parmesan
Fettuccine; al dente

Sauté the onion, garlic, mushrooms and bacon in the melted butter. As it starts to brown add the stock and wine and let simmer for 10 minutes. Add the cream, season to taste. Continue to simmer for 5-10 minutes. Add parsley. Add the cooked pasta to the mushroom sauce and stir through for 2-3 minutes. To serve garnish with parmesan, parsley and freshly cracked pepper.

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Ingredients
2 egg yolks
80 grams butter melted
60ml vinegar
3 peppercorns
1 teaspoon lemon juice (or one squeeze of a wedge of lemon)

Put the vinegar and peppercorns in a small pot and bring to the boil. Immediately reduce the heat and let simmer until it reduces to half (it won’t take very long). Take off the heat and let it cool

Whisk the egg yolks together. Add one tablespoon of the cooled vinegar and whisk. Add one tablespoon of the melted butter and whisk. Continue doing this until you have added half the vinegar. Transfer the mixture to a small frying pan and put over a very low heat. Continue whisking while alternating between adding a tablespoon of vinegar and butter. Remove from the heat, add the lemon, whisk and serve.

Poached egg
To poach the eggs, boil a pot of water with a splash of vinegar. Break two eggs into two separate cups. When boiling (but not too rapidly) stir the water to make a vortex. Gently slide the first egg into the water. When the water starts to boil again gently slide the second egg in. When the water starts to boil remove the pot from the heat, put the lid on the pot and let sit for 3 minutes for runny yolks and 4 minutes for slightly firmer yolks. Remove from the pot with and place on paper towel to drain and remove excess water. Serve with hollandaise sauce!

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Ingredients
500g green prawns (shelled and deveined)
Lots of garlic (about 3 cloves is good), finely chopped
1 red chilli, finely chopped
Olive oil
Butter
1 onion, finely chopped
2 slices bacon, diced
1 tin of tomatoes
1/3 cup white wine
A fistful of basil, roughly chopped
2 teaspoons crème fraiche
Parpadelle, cooked al dente, to serve
Parmesan


1. Using a large frying pan on a high heat, fry the garlic and chilli in the butter for about 30 seconds. Toss in the prawns and stir well. As the liquid comes out of the prawns drizzle in the olive oil. Let simmer until the prawns are just cooked through (all up about 5 minutes cooking time). Remove the prawns from the pan, cover with al-foil and set aside (leaving the liquid in the pan)

2. Entrée. Take some bread and dip into the left over pan juices. Yum! Do not stop now and just eat this for dinner!!!

3. Add the onion and bacon to the leftover juices and fry lightly. Add the tinned tomatoes and let simmer, stirring, for 1 minute. Then add the white wine and let simmer for another minute. Add about 1/3 of the basil and season to taste. Let simmer, reducing to about half (keep stirring so it doesn’t stick)

4. Remove from the heat and puree, adding another 1/3 of basil and the crème fraiche.

5. Return the puree to the pan on a low heat, add the remaining basil and the prawns and stir through. If required add a tablespoon of pasta water.

6. Serve over parpadelle and garnish with parmesan.

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