Episode 7. Recipes from Hawkes Bay

Entree: Warm Globe Artichoke Salad w/Crisp Potatoes and Verjus Vinaigrette

Step 1. Verjus Vinaigrette

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup Shallot (finely diced)
• 1 Tbl Dijon Mustard
• 1/3 cup Verjus
• 2 tsp Honey
• 3/4 cup Al's Lemon and Fennel Oil (or similar)
• 1/4 cup Walnut Oil
• Sea Salt and Freshly Cracked Black Pepper

Method:

Place the shallot, mustard, Verjus and honey in a small saucepan. Place on medium heat and bring up to the boil. Remove from heat and pour into a mixing bowl. Drizzle in the lemon and fennel oil whilst whisking continuously until combined, followed by the walnut oil. Season with sea salt and freshly ground pepper and then refrigerate until required.

Step 2. Cooking Artichokes

Ingredients:

• 12 large Globe Artichokes
• Salted Cold Water
• 2 Lemons (halved)

Method:

To prepare the artichokes for cooking, cut off the top half of the bulb with a sharp knife, and peel the stem to remove the fibrous skin.

Place in a large saucepan and cover with salted cold water. Add cut lemons and place a plate over the artichokes to keep them submerged. Place on the heat and bring up to a boil and then simmer for 40 minutes, or until the stem and heart feels tender. Remove from water and allow to cool and dry in a colander. Remove the petals and the thistle choke with a spoon or similar. Cover artichokes with oil and refrigerate until required.

Step 3. Cooking and Serving

Ingredients:

• 6 Prepped Globe Artichokes
• Canola Oil
• 300 gm Baby Potatoes (cooked)
• 6 handfuls Micro Greens (baby sorrel, mustard cress, red frisee')
• 18 Cherry Tomatoes (halved)
• 1/2 cup Fried Walnuts
• 1 small Red Onion (sliced into thin rings)
• Verjus Vinaigrette
• 60 gm Shaved Parmesan
• 1 Lemon
• Al's Lemon and Fennel Oil (or similar)
• Sea Salt and Freshly Cracked Black Pepper

Method:

Heat a large non-stick pan to a medium/high heat.

Cut each artichoke into 4 to 6 even pieces. Add a little oil to the non-stick pan and sauté the artichoke pieces until they get a golden colour on all sides. Remove from pan and place on absorbent paper towel and repeat until all artichoke pieces are golden.

Cook the potatoes in the same manner. When they are crisp and golden, remove and hold.

Place the 6 artichoke pieces in the centre of each plate. Combine the crisp potatoes, micro greens, halved tomatoes, fried walnuts and red onion rings in a mixing bowl. Dress with enough Verjus vinaigrette to coat ingredients and mix lightly with clean hands. Place a portion of salad on each plate atop the artichokes. Finish with some shaved Parmesan, a squeeze of lemon juice, a drizzle of lemon and fennel oil and season with salt and pepper if required.

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Main: Beef Fillet and Braised Cheek w/ Asparagus, Roasted Beets and Turnips and Fresh Tarragon Béarnaise

Step 1. Braised Beef Cheeks

Ingredients:

• Canola
• 3 Beef Cheeks (trimmed)
• 1 Carrot
• 1 Onion
• 1 stick Celery
• 1 cup Red Wine
• 1 cup Reduced Beef Stock (Demi)
• 1 1/2 cup Chicken Stock
• 6 sprigs Thyme
• 2 sprigs Sage
• 5 cloves Garlic
• Sea Salt and Freshly Cracked Black Pepper

Method:

Preheat oven to 140 degrees.

Heat a large skillet to high temperature. Season trimmed beef cheeks liberally. Pour a little canola oil into the skillet and sear the cheeks on all sides. Remove and place in suitable sized braising pan. Sauté the vegetables until caramelized and add them to the pan; add the wine , beef and chicken stock, along with the thyme, sage, and garlic. Place the pan on the medium heat to bring liquids to a boil. Cover with tin foil and cook for 2 to 3 hours until meat is tender and almost falling apart. Remove, cool and refrigerate until required.

Step 2. Roasting Turnips and Beetroot.

Ingredients:

• 18 Baby White Turnips (stalks removed)
• 18 Baby Beetroot (stalks removed)
• 2 Tbl Olive Oil
• 1/2 cup Orange Juice
• 2 Tbl Balsamic Vinegar
• Sea Salt and Freshly Cracked Black Pepper

Method:

Preheat oven to 200 degrees.

In two separate oven-proof dishes, place beets in one, and turnips in the other.

Add 1 tbl olive oil, 1/4 cup of orange juice and 1 Tbl balsamic to each dish. Season the vegetables, then cover tightly with tinfoil and place in the oven to roast.

Cook for 30 minutes until vegetables are tender, then remove and cool. Peel off the skins and refrigerate until required.

Step 3. Tarragon Béarnaise

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup White Wine Vinegar
• 1 Tbl Fresh Tarragon (chopped)
• 1 Tbl Shallot (peeled, chopped)
• 3 Egg Yolks
• 1 Tbl Water
• 250 gm Unsalted Butter (melted and warm)
• 1 Tbl Fresh Tarragon (finely chopped)
• 1/2 tsp Sugar
• Sea Salt and Freshly Cracked Black Pepper

Method:

Place the vinegar, tarragon and shallot in a small saucepan on a medium heat. Heat and reduce just slightly. Remove and pour into a medium sized jug or similar.

Add the yolks and water and pulse with a wand blender. In a slow steady stream, pour the warm clarified butter (discarding the milk solids) into the jug while pulsing with the blender until all the butter is incorporated, and sauce has thickened. Fold in the chopped tarragon and sugar, and then season with sea salt and freshly cracked pepper.

Step 4. Plating and Serving

Ingredients:

• 1 kg Beef Fillet
• Canola Oil
• Sea Salt and Freshly Cracked Black Pepper
• Braised Beef Cheek
• Roasted Turnips and Beetroot
• 24 Asparagus
• Tarragon Béarnaise
• 1 cup Red Wine Jus

Method:

Pre heat your oven to 180 degrees.

Trim any visible sliver skin from the beef fillet and tie up with natural string or butchers twine to create an even thickness which helps obtain the desired doneness throughout the cooking process. Season with sea salt and fresh black pepper then brush over liberally with cooking oil.

Heat a skillet up over high heat. Once very hot, sear the tenderloin in the pan until golden all over. Remove and put in roasting pan then place in the pre-heated oven.

Cook the beef fillet for 12 to 18 minutes, then remove and rest for another 10.

Cut the beef cheeks in half, and along with the braising liquid, place in the hot oven to reheat.

Likewise re-heat the beetroot and turnips and keep warm.

Heat up the red wine jus and hold.

Blanch the asparagus in the boiling water for 2 to 3 minutes and then drain then season lightly with salt and pepper.

On hot plates, place 4 pieces of asparagus in the centre. Top with a portion of beef cheek and a carved piece of the beef fillet. Garnish the plate with some roasted beetroot, turnips, a generous spoonful of tarragon béarnaise over the beef. Finally spoon over a little red wine jus around each dish and serve immediately.

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Dessert: Strawberry, Cherry and Rhubarb Mille Feuille with Damson Liquor

Step 1. Pastry Crème

Ingredients:

• 350 ml Milk
• 1/2 Vanilla Bean (split)
• 4 Egg Yolks
• 100 gm Sugar
• 25 gm Flour

Method:

Place milk and vanilla bean in a small saucepan and bring up to a simmer on the heat. Remove.

Mix the egg yolks, sugar and flour together in a large bowl using a whisk. Once combined, slowly pour the hot milk into the egg mixture whilst whisking continuously. Transfer the milk and egg mix back to the saucepan and return to a medium heat. Stir continuously until the pastry cream becomes thick and paste like. Remove from heat and pass through a fine sieve to remove any lumps. Allow to cool and then refrigerate until required in an airtight container

Step 2. Puff Pastry

Ingredients:

• 1 sheet Good Quality Puff Pastry
• 2 Egg Yolks
• Caster Sugar

Method:

Preheat oven to 160 degrees.

Grease and line a baking sheet with non-stick paper.

Cut the puff pastry into rectangles that are 4cm x 10 cm.

Lay the puff pastry rectangles on the lined baking tray, brush with egg yolk and sprinkle with castor sugar. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes until fully puffed then drop oven temperature to 120 degrees and bake for a further 10 to 15 minutes. Pastry should be crisp and light.

Remove pastry from the oven and cool on a wire rack and hold.

Step 3. Cook Rhubarb

Ingredients:

• 3 sticks Rhubarb (cut into 2 inch batons)
• 300 ml Damson Liquor
• 1/4 cup Castor Sugar
• 1 Cinnamon Quill
• 2 Star Anise
• 3 Orange Zest Petals
• 1/2 cup Orange Juice

Method:

Preheat oven to 150 degrees.

Lay the cut rhubarb in a high-sided ovenproof dish. In a medium saucepan, combine the remaining ingredients and heat until boiling. Pour hot liquor into the dish with the rhubarb, cover tightly with tinfoil, and place in the oven to poach. Check rhubarb after 10 minutes and every 2 minutes after that until it is just tender, but not falling apart. Once cooked, remove from the hot liquor and cool on a separate tray. Strain the cooking liquor into a small saucepan and place on medium heat. Simmer and reduce by half. Hold until required.

Step 4. Plating

Ingredients:

• 6 Pastry Cases
• 1 1/2 cups Strawberries (hulled and quartered)
• 1 1/2 cups Cherries (pitted and halved)
• Damson Syrup
• Poached Rhubarb
• 1 cup Pastry Cream
• 1 cup Soft Whipped Cream
• Icing Sugar

Method:

Using a sharp knife cut the pastry cases horizontally through the centre. Set aside the tops and using a dab of cream as 'glue', lay the bottom of the case in the centre of the plate.

Place the strawberries and cherries in a small mixing bowl and pour a little damson syrup over them. Toss gently with a spoon until evenly coated in the liquor. Hold

In another small mixing bowl, gently fold the pastry cream and soft whipped cream together until they are smooth and combined.

Spoon a 1 cm layer of the pastry cream mix onto the bottom pastry case. Lay 3 pieces of rhubarb on this and follow with a spoonful of macerated strawberries and cherries. Top the fruit with another layer of pastry cream mix and place the pastry top back on. Sprinkle a little icing sugar over the pastry and drizzle a little extra damson syrup around the plate if required.

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