All posts tagged: συνταγή

Lemon Tart

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The lemon tree in our garden is full of fruit right now and it is a challenge to make good use of the crop. We use a lot of lemon juice in our everyday cooking,we preserve lemons- stay tuned  for some really good recipes-, we freeze lemon juice ice cubes that keep for several months, and we bake. We are always trying out new recipes and after exhaustive research our preferences are a lemon cake and this rather rich Heston Blumenthal lemon tart for special occasions. Our advice? If you do not have a forthcoming special occasion, improvise one and bake this tart! Serves 10-12 For the pastry 300g Plain flour  150g Unsalted butter 120g Icing sugar 1/2 tsp Salt 3 Large egg yolks  Zest of 1/2 lemon, finely grated Seeds from 1/2 vanilla pod 1 egg for the egg wash For the filling Finely grated zest and juice of 5 lemons  390g White caster sugar 300g Double cream 9 large eggs and 1 large egg yolk To finish and serve 80g Unrefined caster sugar Creme fraiche …

Cream of cauliflower soup with truffle oil

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For an engineered plant, cauliflower looks distinguishably primeval, the stuff dinosaurs would graze. Same as the truffles that combine very well in this soup, that even people who cannot stand the smell of cauliflower enjoy. 1 medium cauliflower (about 700g), stalks removed and cut into florets 1,5 l chicken or vegetable stock 100g parmesan cheese, grated 300ml whipping cream 30ml white truffle infused oil sea salt and freshly ground black pepper Serves 6 In a large saucepan add the cauliflower florets and the stock. Bring to a boil, then lower the temperature and let simmer uncovered for 1 hour. Add the grated parmesan and the cream and bring to a boil. Using a stick blender, puree the soup directly in the saucepan until it is very smooth and creamy. Add the truffle oil, season with salt and pepper and bring to simmer. When ready to serve, reheat the soup gently.

Chocolate Fondant Tart

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How did the chocolate Montezuma drank taste like? After a day on the temple, did he sip his chocolate ‘all frothed up’ and plan following’s day ritual sacrifices ? Chocolate was one of the oddities the Spanish conquistadores encountered in the Court of the Aztec Emperor. Cortez loved chocolate, and reported back home to Charles V about the ‘divine drink’. Spaniards however were not convinced at first – it was probably too bitter-, but after some attempts involving wine and spices soon mixed it with sugar, vanilla and milk and chocolate took off, making its way to other Habsburg territories and beyond. Fast-forward 500 years and a completely different setting.  A dessert developed to be eaten in warm bourgeois (Salzburgian) houses of central Europe: Chocolate tart. Chocolate had been tamed for much of its european trajectory – too sweet, too much vanilla (extract) and milk. In the last decades chocolate desserts became more bitter and dark, closer to the original spirit of ‘xocolatl’. For the pastry 150g softened butter, cubed 3 Tbsp lukewarm water 250g  all purpose flour 4 egg yolks 1 pinch …

Pizza at Home

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I took the pizza topping test in the internet, and it turns out “I may be a little different than everyone else, but I am  still loved by many”. On top of that, the test says “You Are Pineapple” . I probably should not have chosen San Francisco to go if I won a trip. Seriously now, the topping in this recipe is loved by all (instead of by many). We use Gruyère from Naxos, but you can substitute it with any good quality Gruyère. Makes 4 round pizzas ø 38cm For the dough 500g strong white flour, plus extra for dusting 1 handful wholewheat flour 20g fresh yeast ½ tsp brown sugar 300ml lukewarm water 50ml extra virgin olive oil, plus extra for greasing 2 tsp salt 80g semolina A day before you want to make the pizza combine both flours in the bowl of a mixer. Make a well in the middle, crumble in the yeast and add the sugar and 100ml lukewarm water. Mix a little of the flour into the  mixture and leave to rest for 15 minutes. Then add the oil, salt …

Scones in the Summertime

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We returned to our house by the sea in Naxos after several years – this time with an extra member. We had to come up with a new eating-and-cooking routine, given also the fact that we entertained friends almost daily (or nightly). It had to be easy, fast and secure: cheese pies, scones, chocolate cakes, tzatziki, salads and of course lots  of local cheese, figs and watermelons. For drinks Greek white wines (asyrtiko for the French friends who value terroire) and gin with tonic and lots of ice cubes. Whenever we ran out of cucumbers for the mix, because we put them all in the salad, we used watermelon – they both belong to the cucurbitaceae family. We unpacked kitchenware and put the old stove into use, so we had to adjust cooking and baking times and temperatures. Scones were a success for breakfast, and we had them -unconventionally-  with some local cheese (graviera and xinotyri) or with our homemade apricot jam.  Here is our standard scone recipe, adapted from the cookbook of Rose Carrarini, …

Chocolate mousse with olive oil

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We are Greeks and we put olive oil into anything. For this recipe we use high quality chocolate and unripe extra virgin oil, but if it is too intense for your tastes, skip the ‘unripe’ part which gives a distinct fruitiness to the result. It’s a rather uncomplicated recipe, unless you have a toddler who wants to participate in every step. Adapted from a recipe by Stelios Parliaros. Serves 4-5 200g good quality dark chocolate  (66% cocoa solids) 40g extra virgin olive oil 4 egg yolks 4 egg whites 50g caster sugar 2 Tbsp brandy Break the chocolate into small pieces and drop into a bowl with the olive oil. Fill a small saucepan about a quarter full with hot water, then sit the bowl on top so it rests on the rim of the pan, not touching the water. Put over a low heat until the chocolate has melted, stirring occasionally to mix with the olive oil.Remove the bowl from the pan. Cool slightly. Beat the egg yolks with the brandy until pale yellow. Whisk in the …