Monthly Archives: June 2010

Shin of beef

Posted on June 30, 2010 by ben

I became obsessed with braised shin of beef. It’s not very time consuming in terms of prep work, it just takes a while to cook. I find the best way to make it is the classic French way: Lightly dust … Continue reading →

Posted in Beef, Parsnip, Spinach, Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Strawberry and vanilla knickerbocker glory

Posted on June 27, 2010 by ben

It is an underrated (British) classic, but I don’t like jelly in it myself. The syrup here consists of strawberry juice, sugar and Framboise liquer that’s been reduced down to high viscosity. The Framboise really adds a fantastic dimension. This … Continue reading →

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TGRWT: Banana sorbet, parsley rum syrup

Posted on June 27, 2010 by ben

Martin Lersch (of Khymos blog) set up a blogging event called They Go Really Well Together (TGRWT). TGRWT explores experimentation with ingredient pairings based on odorant chemistry, the idea being that certain aromatic chemicals work in synergy. (Martin has a … Continue reading →

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Cheesemaking: Camembert style

Posted on June 27, 2010 by ben

Technicals: This is 100% Jersey and Guernsey cows milk at 5.2% fat. Mesophilic starter and Flora Danica (I feel that having both provides greater complexity). CaCl added. Ripened 1.5 hrs @ 31°C/88°F. Vege rennet @ 0.5 ml/l. Time to clean … Continue reading →

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MET Menu

Posted on June 27, 2010 by ben

Wine matching menu for M, E and T, February 2007. Apple soup, curried white chocolate foam I was playing around with different ideas for soup and came up with this. I think the combination of apple, curry and white chocolate … Continue reading →

Posted in Beef, Cheese, Dessert, Fish, Menu, Pork, Scallops, Soup, Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Three desserts in one

Posted on June 27, 2010 by ben

I like the idea of presenting multiple desserts to the diner on one plate, especially for wine matching menus (for which this was designed). This dessert is designed to be eaten “left to right” and combines a few things I’d … Continue reading →

Posted in Chocolate, Dessert, Fruit, Icecream, Nuts, Sorbet, Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Interesting vegetarian

Posted on June 27, 2010 by ben

Vegetarian cuisine suffers from the bias of many. Aside from pro-meat-snobbery, this is perhaps due to the history of dull over-cooked vegetarian “health food” style dishes and a focus on meat imitation. The challenge is that so many classic dishes … Continue reading →

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Slow cooked rib eye

Posted on June 27, 2010 by ben

If you haven’t tried cooking beef at low temperatures, you should. Calpains denature at about 40°C/105°F and cathepsins at about 50°C/122°F. Slow cooking for extended periods below these temperatures gets the enzymes working breaking down the muscle tissue to give … Continue reading →

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Pork loin, white beans, mustard

Posted on June 27, 2010 by ben

A John Campbell dish by design, that slow roasts pork loin to a perfect 64°C/147°F and pairs it with a creamy wholegrain mustard cannellini bean sauce, pickled braised fennel and red wine jus.

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Prawn and mango salad

Posted on June 27, 2010 by ben

My version involves garlic-sauted prawn, rocket, spring onion, cucumber, coriander (cilantro) and a dressing of olive oil, soy sauce, maybe a touch of fish sauce, lime juice and sweet chili sauce.

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