Kathy's Menu for April 2006

Starter : Smoked Salmon and Cottage Cheese Tartlets

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Main Course : Poussins with Madeira Cream sauce
served with Glazed Carrots

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Pudding : Chocolate Pots

Smoked Salmon and Cottage Cheese Tartlets
Serves 4

Ingredients

4oz (100g) butter
6oz (175g) plain flour
2oz (50g) grated parmesan cheese
salt
paprika
1 egg yolk
4oz (100g) cottage cheese
1 teaspoon lemon juice
4oz (100g) diced smoked salmon
4 pieces rolled smoked salmon 8 hard boiled quails eggs
salt and freshly gound blak pepper
fresh chives

Method

1. Make the pastry cases by rubbing the fats into the flour. Stir in the cheese, a pinch of salt and a pinch of paprika. Mix the egg yolk with 2 tablespoons of cold water and mix with the flour mixture to make the pastry.
2. Pre heat the oven to 190C (375F, gas mark 5). Leave the pastry to rest for 30 minutes. Whilst the pastry is resting, butter four 3 inch (7.5cm) round tartlet tins. Roll out the pastry and line the tins. Place the tins on a baking tray and bake blind in the oven for 15 - 20 minutes until the pastry is brown.
3. When cooked, remove the pastry cases from the oven. Allow to cool in the tins for about 10 minutes and then turn out the pastry cases and place right side up on a cooling tray.
4. Make the filling by mixing the cottage cheese in a bowl with the lemon juice, salt and pepper. Mix in the smoked salmon and chill in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.
5. When you are ready to serve, put the filling mixture into the baked pastry cases. Shell and halve the quails eggs and place four halves on the top of each tartlet. Garnish with a round of smoked salmon and chives.

Poussin with Madeira Cream Sauce
served with Glazed Carrots
Serves 4

Ingredients

4oz softened butter
1 crushed garlic clove
pinch of mace
salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 poussins
4 rashers streaky bacon
1 teaspoon flour
1 teaspoon tomato puree
half a chicken stock cube
6fl oz (180ml) madeira
8fl oz (200ml) single cream

Method

1. Pre heat the oven to 240C (475F, gas mark 9). Blend the garlic with the butter, mace, salt and pepper. Cut each poussin in half, discarding the backbone. Smear each half of poussin with the butter mixture and place poussins in a roasting tray. Cover each breast with a rasher of bacon.
2. Roast the poussins at the top of the oven for 15 minutes. Lower the heat to 200C (425F, gas mark 7) and continue to roast for a further 20 - 25 minutes until cooked.
3. Remove from the oven and pour about two tablespoons of the juices into a pan. Keep the poussins warm whilst preparing the sauce. Add the flour and tomato puree and brown over a low heat.
4. Add the crumbled half a stock cube to the pan, gradually stir in the madeira and bring to the boil stirring all the time. Reduce the heat, stir in the cream and simmer for two minutes.
5. Serve each poussin on a plate with some sauce spooned over. Pour the rest of the sauce into a sauce boat and serve.

Glazed Carrots

4 medium/large carrots
10floz (300ml) orange juice
half a chicken stock cube
1 teaspoon ground ginger
pinch of salt
1 peeled clove garlic
1oz (25g) butter

Method

1. Peel the carrots and cut lengthways into batons. Put the orange juice into a pan with the stock cube, ginger and salt and bring to the boil.
2. Add the carrots and cook for 5 - 10 minutes until the carrots are still crisp. Remove the carrots from the pan, retaining the liquid. Add the garlic to the liquid and boil rapidly to reduce and thicken the liquid.
3. Remove the garlic, add the butter and toss the carrots in the liquid over the heat until coated and heated through. Serve immediately.

Chocolate Pots
Serves 4

Ingredients

3.5 floz (100ml) milk
10 floz (300ml) cream
6 egg yolks
2oz (60g) sugar
3.5oz (100g) plain chocolate

Method

1. Pre heat the oven to 120C (250F, gas mark 1)
2. Put the milk and cream into a pan and bring to the boil. In a bowl, whisk the egg yolks and sugar together. Pour in some of the boiling liquid, whisk and add to the rest of the liquid.
3. Remove from the heat and stir in the chocolate until it melts.
4. Pour into 4 ramekin dishes. Put the ramekins in a roasting dish and fill the dish up half way with hot water. Bake in the oven for 30 - 40 minutes until set.

Cookery Book Recommendation of the Month

Puddings by Delia Smith
Delia's eighth book in this enormously popular collection brings us mouth-watering puddings and desserts. To satisfy a sweet tooth or round off a special meal, Delia provides over 50 recipes, chosen from her collection and some completely new. There are recipes for pies, crumbles and cobblers; steamed and baked puddings; tarts, cheesecakes and pancakes; and creams, jellies, fruit and meringues. Aimed at both experienced cooks and newcomers, Delia guides cooks of all ability through her fail-safe recipes.

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