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SPICED DUCK WITH PICKLE
A fruity Beaujolais provides a foil for
the rich duck and tangy peachy pickle
Serves 4
4 duck breasts
1 tbsp
soy sauce
4 tsp Five Spice powder
8 thin spring onions
4 tbsp olive
oil
Freshly ground black pepper
For the pickle
100g/4oz caster
sugar
150ml/ ¼ pt white wine vinegar
1 large peach, halved and
stoned
2 large salad spring onions, trimmed and
thinly sliced into
rings
1 red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped
1 tbsp finely chopped
fresh coriander
Rub duck
breasts with soy sauce, then Five Spice powder and leave for 20
minutes.
To make pickle,
place sugar and vinegar in a pan over gentle heat. Stir to melt sugar, then
boil rapidly for 1 minute. Remove from heat. Cut peach into quarters and slice
thinly. Stir into vinegar syrup with spring onions, chilli and coriander.
Cool.
Trim tops from the 8 spring onions. Cut tops into thin strips and
reserve, leaving onions whole. Heat 2 tbsp oil in a large heavy-bottomed pan
and fry duck skin-side down to brown. Turn over to brown other side and cook
until pink in the middle. Season with freshly ground black pepper.
At the
same time, heat remaining oil in a separate pan and fry whole spring onions to
caramelise. Remove and reserve, keeping hot. Add spring onion tops to pan and
fry for 15 seconds. Reserve with onions.
Sip a glass of Muscat de Beaumes de
Venise with this cheesecake with a difference To serve, thickly slice duck and
heap on to 4 dishes strewn with spring onion strips. Serve with whole spring
onions and pickle.
Preparation time: 20 minutes
Cooking
time: approx 10 minutes
Approximate nutritional values per person:
575
calories, 13g protein, 48g fat, 30g carbohydrate |
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AVOCADO IN PEACH AND PRAWN SALSA
The bold fruit of a Chilean Chardonnay
works well with this salad of avocado scoops in a roughly chopped spicy salsa
with tiger prawns, peaches and chilli
Serves 4
2 large avocados
Lemon juice for squeezing
For the salsa
225g/8oz cooked, peeled
Tiger prawns
1 red pepper, deseeded and chunked
1 red onion, peeled and
diced
2 large peaches, halve and stoned
1 red chilli, deseeded and
finely chopped
1 tbsp fresh coriander leaves, torn
Juice of 1 lime
4
tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
For the salsa, roughly chop prawns and place
in a bowl with diced red pepper and onion. Cut peaches into chunks. Add to bowl
with chilli, coriander, lime juice and olive oil. Season, toss together and
leave for 10 minutes for flavours to infuse.
Halve and stone avocados.
Squeeze over lemon juice. Scoop out flesh with a dessert spoon. Place in a bowl
and squeeze over a little more lemon juice. Add salsa, toss gently to coat and
heap on to a platter to serve.
Preparation time: approx 20 minutes
Cooking time: Nil
Approximate nutritional values per person:
334
calories, 13g protein, 30g fat, 9g carbohydrate |
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PEACH CHEESECAKE
Sip a glass of Muscat de Beaumes de Venise with this cheesecake with
a difference
Serves 6
275g/10oz cream cheese
100g/4oz caster
sugar
150ml/ ¼ pt double cream, whipped
Juice and zest of half a
lemon
2 ripe peaches, peeled, stoned and chopped
2 sachets gelatine
6
tbsp hot water
2 egg whites
Fresh mint sprigs for decoration
For
the base
2 brioche buns
1 egg, beaten
2 tbsp caster
sugar
25g/1oz unsalted butter
6 tbsp crème fraîche
For
the coulis
1 large ripe peach
1 tbsp caster sugar, or to
taste
Small wineglass sweet white wine
Beat cream cheese smooth in a bowl with caster sugar. Fold in cream.
Add lemon juice and zest and peach pieces. Dissolve gelatine in hot water
according to packet instructions, stir thoroughly and stir into cream mix.
Leave until just beginning to set, then whisk egg whites stiff and gradually
fold into mix. Spoon into a shallow bowl and leave to set in the fridge.
Cut
six slices from brioche buns. Dip in beaten egg, then into caster sugar. Melt
butter and fry brioche slices until golden and crusty. Cool on a wire rack.
Meanwhile, make the coulis. Peel the last peach and chop. Whizz in a blender
with sugar and wine to give a pouring consistency.
To serve, place brioche
slices on serving plates, top with crème fraîche and perch scoops
of cream cheese mixture on top. Drizzle over coulis and decorate with mint
sprigs.
Preparation time: 30 minutes, plus
chilling
Cooking time: approx 5 minutes
Approximate nutritional values
per person :
392 calories, 9g protein, 36g fat, 32g carbohydrate
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TARTA DE MELOCOTON
Complement this scrumptious tart with a filling of peaches and almond sponge
with a Spanish Moscatel de Valencia
Serves 8
For the
pastry
175g/6oz plain flour
100g/4oz unsalted butter, cubed
1
egg
Pinch of salt
For the filling
100g/4oz unsalted butter,
softened
100g/4oz caster sugar
2 eggs, beaten
50g/2oz plain
flour
75g/3oz ground almonds
Finely grated zest of 1 orange
2 tbsp
orange juice
3 large peaches, peeled, halved and stoned
4 tsp soft light
brown sugar
Sifted icing sugar for dusting
Place pastry ingredients in processor and whizz to form a ball.
Remove from processor, wrap in clingfilm and chill for 30 minutes.
For the
almond sponge, cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy.
Gradually beat in eggs a little at a time. Mix flour with almonds and fold in
gradually. Stir in orange zest and juice.
Roll out pastry to line an oiled
20cm/8in loose-bottomed flan tin. Trim edges. Spoon sponge mix in and spread
out with a palate knife. Slice peaches thinly without cutting right through and
press down gently with the palm of the hand to make a fan shape. Arrange on
sponge and sprinkle fruit with sugar. Bake in an oven preheated to Gas 6,
400°F, 200°C for 40 minutes or until pastry is golden and sponge is
firm to the touch. Cool slightly before removing from tin. Serve warm or cold
dusted with icing sugar.
Preparation time: approx 30 minutes
Cooking time: approx 40 minutes
Approximate nutritional values per
person:
375 calories, 6g protein, 24g fat, 30g carbohydrate |
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