Helen's Menu
Helen Lederer's dishes included Onion and Marmalade Tartlets, Persian chicken and poppy seed cheesecake:
Onion and Marmalade Tartlets with Chilli Jams
Ingredients
250g Mushrooms
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon sugar
3 sprigs of Thyme
12 slices organic white bread
Butter
250g gruyere cheese
Heat the oil and onions fry gently for a few minutes. Add the sugar, seasoning, mushrooms and thyme and cook on a high heat for 5 minutes. Cut out glass-sized circles of bread and spread butter on one side. Place butter side done on a baking tray tin. Spoon mixture over the bread base and bake at 220 degrees for 10 mins till bubbling gently.
Inspired by Celia Brook Brown's Mushroom & Onion Tartlets from New Vegetarian.
Ingredients
250g Mushrooms
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon sugar
3 sprigs of Thyme
12 slices organic white bread
Butter
250g gruyere cheese
Heat the oil and onions fry gently for a few minutes. Add the sugar, seasoning, mushrooms and thyme and cook on a high heat for 5 minutes. Cut out glass-sized circles of bread and spread butter on one side. Place butter side done on a baking tray tin. Spoon mixture over the bread base and bake at 220 degrees for 10 mins till bubbling gently.
Inspired by Celia Brook Brown's Mushroom & Onion Tartlets from New Vegetarian.
Persian Chicken with Apricots, Almonds and Saffron
Ingredients
1 pint of chicken stock
12 Strands of saffron
1 Large onion
1 oz butter
1 tablespoon of olive oil
1 Teaspoon of ground cinnamon
4 chicken breasts on bone
4 oz dried apricots halves
1 oz sultanas
2 ox almonds
Salt and pepper
Bring the chicken stock to the boil. Stir in saffron and simmer for a few minutes. Meanwhile chop the onion and add to melted butter and olive oil in a medium heated pan. Once softened, add cinnamon and after heating through place the mixture on to a plate. Using the hot pan add the chicken breasts and brown them. Return the onion mixtures along with apricots, sultanas, almonds and black pepper, before pouring over the saffron and chicken stock. Boil up then reduce to simmer for 50 minutes.
Ingredients
1 pint of chicken stock
12 Strands of saffron
1 Large onion
1 oz butter
1 tablespoon of olive oil
1 Teaspoon of ground cinnamon
4 chicken breasts on bone
4 oz dried apricots halves
1 oz sultanas
2 ox almonds
Salt and pepper
Bring the chicken stock to the boil. Stir in saffron and simmer for a few minutes. Meanwhile chop the onion and add to melted butter and olive oil in a medium heated pan. Once softened, add cinnamon and after heating through place the mixture on to a plate. Using the hot pan add the chicken breasts and brown them. Return the onion mixtures along with apricots, sultanas, almonds and black pepper, before pouring over the saffron and chicken stock. Boil up then reduce to simmer for 50 minutes.
Helen's Poppy Seed Cheesecake
Ingredients
Sultanas
Lemon vodka
700g cream cheese
8oz caster sugar
12 fl oz whipping cream
1 half oz plain flour
1 half teaspoon vanilla essence
1 tbs poppy seeds
Base: unsalted butter, 1 oz fresh white breadcrumbs, caster sugar
In a mixing bowl, mix together the biscuit crumbs and Demerara sugar. Add in the melted butter and mix well. Spoon the biscuit mixture into a 20cm spring-form cake tin lined with silicon paper or baking parchment. Use a metal spoon to press the biscuit crumbs down firmly and evenly. Chill in the refrigerator until set.
In a large mixing bowl, using a whisk or a wooden spoon, beat together the cream cheese, icing sugar and vanilla pod seeds or vanilla extract until well mixed. Fold in the double cream, mixing well.
Spoon the cream mixture over the chilled biscuit base, making sure that there are no air bubbles. Smooth the top of the cheesecake with a palette knife or metal spoon. Chill the cheesecake in the refrigerator for 1 hour until set.
To serve, remove from the cake tin and cut into slices.
Ingredients
Sultanas
Lemon vodka
700g cream cheese
8oz caster sugar
12 fl oz whipping cream
1 half oz plain flour
1 half teaspoon vanilla essence
1 tbs poppy seeds
Base: unsalted butter, 1 oz fresh white breadcrumbs, caster sugar
In a mixing bowl, mix together the biscuit crumbs and Demerara sugar. Add in the melted butter and mix well. Spoon the biscuit mixture into a 20cm spring-form cake tin lined with silicon paper or baking parchment. Use a metal spoon to press the biscuit crumbs down firmly and evenly. Chill in the refrigerator until set.
In a large mixing bowl, using a whisk or a wooden spoon, beat together the cream cheese, icing sugar and vanilla pod seeds or vanilla extract until well mixed. Fold in the double cream, mixing well.
Spoon the cream mixture over the chilled biscuit base, making sure that there are no air bubbles. Smooth the top of the cheesecake with a palette knife or metal spoon. Chill the cheesecake in the refrigerator for 1 hour until set.
To serve, remove from the cake tin and cut into slices.
Little Baba's Redcurrant Tart
Ingredients
225g plain flour
1 tsp baking powder
0.5 tsp salt
120g butter, chilled
100g caster sugar
1 unwaxed lemon, zest only, finely grated
1 egg
500g redcurrants
Combine the flour, baking powder and salt in a bowl. Cut the butter into cubes and rub into the flour until the mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs. Add all but 1 tablespoon of the sugar, the lemon zest and egg, and mix together to form dough. Wrap and chill in the fridge for 1 hour. Grease a 15cm diameter tart tin. Roll out two thirds of the dough to a thickness of 5mm and use to line the tart tin.
Pack the Redcurrants tightly into the flan case and press them firmly into the dough. Roll out the remaining dough trimmings into a circle 5mm thick. Lay it over the redcurrants, redcurrant jelly cut off the excess dough, and then press the edges gently down inside the ring to seal. Chill in the fridge for 20 minutes. To bake the tart, set the oven to 190°C/gas 5.
Dinner Party 5: David Quantick >
Ingredients
225g plain flour
1 tsp baking powder
0.5 tsp salt
120g butter, chilled
100g caster sugar
1 unwaxed lemon, zest only, finely grated
1 egg
500g redcurrants
Combine the flour, baking powder and salt in a bowl. Cut the butter into cubes and rub into the flour until the mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs. Add all but 1 tablespoon of the sugar, the lemon zest and egg, and mix together to form dough. Wrap and chill in the fridge for 1 hour. Grease a 15cm diameter tart tin. Roll out two thirds of the dough to a thickness of 5mm and use to line the tart tin.
Pack the Redcurrants tightly into the flan case and press them firmly into the dough. Roll out the remaining dough trimmings into a circle 5mm thick. Lay it over the redcurrants, redcurrant jelly cut off the excess dough, and then press the edges gently down inside the ring to seal. Chill in the fridge for 20 minutes. To bake the tart, set the oven to 190°C/gas 5.
Dinner Party 5: David Quantick >