Isabelle's Menu
Isabelle Goldstein's dishes included red lentil and coconut soup and spicy poached pears:
Red lentil and coconut soup
Ingredients
15 ml / 1tbsp vegetable oil
1 onion, finely chopped
1 fresh red chilli, seeded and finely chopped
5 ml / 1tsp peeled and grated ginger
Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
2 red peppers, seeded and diced
110g / 4 oz red lentils, soaked for 10 minutes and drained
290 ml / 10 fl oz vegetable stock
110g / 4oz coconut cream
475 ml / 17 fl oz hot water
salt and freshly ground black pepper
Heat the oil in a large saucepan and cook the onion over a low heat until soft and transparent. Add the chilli, ginger and nutmeg and cook for a further minute. Add the peppers and lentils and stir to mix. Pour in the stock, bring to the boil and simmer gently for 10 mintues. Put the coconut cream in a measuring jug and top it up to 580 ml / 1 pint with the hot water. Set aside. Put the soup into a blender and process until smooth. Return the soup to the rinsed saucepan, add the cocnut cream and water, stir. Reheat gently until hot, season to taste.
Serves 4
Chicken wrapped in pancetta and basil with roast Rosemary potatoes
Ingredients
4 chicken breasts, skin removed
8 thin slices pancetta
15G / ½ oz basil leaves
30 ml / 2 tbsp olive oil
30 gm / 2 tbsp butter
575 ml / 1 pt good chicken stock
100 ml / 3 ½ fl oz double cream
Small bunch of chives – spare 8 for garnish
Pepper
1 kg floury potatoes
Dried or fresh rosemary
Handful of cous cous grains
Preheat the oven to 220 deg c. 425 deg f. gas mark 7. Put the peeled potatoes in a large saucepan of salted water and par boil. Lay 2 slices of pancetta slightly overlapping on a work surface. Put one quarter of the basil leaves on top, season with pepper and lay a chicken breast on top. Carefully roll over and wrap securely.
Once the potatoes are par boiled, drain and toss in heated baking tray with olive oil, seasoning, rosemary and cous cous grains. Put in the oven to roast. Put the olive oil and butter in a rying pan large enough to hold the 4 wrapped breasts in a single layer. Lay them in carefully and fry for 4 minutes on each side. Transfer to a roasting tray and put in the oven for 10 minutes.
Pour the stock into the pan and reduce by half over a high heat, scraping any bits from the pan with a wooden spoon. Off the heat, whisk in the cream and the chopped chives. Season to taste. Put a wrapped chicken breast on each serving plate and spoon the cream gravy around it. Scatter over the remaining 8 chives snipped into 2.5 / 1 inch lengths.
Serve the potatoes on the side.
Spicy poached pears with melted chocolate
Ingredients
6 firm cooking pears, such as comice
1 red chilli
1 bay leaf
6cm / 2-3 inch rosemary sprig
2 star anise
2 cinnamon sticks
3 cloves
Zest and juice of 2 lemons
400g / 10 oz unrefined sugar
2 tbsp honey
1 pint good red wine
200g good quality chocolate
Cut the chilli in half and add, with all the other ingredients except pears, to a saucepan just large enough to hold the pears. Bring to the boil and simmer for 5 minutes. Peel the pears and add to the liquid, adding water if necessary to cover the fruit.
Cut out a circle of greaseproof paper slightly larger than the pot and place over the pears, pressing down so it comes into contact with the liquid. This will ensure even cooking – more so than a lid as it is close to the fruit. Bring back to the boil and continue to simmer for at least 30 minutes (the time will depend on the size and ripeness of the fruit).
The pears are cooked when a thin skewer is easily inserted through the centre. When done, remove the pears with a slotted spoon and place gently in a bowl. Turn the heat up and boil the liquid in the pan until reduced by half, then strain over the fruit. The pears can be served either hot or chilled with a generous dollop of melted chocolate (or mascarpone).
Recipe courtesy of Peter W. Gordon.
Dinner Party 2: Chris D'Sylva >
15 ml / 1tbsp vegetable oil
1 onion, finely chopped
1 fresh red chilli, seeded and finely chopped
5 ml / 1tsp peeled and grated ginger
Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
2 red peppers, seeded and diced
110g / 4 oz red lentils, soaked for 10 minutes and drained
290 ml / 10 fl oz vegetable stock
110g / 4oz coconut cream
475 ml / 17 fl oz hot water
salt and freshly ground black pepper
Heat the oil in a large saucepan and cook the onion over a low heat until soft and transparent. Add the chilli, ginger and nutmeg and cook for a further minute. Add the peppers and lentils and stir to mix. Pour in the stock, bring to the boil and simmer gently for 10 mintues. Put the coconut cream in a measuring jug and top it up to 580 ml / 1 pint with the hot water. Set aside. Put the soup into a blender and process until smooth. Return the soup to the rinsed saucepan, add the cocnut cream and water, stir. Reheat gently until hot, season to taste.
Serves 4
Chicken wrapped in pancetta and basil with roast Rosemary potatoes
Ingredients
4 chicken breasts, skin removed
8 thin slices pancetta
15G / ½ oz basil leaves
30 ml / 2 tbsp olive oil
30 gm / 2 tbsp butter
575 ml / 1 pt good chicken stock
100 ml / 3 ½ fl oz double cream
Small bunch of chives – spare 8 for garnish
Pepper
1 kg floury potatoes
Dried or fresh rosemary
Handful of cous cous grains
Preheat the oven to 220 deg c. 425 deg f. gas mark 7. Put the peeled potatoes in a large saucepan of salted water and par boil. Lay 2 slices of pancetta slightly overlapping on a work surface. Put one quarter of the basil leaves on top, season with pepper and lay a chicken breast on top. Carefully roll over and wrap securely.
Once the potatoes are par boiled, drain and toss in heated baking tray with olive oil, seasoning, rosemary and cous cous grains. Put in the oven to roast. Put the olive oil and butter in a rying pan large enough to hold the 4 wrapped breasts in a single layer. Lay them in carefully and fry for 4 minutes on each side. Transfer to a roasting tray and put in the oven for 10 minutes.
Pour the stock into the pan and reduce by half over a high heat, scraping any bits from the pan with a wooden spoon. Off the heat, whisk in the cream and the chopped chives. Season to taste. Put a wrapped chicken breast on each serving plate and spoon the cream gravy around it. Scatter over the remaining 8 chives snipped into 2.5 / 1 inch lengths.
Serve the potatoes on the side.
Spicy poached pears with melted chocolate
Ingredients
6 firm cooking pears, such as comice
1 red chilli
1 bay leaf
6cm / 2-3 inch rosemary sprig
2 star anise
2 cinnamon sticks
3 cloves
Zest and juice of 2 lemons
400g / 10 oz unrefined sugar
2 tbsp honey
1 pint good red wine
200g good quality chocolate
Cut the chilli in half and add, with all the other ingredients except pears, to a saucepan just large enough to hold the pears. Bring to the boil and simmer for 5 minutes. Peel the pears and add to the liquid, adding water if necessary to cover the fruit.
Cut out a circle of greaseproof paper slightly larger than the pot and place over the pears, pressing down so it comes into contact with the liquid. This will ensure even cooking – more so than a lid as it is close to the fruit. Bring back to the boil and continue to simmer for at least 30 minutes (the time will depend on the size and ripeness of the fruit).
The pears are cooked when a thin skewer is easily inserted through the centre. When done, remove the pears with a slotted spoon and place gently in a bowl. Turn the heat up and boil the liquid in the pan until reduced by half, then strain over the fruit. The pears can be served either hot or chilled with a generous dollop of melted chocolate (or mascarpone).
Recipe courtesy of Peter W. Gordon.
Dinner Party 2: Chris D'Sylva >