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Crème Caramel

Ingredients:

Will make approximately 4 to 6 creme depending on the ramekins size

4 eggs
120 g caster sugar
500 ml milk
1 /2 vanilla pod

For the caramel:

150 g caster sugar
50 ml water

Preheat the oven to 140°C/gas 1.

Slit the vanilla pod open and scrap the seeds out of the pod. Pour the milk in a sauce pan; add the seeds and the pod. On a medium heat, bring the milk to a simmer and infuse the vanilla for few minutes. Pass through a fine sieve into a clean bowl.

To make the caramel, add the sugar and water together in a small pan. Mix it well, clean the side of the pan with a damp cloth, and set on a medium-high heat until the syrup thickens and caramelises, turning al golden brown.

Whisk the whole eggs and sugar together in a bowl, and then add the warmed-up milk.

Mix gently as not to create too much foam- remove any excess foam.

Pour the hot caramel and swirl it around to coat the bottom of 6 ramekins. Pour the egg mixture into each caramel-filled ramekin.

Place some kitchen paper on the bottom of a roasting tray- this will prevent the ramekins to slide. Place all the ramekins in the baking tray and pour hot water so that the water level reaches 3/ 3^rd of the crème mix.

Bake the crème caramel in the preheated oven for 50 minutes. Make sure that the crème is not boiling at any given time of the baking process- this would spoil the structure of the crème caramel. It is baked when the crème feels hard on top but is still ’wobbly’ when the ramekin is shaken.

Remove from the oven and set aside to cool, and then refrigerate for at least 2 hours.

To serve, place the bottom of the ramekin in some warm water for a few minutes – this will allow the caramel to melt.  To release the crème caramel from the mould, press the blade of a knife against the mould in-between the crème caramel and take it around in a full circle, then turn it upside down onto the serving plate.

Crêpes batter

Makes 15 crêpes

Ingredients

• 250 g of flour
• 3 or 4 eggs
• 1 tbsp of beer
• One tsp of sunflower oil
• 500ml of full fat milk
• 25 g of sugar if using the batter for sweet crêpes
• A pinch of salt

Combine eggs ,flour, oil and salt.

Beat well to combine

While beating the mixture, start adding the milk bit by bit.

When the batter is looser and lump free, add the rest of the milk and the beer.

Let it rest for a minimum of one hour at room temperature.

Now, get your pan really hot and add a little oil. Spread the oil over the all surface of the pan and ladle enough batter for one crepe in the pan. The crepe should thinner than a pancake.

As soon as the batter hits the hot pan, tip it around from side to side to get the base evenly coated with batter.

It should take only half a minute or so to cook; you can lift the edge with a palette knife to see if it’s tinged gold as it should be.

Flip the crêpe over and cook the other side for less than one minute- the longer you cook them the crispier they will be.

Slide the crêpe onto a plate place over a pan of simmering water to keep them warm and spread a little butter between each crêpe – this will keep them from drying out.

Crepes Suzette

Preparation time 10 min

Cooking time 10 min

Will make approximately 10 pancakes

Ingredients:

The pancake

3 eggs
250g of flour
a pinch of salt
1 tbsp of vegetable oil
1 tbsp of orange blossom flower essence
150 ml of beer
250 ml of milk
50 g of melted butter

Sieve the flour and salt into a mixing bowl. Beat the eggs lightly with the orange flower essence. Make a well in the centre of the flour and add the eggs. Using an electric whisk- if you have one- begin to mix while gradually adding the milk, and then the beer. Continue to mix well until  bubbles become visible in the batter. When the mixture is smooth and has the consistency of thick cream, whisk the butter  in  it. Pour the batter into a jug for easy pour into the pan. Ideally, let the batter rest for at least one hour at room temperature- the beer contains yeast that gives the batter a lighter texture.

Cut a small potato in half , using only one half, plant a fork in it and dip it in some melted butter. Get you pan really hot , then turn the heat down, run the potato on your pan to grease it. Pour some of the batter out of the jug onto the pan. As soon as it hit the pan, swirl the pan round to disperse the batter evenly on the surface of your pan.

To check if the pancake is cooked – golden colour that is- tip one edge with a palette knife and check, then flip it over. When the pancake is cooked, just slide it onto a plate – brush some melted butter between each pancake.

The Suzette

Squeeze 3 oranges and one lemon. Take a largish frying pan and spread 125 g of caster sugar onto a pan. When the sugar is starting caramelising, add the juice and let it reduce until the liquid turns a golden colour. Then, add 100g of butter cut in small pieces; let it melt and foam. Now here comes the fun part, Flambez! Add the Grand Marnier- 100 ml, be generous, it tastes good!- and let it reduce by 1/3. Lay one crepe in the pan on one side, then the other side so it get soaked with the cooking juice, then fold it in half and then fold again to a triangle shape. Slide on a warm plate and repeat the action until no pancakes are left.

Et voila!

Millas – Butternut Squash Cake

This recipe comes from the Perigord. The original recipe is made with pumpkin but I have chosen to use butternut squash for its buttery consistency.

This cake is very fragrant and has a very warm autumnal shade of colour.

Preparation time 20 min

Cooking time 40 min

Will serve 6 people.

Ingredients:

500 g of butternut squash
200 g of fine cornmeal
50 g of sugar
75 g of Sultanas (soaked for 1 hour)
2 tbsp of olive oil
5 eggs
2 tbsp of dark Rum
1½ tsp of baking powder
½ l of milk
1 vanilla pod
½ tbsp soda

1. Steam the pumpkin till it falls apart.

2. Preheat the oven to 180°C.

3. In the meantime infuse the vanilla pod in the warm milk and let it cool down.

4. Mash the pumpkin; there shouldn’t be any bits left. Use a blender if you have one.

5. Mix the dry ingredients together.

6. In a bowl, mix the mashed squash with the dry ingredients, adding some milk from time to time to ease the mixing process. Add the oil, the beaten eggs, the Rum, and the rest of the milk until you obtain a mixture that has a slightly runny consistency. Finally drain the soaked raisins, chop them and add them to the mixture.

7. Pour the mixture in a 24 cm/9,5” greased spring form tin and put in the oven for 40 min.

8. Sprinkle the “Millas” with sugar or Cacao powder before serving.

BON APPETIT!!

Iles Flottantes

I gave this recipe a twist by adding some orange blossom flower essence instead of the traditional vanilla flavour. If you prefer to use vanilla, you can infuse the seeds of one pod in the milk- don’t forget to strain your milk before making your custard.

Preparation time 30 min

Cooking time 10 min

Will serve 6-8 persons

Ingredients:

Custard sauce

125 g of sugar

7 large egg yolks

2 tbsp of corn flour

25 cl of orange blossom flower essence

Caramel

75 g of caster sugar

the juice of one orange

Meringues

1 l of full-fat milk

4 large egg whites

60 g of caster sugar

1 tsp of lemon juice

Method:

Meringues

Wisk the egg whites with the lemon juice until foamy. Gradually add the sugar and beat at high speed until stiff and glossy. Scoop out meringues with a spoon and poach them in the simmering milk for 2 minutes on each side. Remove with a slotted spoon and let them drain on a tray. Set aside.

Custard

In a bowl, lightly beat the egg yolks with the sugar and the corn flour and pour over the strained milk you used for the meringues. Pour the mixture back into the pan and place over low heat. Cook it, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until the custard thickens enough to coat the back of the spoon. Pour immediately into a bowl, add the orange blossom flower essence, mix well and let it cool down.

Caramel

Strain the orange juice and combine it a small sauce pan with the sugar. Place over medium high heat and boil until the mixture becomes a pale caramel.

Assembling

Ladle some custard in ramekins, arrange one meringue per ramekin and trickle the boiling caramel over the meringues to form a lattice. Serve chilled.