Rhubarb soup with mint

You will need:

4 sticks of rhubarb
1/2 a stick of vanilla
1 pt of water
6oz sugar
5 sprigs of mint
1 lemon

Method

Take the leaves of the mint sprigs. Peel the rhubarb and cut it into thin slices. Put the rhubarb peel in a saucepan with the water, sugar stick of vanilla, the juice of the lemon and the by now leafless mint sprigs, let it simmer for 10minutes. Sieve the liquid and add the rhubarb slices. Bring it to the boil, take off the heat and leave to cool. Cut the mint leaves into thin strips. Serve the soup ice cold with the chopped mint leaves on top.
Serves 8 people

Celeriac Burger with beetroot and horseradish

Ingredients (makes 4 burgers)

1 medium sized celeriac, peeled and grated

1 medium size onion peeled and finely chopped
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
4 eggs
1 small bunch of parsley, chopped
150 grams of gluten free flour or buckwheat flour (put an extra 50 grams aside in case mixture is too wet)
1 chili
1 lemon
Salt and pepper
Dash of olive/coconut oil

Serve with beetroot and horseradish.

Method

1. Steam the celeriac for 5 minutes.
2. Beat the eggs in a bowl and add the flour, garlic, salt and pepper and parsley.
3. Chop up the chili and onion place into the mixture.
4. Heat a large frying pan over moderate heat and add a dash of oil.
5. Scoop 1 large tablespoon of mixture into the frying pan, then flatten it slightly with a spatula. The mixture should make around 4 burgers. Cook the burgers for 4-5 minutes on each side, or until golden.
6. Place burgers onto a paper towel to soak up any excess oil.
7. Drizzle with lemon juice before serving with beetroot and fresh horseradish sauce.

Asparagus Royale with Smoked Salmon

Serving  asparagus royale is always a sure winner. It is a simple starter dish which when prepared and served properly is a gourmet delight! You will need:

75g asparagus tips
50g smoked salmon
2 tablespoons of béchamel sauce
2 tablespoons consommé
4 egg yokes

Method:
Cook the asparagus tips in boiling water for two minutes then drain and set aside. Add the béchamel sauce and consomme and press through a sieve. Bind the mixture with the egg yokes and pour into buttered ramekins. Cook in a bain marie in a preheated oven at 200 degrees for 30 minutes. Remove from ramekins  and serve with salmon.

The Gourmet Vegetarian

Cèpes from the forest

One of the delights of being a professional chef is that you get to appreciate the extraordinary variety of food provided by Mother Nature. This is often best demonstrated by the gourmet vegetarian who using a combination of skills and knowledge can turn a simple product (or combination of products) into a sophisticated and extraordinary culinary dish. The menu below is a sample of our new five day gourmet vegetarian cooking course. In most cases remember the secret is often in the sauce!!

Monday

Lunch

Starter: Creme Ninon, a classic French green pea soup

Main: Mozzarella in carrozza

Cheese: Selection of French cheeses

Dinner

Starter: Artichoke in a citrus soup

Main: Potato Gnocchi with salvia butter and Parmesan

Cheese: Selection of French cheeses

Dessert: Panna Cotta with fresh fruits

Tuesday

Lunch

Starter: Bruschetta

Main: Parmesan Omelette

Cheese: Selection of French cheeses

Dinner

Starter: Rosemary baked carrots with a curry Sauternes sauce

Main: Farci Nicois

Cheese: Selection of French cheeses

Dessert: Chocolate Fondant with Vanilla ice cream & orange jam

 Wednesday

Lunch

Starter: Small tomato pizza Provençale

Main:  Grilled goats cheese with peppers and toast on a salad

Cheese: Selection of French cheeses

Dinner

Starter: Asparagus with poached egg and Hollandaise Sauce

Main: Homemade Pasta with pesto

Cheese: Selection of French cheeses

Dessert: Caramelized strawberries with cinnamon & poppy seed ice cream

Thursday

Lunch

Visit to Dinan Food Market or visit Mont St. Michel

Dinner

Starter: Provençale Courgette Tart

Main: Mushroom risotto

Cheese: Selection of French cheeses

Dessert: Apple Gratin with Cinnamon ice cream

Friday

Lunch

Starter: Beet & caramelised onion tart

Main: Caesar Salad

Cheese: Selection of French cheeses

Dinner

Starter: Gazpacho

Main: Polenta Lasagne

Cheese: Selection of French cheeses

Dessert: Tiramisu

Our First Cooking Class in French

We recently ran our first cooking class completely in the French language! It was a great success.  I was lucky in that everyone was so friendly and supportive. My French is slowly getting better  and to be honest I much prefer my Boeuf en Croute to my Beef Wellington!!