Yorkshire Pudding

Ingredients
140g plain flour
4 eggs
200ml milk
sunflower oil, for cooking

Method

1. Heat oven to 230C/fan 210C/gas 8. Drizzle a little sunflower oil evenly into 2 x 4-hole Yorkshire pudding tins or a 12-hole non-stick muffin tin and place in the oven to heat through. 
2. To make the batter, tip 140g plain flour into a bowl and beat until smooth. Gradually add 200ml milk and carry on beating until the mix is completely lump-free. Season with salt and pepper. Pour the batter into a jug, then remove the hot tins from the oven. Carefully and evenly pour the batter into the holes. Place the tins back in the oven and leave undisturbed for 20-25 mins until the puddings have puffed up and browned. Serve immediately. 
3. You can also cool them and freeze for up to 1 month.

Bread & Butter Pudding

Ingredients:
50g currants, raisins or sultanas, or a mixture, optional
3 tbsp brandy, optional
200ml whole milk
Vanilla pod, halved
Zest of ½ lemon
75g slightly salted butter
8 slices of slightly stale white sourdough, fruit bread or panettone, cut into triangles
3 eggs
2 tbsp caster sugar
100ml double cream
1 tbsp demerara sugar
Nutmeg, to grate

Method:

1. If you're using panettone or fruit bread, you can skip this step if you like. Put the dried fruit into a small cup and pour over the brandy to cover. Cover tightly and leave to soak overnight.
2. When you're ready to make the pudding, put the milk into a small pan with the vanilla pod. Bring to a simmer, then turn off the heat, add the lemon zest and allow to cool. 
3. Meanwhile, butter the bread and your baking dish and arrange half the slices in overlapping rows inside. Beat the eggs together with the sugar until well mixed, and then remove the vanilla pod from the milk and discard before beating the milk and the cream into the egg mixture. Pour a little more than half over the bread, add the soaked fruit if using, and leave for 20 minutes. 
4. Pre-heat the oven to 180C. Arrange the rest of the bread in a second layer in the baking dish and drizzle over the rest of the custard. Dot with the rest of the butter, scatter with demerara sugar and grate some nutmeg over the top. 
5. Place in a roasting tin and and fill halfway with water to make a bain marie. Cook for 35 – 45 minutes until golden brown. Allow to stand for 10 minutes before serving. 

Serves 4

Balsamic and Mustard Dressing

Ingredients
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1/2 cup olive oil
1 tsp Dijon mustard (I prefer grainy, but smooth is fine)
1 tsp honey (agave will also work)
1 tsp dried herbs eg. oregano, thyme (Leave these out if there are flavors in the salad or dish you may not want them to compete with)
salt & pepper

Method

1. You can either mix it with a fork, a whisk or shake it up a jar (any shape will do!). But for optimal flavor, really mix it. Use a jar if you’re going to be making extra and storing it, since it will store in the fridge for anywhere from months to forever.

Banana Bread

Ingredients

350g ripe bananas (peeled weight)
180g plain flour, plus extra for the tin
2½ tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
160g soft, light brown sugar
2 eggs, beaten
4 tbsp melted butter, plus extra to grease, slightly cooled
50g walnuts, roughly chopped

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 170C. Put two-thirds of the peeled banana chunks into a bowl and mash until smooth. Roughly mash the remainder and stir in gently.
2. Sift the flour, baking powder and salt into a bowl, and grease and lightly flour a baking tin about 21x9x7cm.
3. Put the sugar, eggs and melted butter in a large bowl and use an electric mixer to whisk them until pale and slightly increased in volume. Fold in the bananas and the dry ingredients until you can see no more flour, then fold in the walnuts.
4. Spoon into the tin and bake for about an hour until a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean. Cool in the tin for 10 minutes before turning out on to a rack to cool completely.

French Macarons

Ingredients

• For The Macarons

  • 1 cup confectioners' sugar
  • 3/4 cup almond flour
  • 2 large egg whites, room temperature
  • Pinch of cream of tartar
  • 1/4 cup superfine sugar

• Suggested Fillings For Macarons

  
  

  • Chocolate: Chocolate Ganache
  • Coconut: 1 cup Swiss Meringue Buttercream, mixed with 1/3 cup angel-flake coconut.
  • Peanut: Chocolate Ganache, or store-bought dulce de leche, jam, or peanut butter.
  • Pistachio: 1 cup Swiss Meringue Buttercream, mixed with 1/3 cup finely chopped pistachios.
  • Raspberry: 3/4 cup seedless raspberry jam

  • Method

    1. Pulse confectioners' sugar and almond flour in a food processor until combined. Sift mixture 2 times.
    2. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Whisk whites with a mixer on medium speed until foamy. Add cream of tartar, and whisk until soft peaks form. Reduce speed to low, then add superfine sugar. Increase speed to high, and whisk until stiff peaks form, about 8 minutes. Sift flour mixture over whites, and fold until mixture is smooth and shiny.
    3. Transfer batter to a pastry bag fitted with a 1/2-inch plain round tip, and pipe 3/4-inch rounds 1 inch apart on parchment-lined baking sheets, dragging pastry tip to the side of rounds rather than forming peaks. Tap bottom of each sheet on work surface to release trapped air. Let stand at room temperature for 15 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 325 degrees. Bake 1 sheet at a time, rotating halfway through, until macarons are crisp and firm, about 10 minutes. After each batch, increase oven temperature to 375 degrees, heat for 5 minutes, then reduce to 325 degrees.
    4. Let macarons cool on sheets for 2 to 3 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack. (If macarons stick, spray water underneath parchment on hot sheet. The steam will help release macarons.)
    5. Sandwich 2 same-size macarons with 1 teaspoon filling. Serve immediately, or stack between layers of parchment, wrap in plastic, and freeze for up to 3 months.

    Cook's Note

    Piping the perfect macaroon takes a little practice. Treat it as you would a rosette, bringing the pastry tip to the side of the circle, rather than forming a peak, to finish.

    Variations

    Chocolate: Substitute 3 tablespoons unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder for 1/4 cup of the almond flour.

Quick Brazilian Cheese Rolls (Pao de Queijo) – Gluten Free!

Ingredients: 
1 large egg
1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup canola oil
1 cup tapioca flour (sometimes labeled tapioca starch) no substitutions
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/4 C grated cheddar cheese* (preferably medium or sharp)
1/4 C grated Parmesan cheese *you can play around with the cheese. I’ve used Monterey Jack, low-moisture mozarella, swiss, and even gruyere in place of the cheddar. All great!

Optional:
extra cheese to sprinkle on top and any herbs/flavorings you’d like to add. Try rosemary and or garlic powder, my favorites!

Method: 

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. 
2. Place egg, milk, oil, tapioca flour, and salt in blender and blend until smooth. 
3. Add cheeses and pulse 2 times. 
4. Immediately pour batter into a mini muffin tin (if your muffin tin isn’t non-stick, spray lightly with non-stick spray first), filling each well about 3/4 full, or just slightly less.
5. If desired (and I recommend), sprinkle a bit of parmesan cheese on top and/or a tiny sprinkle of kosher salt. 
6. Bake for 15-20 minutes until puffed and golden. 
7. Remove from oven and cool for a few minutes before removing rolls from pan. Serve warm.

These actually don’t re-heat well so I recommend making and eating fresh. 
Yield: anywhere from 16-24 rolls, depending on how full you fill your muffin pan. I fill mine pretty full (a good 3/4 full) and I generally get about 16-18.

Lobster Yee Mein Recipe (Lobster Noodles with Ginger and Scallions)

Ingredients: 
1 lobster (about 2.5 – 3 lbs)
4 oz. Yee Mein or E-Fu Noodles
1 1/2 cup water + 1 tablespoon corn starch (use more corn starch if you like thicker sauce)
2 stalks scallions (cut into 2-inch length)
10-12 slices peeled ginger
3 tablespoons cooking oil
Extra cooking oil for frying

Sauce: 
2 tablespoons oyster sauce
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1/8 teaspoon white pepper powder
1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
1 tablespoon Shaoxing wine
Salt to taste

Method: 

1. Clean the lobster and chop into pieces. Lightly crack the lobster claws in advance. Blot the lobster dry with paper towels.
2. Heat up a pot of boiling water and boil the Yee Mein according to the packing instructions. Make sure not to over boil the Yee Mein. Drain and set aside on a big plate/bowl. 
3. In a big wok or deep skillet, heat up 3 tablespoons of cooking oil. 
4. Stir-fry the ginger until aromatic and drop in the lobster. Stir continuously until they start turning red, then add in the sauce, follow by the water. 
5. Continue to stir and coat the sauce nicely, then cover the wok/skillet with its lid and wait for a couple minutes or until the lobster pieces are cooked through. (Do not over cook the lobter as it will turn rubbery in texture!) 
6. Remove the lid and add the chopped scallions into the lobster. 
7. Add salt to taste if needed. 
8. Transfer the lobster out and pour onto the bed of yee mein. Serve immediately.

Broccoli & Cauliflower Fritters

Ingredients
1 head Broccoli, cut into small florets
1 head Cauliflower, cut into small florets
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 small Onion, diced
1/2 cup Self-rising flour
1/2 teaspoon Cumin
1/2 teaspoon Turmeric
1/2 teaspoon Paprika
1 teaspoon Cayenne Pepper
Salt and pepper to taste
1/3 cup mixed cheese (Mozarella and Parmesan)
1/4 cup of milk Vegetable oil

Method

1. Cook the broccoli and cauliflower in a lightly salted boiling water until tender (about 7-8 minutes). 
2. Drain and mash (with fork or a potato masher). 
3. Stir in the rest of the ingredients and mix well. 
4.  Heat oil in a small skillet/pan, and spoon 1/4 cup of mixture into the pan, flatten with a spatula. Fry until both sides are golden brown. 
5. Remove from pan and repeat the process. 
6. Serve the fritter with a dollop of Greek Yoghurt, sprinkling of Spring Onions and more Cayenne Pepper if you like it hot. 

Slow Provençal Lamb

Ingredients:
1 lamb shoulder, about 4-1/2 pounds/2 kg, cut into large chunks
Salt and pepper
3 tablespoons olive oil
3 onions, peeled and sliced
6 plum tomatoes
About 1-1/2 cups/375 ml red or white wine
1 cup/250 ml veal stock
1 head garlic, broken into peeled cloves
3 bay leaves
2 rosemary branches
1 bouquet fresh thyme
1 pound/450 g red peppers, seeded and cut into strips
1 pound/450 g eggplant, cut into chunks
1 pound/450 zucchini, cut into chunks

Method:

1. Heat the oven to 300°F or 150°C. 
2. Season the lamb generously with salt and pepper. Heat a spoonful or two of the oil in a cocotte and brown the meat well on both sides, about 15 minutes per side. Remove the meat. 
3. Add another spoonful of oil and cook the onions until soft, 5 to 7 minutes. 
4. While the onions are browning, peel, quarter, and seed the tomatoes over a sieve set over a bowl to catch the juices. Reserve the tomatoes for later. 
5. Pour the juice into a 2 cup/500 ml measuring cup and add enough wine to fill. Deglaze the onions with the veal stock, stirring up the good bits from the bottom. 
6. Add the wine and tomato juice mixture. Add the garlic, bay leaves, rosemary, and thyme. Wet a piece of parchment paper and lay it over the meat, set on a lid, and bake 1-/2 hours. 
7. While the lamb cooks, salt the eggplant and set in a colander to drain, about 30 minutes. Rinse and pat dry. 
8. Roast the red peppers. 
9. Once the lamb has cooked 1-1/2 hours, add the eggplant, tomatoes and peppers, cover and cook for another hour. 
10. Increase the heat to 400°F/200°C. 
11. Remove the lid and the parchment, add the zucchini, and cook a further 45 minutes uncovered. 
12. Serve straight from the pot. 
13. Remove from the oven. Remove the herbs. 
14. Spoon the lamb onto plates, with the sauce spooned over. 

Show: French Food at Home2
Chef: Laura Calder
Category: Main Course

Ease of Cooking: Moderate
Yields: 6 Servings