RESTAURANT REVIEW: SAILORS THAI, IVY, SYDNEY

Last Friday I met up with one of my previous managers and we went to Sailors Thai at Ivy.   Sailors Thai is known for offering authentic Thai food using premium Australian produce and superior Thai herbs and spices.  There was a meal deal for $20 that includes one main course + glass of champagne.  Unfortunately, it was not valid for us because you needed at least four people to dine there.  Nevertheless, we dined there anyway as we already sat down and went to Sailors Thai at the Rocks for a christmas party and the food was marvelous.

The decor at the Ivy is much nicer than the Rocks.  You still get the view of the kitchen from the communal sitting area but a black long table, dark lamp shades, neatly placed wine glasses, table cloth and eating plates.

Sailors Thai Kitchen

The menu selection was quite extensive for mains but are over $25 per dish and Thai food tends not to be so generous in servings.

Menu

The green curry of wagyu beef with roti was one of the stand outs from the select menu ($29.50).  Although, the roti didn't look freshly made but the wagyu beef was quite tender and the curry was quite nice and spicy.  We had to order the servings of rice on the side.

Green curry wagyu beef with roti ($29.50)

Besides wagyu beef I really like duck as you know in my previous blogspot entries.  So I chose the roasted duck and asian celery salad.  There was generous servings of the duck but it definitely isn't value for money to be paying for celery salad plus pieces of duck for $26.00.  Not much of a justification really especially if you can go to a food court and get it for $10.00.  The duck didn't have crispy skin either.  It was just soft, juicy and tender with plenty of celery and coriander.  Duck has a thick texture and there were strips of fat near the skin.  The sauce was like a sweet soy and it went well with the salad.  However, I didn't get the "wow" factor I had back then when I dined at the Rocks about a year ago.  This time was a bit of a disappointment.

Roasted duck with asian celery salad ($26.00)

Personally I wouldn't go back to Sailors Thai again unless there was the special deal going on for $20 that includes a free glass of wine.  The total meal for both of us came up to $91.00 for a lunch which is rather steep for lunch even though we both had a glass of wine each and a glass of sparkling or still water.  You can almost get a degustation for $90.00 at other restaurants as well with a few courses.

Now that I'm also into cooking, I don't want to go and dine somewhere that I can replicate the meal easily.  That is probably why I would love to dine at Heston Blumethal for his creativity and complexity in his meals.  Not only does his food look fantastic but it tastes unbelievably astronomical.  I'll have to dine at Fat Duck the next time I'm out to London unless he decides to open up a restaurant in Sydney just like Jamie Oliver (Jamie's Italian Australia) and David Chang (Momofuku).  If I was Heston, I certainly would branch out to open my restaurant in Sydney.  Even though the economy is currently bad with uncertainty from the Greek debt situation, it still takes 6 months to make a booking at the leading restaurant, the Quay.

Summary Review of Sailors Thai:


Food rating: 6.5/10


Service rating: 7/10


Ambience rating: 7/10


Price: $$$ (expensive)


Overall rating: 6.8/10




You need to catch the lift up from the Ivy building to Level 2.  When you enter you see nice Thai Buddha statue and entrance has nice dining tables and there's another separate room where the kitchen is with the communal table.

Sailors Thai, Ivy
Level 2, 330 George Street
Sydney  NSW 2000
Ph: (02) 9240 3000

Open Tuesday to Friday
Lunch: 12.00pm - 3.00pm
Dinner: 6.00pm - 10.30pm

Open Saturday (fixed price menu)
Dinner: 6.00pm - 10.30pm

BOCCONCINI-STUFFED MEATBALLS WITH TOMATO SAUCE RECIPE ADAPTED FROM DONNA HAY

This is another one of Donna Hay's recipe that I instantly wanted to make because I love Bocconcini.  It would have to be my favourite cheese! The other day I also had a meatball wrap at the Rocks from Wine Odyssey for $10 and it was so yummy!  To my delight, the meatballs turned out fabulously!  The best part of this recipe is having fun rolling and stuffing the meatballs with baby bocconcinis.  Interestingly, the bocconcinis did not melt but was still enclosed and intact inside the meatballs.  I was expecting an oozing effect just like chocolate oozing out of a souffle.  Perhaps if you change it to mozzarella cheese, it might have that effect instead.

Bocconcini-stuffed meatballs with tomato sauce           

Some ingredients for the meat balls

• Ingredients
• • 1 tablespoon milk
  • 1 slice white bread, crust removed, torn
  • 700g pork mince
  • 1 teaspoon fennel seeds
  • 1 teaspoon dried chilli flakes
  • 4 cloves garlic, crushed
  • sea salt and cracked black pepper
  • 24 baby bocconcini
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 x 400g cans cherry tomatoes
  • 1 teaspoon caster (superfine) sugar
  • 2 teaspoons red wine vinegar
  • finely grated parmesan, to serve
• 
  
• Method
• 1) Place the milk and bread in a bowl and set aside for 5 minutes or until milk is absorbed.  Add the pork, fennel, chilli, half the garlic, salt and pepper and mix well to combine.

2) Roll the mixture into 20-24 balls and press a bocconcini into the centre of each meat ball.

Roll the meatballs

3) Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large non-stick frying pan over high heat and cook the meatballs for 4-5 minutes, turning occasionally, or until cooked through.  Add the remaining oil and garlic and cook for 30 seconds.

Cook meatballs and turn occasionally on large non-stick flying pan

4) Add the tomatoes, sugar and vinegar and cook for a further 2-3 minutes or until sauce has thickened slightly.  

Add the cherry tomato sauce to the meatballs

5) Dish up the meatballs into a nice serving plate and sprinkle with parmesan to serve (optional).  I would also cook spaghetti to have with the meatballs otherwise some sourdough bread. Serves 6.

Serve with spaghetti almost like a bolognese

Juicy soft, tender meatballs with oozing cheese

Meatballs should be soft and juicy when you make them.  The best results come from barely mixing our meat mixture, don't over do it.  The breadcrumbs with milk also give it that tender texture.  This gives the meatballs the extra moisture.  For extra taste you can add to the meatballs some carrots, zucchini, onions and bell peppers.  


For another version of this dish, go to La Casa Del Formaggio's recipe link below.
http://www.lacasa.com.au/bocconcini-stuffed-meatballs-with-tomato-pesto-sauce.htm

LAMB SHANKS IN RED WINE SAUCE RECIPE ADAPTED FROM MICHAEL MOORE

Last Thursday I had the privilege of having dinner with my friend.  It was a rainy wet day and she thought of making the perfect winter warmer recipe, "Lamb shanks in red wine sauce".  She had made this recipe in the past and said that the lamb turned out beautiful.  I love lamb shanks and the only time I ever get to eat it is when I'm at a pub so the thought of her making this dish was exhilarating for me.  As it turned out the dish was delicious.  Sure, my friend said it needed another half hour to cook before the lamb pieces fall off the bone but I still loved it.  It had already been in the oven for 1.5 hours.  Her kids and her husband were getting hungry so we ate this hearty dish as it was after cooking it for 1.5 hours.

There wasn't much ingredients needed either for the dish so its quite easy to make and it's very tasty.  Check out the recipe below.  It takes about 2 hours to prepare, cook and serve the lamb shanks.

Delicious Lamb shanks

Ingredients include carrots, oregano, onions and bay leaf

Ingredients
1 tablespoon of olive oil
3 medium lamb shanks
Salt and pepper to taste
2 cloves of garlic
1 onion diced
2 medium carrots peeled
4 cups of chicken stock
400 g can diced tomatoes
1 fresh bay leaf
1 sprig of oregano
Parmesan cheese and crusty bread to serve


Method

1) Heat oil in a large earthenware pot.  Season the lamb shanks with salt and pepper.

Seasoned lamb with salt and pepper.

2) Cook shanks over high heat until browned all over.  Add garlic, onion and wine.  Bring to boil, simmer uncovered for 5 minutes or until reduced by half.

Browned lamb shanked with red wine, garlic and onion added

3) Add carrots, stock, tomatoes, bay leaf and oregano.  Bring to boil.  Cook covered for 11/2 hr hours or until lamb is very tender and falls off the bone.  Cool slightly.

Add carrots, stock, tomatoes, bay leaf and oregano

4) Serve the lamb on a plate and sprinkle some parmesan cheese if you like to.  Have some crusty bread  with the lamb shanks.

Lamb shanks

Just looking at the pictures again make my mouth water as this dish is simply delicious!  If you don't have a earthenware pot, it's time to buy one.    These are special pots that are made out of clay that can be used over an open flame.  My friend has the La Chasseur brand which is made in France.  The quality is superior over other clay pots.  They can be purchased at Peters at Kensington and are over $100 each on special.  I need to invest in one myself, coming to end of financial year, I'm hoping for a great sale as these pots are rather expensive but a great investment indeed.

ROSEMARY LAMB WITH CHERRY TOMATO, GREENS & BOCCONCINI SALAD RECIPE ADAPTED FROM DONNA HAY

Tonight I made rosemary lamb cutlets because I had spare rosemary from the beef stew I made two weeks ago.  Fortunately herbs like rosemary lasts long in the fridge and still have its fragrant strong aroma.  My friend once told me that Donna Hay recipes are simple and effortless so I decided to look for the lamb recipe from her website.  Luckily she had such a huge menu selection that I could choose although I didn't want a roast lamb so the cutlets were a perfect choice.

Rosemary lamb cutlets with cherry tomato, greens and bocconcini salad

There's only a few ingredients required to make this recipe and it only takes up to 30 minutes to dish it up.  The tossed salad is relatively easy with just lime juice and olive oil dressing.

Lamb cutlets from Coles, 60 ml of olive oil, two teaspoons of rosemary cut into smaller leaves, 1 lime (use 1 tablespoon of lime juice for the lamb and the rest for the side salad - NB: Donna Hay used lemon juice instead), sea salt and pepper, 1 clove of garlic diced into smaller pieces, 1 teaspoon of garlic and 1 teaspoon of ginger powder (additional flavours not included in Donna Hay's recipe)

Method

1) Combine two table spoons of olive oil, lime juice, garlic, rosemary, salt and pepper, garlic and ginger powder seasoning together in a bowl.

2) Brush the mixture on the cutlets on both sides as per below.  Let it sit aside for at least 20 minutes (Donna Hay suggests to cover it)

Marinated lamb cutlets

3) Place a pan on high heat and add olive oil.  Char grill the pan for 2-3 minutes on each side for medium rare or until cooked to your liking.

Pan fried lamb cutlets

Pan fried lamb cutlets

4) On a salad plate, cut up some cherry tomatoes, add some greens (beetroot leaf salad, spinach or lettuce) and bocconcini.  Drizzle with olive oil and squeeze the rest of the lime left over.  Toss the salad evenly and plate up the salad with the lamb cutlets for serving.

The lamb was so juicy and flavoursome! Cooking it for 2-3 minutes on both sides ensures that it doesn't become rubbery and tough.  This dish was so easy to make I'd love to recommend it to all my friends and anyone else out there would love lamb.  Some people cannot stand the smell of lamb but the lime juices and rosemary certainly takes away that pungent smell.  You can also add seeded mustard for the same effect and I've been told it tastes fantastic!

RESTAURANT REVIEW:  MAD COW, IVY, SYDNEY

Last Wednesday night I dined at Mad Cow with some good friends.  Best of all, there was a moo-nstruck meal deal from Monday to Friday night from 6-7 pm where you can get two courses and a glass of wine or beer for $40.  Although, there wasn't much choices on the menu - only two choices for entree, main and dessert.  We all decided to order the entree and main rather than the dessert thinking that we'll have desserts elsewhere given that the choices weren't appealing - single selection of local or imported cheese, guava paste, pink lady apple or pavlova, strawberries, passionfruit.

Seating area

Upon arrival we were greeted by a friendly man who was French (knew by the accent).  I inadvertently booked the est. restaurant online and when I told them my name, they couldn't find it but they seated us at the restaurant without a fuss.

Up on level 1 of the Ivy, this Mad Cow restaurant sits right inside the Ivy Bar.  There's a glass window separating the bar and the restaurant towards the back.  As a result, there isn't much privacy but instead you get a casual dining feel.  The dining table and chairs/couch supports this casual dining atmosphere (shown above). The restaurant has the same decor as the bar.  There's this candle (shown below) in a ceramic vase and another similar one that is decked outside the restaurant around the Ivy bar too.

Candle in ceramic vase

The two choices of entree were the oysters and pork capocolla.  I didn't have the Sydney rock oysters but my friend described the oysters as fresh, (from today's fish markets) and rather nice.  The lemon gave it the sour taste but was offset by the sweetness of the mignonette sauce.

Three Sydney Rock Oysters from today's market, shucked to order, mignonette sauce, lemon

I had the pork as my entree.  The pork was salty but the watercrest downplayed the saltiness and the rosemary oil was required otherwise the curated meat would have been too dry.  This entree was great to have with the complimentary sourdough bread.  It's a better choice over the oysters for that matter.

Kurobuta berkshire pork capocolla, rosemary oil

Now for the main dishes.  A choice between scotch fillet or ocean trout.  I love them both! At home we always buy scotch fillet because it is thinner and tastes a lot nicer than other chargrilled steak.  My preference anyway because the steak was so succulent - so juicy, soft and tender.  The BBQ sauce as a condiment was fantastic! Gave the steak a nice spicy tang.  I used every part of the sauce to spread over my steak.  Sour and sweetness again seem to be the Chef's hat tricks these days at most restaurants I've been too.

Spicy steak with BBQ sauce

As a side dish, we chose the pumpkin, spinach and chickpea salad.  The pumpkin was soft but too much salt was added so I really didn't like this side at all.

Pumpkin salad

Crisp skin fillet of Ocean Trout, baby beetroot, spicy lentils, eggplant.

The ocean trout was just as splendid as the steak.  When salmon or ocean trout are overcooked, the fish is flaky and looses its sweetness.  We didn't have this problem at Mad Cow as the fish was gorgeously cooked with a smooth texture and the skin was crisp.   The spicy lentils were not my favourite but the beetroot and eggplant were nice and sweet.

Overall the food was great, with the only let down being the pumpkin, spinach and chickpea salad but as this was neither part of the main or entree course, I would say that I would definitely recommend this place.   The service and atmosphere were both very good as well.  This place is in fact a one chef hat restaurant and the chef Christopher Whitehead spent five years working with the legendary Peter Doyle.  Chris prides himself by using the best seasonal produce to present the best steaks in town and ensures his food is flavoursome.  

Summary Review of Mad Cow:


Food rating: 8/10


Service rating: 7.5/10


Ambience rating: 7.5/10


Price rating: $$


Overall rating: 7.5/10



The best way to get to Mad Cow is to catch a train to Wynyard station as the Ivy is just across the station or any buses that stop near the train station or on the other side of George Street would be great.  I wouldn't recommend driving to the city to dine here.

Mad Cow restaurant
Level 1, 330 George Street
Sydney NSW 2000
Ph: (02) 9240 3000

Opening hours:
Open lunch
Monday to Friday 12.00pm - 3.00pm

Open dinner
Monday to Saturday 6.00pm - 10.30pm

RESTAURANT REVIEW: BAR H, CAMPBELL ST, SURRY HILLS

Bar H is nestled in a corner of Campbell Street and Forster Street.   It was once an old cafe revamped and renovated to become a restaurant.  As I was taking a photo from the outside, a waiter was waving her hands from the inside.  The waiters were very friendly at Bar H and the service was impeccable.  As we stepped inside the darkly lit restaurant with funky graffiti on the walls, we were greeted with a friendly smile and asked where we would like to sit.  The place is fairly small and given it was a cold day, we chose to sit under the warm heater rather than at the Bar next to the visible kitchen.  Standing there at the kitchen was Hamish Ingham, the head Chef of Bar H, who my friend described as discreetly shy.  My friend had gone to one of Hamish's two hour cooking lesson (worth $165) and fell in love with his food.  Fortunately for me, she booked the restaurant under a $79 Spreets voucher for a eight course meal so that I could experience the culinary delights from the Chef guided previously by Kylie Kwong at her acclaimed restaurant, "Billy Kwong".

The seven course meal was definitely fulfilling.  Towards the end of it, you could barely fit in dessert.  Without the $79 deal though, it would be described as an expensive night out.  They have a cocktail special from 6-7pm and my friend tells me Bar H makes the best apple cider drink.  Aside from the cocktails and desserts, I have to be honest that not all the dishes were outstanding.  In fact, I think the desserts were the excitement of the night because they were somewhat unique desserts with a twist and they tasted fabulous.

I am a huge fan of duck.  Peking duck, Duck a L'orange, BBQ duck, Smoked tea duck, you name it, so to start off with duck broth brought a smile to my face.  There were enokitake mushrooms, microherbs and strips of duck floating on the broth.  The broth had a strong sweet tantalising aroma and yet the taste of it was rather subtle.  You could taste the duck but it wasn't accentuated.  I would have preferred the broth to be more flavoursome because the smell was sensational.  Asian Five spices would give this dish a boost of flavour.

Duck broth

Next on the menu was a cucumber and fungi salad spiced with chili and vinaigrette sauce.  This was a pretty ordinary dish so didn't appeal much other than it was slightly tangy and spicy from the sauce.

Spiced cucumber and fungi salad with microherbs

Believe it or not, I have never tasted fennel before my visit to Bar H.  I quite like it despite the fact that people think it tastes like licorice because I'm not a fan of licorice either.  The fennel shavings topped the prawn wonton dish below with chili oil and soy sauce.  This dish was slightly too salty for my liking.

Prawn dumplings garnished with fennel

The steamed pork buns was rather sweet.  It didn't taste like the ones you get in yum cha though so was unique in that sense.  My friend added that the buns elsewhere would have been sweeter and much to her liking.

Steamed Pork Buns

The cuttlefish with fresh herb salad below had finely chopped raddish, and fennel, spanish onions, enokitake mushrooms, fungus and mint.  When Bar H says that love fresh produce, they mean it especially when they are a fan of fennel, raddish and microherbs.  Again, a touch of spice and the fish sauce to give it a tangy sour flavour.

Cuttlefish with fresh herb salad

These last two main dishes are my favourite out of the mains.  Again the sauce was a bit subtle in the Crispy chicken with shallots dish but the crispy chicken was undeniably crispy and won my heart over.  Though the shallots gave it a strong garlic and onion aftertaste.

Crispy chicken with shallots

The last braised beef with sichuan eggplant main dish was a true winner.  Both my friend and I forced ourselves to eating every part of this dish because it was remarkable.  I rate it the highest because the braised beef was so tender and soft, the strips of meat would just fall off as it hits your mouth.  Then there was the eggplant which when cooked, it is so soft and the oils from the eggplant taste unbelievably good.

Braised Beef with Sichuan eggplant

Now for my most favourite part of the meal, the scrumptious desserts!!! Ooh la la, feels like a dream.  The ginger granita gives it a cooling but strong peppery sweet flavour while the pepita, a crunchy nutty flavour.  Sourness from the sour cream and sweetness from the persimmon fruit, this dessert definitely has a burst of all kinds of hot, sour and sweetness flavours making it rather unique and interesting.

Ginger granita, persimmon, pepita and sour cream dessert

Finally, the silken tofu with rich ginger syrup is another awesome dessert.  I so love the smooth and silkiness of the tofu.   It doesn't taste like the chinese yum cha sweet tofu either and the rich syrup brings sweetness to the dish as tofu is pretty bland by itself.

Tofu with ginger syrup

In Summary, Bar H take pride in their food from sourcing entirely on fresh and good ingredients.  If you could get a good deal then no doubt give this place a try.  Otherwise it will be a tad on the expensive side.  I would opt for the desserts as well because it is unlikely that any other restaurant will serve such creative sweets.

Summary Review of Bar H:


Food rating: 7/10


Service rating: 8/10


Ambience rating: 7/10


Price rating: $$


Overall rating: 7/10



The best way to get to Bar H if you don't drive is to catch a train and get off at Central Station then walk along Elizabeth Street and turn at Campbell street.  It should only take maximum 5 minutes.

Bar H address and contact no:

80 Campbell St Surry Hills
(02) 9280 1980

Opening Hours:
Lunch - Mon to Fri - 11.30am - 2.30pm

Dinner - Tues to Sun - 6pm til late

MACADAMIA-CRUSTED SALMON RECIPE

This is an old time favourite recipe that I introduced to the family.  Macadamia nuts are rich in protein, calcium and potassium.  They are also high in energy and fibre with no cholesterol.  Salmon is rich in Omega 3 so it can lower your cholesterol too and has the benefits of strengthening your muscles and heart; helps to improve your memory; aids in speeding up your metabolism and gives you shiny hair bright eyes and healthy skin.  With such good benefits of both macadamia nuts and salmon, this recipe is definitely a must try.  What I love most is when you buy the salmon steak, the ends are always fatty with oils and if you don't overcook the salmon, it literally melts in your mouth!

Macadamia Crusted Salmon Steak

Macadamia Crusted Salmon Steak

Macadamia crusted salmon steak recipe

Preparation time: 30 minutes
Difficulty rating: Easy

Ingredients:

1 salmon steak
1 lime
2 teaspoons of corn flour
50g of macadamia nuts
1 tablespoon of Olive oil

Method

1. Mash the macadamia nuts into smaller pieces so that it's easier to fry and sit on the salmon.
2. Cut a lime into quarters.  Poke the salmon with a tooth pick in several places so that you can squeeze the lime juice.  5 minutes later, put on the corn flour to seal the lime juice on both sides.
3. Place a saucepan on high heat and add oil.  Brown the salmon on both sides for about 5-7 minutes to that you don't over cook it.
4. Put the crushed macadamia nuts on one side of the salmon and turn it over until the macadamia nuts are slightly brown.
5. Serve the salmon on a plate and make a salad as a complement to the dish.

Macadamia crusted salmon steak with tomato, cheddar cheese and lettuce salad

STRAWBERRY CHOCOLATE GATEAU DESSERT RECIPE: ADAPTED FROM WOMEN'S WEEKLY


About a year and a half ago, I went to a dinner planned by my friend's wife who I later got to know pretty well.  She's another fantastic cook and loves cooking.  She's made a rosemary chicken with roasted vegetables and this amazing dessert - "Strawberry & Chocolate Gateau".    The best thing about this recipe is that it doesn't look like it requires much ingredients and it looks a lot simpler than other desserts.  It should take up to an hour to prepare and then it needs about an hour to refrigerate before you decorate the cake.  Here's what the exquisite dessert looks like and the recipe below:-

Strawberry Chocolate Gateau

Strawberry Chocolate Gateau - close up

Strawberry Chocolate Gateau recipe
Preparation Time: Up to an hour + 3 hours to refrigerate
Difficulty rating: Relatively easy


Ingredients:
4 egg whites
1 1/4 cups (275g) caster sugar
1 cup (100g) hazelnut meal
1 teaspoon white vinegar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
185g dark eating chocolate, melted
20g butter, melted
13/4 cup (430g) thickened cream, whipped125g strawberries, halved

Method
1. Preheat oven to moderate (180/160 degree fan forced) Grease two 20cm springform tins: line base and sides with baking paper, grease paper, sprinkle with cornflour, shake away excess.
2. Beat egg whites in small bowl with electric mixer until soft peaks form: gradually add sugar, beating until sugar is dissolved between each addition. Fold in hazelnut meal, vinegar and extract.
3. Spread meringue mixture evenly into tins: bake about 35 mins or until meringue is crisp. Release sides of tins: cool meringues on base of tins.
4. Combine chocolate and butter in small bowl
5. Remove meringue layers from bases. Place one layer on plate, flat-side down. Spread with half the chocolate mixture, top with half of the cream and the strawberries.
6. Spread flat side of second meringue layer with remaining chocolate mixture, place on top of strawberry layer, chocolate-side down. Cover top of cake with remaining cream. Refrigerate 3 hours or overnight. Dust with sifted cocoa powder before serving, if desired.

BLUEBERRY/RASPBERRY AND PISTACHIO TIRAMISU RECIPE

Five minutes ago, I just devoured the fruits of my labour.  This blueberry and pistachio tiramisu is simply refreshing and divine.  I don't think I've ever made anything that taste so good before!  I love berries and pistachios so this is definitely one recipe to keep forever.

Leemei Tan is a true inspiration of mine.  She made this beautiful dessert adapted from Jose Marechal - "Verrines Toutes Fraiches".  Verrines referred to as "delights in a glass".   She is one of the World's most popular food bloggers and has been interviewed by the New York Times.  I couldn't wait to make this dessert when I found it online - it looked so delicious.

Blueberry or Raspberry & Pistachio Tiramisu

Summer Recipe: Blueberry or Raspberry & Pistachio Tiramisu

Makes 4 – 8 Verrines.  It depends on the size of your glasses how many glasses of the dessert you'll end up making.  My glasses were 7 cms long so I ended up making 5 Verrines.

Preparation Time: 3hrs (including chilling time)


Difficulty rating: Easy

Ingredients:

Eggs, 3

Mascarpone, 250g

Icing sugar, 80g

Lady fingers biscuits, 18 – 24

Fresh Blueberry (or Raspberry), 125g and extra for garnish

Pistachio, 60g

Chocolate biscuits, 4.

Amaretto liquer, 1 small glass

I made some changes to the ingredients from the original recipe.  First of all I didn't buy chocolate biscuits, instead I bought Cadbury Flake which is excellent for decorating desserts even though I ended up using all the raspberry, blueberry and pistachio for decoration instead.  I bought 125g of fresh blueberries and raspberries to see which one tastes better.  Raspberries are more expensive than blueberries but I they taste better.  Just don't be such a foodie like me and buy them when they are out of season because they are double the price.  The punnet of raspberries were AUD$8 whilst the punnet of blueberries were AUD$7.  Blueberries during summer are only about AUD $3-$4.

Method

1. Slightly mash the raspberries/blueberries in a bowl with 30g of sugar.

125g of fresh raspberry

Mash the raspberries with 30g of icing sugar

2. Use the food processor to finely crush lady fingers biscuits. Divide and layer it at the bottom of the glass. Repeat this to the rest of the glasses. Pour in amaretto in each glass and press the biscuits slightly using the tips of your fingers. Then, put a layer of mashed raspberries/blueberries on top of the biscuits. Put them into the fridge to chill.

250g of lady finger biscuits

Blend the finger biscuits.  Suggest cut them into pieces first.

Put the lady fingers into the verrines equally with the amaretto.
Then layer with the crushed raspberries.

3. Separate the egg yolks and egg whites into 2 separate bowls. Whisk the egg yolks with 25g of sugar until the colour turns almost white. After that, add in mascarpone and beat at high speed until it’s firm and well mixed.

Whipped egg yolks with 25g of sugar.

4. Beat the egg whites until creamy and white. Then, add in 25g of sugar and continue to beat until they hold a stiff peak. Add in the beaten egg yolk and mascarpone mixture. Stir and mix well.

Whipped egg whites.  This takes about 10 mins + to get the stiffness

5. Pour in the mascarpone creme into each glass that has been layered with biscuits and mashed blueberries/raspberries. Put in the fridge for another 2 hours to set and chill.

layer the mascarpone mix on top of the layered raspberries

6. Just before serving, crush the chocolate biscuits and pistachios and sprinkle them on top of the creme and garnish with a few blueberries/raspberries.

After at least 2 hours of chilling in the fridge, decorate the dessert
 with pistachios, raspberries and blueberries.

You can do other variations to this dessert by changing the amaretto.  Use almond extracts if you don't want any alcohol.  You can also use 50ml of cointreau or grand marnier if you want a orange twist or for coffee lovers, try using 1 tablespoon of coffee and 2 teaspoons of kahlua or baileys.