Duck Breasts with Cassis n Raspberries Sauce and Vegetable Timbales

今天不用上班，心情是愉快的。很有闲情的搞一个法国之夜。。哈哈，菜单里全是法国料理。就连饼干都是选用法国薰衣草。够无聊了吧！

Ingredients:

200g x 4 duck breasts

2 tsp sea salt

2 tsp ground cinnamon

1 tbsp demerara sugar

250ml red wine

170ml crème de cassis

1 tbsp cornflour

250g raspberry

Methods: 

Score the duck breasts through the skin and fat. Heat a frying pan and fry the duck breasts, skin side down, until the skin browns and the fat runs out. Lift the duck out of the pan and tip away most of the fat.

Combine the sea salt, cinnamon and demerara sugar. Sprinkle over the skin of the duck breasts, and  press in with your hands. Season with black pepper. Reheat the frying pan and cook the duck breasts,skin-side up, for 10-15 minutes. Lift out of the frying pan and leave to rest on a carving board.

Preheat the grill to 200 C

Combine wine and cassis in a jug. Mix in cornflour.

Pour the excess fat out of the frying pan to leave about 2 tablesppons. Return the pan to the heat and pour in the red wine and cassis. Simmer for 2-3 minutes, stirring constantly, until the sauce has thickened. Add the raspberries and simmer for another minute, to warm the fruit through. Season well.

Grill the duck breasts, skin-side up, for 1 minute.  Pour sauce over the top of the breast.

Reference : World Kitchen , France pg 184

  

Vegetable Timbales

Ingredients:

280g carrots, chopped

280g watercress, trimmed

280g red capsicums

185ml thick cream

7 egg yolks

a pinch of nutmeg

Method:

Boil carrot until soft. Wash the watercress and steam to soft. Drain, cool and squeeze dry.

Preheat grill 200C. Cut the capsicums in half, remove the seeds and membrane and place skin-side up, under the hot grill until the skin blackens and blisters. Peel away the skin.

Preheat oven to 160C. Puree each of the vegetables individually in a food processor, adding a third of the cream to the carrot to make a smooth puree.  Pour the capsicum puree into a saucepan and stir over moderate heat until thickened. Put each puree in its own bowl to cool, then divide the remaining cream between the capsicum and watercress puree.

Stir 2 egg yolks into each puree, divide the last yolk between the watercress and capsicum purees. Season with salt, pepper and nutmeg.

Grease four timbale moulds. Divide carrot puree among the moulds and smooth the surface. Spoon the watercress puree on top of the carrot puree and smooth the surface. Finish with the capsicum puree and smooth the surface.

Put the timbale moulds in a roasting tin and then ad hot water to come halfway up the sides of the timbale. Cook for 1 ¼ hours.

Reference : World Kitchen, France pg 184

Lavender Shortbread

每逢这季节，我家对面一片紫色的薰衣草是我最爱看的。我喜欢薰衣草的芬芳，常常在家都会点薰衣草的精油减压 （有压力吗？？因该有啦，常睡不好），但是用来当食材还是第一次。薰衣草做饼干有点怪， 味道嘛。。见人见智咯！我是参考这里。

Ingredients：

250g unsalted butter, softened

75g caster sugar

1 tbsp water

300g plain flour

100g rice flour

2 tbsp dried edible lavender, chopped coarsely

2 tbsp demerara sugar

Method:

Preheat oven to 140. Grease oven trays.

Beat butter and caster sugar in smoall bowl with electric mixer until light and fluffy; transfer to large bowl. Stir in the water, sifted flours and half the lavender, in two batches.

Turn dough onto floured surface, knead gently until smooth. Roll dough to 1cm thickness. Cut with preferred cookie cutter.

Sprinkle with demerara sugar and remaining lavender.

Bake shortbread about 25-30 minutes.

经济炒面

今天一早，不知道为什么肚子饿得醒过来。第一时间想到Sherley的炒面。很久没有吃经济面作早餐了。以前住家里，妈妈去巴杀常常就会打包经济面，米粉之类的早餐回来，还要是走完马六甲买最好吃的回来（包括有春香家的，阿鹏的还有三宝井转弯角头的）。当时是很幸福的， 但是就是不惜福，还整幅大小姐模样，整天嫌三嫌四， 很难服侍。现在啊，要吃还要自己动手炒。， 还好Shirley@kokken69给了一个很简单的食谱，很快的炒面出炉，可以医肚子咯。家里没有豆芽还好有金针菇作代替：）食谱请参考。这里外面大概买不到经济面啦，没得比较之下，唯有讲自己的好吃咯！