a splendid table for four
Our talented host this issue decided to take the opportunity to celebrate friendship this month by creating a splendid table of sumptuous local faire, carefully and creatively prepared and plated. Sander’s love of food and obvious talent provides the perfect way for him to connect with and show his appreciation for his friends and family.
Venison Tartare with Garlic Noir on Fennel Crisp with Truffle Mayo
Ingredients
Venison Tartare
500gm diced venison loin
1 tbsp chopped capers
1 tsp wholegrain Dijon mustard
1 tbsp chopped gherkins
1 clove chopped Garlic Noir
1 tbsp chopped parsley
Fennel Crisp
100gm Tapioca pearls
1 tsp fennel seeds
Pinch of salt
2 cups canola oil
Truffle Mayo
1 tbsp good Mayonnaise
4 dops of Truffle oil.
Garnish
Chopped chives
Instructions
Cook the tapioca pearls with the fennel seeds and salt until transparent, about 20 minutes. Drain in a sieve and rinse.
Put the tapioca in a blender and blitz for a couple of seconds. Spread out on a baking tray and dry in the oven.
Heat oil in a pot until 195C and fry bits of the dried tapioca until puffed up, place on kitchen paper.
Mix all tartare ingredients and season with salt and pepper.
Mix the mayo ingredients together.
Place a bit of tartare on top of the tapioca crips, put some aioli on top and garnish with the chives.
Salmon Fillet from ‘The Marlborough Sounds’ with Horseradish Cream with Spring Vegetables and toasted Hazelnuts
Ingredients
2 tbsp Grated Horseradish
200 gm Crème Fraiche
Splash Red Wine Vinegar
Toasted Hazelnuts
Fried Kalamata Olives
1 Bunch Broccolini
1 Bunch Asparagus
Lemon
1 tbsp Salsa Verde:
1½-2 cloves garlic
2 big handfuls of fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 bunch of fresh basil
1 handful of fresh mint
1 small handful of capers
1 small handful of gherkins, in sweet vinegar
6 quality anchovy fillets
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
8 tablespoons really good extra virgin olive oil
Instructions
Blanch the peeled asparagus and broccolini in salted water for 2 minutes.
Mix the horseradish, crème fraiche and red wine vinegar.
Fry the Salmon in a pan on the skin side first for 3 minutes, turn over and rest in hot pan, so salmon slightly cooks through.
Put a smear of horseradish cream on the plate, put vegetables on the plate, put salmon on top with a tbsp of the salsa verde.
Garnish with the nuts and olives and grated lemon zest
Steamed Cloudy Bay ‘Diamond Shell’ Clams with Baguette
Ingredients
Olive oil
1 clove of garlic
1 red chilli
3 sprigs of thyme
1 tomato (diced)
1 cup Sauvignon Blanc
1 handful chopped Italian parsley
1 Sourdough baguette
Salted butter
Instructions
Fry in a hot pot the chopped chilli, chopped garlic and thyme until starting to colour.
Add the clams and shake the pot, after 20 seconds add the wine, chopped tomato and parsley and put the lid on the pot.
Once the clams just open, scoop them out into a bowl and serve with the baguette and bread.
Braised Beef Cheek with Porcini Mushrooms, Gnocchi & Winter Greens
Beef Cheeks (Cook 1 day in advance):
Ingredients
800 gm beef cheeks
1 glass of Pinot Noir
1 cube of beef stock powder
3 bay leaf
1 garlic clove
1 rosemary sprig
Instructions
Fry the cheeks in a pan in oil until well browned.
Put in slow cooker, add the wine, salt, black pepper, garlic, water, stock, bay leaves and rosemary.
Slow cook for 8 hours on low/medium heat, check if tender. If yes, take out of liquid and store in fridge.
The next day, when cooled down, portion in chunks and put in oven tray, add some of the cooking liquid and cover with foil.
Gnocchi
Ingredients
1 kg Agria potatoes, peeled
1 free-range egg
½ tsp nutmeg
225g “00” flour, plus extra for dusting
4 tbsp butter
Instructions
Boil the potatoes in salted water until just cooked.
Cool slightly, then while still warm, press through a potato ricer or sieve into a bowl, make a well in the centre and add egg, salt, nutmeg and some of the flour. Mix well and keep adding flour until you feel the dough come together. Add more flour only if the dough feels sticky.
Place a large piece of baking paper on the bench or a large wooden board, dust with flour and lightly flatten dough into a rough square about 1.5cm thick. Cut into strips 1.5cm wide – a plastic dough cutter is good for this because it won’t scratch. Keeping your hands dusted with flour, roll the strips into skinny sausage shapes on a not-too-floury part of the board, then move them onto a more floury part until ready to cut.
Cut into 1.5cm pieces. Roll these over the tines of a fork to give the traditional ridged shell shape if you wish, but it’s not essential.
Blanch the gnocchi in salted water, until they float to surface, scoop out with slotted spoon and put on well-oiled (use olive oil) tray, put in the chiller until ready to use.
Porcini Mushrooms
(Make when Cheeks are in the oven, see below)
Ingredients
400 gm Swiss Brown mushrooms, cut in half
25 gm dried Porcini (soaked in little bit of warm water and chopped up)
1 Shallot, finely diced
1 teaspoon fresh thyme Leaves
200 gm Spinach Leaves and Kale Leaves
1 small packet beef glace from Foundation Foods
125 gm block Grana Padano
Instructions
Fry shallot with mushrooms, when coloured add the thyme and porcini. Season with salt and turn off.
When ready to serve:
Place tray with cheeks in preheated oven on 160°C for 15 minutes.
In a frying pan, heat the butter, add the gnocchi and coat completely in the butter.
Stir the spinach and beef glace through the mushrooms until wilted.
Place the pieces of the cheeks on warm dinner plates, scatter the mushrooms over the top, followed by the gnocchi.
Grate Grana Padano over the top and toasted pine nuts
Paleo Chocolate Caramel Tart with Strawberries & Whipped Vanilla Cream
Ingredients
1 cup almond, ground
3 cup dried dates, briefly soak in hot water and drain
1.66 of cup coconut oil, melted
1.25 cup cashews
0.25 cup coconut cream
2.5 tbsp cocoa
0.25 cup of honey or maple syrup
1 tbsp coconut cream
1 cup chopped strawberries
250ml cream,
seeds of half vanilla bean,
1 tbsp sugar
Chopped pistachio
Instructions
For the base blend almonds, 1 cup of dates and 0.25 of a cup of coconut oil in processor and press in lined 20cm round tin and chill.
For the filling blend cashews, coconut cream, 1 cup coconut oil, 2 cups dried dates in processor and spread over base and chill.
For the topping mix in small bowl the 0.33 of coconut oil, 2.5 tbsp of cocoa, 0.25 cup of honey or maple syrup and 1 tbsp of coconut cream and poor over base, spread if necessary.
For plating, whip the cream with the seeds of half of a vanilla pod and tbsp of sugar. Place slice of tart on a plate, put dollop of cream on the plate, place chopped strawberries on top and
garnish with chopped pistachio
