Prunes Nicely Plumped Up With Alcohol

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Prunes Nicely Plumped Up With Alcohol

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Fattened with liquor, this is the best way to eat prunes.

Sophie Grigson is the inspiration for these prunes. I watched her years ago on TV, plumping up prunes in cognac for her pork medallions in cream sauce. That is a good recipe and I use it often enough. 

I had fattened up an entire bag of prunes as I didn't want a half bag of prunes in my larder. I knew alcohol soaked prunes will disappear faster than shrivelled dried ones. I was right. 

Half a bag of alcoholic prunes went into the Sophie's dish of pork medallions and the other half was polished off with scoops of vanilla ice cream. 

It was obvious that dessert was more about the prunes than the ice cream. No one asked for second scoops of ice cream. Instead, hands were helping themselves to more prunes and the soaking juices. I know I saw someone lick the cognac soaking liquid clean off the serving bowl. 

Surprisingly, not all liquor will work. I did a test and here's how the alcohol I tested fared. 

Ranking starts from the most favourable:

• Dry red wine - lovely roundedness
• Tia Maria (coffee liqueur) - mix of coffee and prune is a very good pairing especially with vanilla ice cream

Not bad but nothing exciting so don't run to the shops to buy:

• Ginger wine
• Apry (apricot liqueur)

Stay away from these:

• Limoncello (lemon liqueur)
• Ameretto (almond liqueur)
• Sweet Sherry
• Rum
• Vodka
• Whiskey

My absolute favourite soaking alcohol? 

Brandy is always good but the tastiest alcohol soaked prunes are to be had if you have access to:

• Japanese yuzu (fruit) liqueur 

The yuzu is a unique lemon that grows in East Asia and the fruit is difficult to purchase outside of the region. It has its own distinct heady scent and taste. The fruit has little juice which doesn't matter as the flavour is all in its zest. Simply put, it does magic to dried prunes. The brand I use? Choya. The one I buy is 'Sarari Yuzu' and it comes in not a not so glamorous carton packaging.

It is yuzu and some lime added for a "clean finish". Choya positions it as a fruit liqueur. Click on the link for a more detailed description. 

This is a very tasty drink on its own and with an alcohol content of 7%, it is tempting to sip away the entire carton and forget to use it on the prunes. But do use it. It freshens up the saccharine sweetness of prunes, giving it a refreshing lift that no other liquor can quite accomplish. 
PRUNES NICELY PLUMPED UP WITH ALCOHOL              

Prep:	5 minutes
Cook:	-
Inactive:	At least 6 hours in the refrigerator.
Level:	Very easy
Serves:	3 - 5
Oven Temperature:	-
Can recipe be doubled?	Yes
Make ahead?	Keeps for months in the refrigerator.

Just the ingredients 9oz (255g) bag of pitted prunes Enough alcohol of your choice to cover the prunes

Ingredients

9oz (255g) bag of pitted prunes

Enough alcohol of your choice to cover ~2" (5cm) above the prunes
Refer to my introduction for suggested liquor to use and avoid.

Method

Cover prunes in liquor of choice. Put lid on vessel and refrigerate for 6 hours in refrigerator to completely plump up. 

Serve with vanilla ice cream and sprinkle some nuts if you wish. Also great on its own or with some cream, mascarpone, ...

Always use a clean spoon to remove prunes and the remaining ones will keep for months in the refrigerator.

Tips

They make great gifts! 

These dried prunes have just had Yuzu liqueur poured over them. They are off to meet a girlfriend of mine. I think she will be quite pleased.

WHAT'S COMING UP NEXT?                                                

Crisp-on-the-outside, soft-on-the-inside, gluten & egg free, grated potato pancakes.

The Yellowest Saffron Poached Pears

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The Yellowest Saffron Poached Pears

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https://kitchenbaroness.wordpress.com/

This is such a happy looking dessert that promises to be as delicious as it looks.

I do like poach pears. Quite evident isn't it? This is my third recipe for them. They are easy to eat and light on the tummy especially after a heavy meal. Truly, who can think of eating a cake or a pie after a meal of indulgence? I like to save those rich desserts for tea or as a diet killer after a paltry meal of poached chicken salad.

If you are thinking of substituting water for the alcohol, don't bother. I tested that out for you.  It simply lacks the oomph of pears poached in alcohol and if you have had any kind of fruit poached in some kind of alcohol before, you can definitely taste the difference here and will be disappointed. Additions of cardamons, lemon peel, etcetera to make up for the alcohol won't be the same. Stick to alcohol in this recipe. If you must, try instead a mix of alcohol and water.

THE YELLOWEST SAFFRON POACHED PEARS                

Prep:	15 minutes
Cook:	20 minutes to 1 hour depending on how ripe pears are.
Inactive:	Soak the saffron threads overnight for the best intensity of flavour and colour.
Level:	Easy
Makes:	10 halved pears
Oven Temperature:	-
Can recipe be doubled?	Yes
Make ahead?	Pears can be poached up to 5 days ahead. Cream can be mixed a day ahead.

Just the ingredients Pears and poaching liquid 5 ripe but still firm pears 1 bottle (750ml) dry/sweet white wine OR a mix of water and wine 3/4 cup sugar 1 generous pinch (~1/4 teaspoon) saffron threads 1/4 cup of water 1 tiny pinch of tumeric powder (optional) 3 - 4 segments of a star anise The cream & embellishments 1/2 cup Mascarpone 1/2 cup heavy/thickened/double cream OR Use either all mascarpone or double cream OR Vanilla ice cream 1 Tablespoon caster/icing sugar Few drops of vanilla extract zest of 1 large lemon (optional) Edible flowers/leaves for decorations (optional)

Ingredients for poaching pears

Ingredients

Pears and poaching liquid
5 ripe but still firm pears
Bosch, Anjou or Comice keeps its shape better but other varieties will also work.

1 bottle (750ml) dry/sweet white wine

OR a mix of water and wine

3/4 cup sugar
You might need more/less depending on how dry your choice of wine is.

1 generous pinch (~1/4 teaspoon) saffron threads

1/4 cup of water

1 tiny pinch of tumeric powder
Helps to intensify the yellow colour without the taste of tumeric (that is, if you don't add more). Add less than more, colour will deepen with poaching and storing. Omit if you don't have it. 

3 - 4 segments of a star anise
Gives it a subtle earthly flavour. Using too much tips the balance of flavours.

The cream & embellishments
1/2 cup Mascarpone
1/2 cup heavy/thickened/double cream
OR
Use either all mascarpone or double cream
OR
Vanilla ice cream

1 Tablespoon caster/icing sugar

Few drops of vanilla extract

zest of 1 large lemon (optional)
To be grated directly over plated pears.

Edible flowers for decorations (optional)
I used basil flowers as I had them in my garden. Substitute with a sliver of fresh herb like basil (nothing too overpowering) or just leave them out. Once I rummaged through my vegetable bin and found some watercress. I picked off the leaves and used that. You never know what you have if you don't look.

Method

Poaching pears

To get the best flavour and intensity of colour, soak the saffron threads in 1/4 cup of water the night before. 

Peel, half and core the pears as I have done (refer to the process in the picture above).

Set the pears, flat side down. The cooking vessel should fit all the pears in one layer.

Add all the poaching liquid ingredients and if the pears are not submerged, add water to cover.

Bring to boil.

In the meantime, to keep pears under poaching liquid, cut a circle of parchment paper to fit your cooking vessel. Cut a few small holes to allow steam to vent through. Place over the pears. 

Once liquid comes to a boil, lower heat and simmer pears.

How fast the pears cook depends on your choice and ripeness of pear. Could take 20 minutes to 1 hour.

To test if they are ready, slide in a cake skewer, if it slides in like it was going through soft butter, it's done. Turn off the stove and let it cool there completely before transferring into the refrigerator with the poaching liquid to chill completely (keep parchment paper over pears). Keeps well up to 5 days. The flavours will become more intense and the pears will get sweeter.

There is no need to boil the poaching liquid into a syrup. It is good as it is and reducing it to a syrup will make it too saccharine sweet.

The cream

Mix the mascarpone and double cream with the sugar and vanilla. Don't over mix or it will get lumpy. Anyway, even if it did turn lumpy, it's no big deal, it will still taste good. If not using straight away, cover and refrigerate. Can be made a day ahead.

If only using double cream, add the sugar and vanilla and whip to soft peaks. This too can be made a day ahead.

If only using mascarpone, add sugar and vanilla and mix in. May be put together a day ahead.

To serve

Remove pears to serving vessel(s). 

Strain the poaching liquid.

Drizzle poaching liquid over pears. Dollop prepared cream over pears. Wedge the edible flower/leaf on cream. Grate lemon zest directly over pears.

Transfer remaining poaching liquid into a pretty pouring jug for diners to help themselves.

Similarly, any extra cream should be put out at the dining table.

Serve quickly.

Tips

Potluck

This is a good dish to take to a potluck. Not only can it be made 5 days ahead, your fellow diners will be quite pleased that it won't be yet another cake that they would be having for dessert. Quite simply, transfer pears to portable serving vessel, strain poaching liquid over them and cover the vessel. Cream can be whipped in advanced and transferred into a heavy duty plastic bag. Take to host's place and refrigerate. Before serving, snip corner off the bag and pipe cream onto pears. 

Besides these saffron poached pears, I also like:

Coffee Poached Pears Scented With Orange, Cinnamon and Cloves

Moscato d'Asti Served With Yuzu Mascarpone

WHAT'S COMING UP NEXT?                                              

Seriously, this is the simplest, simplest dessert and very wonderful to eat. Dried prunes marinated and plump up in alcohol a night before or weeks ahead! Serve with store bought vanilla ice cream. No one would believe that there was practically no effort involved.

Oven Baked Cheese Rolls That Won't Go Pop

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Oven Baked Cheese Rolls That Won't Go Pop

Link to my newest and old recipes, click:

https://kitchenbaroness.wordpress.com/

A spring roll that won't burst and leak whilst cooking? And, it's oven baked? What more a cheese filled spring roll? 

I went through 3 sessions of spring roll making before figuring out how to prevent these oven baked cheese ones from becoming a mess. 

After working on over 100 spring rolls rolled in varying configurations, sealed with either egg wash, egg white or a cornstarch water solution, pricked with a toothpick in differing formations of 1, 2, 3 or 4 holes to discourage the rolls from bursting open, baking them with seam side down or up, in 360F(180C), 380F(190C), 400F(200C), 420F(220)C temperatures and going through even more testing than you could possibly imagine rolling spring rolls warrant, I had my eureka moment.

One evening, whilst peering through my oven glass door to see yet another tray of spring rolls randomly burst open, the solution struck me.

Baking cheese filled spring rolls is tricky. The solid cheese will turn liquid in the oven heat. There must be enough volume within the spring roll to allow for the extra space liquid cheese occupies. Therein lies the challenge. 

Conventionally, spring rolls are formed into neat little packages with sides folded, tucked snugly inwards and then rolled to seal shut. This tight 'nip and tuck' packaging is just begging for the molten cheese to erupt out of its constraint. To avoid the chaos, follow these tips: 

• Firstly: Leave the ends of the rolled spring rolls open, that is, do not tuck them in. This allows steam to vent out and space for the liquid cheese to splay.
• Secondly: It is essential that the cheese filling be placed in a specific manner to help direct and contain the flow of the liquid cheese.
• Thirdly: Use grated or ready sliced cheese (good quality of course). Feta or soft goat cheese will work but use less. Cheese cut into batons will not work.
• Fourthly: A little goes a long way with cheese. So fill less than more.
• Finally: Roll up the spring roll as you would a swiss roll and to keep the spring rolls securely sealed, use an egg wash. Best to refer to my pictures below.

So why baked the cheese spring rolls?

Apart from helping to keep my arteries clogged free, there are other compelling benefits:

• No oily stove top to clean
• Less washing up
• Less oil usage
• The spring rolls are less greasy
• They stay crispy for a longer period
• Standing against the stove top deep frying always turns me into an overheated dripping mess. With oven baking at least I can keep some sense of decorum - especially important when I have guests over.

Not all spring rolls taste better baked but these cheese filled ones are certainly better baked.

OVEN BAKED CHEESE ROLLS THAT WON'T GO POP      

Prep:	20 minutes
Cook:	7 - 10 minutes per tray
Inactive:	-
Level:	Easy
Makes:	50 spring rolls (5")(12.5cm)
Oven Temperature:	380F 190C Lower Middle Rack
Can recipe be doubled?	Yes
Make ahead?	Spring rolls can be rolled, covered and refrigerated a day ahead. Brush with oil just before baking.

Just the ingredients 50 spring roll wrappers. Use 5" (12.5cm) squares. ~8 slices of cheese OR ~(5 oz) 150g grated cheese OR feta OR soft goat cheese in lesser quantities 1/4 cup finely diced onions 1/4 cup finely diced coriander leaves/parsley 1 and 1/2 Tablespoons fennel seeds 1 Tablespoon mix of black pepper & chilli powder 1 egg beaten 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

Ingredients

50 spring roll wrappers.
Use 5" (12.5cm) squares.

~8 slices of cheese OR ~(5 oz) 150g grated cheese OR feta OR soft goat cheese in lesser quantities
Good quality, strong tasting cheese is best. I have tried but am not keen on brie, camembert and similar soft rind cheeses as fillings. Mild tasting cheese like mozzarella will not do either. I use a mature/sharp/vintage cheddar with an assertive flavour.

1/4 cup finely diced onions

1/4 cup finely diced coriander leaves/parsley

1 and 1/2 Tablespoons fennel seeds
Fennel seeds provide a refreshing anise seed flavour that cuts through the creaminess of the cheese. You could substitute with cumin seeds but I would use less of it as too much overpowers. Alternatively, omit altogether.

1 Tablespoon mix of black pepper and chilli powder
You need the chilli powder to give it some heat to balance out the richness.

1 egg beaten

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

Method

Preheat oven to 380F (190C), oven rack adjusted to lower middle rack.

Prep your work area, setting ingredients nearby, 2 pastry brushes (for egg washing and for brushing the oil) within reach and have a wet tea towel over wrappers to prevent drying out.

Choose to roll either a rectangular roll which will look like cigars or a diamond roll which will roll out to look like pointy cigars. 

Diamond rolls will look quite pretty but as the 2 ends will be thinner than the rest of the roll, they have a tendency to brown too much, so you need to watch them more carefully as they bake. The rectangular rolls would not have the same issue so I tend to go with the rectangular rolls.

Fill the wrappers exactly as shown below, keeping the filling, as far as possible, in one layer and within the boxed area I have created. A little filling goes a long way. If using feta/soft goat cheese, as it is a softer cheese, you need to use less of it. 

Roll the wrapper away from you. Do not roll it too snug and keep the ends open.

Egg wash in the boxed areas I have created.

Brushing them with oil just before it is baked is easy if you place them close together. You do not have to be too meticulous to get all areas brushed but do remember to turn the rolls to brush the under side.

To ensure rolls are crispy all round, set the rolls seam side down on a wire rack and then on to a baking tray. 

Bake for 7 - 10 minutes. You could choose to turn the rolls half way through baking to encourage it to brown evenly but I sometimes don't bother.

An oven's internal temperature differs widely. So as you put in your first tray to bake, watch them and adjust your baking time and temperatures accordingly.

Cool before serving. They are hot.

Tips

• Line the bottom of your tray with a Silpat or parchment paper before you set the wire rack over it. Not only will it catch any leakage but any melted cheese that settles on the Silpat or parchment paper will solidify when cooled. They will peel off easily and make tasty crispy cheese treats.
• As you get better with gauging how much or how little cheese to place on your wrappers and where to place them, soon enough none of your cheese filled spring rolls will leak. Refer back to my picture above for a visual guide.

WHAT'S COMING UP NEXT?                               

These sunny saffron poached pears.

The Purple Salad

Hi! I'm now working from Wordpress. I've edited this post there, reformatted it so that it is much easier to read & follow my recipe. This link will take your directly to the recipe:
Purple Salad.

Link to my newest and old recipes, click:

https://kitchenbaroness.wordpress.com/

This is a salad you won't have had anywhere before. Dragon fruit, figs, beetroot drizzled with my "20-minutes sweet pickled onions", watermelon, crumbly goat cheese and extra virgin olive oil - it is a salad with an explosion of varying tastes and textures. 

Take this to the table and hear you diners go "ooh and wow".

Cooked and dressed right, beetroot will neither smell nor taste earthy. I dress them in my '20-minutes sweet pickled onions' and the beetroot is transformed into sweet and gently sour discs that taste awesome with salty chevre.

Salty goat cheese goes with sweet, so I chose 3 fruits that have different levels of sweetness and varying textures:

• watermelon for its juicy crunch
• dragon fruit for its soft bite and seeds with an enjoyable munch (reminds me of 'Pop Rocks', those pin sized candy that fizzles and crackles as soon as you put them in your mouth)
• figs for its luscious mouthful (almost as if you are eating double whipped cream but healthier)

There will always be something interesting to bite into in this salad. All it needs is some good bread.

I am out to the market whilst I have some time. I need to get myself some magenta coloured dragon fruit before it goes off season again. No prizes for guessing what I would be having for dinner.

THE PURPLE SALAD                                                           

Prep:	20 minutes
Cook:	1 hour (beetroot)
Inactive:	20 minutes
Level:	Easy
Serves:	6
Oven Temperature:	400F 200C (beetroot)
Can recipe be doubled?	Yes
Make ahead?	Beetroot can be roasted 2 days ahead. Sweet pickled onions can be made 1 day ahead.

Just the ingredients 2 medium beetroots  1 small magenta-coloured flesh dragonfruit 8 small wedges of watermelon 2 figs 1 round of soft goat cheese or use feta 2 - 3 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil for drizzling '20-minutes sweet pickled onions' 1.76oz (50g) thinly sliced purple onions 1 and 1/2 Tablespoons sugar 2 Tablespoons lemon juice 1/2 teaspoon salt Optional Parsley for sprinkling

Ingredients

2 medium beetroots
Try to keep the width of the beetroot and dragon fruit the same size. Just because it looks prettier when plated.

1 small magenta-coloured flesh dragonfruit

• The flesh of the dragon fruit comes in 2 colours: white and magenta. The exterior of the fruit looks the same so the grocer will label the fruit bin to indicate if the interior is white or magenta coloured . 
• What do they taste like? Mildly sweet and refreshing. White fleshed ones are not as tasty.
• Try to keep the width of the beetroot and dragon fruit the same size. Just because it looks prettier when plated. 

8 small wedges of watermelon

Refer to picture.

2 figs

1 round of soft goat cheese or use feta

2 - 3 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil for drizzling

'20-minutes sweet pickled onions'
Scroll down to 'Tips' for more ways to use this.

1.76oz (50g) thinly sliced purple onions

1 and 1/2 Tablespoons sugar

2 Tablespoons lemon juice

1/2 teaspoon salt

Optional

Parsley for sprinkling

Method

Roast beetroot

4 hours before your are ready to serve the salad (or up to 2 days before), heat up the oven to 400F (200C) oven rack adjusted to middle position. Wrap the beetroot in aluminium foil. It should look like a UFO.  Hot air circulates within the package and helps speed up cooking. That is what I am told anyway.

Bake 1 hour. Beetroot is cooked when you can easily insert a skewer through it. Unwrap and when it is cool enough to handle, peel off the skin which can be pretty fun. Slice the beetroot as thinly as you can manage. A mandolin is best. Any straggly bits should be cut into thin batons. No point wasting and it can be used to plug in any holes on your plated salad.

Cover and refrigerate.

'20-minutes pickled onions'

Combine all the pickling ingredients. Set aside for 20 minutes or up to 1 day ahead refrigerated.

The aim is to get the onions sweet and to lose some of its sharpness. So taste the pickling onions and decide if you need to adjust seasonings or pickle them longer. It depends in part on the type of onion and lemon you use. 

More liquid would be drawn out from the onions the longer it sits in the pickling liquid. You need the liquid to drizzle over the beetroots.

Assembling the salad

Slice the dragon fruit.

Quarter the figs.

Arrange the beetroot, dragon fruit, figs and watermelon in anyway you think it would look pretty but keep them separate. Why?

Beetroot: Keep most of the surface area of the beetroot exposed as you would have to drizzle the sweet pickled onions (with pickling juice) over the beetroot (not the fruits).

Watermelon: The acidity in the pickling liquid will draw too much moisture out from the fruit. That's why I keep the watermelon furthest away from the beetroot.

Dot with crumbled goat cheese, sprinkle with parsley if using and dribble extra virgin olive oil.

Serve immediately as the beetroots will start to bleed soon enough. That's when crusty bread comes in handy to soak everything up.


Tips

'20-minutes sweet pickled onions' are great in:

Mango Salad With Salmon & Scallops Ceviche

Roasted Beetroot Salad With '20-minutes Sweet Pickled Onions'

And, over fried fish!
WHAT'S COMING UP NEXT?                                           
These cheese filled rolls seasoned with fennel seeds, onions and parsley are brushed with extra virgin olive oil and baked instead of fried so that I don't feel too guilty eating them.