1. PUFF PASTRY :
Ingredients for Puff Pastry :
– Margarine : 60 grams
– Water : 100 ml
– Plain flour : 60 grams
– 1 beaten egg
Making the Puff Pastry :
(1.1) In a pan, melt butter in water, when butter dissolves completely, turn to low heat, add in flour, mix well.
(1.2) Remove the pan from heat, gradually add in beaten egg, mix them well until the dough slowly drops from the mixer.
(1.3) In a baking dish, use a decorating tube, squeeze out the dough into a diameter of 4cm. Bake in preheated oven for 220 C for 30 minutes or until the puffs turn golden brown.
(Note : Baking time vary with the type of device used)2. CUSTARD CREAM
Ingredients for custard cream :
– 2 tbsp of Custard Powder
– 300 ml of fresh milk
– 1 tbsp of sugar
Making the Custard Cream :
(2.1) Mix 2 tbsp of custard powder to 100 ml of fresh milk.
(2.1) Heat up remaining fresh milk and sugar together. When sugar dissolve, add the mixture of fresh milk and custard powder. Constantly stir the mixture until it is thicken to the right consistency.
3. Ready to savor yummy Mini Custard Puffs :
When baking of puffs pastry is done, let the puffs cool down, make a cut at 1/3 from the top, fill with custard cream and sprinkle icing sugar on top of the custard puff.
Serve hot!
Notes
*I used a rolled, boneless leg.
**I used a 700ml jar of tomato passatta instead of chopped tomatoes.
***I also did not use provolone cheese as I couldn’t get my hands on any so used a mixture of cheddar and mozzarella and it was perfect.
Method
Preheat oven to 180C/160C fan-forced/350F. Heat the oil in a large ovenproof heavy-based saucepan over medium heat. Add the pork, sprinkle with salt and pepper and cook for 5-6 minutes each side or until browned. Remove from the pan and set aside. Add the onion and garlic and cook until lightly browned. Add the flour and combine, then add the sugar, vinegar, thyme paprika and cayenne pepper mixing well. Add the stock, tomato, bay leaves and pork and bring to a simmer.
Cover and cook in the oven for 2 hours 15 minutes or until very tender. Remove the pork from the liquid and shred the meat with forks or your fingers, discarding the fat. Skim the fat from the surface of the cooking liquid and discard. Return the pork to the pan and mix in with the sauce.
Bechamel Sauce: Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the flour and cook, whisking until well combined. Very, very gradually whisk in the milk and cook until just thickened then whisk in the Dijon mustard. Set aside.
Assembly: Combine the cheeses in a large bowl. Increase oven temperature to 200C/180C fan-forced/400F. Line the base of a lightly greased 27cm x 22cm ovenproof dish with 1 layer of lasagna sheets. Top with half the pork mixture and 1 cup of the cheese mixture. Repeat to make another layer, and finish with 1 layer of lasagna sheets, the bechamel sauce and remaining cheese. Bake for 35-40 minutes or until golden and melted. Allow to cool for 10 minutes before serving.
Clover's Italian Wedding Soup
This soup is a versatile and delicious way to include any seasonal vegetable,
with or without meat. Clover sous-chef Cody Geurin says he has also made
this soup with a variety of beans, grains or noodles.
4 ounces bacon, diced
8 ounces Italian sausage
2 medium leeks, whites only
1 medium parsnip
1 medium carrot
3 ribs celery
½ head fennel
6 cloves of garlic, sliced thin
1 medium poblano chile
1 medium red bell pepper
4 ounces tomato paste
4 ounces sherry
24 ounces tomato juice
3 quarts stock, chicken or veggie
2 medium Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and diced
1 Delicata squash
1 cup garbanzo beans, soaked and cooked separately
1 bunch kale
1 tablespoon cumin
3 bay leaves
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
½ teaspoon mustard powder
In a separate pot, cook soaked garbanzo beans in salted water to desired texture. Al dente is perfect, as they will continue to cook in the soup. Dice all veggies to half-inch. In a heavy bottom pot, render bacon over medium heat, until halfway cooked. Add sausage, brown. Add mirepoix (leek, celery, carrot, parsnip); cook till the mix begins to soften. Add fennel, peppers and garlic and cook till softened. Stir in tomato paste and continue to cook for 2 minutes, stirring to avoid scorching. Deglaze with sherry and cook until thickened by the paste. Add stock and tomato juice; bring to simmer. Add dry spices, cooked beans, potatoes and squash; cook until potatoes are soft but not mushy (about 20 minutes). Add kale, cook for an additional 5 minutes. Season with fresh herbs, kosher salt, and pepper.
Makes one gallon
makes 1 sandwich
1 tablespoon each grapeseed (or olive) oil for frying
1 glazed doughnut
1 tablespoon softened butter
1-2 slices cheddar cheese (shredded cheese is a sub-optimal option here since it will fall through the doughnut hole and probably melt too fast)
salt to taste
Heat grapeseed oil in frying pan over medium low heat.
Slice the doughnut in half around the middle. Spread the cut halves with softened butter. This sounds disgusting because you’re doing it to a doughnut, but you need that butter.
Place the doughnut halves, cut/buttered side down, into the oil in the frying pan. Sprinkle the doughnut halves with a little bit of salt (it sticks to the sugar glaze! how convenient!) Place cheese on one of the halves. Allow the doughnuts to brown a bit and get warm, then close the sandwich, press down gently with a spatula, and continue cooking in the pan until the cheese melts. You might flip the sandwich over one more time to brown the other side more.Remove doughnut grilled cheese from pan. Cut. Serve. Eat.
