Here is my plan for Mothers day dinner, which comes with the following warning. If you are nervous about high cholesterol, butter rich tastes, then look away now.
I have 12 large Prawns from our local fishmonger. This will form the basis for the main course, to be presented in a chowder arrangement not dissimilar to the one I enjoyed in California's Paradise Cove.
My recipe (for 2) goes as follows:
Four baby onions. Chopped fine. Placed in a heated frying pan with good quality, large knob of French butter. When translucent, introduce an entire bulb of garlic, crushed in a press. Mix to a pleasant buttery consistency.
Eight Estima potatoes (Small buttery new potatoes). Chopped fine -with skin on. Introduced in a new pan with heated butter. Fried until cooked through. Add good amount of pancetta lardons. Heat through in the butter.
Base of onion and garlic added to a good sized saucepan. Add 250ml of single cream and a cup of milk. (about 250ml) Stir. Add the potato. Add the ham lardons. Season with white pepper.
Add tub (good quantity) of Mascarpone cheese. Stir in well. Should by now have produced a good cream coloured, creamy soup like base.
Boil two corn cobs for ten minutes. Allow to cool. Strip off the corn. Run through a food blender very briefly to create a corn mush. Careful not to make it too mushy. Aim for 1/4 the size for each kernel.
Clean the prawns - butterflied and halved. Flash fry the prawns in butter. Just literally a moment in the heat to turn their colour. If the prawns are overcooked, you might as well order a chinese.
Now add the corn mush to the cheesy potato base. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Sprinkle a good measure of freshly grated Parmesan over the top - to bond with the mascarpone in a fusion of cheesy goodness.
Add a sachet of bouquet garni and allow the pan to simmer at very low heat for 20 minutes.
Now add the prawns. and simmer the pan for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool in the pan for at least 3 minutes.
Serve in a bowl topped with fresh parsley.
Present with side dish of fresh bread and assorted steamed vegetables, in this case baby asparagus and purple sprouting broccoli stems, dressed with lemon, olive oil and a splash of Balsamic.
A nice dry white wine accompaniment is to be recommended. On this occasion, a vibrant Chablis.
Goes well with a few candles and piano based musical accompaniment, on this occasion we will rely on Brad Mehldau.
Ingredients:
12 large prawns
4 baby onions
bulb of garlic
250 ml single cream
Good quality butter
Milk
2 X corn on the cob
sachet of bouquet garni
tub of mascarpone
pancetta lardons
piece of parmesan for grating
fresh parsley
baby asparagus
purple sprouting broccoli
Fresh bread
lemon
Virgin olive oil
balsamic vinegar
bottle of (nice) dry white wine
candles (At least 2)
High quality piano based musical recording.
I have 12 large Prawns from our local fishmonger. This will form the basis for the main course, to be presented in a chowder arrangement not dissimilar to the one I enjoyed in California's Paradise Cove.
My recipe (for 2) goes as follows:
Four baby onions. Chopped fine. Placed in a heated frying pan with good quality, large knob of French butter. When translucent, introduce an entire bulb of garlic, crushed in a press. Mix to a pleasant buttery consistency.
Eight Estima potatoes (Small buttery new potatoes). Chopped fine -with skin on. Introduced in a new pan with heated butter. Fried until cooked through. Add good amount of pancetta lardons. Heat through in the butter.
Base of onion and garlic added to a good sized saucepan. Add 250ml of single cream and a cup of milk. (about 250ml) Stir. Add the potato. Add the ham lardons. Season with white pepper.
Add tub (good quantity) of Mascarpone cheese. Stir in well. Should by now have produced a good cream coloured, creamy soup like base.
Boil two corn cobs for ten minutes. Allow to cool. Strip off the corn. Run through a food blender very briefly to create a corn mush. Careful not to make it too mushy. Aim for 1/4 the size for each kernel.
Clean the prawns - butterflied and halved. Flash fry the prawns in butter. Just literally a moment in the heat to turn their colour. If the prawns are overcooked, you might as well order a chinese.
Now add the corn mush to the cheesy potato base. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Sprinkle a good measure of freshly grated Parmesan over the top - to bond with the mascarpone in a fusion of cheesy goodness.
Add a sachet of bouquet garni and allow the pan to simmer at very low heat for 20 minutes.
Now add the prawns. and simmer the pan for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool in the pan for at least 3 minutes.
Serve in a bowl topped with fresh parsley.
Present with side dish of fresh bread and assorted steamed vegetables, in this case baby asparagus and purple sprouting broccoli stems, dressed with lemon, olive oil and a splash of Balsamic.
A nice dry white wine accompaniment is to be recommended. On this occasion, a vibrant Chablis.
Goes well with a few candles and piano based musical accompaniment, on this occasion we will rely on Brad Mehldau.
Ingredients:
12 large prawns
4 baby onions
bulb of garlic
250 ml single cream
Good quality butter
Milk
2 X corn on the cob
sachet of bouquet garni
tub of mascarpone
pancetta lardons
piece of parmesan for grating
fresh parsley
baby asparagus
purple sprouting broccoli
Fresh bread
lemon
Virgin olive oil
balsamic vinegar
bottle of (nice) dry white wine
candles (At least 2)
High quality piano based musical recording.
