Galton Blackiston’s Recipes – Sunday 30th August 2015 Food and Drink Festival Wild Sea Bass cooked under a salt crust with Samphire and Chive beurre Blanc • 1 Whole Wild Sea Bass (approx1kg), gutted, gills removed, scaled and trimmed) • 80g egg whites • 500g fine table salt Begin by cutting out a fish shaped piece of thick cardboard, about 2cm larger than the sea bass which you are going to cook. Cover with two layers of tin foil, place onto a baking tray and place the fish on top. Pre-heat the oven to 200c/gas6 Place the egg whites into the bowl of an electric food mixer and whisk on high speed until half risen. Add the salt and continue to whisk until the egg whites are firm and smooth like a meringue. Using a palette knife, spread the mixture evenly over the whole fish, taking it right down to the foil to make an airtight seal. Smooth over the surface and using the edge of the palette knife, trace the head, mouth and eye of the fish and then using the end of the palette knife press down very lightly to form ‘scales’ over the whole fish. Carefully place into the pre- heated oven, being careful not to jolt it as this may cause the salt mixture to slip (if it does then carefully patch it up). Bake in the for 20 minutess, then insert a cake tester in to the thickest part of the fish for 10 seconds to check if it is cooked, the tester should feel just hot, if it is only lukewarm the fish needs a little longer. Serve immediately. I like to carefully transfer the salt crusted fish to a large chopping board and place in the centre of the table. Then using a kitchen knife cut all around the base of the salt crust and it should lift off in one piece. Either lift the fish off the bone and serve or allow your guests to help themselves. Buttered Sapphire • 450g (1lb) fresh samphire, thoroughly rinsed • 1tbsp sugar • 50g (2 oz) unsalted butter • Good quality aged balsamic vinegar • Freshly ground black pepper Bring a large saucepan of water to the boil, add the sugar and drop in the samphire. Boil for two minutes and then test to see if the samphire is cooked by tasting a sprig, the fleshy end should slip off the stem. Drain thoroughly and place onto a warmed dish and smear with the butter. Drizzle over a little aged balsamic vinegar and finally some freshly ground black pepper. Serve immediately with some more melted butter if desired. Chive Beurre Blanc Serves 6-8 • 2 shallots, peeled and finely sliced • 1 tbsp white wine vinegar • 2 tbsp lemon juice • 4 tbsp white wine • 1 tbsp cold water • 225g (8oz) salted butter, cut into cubes • plenty of finely snipped chives Place the finely sliced shallots, wine vinegar, lemon juice and white wine in a saucepan. Bring to the boil and reduce the liquid until you have about 2 tbsp. Add the cold water and reduce again until you have 1 tbsp liquid. Turn the heat down and, over a low heat, slowly whisk in the butter, about 25g (1oz) at a time. The sauce will emulsify (thicken and lighten in colour). Once all the butter has been added, remove the pan from the heat, then pass the sauce through a sieve into another saucepan. Set aside until needed, but do not refrigerate or the sauce will separate. To serve, gently reheat the sauce, stirring continuously and add the finely snipped chives. Blackcurrant Blitz: a summery fool and sorbet For the blackcurrant fool • 450g (1lb) fresh or frozen blackcurrants • 75g (3oz) caster sugar • 275ml (10fl oz) whipping cream • 1 vanilla pod, split • 3 egg yolks • 3 tbsp caster sugar • 1 tbsp cornflour • 275ml (10fl oz) double cream Place the blackcurrants in a pan with the sugar and 4 tablespoons water. Bring to the boil and simmer slowly until very soft. Blitz in a liquidiser, pass through a sieve into a bowl and set aside to cool. Meanwhile, pour the whipping cream into a heavy-based pan, and then scrape in the vanilla seeds and the empty vanilla pod. Bring slowly to the boil, then set aside to infuse. Whisk the egg yolks, sugar and cornflour together in a large bowl. Gently re-heat the infused cream and, as soon as it reaches boiling point, pour it on to the egg yolk mixture, whisking all the time. Return the custard to the pan and, over a low heat, stir continuously until it has thickened enough to coat the back of a spoon. Immediately remove the pan from the heat, then pass the custard through a fine sieve into a bowl and allow to cool. When the custard is cold, pour in the blackcurrant purée and mix thoroughly. Whisk the double cream to very soft peaks then fold this into the blackcurrant custard. Carefully pour into a glass dish and place in the fridge to firm. Blackcurrant Sorbet • 450g fresh or frozen blackcurrants • 175g (6oz) caster sugar • juice of 1/2 fresh lemon Place the blackcurrants, sugar and 150ml water into a pan. Over a moderate heat, bring to the boil and lightly cook the blackcurrants until very soft. Blitz in a liquidiser, pass through a fine sieve into a jug and allow to cool. Stir in the lemon juice then churn in an ice cream machine. Store in the freezer in a suitable container. Roast Double Loin of Lamb with Shallot Purée, Mint Jelly and Suffolk Style New Potatoes • 2 double loins of lamb, each about 18cm (7 inches) in length and weighing about 900g– 1.15kg (2-2½lb) • oil for frying • 1 medium onion, chopped • 2 carrots, chopped • 1 stick of celery, chopped • At least a dozen garlic cloves • 1 fresh rosemary sprig • 1 bunch of mint • seasoning Pre-heat the oven to 200°C/400°F/Gas mark 6. Heat a large frying pan till very hot. Add a good splash of olive oil, then place one of the loins in the hot pan, skin side down. Seal, turning now and then, until the skin is really blistered and well coloured. Season as you do so, then repeat with the other loin. Place the chopped vegetables, garlic and herbs in a roasting tin, then sit the loins on top, skin side uppermost. Roast in the oven for 25-30 minutes. Remove from the oven and set aside somewhere warm to rest for a few minutes. Carve the lamb in the conventional way, or lengthways along the bone which is much easier than it might appear. Throw on any of the garlic cloves if they are still intact. Serve with Shallot Purée (see recipe below). Roast Shallot Purée • 900g (2lb) shallots, ends trimmed • 120ml (4fl oz) olive oil • fresh thyme sprig • knob of butter • 6 tbsp double cream • seasoning Pre-heat the oven to 180°C/350°F/Gas mark 4. Lay two large sheets of foil on top of each other on a work surface. Place the shallots in the centre of the foil, pour over the olive oil, add the thyme and season well. Draw the sides of the foil up to the centre and crinkle the edges to seal and form a parcel. Place on a baking sheet and bake in the oven for about 1 hour, until the shallots are really soft. Remove the papery skin from the shallots and place in a liquidiser with the butter and cream. Blitz really well and pour into a bowl. Check the seasoning. To serve, gently re-heat when needed. Mint Jelly • 4 large or 8 small leaves of gelatine • 75g (3oz) caster sugar • 425ml (15 fl oz) Norfolk apple juice • 150ml (5 fl oz) cider vinegar • 1 large shallot, finely chopped • the leaves stripped form a small bunch of mint • salt and freshly ground black pepper Place the gelatine leaves into a tray of water to soften. Place the caster sugar, apple juice and cider vinegar into a saucepan and over a low heat allow the sugar to dissolve. When the sugar has dissolved turn up the heat and bring the mixture nearly up to boiling point. Remove the gelatine from the cold water, squeezing out any excess as you do so, add to the warmed apple juice and stir to dissolve completely. Set aside, allow to cool. Chop the mint (or slice the leaves into julienne strips) stir into the cooled liquid to-gether with the shallot and a good seasoning of salt and pepper. Place into a suitable container and refrigerate till set. Suffolk Peer New Potatoes with Samphire, Bacon, Broad Beans and Peas • 225g samphire • 500g (1lb 2oz) medium Suffolk Peer new potatoes, lightly scraped and quartered • A good sprig of mint • 125g shelled weight, fresh young • broad beans • 125g shelled weight fresh garden peas (if unavailable use frozen petit pois) • 2 shallots, finely chopped • 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped • a little olive oil • 175g English streaky bacon, chopped into lardons • large knob of unsalted butter • salt and freshly ground black pepper Begin by preparing the samphire; strip the fronds from the main stalks, wash thoroughly and then blanch by plunging into unsalted boiling water for 30 seconds. Refresh in iced water, drain thoroughly and set aside Place the new potatoes together with the sprig of mint in a large pan of salted water, bring to the boil and cook until just tender; drain thoroughly and discard the mint. While the potatoes are cooking; bring a pan of salted water to a rolling boil, drop in the broad beans and blanch for about two minutes, refresh under cold running water, drain thoroughly, slip off the skins and set aside.