Winter at sea in Auckland...not too bad?
We are back on the boat again. It is a wonderful time to eat and drink. The weather was clear, sunny, beautiful and very cold.
I thought you might like to see the little galley that I work out of.
It is very functional and we have catered for at least 10 people out of here.
The oven is interesting it is either hot or not but with years of experience I can make most things I must admit I haven’t attempted cakes.
But I have made great bread which I will show a little later
Here are a couple of interesting dishes I grabbed off Food TV.
And cooked on the boat.
Filet steak with mushrooms, spinach tomatoes and shallots.
This seems like a lot of pans and trouble but really it is worth it…so so tasty.
I served it with a piece of roasted buttercup squash each
You need for 2 people
1 200 gm piece of filet steak per person
1 large Portobello mushroom each, stalks cut off so they lay flat
1 tbs olive oil
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Few sprigs thyme
1 tbs olive oil
2 large tomatoes cut into 8
2 shallots sliced
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
½ tsp of sugar
1 tsp olive oil
Pkt baby spinach
1 whole clove garlic peeled
S & P
2 large slices Gruyere cheese.
In a small pan heat olive oil and throw in tomatoes and shallots season and add sugar this is really good for getting the best flavour from your tomatoes
Toss around till vegetables soft and keep warm.
Heat oven to 200 ◦C
Season steaks and mushrooms
In a pan that can go in the oven heat till really hot
Add oil and place b in and also mushrooms skin side down
Throw in sprigs of thyme.
Leave for a couple of minutes to get a good golden crust on the steak
Turn all over and leave for about a minute and place into the oven
About 8 minutes for med rare.
While steaks are cooking heat another pan add olive oil and then the spinach
It will wilt very quickly just move it around with the clove of garlic on a fork.
This is enough to flavour the spinach without overpowering it.
Season with S & P.
Just as you are ready to serve put the gruyere slices in with the spinach for about 20 seconds just to get it started
Now ready to serve
Turn your broiler on to maximum heat
In your steak pan start building the towers
Turn the mushroom onto its flat side
Lay the tomato mixture on top
Then the steak
Place the spinach on top and cover each with a slice of the cheese
Pop under the broiler till cheese starts to bubble
Reove and place each tower onto your plates
Looks great…tastes sensational.
Doesn’t this look good!!!
Lunch
A little Goats Cheese Tart.
I saw Mike from “Heaven’s Kitchen” make this.
We had a staff party last week and I made a bigger version of this
it was very successful.
First caramelize your onions
4 large onions sliced
1 tbs olive oil
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Pinch of sugar
Thyme leaves
Heat oil in pan and add the onions, seasoning plus sugar and thyme and gently saute for about 15- 20 minutes until they turn golden brown
Frozen sheets of savoury short crust pastry enough to cover your favourite pie plate.
Bake blind about 10 - 15 minutes in 190◦C oven.
125 gms soft goat’s cheese
2 eggs
1 cup milk
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
More thyme leaves
4-5 black olives stoned and chopped in half
Remove pastry shell from oven and add onions, break up goats cheese place around pan.
Meanwhile beat eggs, milk S & P and pour over goat’s cheese.
Sprinkle with thyme and olives.
Bake in to 180◦C oven for another 25 minutes or until set.
I served this with a tangy Green Mango Salad.
This is really easy and would go well lamb, chicken, goodness almost anything
1 green mango peeled and grated
1 red chili de-seeded and chopped finely
Handful chopped mint
1 spring onion chopped finely
Dressing
1 tbs brown sugar
1 tbs fish sauce
Juice of 1 lime
Put all the veges in your serving bowl
Mix dressing ingredients and toss together.