Christmas Treats for the Yuletide Table

Christmas Treats.
Only 9 days till the big feast

Here are two recipes that you may like to prepare for Christmas Day
Or the day before...or the Day after

First the Meringue Roulade

This recipe came from Tony Astle from Antoines Restaurant in Parnell
Thank you Tony for sharing this
It is so easy and a real crowd pleaser
My guests thought, I was ever so clever!

Ingredients
5 large egg whites at room temperature
340 gms white sugar
1 tsp white vinegar
1 tsp vanilla extract
30 gms cornflour

Wet and line a sponge tin with baking paper
Set oven 180c

Beat egg whites to stiff peaks
Add 340 gms white sugar quite quickly
Beat full speed  for 2 minutes

Add 1 tsp white vinegar and 1 tsp vanilla extract
Straight  away, turn machine down and
Fold in 30 gms corn flour 
Combine well quickly be careful not to lose that air

Pile into prepared tin
Spread roughly
Place in oven bake for 12 minutes only
Remove and cool to room temp 

Sprinkle plenty icing sugar on a sheet of baking paper
Then invert meringue onto paper
Spread with stiffly whipped cream leaving about 2 inch space at far end

Roll as a sponge roll
Serve in thick slices with some beautiful berries

Christmas Bark is not a New Zealand tradition, but it doesn't take long for us to introduce new foods to our feast. This a lovely gift to take to a friend.
So pretty and so so simple to make

I saw this recipe on a Facebook Friends post.
A link from the New York Times
Submitted by a gentleman called Tom Faglon.

Those Pomegranate Seeds are just like glistening jewels
Set in Dark Chocolate with pieces of Crystalised Ginger
Then finished off with a sprinkling of crunchy sea salt flakes

The first time I made it, I ceased the chocolate.
I forgot about adding cold and wet into hot chocolate
So, when I made it yesterday I was more careful and cooled the chocolate
a little and dried the seeds.
Voila, it worked

Nigella has a foolproof way of removing those seeds from the Pomegranate
Cut it in half
Over a large bowl
Bash it with a big wooden spoon
after the third bash they will start to fall out
Just like ruby rain
Keep on bashing
Squeeze the fruit to get the rest of the juice out
Turn them into a sieve and drain the juice

Set that Juice aside, I have a recipe for it at the end of this post
A Christmas Cocktail

Gently dry the seeds, so that when added to the chocolate they won't seize it

So let's start
Line a small baking tray with baking paper
Ingredients
    •    200 grams dark (bittersweet) chocolate pieces (1 cake)
    •    40 grams finely chopped crystallized ginger 
    •   The seeds of a fresh pomegranate  (1 cup)
    •    6 grams flaky sea salt (1 teaspoon)
 
Preparation
Break the chocolate into pieces and melt it
Either over a pan of simmering water
being careful not to let the bowl touch the water
Or do as I did, whack it into the microwave
Keep stirring it till it cools slightly

Add the ginger, then

Add half of the pomgranate seeds
Quickly turn out into the prepared tray
Spread quickly to a thin  layer
Throw the rest of the pomegranate seeds over the top

Sprinkle with Sea Salt
Chill for at least an hour

Break up into pieces and devour

Now for the  Christmas Cocktail

Grab a glass
Add several Ice Cubes
Then
2 parts Vodka
1 part Cacao White Liqueur
1 part Pomegranate Juice
Stir

Sip away
Merry Christmas Everybody

Wonderful Summer Nicoise Salad - Perfect for Christmas entertaining. All the right colours.

Salad Nicoise is a favourite of ours.
Perfect for boat food.
Canned Tuna, black olives, red onions, green beans, Boiled eggs, Tomatoes Potatoes, a few Capers and some chopped herbs
All dressed with a tasty French Dressing

All of the food groups just about and it's so fresh and clean
This  particular version is outstanding


And the beauty of it is you can prep early in the day.
I assembled about an hour before.
All ready, sit down have some drinks
Off to the table and serve.
Wonderful summer food
So I have decided to re-post this blog.
This salad is perfect for entertaining.
I made it last night and everyone loved it.
There is quite a bit of prep but once assembled thats it.
An all in one meal
We washed it down with some Champagne.
That was a really good idea

By the way the amounts can vary. That's up to you
This is a guide line

Anna Gare, is best known as a Judge on Junior Masterchef Australia
Also she is in a programme called "The Best in Australia".
It has all the right ingredients, but treated differently
The tomatoes are roasted for the extra flavour.
The red onions Caramelized.
There is mayonnaise on the potatoes and eggs...I would normally use French Dressing
I also used my marinated olives to scatter over the top
And beautiful fresh Seared Tuna, drizzled with a Nicoise style salsa
Perfecto

Serves 4
Ingredients
4 x 120g tuna steaks
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Olive oil


1 egg per person, hard boiled, peeled and quartered


500 g small new potatoes boiled
Little French dressing


200 g stringless green beans

Roast Tomatoes
4 large Ripe tomatoes quartered or 8 smaller tomatoes.
They are usually sweeter

Sea salt
Little sugar
Olive oil
Fresh thyme


Caramelised Onions
2 purple Onions finely sliced
11/2 tablespoon Olive Oil
1 tablespoon Sugar
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
Sea salt and pepper

Mayonnaise
2 Cloves roasted Garlic finely chopped ( I used raw garlic)
2 Anchovies finely chopped
2 egg yolks
1 tablespoon Lemon Juice
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
¾ cup Olive Oil

Salsa
1 tablespoon baby capers
1 tablespoon Italian Parsley chopped
1 small Tomato deseeded and finely diced
4 Anchovies finely chopped
1 part of Lemon juice
2 parts of Olive Oil
Salt and Sugar to taste

As many Black Olives as you like

Method

Place tomatoes onto baking sheet and sprinkle with salt & thyme and slow bake for 45 mins in 120 deg oven. This will intensify the flavour.
Put aside.

Cook potatoes whole in a pot of salted water and blanch beans in the same pot towards the end.
When cooled cut potatoes & beans as desired.

Caramelize onions by putting olive oil, sugar, salt, red wine vinegar and onions all into a pot and cook on medium-low heat for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally until onions are just cooked through- they should be soft and shiny.

Make dressing by combining yolks, lemon juice, anchovies, garlic & mustard.
Whilst whisking, slowly drizzle in oil.
I did it in the food processor

Lightly brush Tuna with oil salt & pepper then sear on high heat, 2 minutes per side.
Don't overcook it. As it rests it continues to cook.

For Salsa, mix all ingredients together and taste for seasoning and citrus factor.

Dress potatoes & eggs with some mayonnaise 

Place on desired platter

Then add in layers, first onions, beans, then tomatoes. 

Just before serving, sear tuna and place on top, then drizzle over with Nicoise Salsa.
Throw olives over the top