Pea and mint soup and steak with Dauphinoise potatoes
Why traipse across town to dine at a table for two in the window just to show you love someone? With a twinkle in his eye, chef Jimmy Garcia is going to show how you can plate up a romantic meal for you and your loved-one in your own home.
Serves: 6
Ingredients
For the soup
Splash oilGenerous knob butter2 Onions chopped2 Cloves Garlic1 stick celery1.5l good veg stock250ml apple juiceBay leavesDried oregano2 sprigs thyme1kg bag frozen peas1 large bunch fresh mintsplash of maple syrupsalt and freshly ground black pepper
For the chorizo oil
100 ml Olive oil 100g Chorizo, cut into small cubes
For the Serrano crisps
2 slices serrano ham per person
For the croutons
2 slices bread
For the quails eggs
4 quails eggs
Method
Put the oil in a large sauce pan, followed by a generous knob of butter (everything tastes better with a bit a butter!)
Add the onions to a medium heat, with the garlic and celery, and allow to simmer until cooked. Then add the vegetable stock, apple juice, bay leaves oregano and thyme.
Bring it to the boil, then place a lid over, and allow to simmer for a good hour at least, to let all the flavours come together
Add the frozen Peas, and allow to simmer again until the peas are defrosted and cooked through. Once the peas are cooked through, add the mint leaves and a splash of maple syrup, and give it a proper good blend! Don’t over cook the peas otherwise you’ll lose the lovely vibrant green colour.
In the meantime, we’re going to jazz it up, with lots of components that will be in the bowl, ready to be poured over… like a little ‘garden’ to pour the soup in to.
Chorizo Oil, Serrano Crisp, Demi Boiled Quail’s egg, Crouton, Pea Shoots
For the Chorizo Oil, place a generous helping of olive oil in a small sauce pan about 1cm in depth, and add chopped chunks of Chorizo and start to fry. Leave it on a low heat until the oil has gone orange, and there you have it - chorizo oil.
To make the Serrano crisps, cut the slices in half, diagonally so you have what appears as big shards, and place them on a baking tray with baking paper underneath. Put another piece of baking paper and a baking tray on top, and allow them to crisp up in the oven at about 140c for about 10 - 15 minutes, until crispy. By flattening them, you keep that really cool shape – a chef’s tip that’s really easy!
For the crouton, drizzle some of the chorizo oil on some bread, and cut in to uniform squares and bake them until nice and crispy
Finally, boil some quail’s eggs on the hob (2 per person) with boiling water for 2 minutes then shock them with cold water. Gently peel them and chop them in half and get ready to plate up.
Steak with Dauphinoise Potatoes
Serves: 4
Ingredients
For the Dauphinoise potatoes
500ml double cream2 cloves garlic2 sprigs fresh thyme1 bay leaf1 pinch nutmeg800g waxy, charlotte potatoessalt and pepper2 tbsp dried herbes de provence1 tbsp dried garlic
For the honey roast carrot
4 Carrots cut in half, lengthways.Enough orange juice to cover the carrotsSplash of honeySalt and pepperKnob of butter
For the Sauteed Wild Mushrooms
200g girolles or any mushrooms you preferGenerous knob of buttersalt and pepper
For the Parsnip Puree
400g parsnips500ml milk1 bay leaf
For the Steak
A large knob of butterSalt and pepper800g fillet steak – I used fillet but choose the cut you prefer
Method
For the Dauphinoise potatoes, heat the cream with the fresh garlic (minced), thyme, bay leaf and nutmeg, and allow to infuse over a low heat
Meanwhile, slice the potatoes as thinly as possible on a mandolin slicer or by hand and line a small roasting dish with greaseproof paper. Layer the potatoes along the bottom, and in between each layer, sprinkle salt, pepper, and a sprinkle of the dried herbs and garlic, followed by the cream. Continue to do so, until you have around 2.5inches in height of sliced potato and cream. Press down the potatoes and place in the oven at 150 degrees for about 45-50 minutes, or until golden on top and cooked all the way through
Once ready, place a baking tray on top, and press the potatoes down with a heavy weight and allow to cool. This will help to make the dauphinoise look restaurant style when it comes to serving!
For the honey roast carrots: Blanch the carrots in orange Juice for around ten minutes, until par cooked and then transfer to a roasting tray with a splash of honey, salt and pepper, and a knob of butter. Bake the carrots at 200 degrees until slightly golden brown and caramelised.
For the wild mushrooms, sauté in butter with salt and pepper until caramelised
For the parsnip puree, peel the parsnips and cut in to chunks. Place in a pan of milk, with a bay leaf and boil until cooked. Once soft, transfer to a food processor and blend to a fine puree.
For the steak: There’s no need to be scared of cooking steak. First of all, get the extraction hood cranked up, and a frying pan on the hob on a high heat. Drop in the butter and allow to get really hot, until smoking slightly. Season the meat, and place in the pan, side on, and seal on all sides for a few minutes until it's caramelised/browned on all sides.
Place in the oven at 200 degrees for 13minutes. Once cooked, feel for medium rare - it should still be slightly spongey if you prod it with your finger. If it's too rare, place back in for another 3/4mins. Allow to rest, covered in foil for at least 15 minutes to rest before carving up in to 4 large pieces.