A French Pirouette (24 page)

Potato topping:

Boil the potatoes until tender. Drain and mash with the butter, egg and a dash of milk if necessary to make them creamy. Season to taste.

Spoon the potato over the fish filling evenly and sprinkle with the grated cheese.

Bake for approx 30mins—at least until it is bubbling around the edges and the cheese has melted into a golden-brown top.

Serve with veg of your choice.

FRUITY CLAFOUTIS

This is very similar to the one I made Evie—only this one has a mixture of soft fruit.

Butter or oil

400g mixed soft fruits i.e. raspberries, blueberries and blackberries (It’s delicious made with dark cherries when they’re in season too.)

Batter ingredients:

50g ground almonds

100g caster sugar

2 tablespoons of plain flour

2 eggs

2 egg yolks

250ml double cream

To serve:

crème fraiche

Preheat oven to 190ºC/370ºF/Gas 5 (170ºC fan).

Butter or oil a flan dish and scatter the fruit over evenly.

In the blender whizz all other ingredients together. Pour over the fruits and bake for 20–25 minutes until risen and golden brown.

Serve with a good dollop of crème fraiche!

ASPARAGUS AND SMOKED SALMON

This is such an easy starter—and it combines two of my favourite foods!

Steam a bundle of fresh green asparagus (not the white stuff!) for no more than 5 minutes—they need to still be a bit crisp—and allow to cool.

Wrap two or three in a piece of smoked salmon for each person, garnish with some rocket, a drizzle of balsamic and—enjoy!

And the very last recipe has become a firm favourite with Lucas.

DACQUOISE À LA LIBBY!

(My version of the classic dish!)

4 egg whites

225g sugar (I use 2oz sugar per egg white, which is really difficult to translate into grams!)

85g freshly ground almonds

Before you start, decide whether you want individual portions or one pavlova type dessert. If a pavlova type, then mark two circles of approximately 6" on baking parchment, otherwise simply line a baking tray with parchment.

Whisk the egg whites until REALLY stiff and add the sugar slowly dessertspoon by dessertspoon until it is fully incorporated. Now with a metal spoon gently fold in the ground almonds. Either spread the mixture gently between the parchment with the two circles marked or place meringue type spoonfuls on the baking parchment. Place in a cool oven.

I find the length of cooking time can vary so my advice is: the pavlova type ones will take approximately 2–3 hours, the individual ones less. Easiest way to test if they are done is to lift a corner of the paper and see if it peels away from the bottom of the mixture—it’s not done if this doesn’t happen!

Once cooked place in an airtight tin until ready to assemble.

Filling:

4oz apricots

cream—double or whipping, or a really good crème fraiche

grated chocolate, for sprinkling

Here in France I use a thick crème fraiche to sandwich things together—with some of the apricots chopped finely and mixed in. (Have to admit I cheat here and used tinned apricots, saving the syrup to serve separately with the dacquoise.) If I’ve made a pavlova type I put more cream on the top layer and apricots around the edge and finish off with a sprinkle of grated chocolate. The individual dacquoise are simply sandwiched together, placed on a plate on their side, a couple of half apricots pushed into the cream and grated chocolate sprinkled. There’s always extra cream on the table too!

Well there you are—just a few of the recipes I’ve enjoyed making at the Auberge du Canal.

BON APPÉTIT!