insideKENT Magazine Issue 60 - March 2017 | Page 62

FOOD + DRINK
Mother ’ s Day AT HOME cont .

Five-Star Dinner At Home

Going out for a slap-up meal at a restaurant is always an exciting plan , but in reality good restaurants often get booked up quickly on memorable dates and they can be pretty pricey too . So , why not recreate the anticipation and finesse of a three-course meal at home ? Make sure you make an effort with your table setting , put your mum ’ s favourite music on and definitely don ’ t forget the champagne !
We ’ ve sourced some fantastic recipes from Gary Durrant , head chef at Hunter 486 , the stylish restaurant within five-star boutique hotel The Arch London , which are sure to impress ...
Starter :
CHILLED CUCUMBER AND AVOCADO SOUP WITH BROWN SHRIMP AND DILL ( 4 )
INGREDIENTS :
• 1 medium onion , finely chopped
• Half clove garlic , finely chopped
• 2 cucumbers peeled , seeds removed and sliced
• 650ml vegetable stock
• 1 medium avocado
• Half cucumber peeled , seeds removed and cut into small cubes
• 40g peeled brown shrimps
• 4 sprigs of dill
METHOD :
1 . Cook the chopped onions and garlic in a little vegetable oil until soft and translucent .
2 . Add the cucumber and cook for approximately 10 minutes until the cucumber is soft . Add the vegetable stock , bring to the boil , then simmer for 20 minutes .
4 . Place in a liquidiser and blend until smooth .
5 . Pass through a fine sieve into a bowl , and place this in a bowl of ice to chill the soup .
6 . When the soup is cold , peel and chop the avocado , add to the soup and blend again until smooth ; season with salt and black pepper – it ’ s very important that the soup is cold before you add the avocado otherwise it will go brown and you ’ re looking for a bright green colour .
8 . To serve , pour into a chilled soup bowl and sprinkle over the peeled brown shrimps , the cubed cucumber and the chopped dill .
Main :
WHOLE SEA BASS WITH ORANGE BUTTER , FENNEL AND ROCKET SALAD ( 2 )
INGREDIENTS :
• 2 whole Seabass descaled and gutted ( approx 400g each )
• 2 garlic cloves
• 2 tsp fennel seeds
• 1 lemon
• 125g unsalted butter
• 2tsp good quality sea salt
• Black pepper
• 70ml white wine
• Zest and juice of 1 medium orange
METHOD :
1 . Season the inside of the fish and place crushed garlic , fennel and half a lemon inside .
2 . Take a piece of strong kitchen foil ( roughly 35cm square ) and brush well with oil and a little butter .
3 . Season one side of the fish with the sea salt and black pepper and place on the foil . Season the other side and sprinkle over the fennel seeds , white wine and a squeeze of lemon juice .
4 . Scrunch up the sides of the foil to form a well sealed parcel and cook in the oven at 220-240 ° C for 20 minutes .
5 . To make the orange butter , add the zest and orange juice to the soft butter , roll in cling film to form a cylinder and refrigerate until needed .
6 . When the fish is cooked , gently open the parcel and place the fish with all the juices onto plates . Top with a slice of the orange butter and sprinkle over some fennel leafs .
7 . Serve with a salad of shaved fennel and rocket .
Dessert :
CHOCOLATE AND AMARETTO MOUSSE ( 2 )
INGREDIENTS :
• 500ml milk
• 1tbsp plain flour
• 2tbsp caster sugar
• 1tsp vanilla essence
• 80ml Amaretto
• 100g dark chocolate
• 50g butter
• 30g Amaretti biscuits ( crushed ) and strawberries
METHOD : 1 . Pour the milk into a saucepan and warm over a low heat . 2 . In a separate pan , mix the flour , sugar and vanilla essence before slowly adding the warm milk . When all mixed together , put back on the heat and stir continuously for 2 minutes .
3 . As the mixture heats up , whisk in the Amaretto . By this time the mixture should be thickening .
4 . Take off the heat and stir in the butter and chocolate .
5 . Serve immediately with sprinkled Amaretti biscuits and strawberries on top .
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