Tuesday, June 06, 2006

Mother's Day Lunch

As this is a seasonal cook book, we decided to honour the fact that this weekend is mother’s day. But since we all have to be good kids and see our moms on Sunday, we thought why not give a mother’s day lunch for our friends that are moms. Way more fun, and what better reward for a mother than no kids, good wine and fabulous food, well it would be if I stopped helping. So no men at all at tomorrow’s lunch, I am sneaking Di in to take the photos, as the rule is, if you are not a mom you cannot come.

We have a bunch of smokers for lunch – the only ones that don’t smoke are Sue and Mariette. We have assembled a fairly diverse yet very cool and fun bunch. We have Milissa who we work with, Sue our company director, her sister in law Wendy who is very cool and Mariette’s friend Berna, who is an artist. Then we have the 2 workers and cheat photographer who have dogs... Some people were just not meant to have kids and that’s the way nature intended it, so our pets are like children and now and again we kill our maternal instincts by seeing actual children. This also means we have the greatest respect for these women who actually have human children.

I am quite excited about the lunch menu, because I reckon the food sounds kind of cool. I am, however, not convinced about polenta fingers but I am sure I will suck it up. I am also not entirely sure what a red capsicum is or what makes mozzarella buffalo as opposed to any other kind. But hey, experimentation is fun, and I am having a total blast. Also the joys of Mariette being sick is that I get to do more, look how much stuff I did last week. This week I get to arrive at 10 (more reasonable hour) and get to make the dessert. Supposedly this menu requires less pre-work, well here is hoping, because then I can learn more. All this kitchen assistance seems to be paying off because last night I made mashed potatoes, and they turned out rather well. I even used my recently acquired (thanks Mariette) nutmeg grater.

I am looking forward to preparing the wine list as many cases of wine arrived this week. So far I am thinking of a fruity white for starters (supplied by Mariette’s collection), with the other wine option being a merlot for the comparison. I have a sneaky feeling the white will win out though. For the main course we have decided on blends, so we will be tasting a Bordeaux blend and a Cape blend. So now I have to go home and stare at boxes and decide which wine to take. Since Sue is coming, I think I might have to break out the good stuff to make a good impression. I am doing a wine course now and can’t look like a complete moron. I am sorted on at least one course, I have decided on a chardonnay styled bubbly for the dessert.





Mother’s Day Lunch
(6-8 people)



Menu

Starter
Polenta Mediterranean
Wine: Kleine Zalze Family Reserve 2005
Hartenberg Merlot 2003


Main
Chicken with Mushrooms
Red Capsicum
Butternut
Wine: Morgenster Bordeaux Blend 2001
Kaapzicht Steytler Vision 2001


Dessert
Baked Apricot Pudding
Butterscotch Sauce
Wine: Chamonix Chardonnay Sparkling Wine


Tea / Coffee
Shopping list:

Fruit and Vegetables:
1 Punnet mini Bella tomatoes on the vine
1 Punnet Rocket
8 big red capsicums
1 Butternut
15 Baby marrows
Garlic
Chillies
10 Baby leeks
300g Potabellini mushrooms
300g Button mushrooms
2 Limes

Meat and Fish:
16 Chicken thighs

Dairy and eggs:
2 Eggs
1l Double cream
250ml Mascarpone cheese
125ml Parmesan cheese
8 Balls buffalo mozzarella


Other Groceries:
100g Dried apricots
100g Ground almonds
Polenta
1l Apricot juice

From the cupboard:

Salt
Black Pepper
Self Raising Flour
Castor sugar
Olive oil
Brown sugar
Coffee
Tea


From the fridge:

Unsalted butter
Milk

Time Planner

What can be done on Friday night:

Set the table
Make the polenta
Roast the red capsicums
Bake the apricot cake
Make the butterscotch sauce

Plan of Action:

3 hours before serving brunch, start preparing the following:

Rinse and dry the rocket
Cut the buffalo mozarella
Prepare the tomatoes for roasting
Marinate the chicken
Peel and prepare the butternut

2 hours before serving the following can be done:

Slice mushrooms
Slice baby marrows
Slice leeks
Chop garlic
Chop chillies

1 hour before serving the following can be done:

Fry the chicken pieces in batches
Roast the tomatoes
Prepare the mushrooms , but do not add lime juice and cream
Roast the butternut
Bake the chicken pieces in the oven

CRUNCH Time - ½ an hour before serving:

Slice the polenta and grill on griddle pan
Put the capsicums back in the oven to warm up
Open the and wine
Dish up the Polenta Mediteranean
Ask the kitchen assistant to pour the wine (bloody cheek)
Serve the starter

Serving the main course:

Clear the table
Heat up the mushrooms and add lime juice and cream
Dish up the chicken and vegetables
Pour mushrooms over chicken
Ask the kitchen assistant to pour the wine (am pretending to be intelligent)
Heat the butterscotch sauce using a double boiler
Serve the main course

Serving the dessert:

Clear the table
Cut the cake in 5cm squares
Dish up the cake
Drizzle butterscotch sauce over the cake or serve it separately
Ask the kitchen assistant to pour the wine (have given up)
Serve the dessert
Polenta Mediterranean


What would you need to prepare the polenta:

Roasting tin
Chopping board
Small sharp knife
3l Saucepan
Whisk
Grater
Griddle pan
Round cake tin
Measuring cups
Measuring spoons

Ingredients for the polenta:

350ml milk
250ml double cream
250ml polenta
250ml mascarpone cheese
125ml parmesan cheese
Sea salt and black pepper
Small bella tomatoes on the vine
Olive oil
Balsamic vinegar
Buffalo mozarella
Rocket

Method:


1. Pre heat the oven to 180C
2. Bring the milk and cream to the boil
3. Whisk the polenta into the boiling cream and milk
4. Add salt and pepper
5. Boil for 5 minutes (be careful it will splatter)
6. Mix in the mascarpone and parmesan
7. Transfer polenta to an oiled round cake tin
8. Bake in the pre heated oven for 25 -30 minutes
9. Let the polenta cool down and turn it out
10. Cover the polenta cake with plastic wrap and refrigerate for a couple of hours or overnight
11. Heat the oven to 220C to grill the tomatoes
12. Pour olive oil and balsamic vinegar over the tomatoes and sprinkle with salt
13. Grill tomatoes for 15 minutes until the skin burst
14. Heat up the griddle pan
15. Cut the polenta in cake slices and brush with olive oil
16. Grill on the griddle pan on both sides until heated through and griddle marks appear on the surface
17. Put one slice of polenta on a plate
18. Add the grilled tomato
19. Cut the buffalo mozzarella ball in quarters and add
20. Garnish with rocket leaves
21. Drizzle with pan juices from grilled tomatoes

What would you need to present the polenta:

Big white plates of any shape

Considerations:

Use a small slice of polenta per serving, because it is very rich. It is easier to cut and grill the polenta when it has been refrigerated for a couple of hours.
Chicken with Mushrooms


What would you need to prepare the prepare the chicken with mushrooms:

Frying pan
Roasting tin
Chopping board
Knife
Measuring cup
Measuring spoons

Ingredients:

16 chicken thighs with skin
120g butter
125ml oil
15 – 16 baby marrows sliced thinly
8 -10 baby leeks sliced thinly
4 cloves garlic crushed
4 small red chillies finely chopped
300g portabellini mushrooms cut in quarters
300g button mushrooms cut in quarters
45ml lime juice
250ml cream
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Method:

1. Marinate chicken thighs in 30ml lime juice
2. Pre-heat oven to 180C
3. Heat oil and butter in frying pan
4. Add salt and pepper to chicken
5. Fry chicken skin side down in the butter and oil
6. Pack fried chicken pieces skin side up in a roasting tin
7. Bake in the pre heated oven for 20 – 25 minutes
8. Add baby marrow, leeks, garlic and chillies to the frying pan that was used to fry the chicken
9. Cook over high heat for 3 – 4 minutes
10. Add mushrooms and cook for a further 4 – 5 minutes or until the vegetables are tender
11. Stir in 15ml lime juice and the cream
12. Cook for 3 – 4 minutes until heated through
13. Add salt and pepper to taste
14. Serve immediately over the chicken thighs


What would you need to present all the main course:

Big white plates of any shape


Considerations:

The sauce is lovely to serve as is with penne pasta. Don’t prepare the sauce and let it stand. Serve it immediately after you have made it, so time it carefully that it will be completed as soon as the chicken is ready to come out of the oven.
(YUM!!)

Roasted Red Capsicum


What would you need to prepare the roasted red capsicum:

Roasting tin
Chopping board
Knive
Medium glass bowl
Plastic wrap

Ingredients:

8 big red capsicums (peppers)
Olive oil

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 220C
2. Wash and dry capsicums
3. Cut in half
4. Remove pips membranes and stems
5. Pack one layer in roasting tin skin side up
6. Roast in oven for 25 – 30 minutes until the skin is dark and blistered
7. Transfer capsicums to a glass bowl and cover with plastic wrap
8. Let it stand for 30 – 40 minutes
9. Remove the skins

Considerations:

I usually prepare these before hand and save the juice that has accumulated in the glass bowl. Then transfer the capsicums to an ovenproof dish and drizzle the juice and a little olive oil over them. Cover the dish with tin foil and heat it up in a preheated about 20 minutes before serving the main course.

Roasted Butternut


What would you need to prepare the butternut:

Large mixing bowl
Roasting tin
Potato peeler
Knife
Chopping board


Ingredients:

1 – 2 Butternut pumpkins
Olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method:

1. Pre-heat oven to 220C
2. Peel the butternut (a potato peeler works very well)
3. Cut the butternut in half and remove the pips
4. Cut the butternut in half moon shapes about a centimeter thick
5. Transfer the butternut to a mixing bowl
6. Add salt and pepper and a little olive oil
7. Mix gently until all the butternut is covered with the olive oil, salt and pepper
8. Transfer to a roasting tin
9. Roast in the oven for 30 – 40 minutes until caramelized and soft

Considerations:

If you prefer sweet butternut, pack the half moons in a roasting tin. Sprinkle some sugar and cinnamon over and put little dollops of butter on each half moon. Keep an eye on them while roasting because the sugar will cause it to burn more easily.
Apricot Pudding


What would you need to prepare the apricot pudding:

Large mixing bowl
Sieve
Measuring cup
Measuring spoon
Mixing spoon


Ingredients:


Cake:
300g Self raising flour
250g Unsalted butter
250g Castor sugar
100g Ground almonds
2 eggs
250ml Milk
250ml Apricot puree
Pinch of salt

Sauce:
225g castor sugar
375ml apricot juice

Method:

Cake:
1. Pre-heat oven to 180C
2. Grease and flour a square cake tin
3. Melt the butter
4. Sieve sugar and flour together
5. Add ground almonds
6. Stir the melted butter into the dry ingredients
7. Combine the eggs and milk in a bowl
8. Mix gently into the butter and flour mixture
9. Only mix until all the ingredients are combined
10. Fold in the apricot puree
11. Transfer to the greased cake tin
12. Bake for an hour
13. If the cake gets too dark at the top, cover it with tin foil
14. Test the cake after an hour. Place a knife or skewer gently in the middle of the cake. When it comes out clean the cake is done.
15. Remove from the oven
16. Use a skewer or a fork to make small holes in the cake
17. Spoon the hot sauce over the cake
18. It is very important that the sauce as well as the cake is hot when this is done
19. Let it cool down and turn it out on a wire rack

Sauce:
1. Bring sugar and apricot juice to the boil
2. Simmer for 10 minutes

Considerations:


I make the apricot puree by soaking 100g of dried apricots in 250ml of boiling apricot juice and then blending it together. It needn’t be very smooth. I make this cake sometimes using lemon or lime instead of apricots.


Butterscotch Sauce
(Yum by Dario De Angeli)


What would you need to prepare the butterscotch sauce:

2l Sauce pan
Measuring cup
Measuring spoon
Spoon


Ingredients:

250g Brown sugar
50g Unsalted butter
500ml cream

Method:

1. Place a heavy based sauce pan over high heat
2. Add the sugar to the sauce pan and heat until caramelised
3. When the sugar has completely turned to liquid, add the butter and allow to melt
4. Add the cream, reduce the heat and stir until the sugar has dissolved (At this stage the sugar will crystalise again as the mixture is cooling down very quickly. Continue to stir until all the crystals are dissolved)
5. The sauce should be a dark caramel colour at this stage
6. If it is too dark, add a little more cream

Considerations:

The quantity of sauce will be too much for one serving, but it freezes very well and can be used with any other dessert. It goes very well with vanilla ice cream. Reheat the sauce in a double boiler.

Post Mortem
Personally I reckon mother’s day lunch was the most fun to date. I am assuming it was the guests, maybe because they all smoke, but either way everyone seemed to have fun. Sadly I am starting to realize that if you are the kitchen helper pleb person, or even the chef itself, you never really get to hang out and chat. You are always busy organizing and doing stuff - oh well - at least I am learning lots.

Starters:
Now this was surprisingly delicious. Who would have thought polenta would be so tasty? I guess it was all the cheese that went along with it. I am not usually a fan of cooked tomatoes but this went really well. Okay let’s be honest, I normally would never ever eat this , but it was bloody nice, even down to the rocket and balsamic vinegar. I really thought it worked well and tasted great. Personally I would have ditched the mozzarella but no-one else agreed with me on that one.

Wine:
Ok we tried a Kleine Zalze Family Reserve 2005 and Hartenberg Merlot 2003.
I was most relieved as the red won out yet again. Common consensus was that the white wine was too overpowering for the subtle cheesy polenta and that the merlot rocked.

Main meal:
This so far has been my absolute favorite, even though there were no potatoes. The chicken was fantastic. There was nothing bland or boring about the sauce that Mariette concocted. There was just enough chili to give you that slight kick without blowing everyone’s mind. If Mariette’s house was a restaurant I would order it again. This is saying a lot as there was not an iota of red meat or proper starch in sight.

I also learned that red capsicum is just a fancy way of saying a red pepper, which I must admit wasn’t a major favourite of mine and the butternut, well, lets just say it still tasted like butternut. So there was no disguising the veggies they still tasted and looked like veggies. Everyone else seemed to like it though. Clearly I need to find and invite more carnivores to these lunches, so I am really looking forward to the father’s day version.

Wine:
Right I tried a really divine Bordeaux blend, Morgenster 2001, but alas the bite in the sauce meant that the subtle greatness of the wine disappeared completely and the wine became kind of pointless. What a pity? So the chosen blend of the day was the Steytler Vision 2001, from Kaapzicht. It was truly delicious and went really well with the food.

Dessert:
Aah now this is truly close to my heart, I may have helped with the chicken, but this I did by my lonesome self. Well kind of, didn’t make the butterscotch sauce that was done before hand. So I had loads of fun baking this. It wasn’t a flop because Mariette was around keeping a watchful eye. My personal opinion was that it was a bit sweet, but then I don’t have a majorly sweet tooth. Everyone else seemed to like it - hell even Mariette cleared her plate.

Wine:
I went with a chardonnay based bubbly from Chamonix, 3 out of 7 like the contrast between the dry and the sweet, but the rest claimed it was way too dry for the dessert. Damn, so this means we are back to port and stickies for dessert - cant win them all I guess.

All in all it seemed to be a huge success, people laughed, they ate, they drank and best of all they had smoke breaks between each course, which gave us some extra prep time. For me personally it helped that Sue was there and helped to dish up, but then I was called back and called a useless kitchen assistant because I was trying to smoke and hang out with the guests. Clearly I haven’t got the memo that the hired help should not fraternise with the guests.