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Lambis soup

11/4/2020

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The conch has been used in many ways not only as a trumpet or a Cameo but as well as money or personal adornment even building material and its meat is absolutely delicious!
The meat of the Queen Conchs or Lambis in French Guadeloupe, is eaten raw in salads or served in fritter, salad and soups, curries and ceviche.
It is a traditional meal of the Caribbean’s sea regions and I have eaten a delicious soup when
working in the Guadeloupe.

Ingredients

1 kg conch flesh cleaned and cut in big pieces
4 garlic cloves
1 bouquet garni,
4 juicy tomatoes medium size, chopped
2 onions finely chopped, julienned
2 red capsicums
A medium size red pepper
Juice of 1 lime or lemon
1 small bouquet of fresh flat parsley finely chopped
4 sprig fresh thyme
4 or 5 chives finely chopped
2 tablespoon of olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

Method

In a large heavy bottom pot make a court bouillon with the conches, the bouquet garni, ½ red pepper and 1 crushed garlic clove.
Cook for about 40 to 50 minutes or longer until fully cooked.
Strain the liquid and set it aside.
Cut the conches into smaller pieces. Finely mince the parsley and crush the remaining garlic.
Quarter tomatoes and finely slice the capsicums.
In a pan heat oil, add garlic and minced herbs.
Add tomatoes, capsicums, onions, chives and let it cook until the tomatoes have released their juices.
Add the conch pieces and let pan fried for a few minutes.
Add conch cooking liquid mixed with lime juice.
Add thyme.
Cover and let simmer on medium heat for 15 to 20 minutes.
Salt and pepper.

You can serve it with a dhal or rice with red beans or even pasta like in Italy

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CLAFOUTIS

10/4/2020

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Hailing from central France, this dense and rich flan is made with black cherries embraced in an eggy batter that bakes up like a flan in the middle and a cake around the edges.
It is impressive enough to serve to last minute dinner guests and yet it’s low-effort enough to make for yourself when craving for something sweet hits
Traditionally, clafoutis are made with dark cherries but as summer progresses into fall, you can make clafoutis with any fruit that’s in season,
like plums, blackberries, apples even dry prunes or apricots.

Ingredients for 6

1 teaspoon of unsalted butter
400 g cherries
150g plain flour
120g sugar
3 eggs
300ml whole milk
A pinch of sea salt
½ teaspoon vanilla extract or a Tahitian vanilla bean ( I recommend to fly to Tahiti to buy some, you will never regret !! :)

Method

Move your oven rack to the middle and preheat the oven to 220C.
Mix the sugar with the eggs until the mixture whitens.
Add the mixture to the the flour then the salt and mix well, then gradually pour the milk until totally smooth.
Add the vanilla.
Grease a 25cm round baking dish or a rectangular cake dish with the softened butter.
Dot the cherries (stoned, if you prefer) around the base of the dish. The French traditional method is we don’t pit our cherries as it gives an almond flavour but there is an issue, is that eating a lovely clafoutis and then biting into hard pit is not fun !
Pour over the batter until the cherries are just covered.
Place in the oven to bake for about 30 to 35 minutes, or until puffy and golden.

It’s fantastic straight out of the oven, but letting it cool to room temperature firms up the custard and allows the flavours to meld, providing an entirely different experience.

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MADELEINES

10/4/2020

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MADELEINES “She sent for one of those squat plump little cakes called “petites madeleines,” which look as though they had been molded in the fluted valve of a scallop shell … I raised to my lips a spoonful of the tea in which I had soaked a morsel of the cake. No sooner had the warm liquid mixed with the crumbs touched my palate than a shudder ran through me and I stopped, intent upon the extraordinary thing that was happening to me. An exquisite pleasure invaded my senses … And suddenly the memory revealed itself. The taste was that of the little piece of madeleine…”
Marcel Proust

Reverence to Joel Robuchon’s recipe

Ingredients for 24 Honey madeleines

Unsalted butter, softened, for greasing the pans, approx. 2 tbsp
200g unsalted butter
200g sugar (powdered sugar)
80g all-purpose flour
80g ground almonds (almond meal)
6 large egg whites
1 tablespoon strong-flavoured honey
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Options :

Lemon Madeleine
Add 6cl organic/ lemons juice and the zest of 2 organic lemons
Hazelnuts Madeleine
Add 80g hazelnuts powder
and only 50g of grounds almonds
You can add as well 100g of hazelnuts paste or 100g hazelnuts chocolat (melted) but it is not essential.
Pistachios Madeleine
Add 80g unsalted, ground pistachios
and only 50g ground almonds
and ½ teaspoon of green additive colour (be careful with the quantity, the last time I have added it, it ended up with fluorescent Madeleines as you can see in the photos above :)
I found that the pistachios are not very powerful in terms of taste so if you can add few drops of pistachios essence if you can find it if not
make sure to still add the ground almonds

Basic method

In a saucepan heat the butter over medium-high heat. It will bubble, then foam and finally the solids in the butter will brown and smell nutty.
Strain the browned butter into a bowl and allow it to cool. It shouldn’t be solid, but no longer hot.
Sift together the sugar, flour and almond meal. (in case of preparing one or more other options, please add the other ingredients listed)
Beat the egg whites until foamy, but still very soft, so they run off the beater when it is lifted. Whisk in the dry ingredients.
Add the brown butter, honey and vanilla. If you want a lemon scented cake, then stir in the zest and juice.
Generously grease the pan with butter. (I highly recommend getting a nonstick Madeleine pan) and sprinkle a little bit of flour, trow away the excess.
Fill the pans with the batter.
Chill for at least 1hour, but this can be done a day or two ahead.
After one hour or two, preheat the oven to 180/185 C
Bake the cakes for about 12/16 minutes or until they are golden brown on the edges and pale, but firm on the top.
Check every 5 minutes, depending on your oven, as the cooking process is very quick and it can burn in a micro second.
The cakes will dome on the top and that is part of their signature look.

Serve warm or allow to cool with a delicious vervain tea or and vanilla ice cream.

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Lambis soup

CLAFOUTIS

MADELEINES

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