It is a small affair, with good friends, so why should I get nervous? It’s always the way. I won’t say I become a quivering wreck, but certainly appreciate a few stiff gins as I potter around the kitchen. What would I be like if I ever got to a master-chef type cook-off? I got to work early to minimise the work and kitchen time while guests were in attendance. Pudding is always a good place to start;
Tiramisu
24 lady’s fingers sponges (savoiardi)
2 cups very strong coffee
50ml of Tia Maria
25ml of Godiva chocolate liquor
3 egg yolks
½ cup of sugar
2 cups mascarpone
1 cup of double cream
½ cup marsala
Dark chocolate for dusting
In a simmering bain-marie add the egg yolks, marsala and sugar and beat / whisk for 5 minutes or so until the volume has increased by double. Remove from the head and thoroughly mix in the mascarpone. In a separate bowl, beat the cream until it forms stiff peaks and fold into the mascarpone mixture.
Right now we’re ready to construct, you will need a dish that is about 3 or 4 inches deep and preferably straight sided. Ideally it would be square or rectangular based. Mine was oval and worked ok though.
Being in Jamaica I used very strong Blue Mountain coffee, but you can use something inferior so long as its strong. In a shallow bowl, mix in the Tia Maria and the Godiva liquor. Obviously Kaluha works just as well as Tia Maria, but does have the same 8o’s vibe about it. Dip the savioardi (both sides) in the coffee mixture one at time and arrange in a layer on the base of the serving dish. Quick dipping avoids the saviordi getting too soft, though, if you are using an unusual shaped dish, an extra second or two allows you to squish the fingers into awkward spots if you haven’t snapped them down to the right size.
Once the layer is completely cover with the mascarpone mixture and then repeat. It might be an idea to change the direction of the fingers, though it doesn’t give any additional structure and by the time it is served no one will notice anyway.
Dusting is traditionally done with cocoa powder, but I always think it just tastes dusty rather than chocolatey and I am quite sure cocoa wasn’t around when tiramisu were first being made. I finely grated some Green and Blacks over the top. Just enough to pick up the hint of the chocolate I put in the savioardi. Bang in the fridge to set for about 5 hours or more. Take out to de chill slightly about 20 minutes before serving.
Continuing to work backwards, the Wellington came next
2 large sheets of puff pastry (preferably frozen for handiness)
Pre-made mushroom duxelle (see previous posts)
Beef from the centre of the tenderloin, about (1.5 inches per serving plus a bit just in case)
4 or 5 slices of prosciutto or other dry cured ham.
50mls of Brandy
English mustard powder
2 egg yolks
Before I start, can I just point out that the prosciutto is optional. It does help give a richness to the flavor that is wonderful, but you need to be careful of the ham that you use. Too salty can easily ruin the beef. This recipe is based on one of Gordon Ramsay’s and while he asks for 12 slices of prosciutto to completely wrap the meat, this is overkill in my opinion. 4 or 5 good slices will mostly get around the meat and give ample flavor.
Take the duxelle out of the fridge and the pastry out of the freezer. A little olive oil on a roasting tin and over the beef. Salt, pepper and bung it in a pre-heated oven at 220°C for about 20 minutes (I’m working on a serving for 6 here). Timing of Beef Wellington can be tricky and will depend on the accuracy of your oven. For me it is a very nervous moment cutting a Wellington first time. The timings here should give you a medium rare wellington, which is adequate. The carnivore can take the more rare bits in the middle and old folks can have the medium bits from the edges, with bonus extra pastry.
Let the meat cool and use about ¾ of the brandy to deglaze the roasting pan, lifting the meat juices. These will be used later in the sauce to accompany the meat. Stretch out some cling film on the work surface. This will help roll up the wellington filling to keep its shape in the pastry. On this cling film lay the prosciutto slightly over lapping, than spread the duxelle as thick as desired (or possibly slightly thicker as helps to squish it around later to even it out). Use the remainder of the brandy to mix with the English mustard powder (Coleman’s of course) and brush liberally over all sides of the meat. Place in the centre of the spread duxelle and start to roll up the cling film twisting the ends to keep everything inside and the correct shape. Form into a cylinder as best you can and pop it in the freezer to set the shape.
Meanwhile roll out the pastry, or if you are like me, unravel the pre-rolled stuff. Once the meat has set in its shape after about 10 minutes, take out and remove the cling film (that bit is really quite important). Place on the centre of the pastry which should be flat on the work surface. Take the second sheet of pastry, which ideally is a good bit bigger than the first, and fold over the meat, pressing to the sides and top to make sure there is no trapped air. Fold in the ends. Seal the pastry sheets with egg wash and trim the pastry to about an inch rim round the meat. Use the handle of a fork to seal tightly and roll back to neaten everything up. Brush the Wellington with Egg wash and score gently with a knife. This can sit under a damp tea towel until you are to cook. It will take about 25 minutes in a pre-heated oven at 220°C for medium rare.
