Simon Rimmer's Recipes
BLACK PUDDING AND LAVENDER SALAD
It’s rare that I get so excited by a new product, the cynical old chef that I am, makes me think I’ve seen it all, but Andy at R S Ireland black puddings has created the most fantastic veggie black pudding, it’s a real winner. Here I’ve matched it with a creamy lavender dressing, which seems to compliment it perfectly
Ingredients
12 slices of v-pud, vegetarian black pudding (cut about 15mm thick)
Oil for frying and roasting
16 small, cooked potatoes
Good handful rocket
12 asparagus spears, blanched
S&P
Dressing (this will make enough dressing for 8 people)
4 egg yolks
4 tsp sugar
S&P
4 tsp Dijon mustard
600ml olive oil
200ml white wine vinegar
Juice of 3 lemons
1 tbsp dried lavender – very finely chopped
Method
Potatoes
Put a good quantity of olive oil in an ovenproof dish and pop into a very hot (220c) oven, until smoking. Now put in the potatoes, season well, shake carefully and roast for about 30 mins until crisp, giving them a little turn every now and again
Black pudding
Cover the bottom of a frying pan with more oil and heat until hot, but not smoking. Place the sliced black pudding in, and cook for about 1 min each side, until just crisp, drain on kitchen paper
Dressing
Beat the yolks in blender. Add sugar, s&p, mustard and combine. Slowly add the oil, with the blender on. With the motor still running slowly add the vinegar, then finally squeeze in the lemon juice and add the chopped lavender
To assemble the salad
1. Toss the potatoes and rocket with a good spoonful or two of the dressing.
2. Divide this onto 4 plates, then sit 3 pieces of pudding tightly around the potatoes and sit the asparagus on top
3. Spoon over a little more dressing, a twist of black pepper and some extra crushed lavender
SEA BASS WITH POTATO ROSTI
The combination of fish and potato is one of the best in the world. I reckon I could do a book just about that combo. Try this one for your tea one night – the king of fish (also known as sea bass) looks so majestic on his rosti throne with his adoring subjects from the kingdom of salsa at his feet…..I need a drink!!!
Ingredients (serves 4)
2 large baking potatoes
3 finely sliced spring onions
1 clove crushed garlic
S&P
4 × 150g sea bass fillets
Olive oil for frying
Salsa
150g smoked bacon lardoons
1 small red birds eye chilli
20 cherry tomatoes, cut into quarters
1 tbsp chopped coriander
1/2 a ripe avocado, cut into small cubes
1 tbsp sherry vinegar
4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Method
Potatoes
1. Boil the potatoes in their jackets for exactly 7 minutes, cool a little, then peel. coarsely grate, add the onion, garlic and lots of seasoning
2. Mould into "rostis’, chill for 20 mins, then fry over a medium heat for 4 mins on each side until crisp and golden. Drain on kitchen paper
Salsa
Fry the bacon until crispy, then simply combine with all the other ingredients (although I’d leave the avocado until just before serving)
Fish
Season well and fry in the oil for a couple of mins, skin side down, then flip over and pop in a 200c oven for 2 mins
To serve
Sit a piece of yummy bass on top of a rosti and spoon over some of the refreshing salsa
CHOCOLATE AND HAZELNUT MERINGUE
There’s a patisserie on the edge of Place Des Vosges in Paris that has the most incredible meringues, they’re massive, big pink, brown, green and white beauties and you can see hoards of Parisian’s desperately trying to avoid breaking them as they head off to work.
For me a meringue has to be crunchy on the outside and chewy in the middle, like these. The tip with these monkeys is to have the oven higher than you need it until you pop the meringues in, then notch it down
Ingredients (makes about 12 meringues)
Meringue
6 egg whites
300g sugar
3 tbsp cocoa powder
150g toasted, shelled and broken hazelnuts
1 tsp sherry vinegar
50g grated 70% cocoa solids chocolate
Filling
400ml cream whipped with 1 vanilla pod and 1 tbsp sugar
Sauce
200g chocolate hazelnut spread
100g butter
200ml double cream
30ml hazelnut liqueur
Method
1. Preheat oven to 180
2. Beat egg whites until stiff peaks, then whisk in sugar 1 tbsp at a time
3. Gently fold in the choc, cocoa, vinegar and nuts
4. Spoon onto greaseproof paper on a tray
5. Put into the oven and turn down to 150c immediately, then bake for about 45mins. Should be hard on the outside, chewy in middle
6. Sauce – gently heat all the ingredients together, stirring occasionally
7. Serve 2 meringues with cream in the middle and sauce over the top
SOLE FILLETS WITH ASPARAGUS
Ingredients
2 sole fillets cut in half
1 carrot, finely sliced
4 asparagus spears, finely sliced
1 red pepper, finely sliced
Juice of ˝ a lemon
Pesto
Handful basil
15g pine nuts
1 clove garlic
100g parmesan
Extra virgin olive oil
Salt & pepper
Splash of cream
6 sun-blush tomatoes
Method
1. Make the pesto by blitzing all the ingredients together, except the oil. When combined add the oil and adjust seasoning
2. Lay the sole fillets on a board – season well
3. Blanch the carrot, pepper and asparagus, then drain well
4. Place a mixture of the vegetables on one end of the fillet and roll up, secure with a cocktail stick and squeeze over lemon juice
5. Steam for 4-6 mins
To serve
1. Heat some pesto, together with the cream and sun-blush tomatoes, place on a plate and top with the fish
TUNA WITH NOODLES
Ingredients (serves 4)
800g loin of tuna
1 egg white
100g each of sesame and poppy seeds
S&P
Oil to fry
1 bok choy, quartered and blanched
100g broccoli, cut into very small florets
1 carrot, finely cut into matchsticks
2 spring onions, sliced
1 red pepper, finely sliced
Dressing
125ml light soy sauce
25mm piece ginger
200g honey
1 tsp sesame oil
Juice of 1 lime
Dried fine egg noodles, deep fried to serve
Method
Brush the tuna with egg white, then roll in the seeds. Now wrap very, very tightly in cling film to make a solid barrel. Chill for 2 hours
Dressing
Blitz until smooth in a processor
Tuna & Veg
Heat a pan and a wok to smoking. Add oil to both, place the tuna in the pan and cook for about 30 secs on all sides
Add the veg to the wok, toss it well, then add some dressing
To Serve
Place the tuna on the veg, drizzle with more dressing and top with the crispy noodles
LEMON CURD CHEESECAKE
Ingredients (serves 12 hungry horses)
175g crushed CHARCOAL biscuits
150g melted butter
600g full fat ricotta cheese
600g cream cheese
150g sugar
6 whole eggs
1 jar lemon curd
125g poppy seeds
Method
1. to make the base combine the biscuits and butter and press it into a 225mm spring sided cake tin.
2. For the topping just put the cheese, sugar and eggs into a blender and pulse until smooth. Don’t worry if the mix seems a bit runny, the 6 eggs will set it
3. Spoon the mix into a bowl and fold in the lemon curd – keep it "swirly’ and top with a layer of poppy seeds
4. Cook at 175c/ 350f/ g4 for about an hour. The cheesecake should be springy and just set in the middle.
5. Serve with raspberry sauce.
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