~ TRY THESE FINE DISHES FOR A CLASSY DINNER PARTY ~
Global Table, with Louise Liebenberg
STUDENTS at the South African Academy of Culinary Arts are sharing recipes for two dishes today – prawn mousse tortellini, as well as for rack of lamb with spinach mousse and braised white kidney beans.
PRAWN MOUSSE TORTELLINI
Basic pasta dough125g pasta flour
3-4 egg yolks
1 pinch of salt
Place the flour, salt and 3 of the egg yolks in a food processor on high speed for 1 minute. Once it starts to resemble moist breadcrumbs, stop the machine, or add the extra egg yolk if the dough appears to be dry. Turn the dough on a floured surface and sprinkle with flour. Knead and stretch the dough 3 or 4 times with the palm of your hand until it is pliable. Roll into a ball, wrap in cling film and leave to rest in the fridge for 1hour.
Prawn mousse (makes 6 tortellinis)
100g prawn meat
15g egg white
75ml cream
1ml salt
Cayenne pepper to taste
Nutmeg to taste
Have all the ingredients and equipment very cold. Puree the meat in a food processor. Add the egg white and process until well blended and the mixture is smooth. With the machine running, slowly pour in the cream. The mousse should be light and fluffy, but firm enough to hold a shape. Add the seasoning. For a better texture force the mixture through a fine sieve. Cover the mousse and keep cold until needed.
For the tortellini
Using a rolling pin, roll out the pasta dough to 2mm thick then, using a pastry cutter, cut it into discs 5cm wide. Using a pasta machine, roll each disc to 13cm, turning the pasta 180°C through each turn. Lay on a lightly floured surface. Place a heaped teaspoon of mousse on each pasta disc. Fold over the top of the pasta and seal both sides with egg wash to give a half circle. Use a cutter to help pack the filling neatly, then trim off the joined ends, leaving at least 2.5cm pasta around the mousse. Place the pasta parcel in front of you with the curved side facing away from you. Holding each end with the forefinger and thumb of each hand – press the ends together firmly, creating a solid join. Cook for 3min in boiling water.
For the bisque
Prawn shells/ heads from the prawn meat (about 100g)
20g onion, chopped
20g carrot, chopped
15g tomato paste
1 small bay leaf
1 sprig of thyme
2 parsley stalks
Splash of brandy
80ml white wine
250ml water
125ml cream, hot
Heat butter in a saucepan on medium heat. Add the onions and carrots and saute until lightly browned. Add the shells and herbs. Saute until the shells turn red. And tomato paste and stir well. Add the brandy and wine and reduce by half. Add the water and simmer for 10-15 minutes. Strain and return the bisque to the sauce pan. Bring back to the simmer, add the hot cream and reduce for a few minutes until it has a sauce consistency. Season to taste.
RACK OF LAMB WITH SPINACH MOUSSE AND BRAISED KIDNEY BEANS (PICTURED ABOVE RIGHT)
4 racks of lamb (3 ribs each, French trimmed)
Season the lamb racks and sear in a hot pan with oil until golden all over. Roast in a oven for 10-12 minutes at 200C for medium. Remove the lamb from the oven and leave in a warm place to rest for a few minutes before serving.
For the sauce
500g lamb bones
1 small onion, quartered
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 carrot, roughly chopped
2 sprigs of thyme
2 tomatoes, chopped
250ml red wine
10g beurre manie
In a pot, sear the lamb bones until browned. Add the onion, garlic, carrot and thyme and cook for 5 minutes more. Add the wine and reduce to a syrup consistency. Add water to cover the bones. Simmer for 1 hour, skimming as you go. Pass the sauce through a fine sieve and reduce the stock by half. Thicken the sauce by whisking in the beurre manie.
Spinach mousse
250g baby spinach (stalks removed)
75ml cream
pinch of nutmeg
1 egg
Cook the spinach in a 15ml butter in a saucepan until wilted. Drain well. In a food processor, puree the spinach and egg before slowly adding the cream. Blend for a few seconds. Add nutmeg and seasoning. Pass the mixture through a fine sieve. Dived into 4 buttered dariole moulds. Cover with foil and bake in a baine marie until cooked at 160C for about 40 minutes.
For the beans
200g white kidney beans, soaked in water overnight
½ onion
1 small bay leaf
½ small carrot
1 whole clove garlic
2 tomatoes, skin and seeds removed and diced
500ml chicken stock
Drain and rinse the beans and place them in a pan on medium heat with the whole carrot, garlic, bay leaf and onion. Add enough stock to cover the beans and simmer until tender, adding more stock if needed. Remove the onion, carrot, garlic and bay leaf. Drain well. Heat some oil in a pan, add the tomatoes and beans with enough chicken stock to cover. Simmer gently for 15-20 minutes. Season to taste.
