"Phaedra" steel sculpture by Max Dingle
Recipes
Max's Roast Fennel
Salad
2 Fennel bulbs
2 Naval oranges
2 tablespoons currents
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons pine nuts
8 anchovy fillets (or as many as you prefer)
Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Balsamic vinegar
sea salt, freshly ground pepper
Cut each fennel bulbs into half and then each half into six to eight wedges,
leaving each wedge attached to a section of the core. Put into a roasting pan.
Cut one whole naval orange into eight to ten wedges and mix with fennel in
roasting pan.
Season the fennel /orange mixture with sea salt, freshly ground pepper, a
sprinkling of Balsamic vinegar and two tablespoons of olive oil. Place in
medium to hot oven and bake until fennel is tender. Both fennel and orange
segments will have crisp and browned edges. Remove from oven and cool.
While the fennel is roasting slowly simmer the currents in the red wine vinegar
until the vinegar is mostly absorbed.
In a non stick frying pan toss the pine nuts over a medium to high heat until
fragrant and lightly browned.
Peel the remaining orange and dice the flesh approx 2cm x 2cm.
Cut each anchovy fillet into 3 pieces.
While the roasted fennel / orange mix is still warm add the warm currents and
any remaining red wine vinegar, add the toasted pine nuts, the diced orange
flesh and the anchovy fillets. Add a tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil and
toss the mix.
Serve as part of a mezze or as a warm salad to accompany fish or chicken.
or, serve warm with a green salad and crusty bread
or, with pasta and a green salad
Rice Pudding* with Quince and Rose
Petal Jam
*With thanks to Joy
Najar’s Modern Lebanese Cooking
1
lt milk
200
ml cold water
100
g short grain rice
120
g sugar
2
tbl rose petal water
Rose
petals or small fresh eatable flowers e.g. rosemary, violets
Heat
milk and water almost to boiling point then add rice and simmer for about 40
minutes, stirring constantly to prevent rice from sticking to the base of the
pan.
When
mixture is thick and creamy, add the sugar and stir over heat for five minutes,
Add
Rose water, allow to cool then put rice in a large glass bowl and refrigerate.
Quince – 2 ways
Number 1-
1
kg quinces
250
g sugar
Juice
of a lemon
2
tbl rose petal water
Peel and core quinces, slice into 1/8th pieces.
Place
quince slices, sugar and lemon in a casserole dish and bake in a slow oven
until fruit has coloured to a deep red . Cool and add rose water.
NB
Liquid from the quinces can be boiled to jam / jelly consistency and bottled
Number 2-
½
kg quinces
1
tbl sugar
1
tbl lemon juice
1
tbl rose petal water
Peel,
core and dice quinces.
Place
quince, sugar and lemon in a pan and simmer until fruit is soft & coloured
to a pale pink . Mash to a puree. Cool and add rose water.
Rose Petal Jam
-
Available from shops specialising in
Lebanese foods
Or
there are numerous recipes on the internet
–
NB if making your own you will need a good supply of red roses that are free of
any pesticides etc i.e. home grown.
To Assemble
Spoon
a layer of pink quince puree on top of the, now firm, rice. Lay deep red quince
slices in a pattern, on top of the puree. Glaze with Rose Petal jam ( NB if jam
is thick, warm until it has thinned). Decorate with flowers.
Serve.
Beans, Potato, Tomato and Egg with
Sesame / garlic sauce
1
kg French Beans, topped and tailed
1
kg small new potatoes
1
punnet grape or cherry tomatoes
6
hard boiled eggs
Small
jug of sesame / garlic sauce (see below)
Steam
beans
Steam
potatoes
Pile
cooked beans in the centre of a round platter, surround with potatoes and
tomatoes, decorate with halved hard boiled eggs.
Serve
with sesame garlic sauce for guests to pour on sauce to taste.
NB
Sauce can be fairly strongly flavoured depending on how heavy handed you are
with garlic – a little can go a long way.
Sesame / garlic sauce *With thanks to Joy
Najar’s Modern Lebanese Cooking
2
cloves garlic, crushed (can add extra
if a stronger garlic result is required)
1
teaspoon of salt
3
tbl tahini (sesame paste)
100
/150 ml Lemon juice
¼
cup water
In
a mortar crush garlic and salt to a paste with a pestle. Work in Tahini and mix
until smooth. Gradually add lemon juice to taste but mixture should not be
thinned beyond a pouring consistency light mayonnaise. Slowly add water to
achieve the right consistency.
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