Gordon Ramsay's Ultimate Cookery Course (6 page)
Read Gordon Ramsay's Ultimate Cookery Course Online
Authors: Gordon Ramsay
1
. First make the sweet pastry. Place the butter and sugar in a food processor and whiz until just combined. Add the egg and whiz for 30 seconds.
2
. Tip in the flour and process for a few seconds until the dough just comes together. (Do not overprocess or it will become tough.) Add a little ice-cold water (around a tablespoon) if the dough seems too dry.
3
. Knead the dough lightly on a floured surface and shape into a flat disc. Wrap in cling film and chill for 30 minutes before rolling out.
4
. To make the tart, roll out the pastry on a lightly floured surface to a large round the thickness of a £1 coin. Use to line a loose-bottomed tart tin (23–24cm), leaving some excess pastry overhanging the rim. Chill for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 190°C/Gas 5.
5
. Line the pastry case with baking paper and ceramic baking beans or uncooked rice and bake ‘blind’ for 15–20 minutes until the base is cooked through. Carefully remove the beans and paper and allow the pastry to cool a little. While still warm, cut off the excess pastry to level with the rim of the tin. Lower the oven setting to 140°C/Gas 1.
6
. To make the filling, gently heat the golden syrup in a saucepan along with the butter. (Be careful not to boil this – just allow the butter to melt.)
7
. When the butter has melted, stir in the cream, lemon zest and juice, breadcrumbs and egg yolks. Mix well.
8
. Spread the lemon curd over the base of the baked pastry case, then pour in the filling.
9
. Bake for 30–40 minutes until the top has just set but the centre is slightly wobbly when you shake the tin gently. It should still feel slightly soft in the centre.
10
. Let the tart cool completely before slicing and serving.
HOW TO PREVENT PASTRY SHRINKAGE
Pastry tends to shrink when cooked – that’s why leaving it overhanging the tin and trimming after baking is a good idea. Use a very sharp knife and you will be left with a lovely neat edge.
APPLE CRUMBLE
SERVES 4
Who doesn’t love crumble? By combining both fruit purée and chunks, and sweet, chewy dried cranberries, I’m creating layers of texture and interest beneath a beautiful crunchy granola topping. Don’t worry about peeling the fruit. Whether it’s apples, pears or peaches, the flavour is all in the skin.
6 tbsp caster sugar
Pinch of ground cinnamon
1 vanilla pod, seeds only
6 apples, cored but not peeled, 3 of them grated, 3 cut into chunks
3 tbsp dried cranberries
Zest of 1 lemon, juice of ½
FOR THE CRUMBLE TOPPING
100g plain flour
2 tbsp demerara sugar
50g butter, chilled and cubed
Pinch of ground cinnamon
4 tbsp nutty granola or muesli
1
. Preheat the oven to 200°C/Gas 6.
2
. Heat a small hob-proof baking dish, add the caster sugar and heat for about 5 minutes until it caramelises. Add the cinnamon, vanilla seeds and grated apples and cook for 1–2 minutes. Stir in the apple chunks, then mix in the cranberries, lemon zest and juice. Remove from the heat and set aside.
3
. To make the topping, place the flour, sugar, butter and cinnamon in a bowl and rub together with your fingertips until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Add the granola and mix until fully incorporated.
4
. Scatter the crumble topping over the fruit and heat the dish again on the hob. Once the apple mixture is bubbling, transfer to the preheated oven and bake for 12–14 minutes until the topping is a deep golden colour. Remove and serve warm.
HOW TO MAKE A CRUNCHY CRUMBLE
Demerara sugar works best in a crumble mixture because it stops the butter melting into the flour, and adding one-third muesli or granola to two-thirds crumble opens out the texture to give a crunchier result. Finally, only ever sprinkle your topping over the fruit. Don’t push it down or it will go soggy.
COCONUT PANCAKES
WITH MANGO SLICES
AND LIME SYRUP
MAKES 12 PANCAKES
This makes the most brilliant breakfast or brunch, and rings the changes if you are in a rut of making the same old plain crêpes with lemon or maple syrup. It’s important to leave the batter to relax for 15 minutes as it will thicken slightly, making for fuller, fluffier pancakes.
100g unsweetened desiccated coconut
100g plain flour
1½ tsp baking powder
1 egg, beaten
250ml coconut milk (shake the tin before measuring to distribute the solids evenly)
1 tbsp runny honey
Oil, for frying
1 ripe mango
FOR THE LIME SYRUP
150g caster sugar
Juice of 4 limes, finely grated zest of 1
1
. To make the pancake batter, put the coconut into a blender and blitz for 1 minute or until it becomes finely chopped. Add the flour and baking powder and pulse for a couple of seconds to combine. Pour into a mixing bowl.
2
. Make a well in the flour and add the egg. Stir into the flour, then add the coconut milk and honey, mixing until a smooth batter forms. Cover and leave to rest for 15 minutes.
3
. Meanwhile, make the lime syrup. Put the sugar, 150ml water, the lime juice and zest into a small saucepan or frying pan. Bring to a gentle simmer and stir until the sugar has dissolved. Continue to simmer for 10 minutes until the liquid has reduced slightly and developed a syrupy consistency. Taste and add a little more lime zest if necessary. Leave to cool until just warm.
4
. To cook the pancakes, heat a little oil in a large non-stick frying pan, swirling it around to cover the bottom. Place heaped tablespoons of batter in the pan (you will probably have to do this in batches) and cook over a medium-low heat for 2–3 minutes until golden. Turn over with a palette knife and repeat on the other side until golden and cooked through. Remove and set aside in a warm place while you cook the remaining batter.
5
. Peel the mango and cut the flesh into thin slices. Serve the pancakes with slices of mango and a drizzle of lime syrup on top.
HOW TO HANDLE HONEY
Sticky ingredients, such as honey, treacle and golden syrup, can be a mess to measure out, so rub the spoon first with a neutral oil, like grapeseed. The ingredient will slide off immediately.
BAKED CHEESECAKE
SERVES 8
If there is one thing the Americans know how to do, it’s how to make great cheesecakes. The mixture here is like a sweetened quiche filling, which is slightly denser and less fluffy than the classic British cheesecake. But because it has no biscuit base, the result is less sweet and heavy.
Butter, for greasing
550g cream cheese, at room temperature
160g caster sugar
3 eggs, lightly beaten
2 tbsp plain flour
Finely grated zest of 1 lemon
200g raspberries
1
. Preheat the oven to 180°C/Gas 4. Butter a 23cm springform cake tin.
2
. Beat together the cream cheese and sugar. Add the beaten eggs bit by bit until combined. Add the flour and lemon zest, then fold through the raspberries.
3
. Spoon the mixture into the prepared cake tin, tapping it against the work surface to remove any bubbles and help the raspberries rise up from the bottom. Bake in the preheated oven for 35 minutes until set on the edges but wobbling slightly in the middle.
4
. Once cooled, remove from the tin, running a knife around the edges to loosen if necessary, and serve.
HOW TO ZEST A LEMON
Place a four-sided grater on a plate. Using the side with the smallest holes, rub the lemon down it in long, sweeping strokes, turning the fruit a little after each stroke so you don’t grate any of the bitter white pith.
GIVEN THAT WE LIVE ON AN ISLAND AND ARE
THEREFORE SURROUNDED BY WATER, I’M ALWAYS
SURPRISED WE DON’T EAT MORE FISH IN THIS
COUNTRY, OR AT LEAST COOK MORE OF IT AT HOME.
It seems that unless it comes covered in batter and wrapped up with chips, we have a deep mistrust of it. That’s a great shame because, putting aside for a moment concerns about sustainability and dwindling stocks, fish is one of the simplest and most rewarding things to cook. It really doesn’t need any adornment.
If you don’t believe me, go out and get yourself a fillet of white fish. It doesn’t matter what – whiting, plaice, coley, whatever. Now heat a tablespoon of olive oil in a pan and while you are waiting for that to get really hot, dredge the fish in some seasoned flour, shaking off any excess. Lay the fish down in the hot oil. Give it three to four minutes, depending on the thickness of the fillet, then turn it over and add a knob of butter to the pan. Now spoon the butter over the fish, infusing it with all that lovely fishy, nutty flavour as it cooks. Another couple of minutes and it should be done. Now slip it onto a plate, squeeze a little lemon juice over it and have a taste. Amazing, isn’t it? So simple, yet so utterly delicious. And ready within five or six minutes. If only more people realised how easy and versatile fish can be, we’d eat a lot more of it, so I hope the recipes in this chapter will give you the confidence to explore the world beyond the fish finger.
BUYING
As I mentioned, there is rightly much concern about sustainability. Overfishing has depleted a lot of stocks worldwide, with new species, from tuna to anchovy, being added to the danger list all the time. There are frequent campaigns to encourage us to eat less popular fish – pollack instead of cod, for example, or dab instead of plaice – and while it’s important to get these messages out, I don’t think the occasional fish-eater should feel too guilty. Provided that the fish you are buying is certified by the Marine Stewardship Council, which works to ensure sustainability, you can eat fish with a clear conscience.
Broadly speaking, fish can be divided according to six categories: freshwater or saltwater, flat or round, white or oily. All have their own distinct flavours and textures that suggest how they should be cooked, but they are often interchangeable. A recipe that calls for mackerel, for example, might work equally well with herring because they are both oily saltwater fish; similarly, brill will work in the place of turbot. So don’t be put off if your fishmonger doesn’t have exactly what you are after. He is sure to be able to suggest an alternative.
I always like to buy my fish whole because it gives you more clues about its freshness, and that is very important when buying. Some fish, such as mackerel, will deteriorate very quickly, and can take on a muddy flavour. Look for bright, glossy eyes, fresh red gills and firm flesh with a shiny, but not slimy, sheen. Contrary to popular belief, fish should not smell ‘fishy’ but just faintly briny. Steer clear of anything tired-looking, especially with sunken or cloudy eyes or dry, soft skin that doesn’t bounce back when you prod it with a finger.
Don’t be put off if you see that fish has been previously frozen. It may well be ‘fresher’ than the fresh fish. Deep-sea fishing boats are often out for weeks at a time, and better that it is frozen on board rather than merely kept on ice. Of course, this should never be the case with fish caught by day boats around our shores.
In an ideal world, we’d all buy our fish from the local fishmonger, who can tell us what has just come in, but sadly they are disappearing faster than independent butchers. If buying from the supermarket, it is often better to buy pre-packaged fillets that sit in a plastic tray rather than from the fish counter, as pre-packed fish is flushed with inert gas to preserve it better. There seems to be a fashion now to shrink-wrap fillets, which I think is the worst way to buy fish as it marinates in its own juices and the flesh quickly becomes waterlogged and mushy. As a country, we are blessed with some of the best seafood in the world. Crabs, lobsters, mussels, oysters and scallops all thrive in our cold waters, producing sweet, juicy flesh. Lobsters are prohibitively expensive these days, though I often prefer the flavour of crab anyway, which can be really good value, although the meat doesn’t come out as easily as lobster meat does. For ease, you can buy them ready dressed, i.e. cracked open, the flesh removed and picked over, then repacked into the empty shell. With a bit of practice, they are easy to dress yourself too. When buying a whole crab, look for one that feels heavy for its size.
Mussels are probably the most sustainable seafood on the planet. You’ll find them in large net bags at supermarkets and they make a great quick lunch or supper, but for scallops and oysters you’ll normally have to go to a fishmonger or buy online. Molluscs should always be cooked live, so as soon as you get them home, store them wrapped in a damp tea towel in the bottom of your fridge and eat within a day. Clean mussels only when you are about to eat them. Discard any with cracked shells or any open ones that fail to close when you give them a sharp tap. Now rinse them under running water, pulling away their stringy ‘beards’ and using a knife to cut away any barnacles.
PREPARING
Fish and seafood sometimes need to be prepared before cooking. It’s easiest, of course, to ask your fishmonger to do this job for you, but if you have a sharp, flexible knife, it’s not that hard once you get the hang of it. Here are some of the techniques you may find most useful.
HOW TO FILLET, SKIN AND PIN-BONE A FISH
1
. Cut the fish’s head off at a diagonal just behind the gills. Keeping the fish flat, with its tail towards you, and starting at head end, cut through skin along the length of the backbone, using long sweeping strokes. Arching the fish’s back slightly with your free hand will make the skin tauter and therefore easier to cut.
2
. Once you have reached beyond the ribcage, insert the knife fully and cut along the backbone to the tail, releasing the tail end completely.
3
. Now go back to the head end and, using your free hand to pull the fillet away from the backbone, use short strokes of the knife to tease the flesh away from the ribcage. Work your way down the fish until the fillet is released.
4
. Turn the fish over, with the tail away from you, and repeat the process, keeping the knife flat so that it stays as close as possible to the fish’s backbone.
5
. To remove the skin, place the fillet skin side down on your work surface. Grip the tail firmly with your free hand and cut down through the flesh, as low down the fish as you can, until you reach the skin. Now, pulling the fish taut and keeping the knife angled slightly downwards, cut the flesh away from the skin using a long sawing motion.
6
. To remove fine pin bones, use either tweezers or a swivel-bladed vegetable peeler. Catch the bones between the two blades and flick up, twisting as you do so, to pull out the bones. Pin bones in some larger fish, such as cod, can be difficult to remove without tearing the flesh. These are best removed once the fish is cooked.
HOW TO SHUCK AN OYSTER
Just before serving, scrub any dirt from the shell under running water. Holding the oyster level in a clean tea towel, insert a shucking knife through the hinge (tapered end) of the oyster and twist until the shell pops open. Run your knife around the inside of the top shell to release the oyster. Remove the top shell, being careful not to spill any of its precious juice.
HOW TO BUTTERFLY A MACKEREL FILLET
By removing the backbone from small fish but leaving the two fillets intact, you make them easier to stuff and much less fiddly to eat. Remove the head, but leave the tail. Cut along the length of the belly and place the fish, belly down, on a work surface. Now push down on its backbone to flatten the fish out. Using your fingers and a sharp knife, you should be able to work the backbone free. Don’t worry about any small bones as they will be soft enough to eat.
COOKING
Unlike meat, which doesn’t generally require minute-precise cooking times, fish does require more accuracy. Overcooked fish will dry out and turn mushy. You want to bring your fish to the stage where the flesh has just turned white or opaque instead of translucent, and it divides easily into individual flakes. The thinner the fish, obviously, the quicker it will cook. Check by inserting a sharp knife. If it meets no resistance, it’s done.
FRYING
This is probably the most common method for cooking filleted fish as you have total control and can easily see when it is cooked. There are a couple of rules. First, as with frying meat, make sure your pan is properly hot. I can’t say often enough that overcoming the fear of a really hot pan will improve your cooking no end. This, along with confident seasoning, are the two things that most mark out a professional chef from an amateur.
Add olive oil and once it is at smoking point, lay your fish in. It should sizzle on contact with the oil. If it is a skinned fillet, especially of white fish, which has more delicate flesh, you may need to dust it in flour or breadcrumbs first to protect it from the heat. However, I always like to cook my fish with the skin on because the skin does that job for you and also adds extra flavour. So cook it skin side down for 90 per cent of the time, finishing it off only briefly on the other side. Don’t worry if it looks like it is sticking. If you wait, it will release itself once it is cooked. The worst thing to do is to keep fiddling and shifting it around, or it will break up. During the last minute or so of cooking, add a knob of butter and baste the fish continuously to keep it moist and flavoursome.
GRILLING AND ROASTING
Both these methods work well for whole fish and large steaks, particularly oily types such as salmon or mackerel. Sometimes I will pan-fry thick fillets first to get some colour on the skin, and then finish them off in a hot oven for about 10 minutes, this time with the skin on the top. White fish may need brushing with oil or melted butter to stop it from drying out.
POACHING
This is the gentlest way of cooking fish to enhance its delicate flavour and ensure it stays perfectly moist. The fish is cooked in liquid, sometimes wine, sometimes stock, sometimes milk, to which you can add herbs, spices and vegetables to infuse the fish. The key is to let the liquid barely simmer as a rolling boil will break up the fish. The stock you are left with can then be used to make a sauce to go with the fish.
STEAMING
Another very easy cooking method. You can, of course, use a fish kettle or steamer, but it is more interesting to steam fish
en papillote
, where you wrap the fish (normally a fillet) in a paper or foil parcel along with a splash of liquid, herbs and other flavourings. The great thing about cooking this way is that all the flavour is trapped in the bag and it makes a great dinner dish because each guest can cut open their own parcel.
HOW TO COOK A CRAB
Yes, it is time-consuming and fiddly to cook a crab, but it’s also incredibly satisfying. The first thing to check in a crab is the weight: it should feel quite heavy for its size. A good live crab will also have extremely strong reflexes. A flaccid crab is a half-dead crab, and that’s no good because the minute it begins to die, an enzyme is released that starts to break down the meat, making it wet and lacklustre.
