sachertorte

The world's best chocolate cake... and an old favourite...
Serve with lashings of whipped cream!

Equipment:

Food processor with balloon whisk

NB stick type processor is not good at whipping the egg whites

9in cake tin

Flat edged knife (eg carving knife)

Cake:

200g plain chocolate

1x15ml spoon strong coffee

200g butter

200g sugar

5 standard eggs, separated

Whites and yolks are both used in the recipe

150f self raising flour

Filling:

4x15ml spoons apricot jam (get the smooth type or sieve it)

Topping:

150g plain chocolate

4x15ml spoon black coffee

150g icing sugar, sieved

 

Butter the cake tin and line with buttered greaseproof paper.

Break the chocolate into pieces and place with the coffee in a bain marie (or bowl over saucepan) to melt. When melted allow to cool.

Meanwhile whisk the egg whites in the processor until they form stiff peaks. Remove to a separate bowl.

Cream the softened butter with the sugar in the processor until light and fluffy.

Beat in the egg yolks one at a time, then the cooled chocolate (if not cool it will prematurely cook the eggs).

Sieve the flour into the mixture and fold in until smooth.

Fold the egg whites into the mixture
Now turn into the cake tin and cook for 90 minutes in an oven at 150^oC.

Don't open the oven while it's cooking!

When it's cooked, take out and leave for about 15 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack.
When cold, split horizontally in half and spread the bottom half with most of the jam. Put the second half on top and spread the rest of the jam all over.

For the topping, melt the chocolate as before, with the coffee. When melted, beat in the icing sugar.
Pour the topping over the centre of the cake.
Working with a flat edged knife (eg a carving knife) work it to the edges and down the sides, evenly.
Dip the knife in water frequently. This will allow you to work it more easily. The topping will start to set quite quickly so it is important to do this it quickly.
Allow to set for at least an hour. It will keep for quite a few days in a sealed tin.

roast fennel and beetroot

Great colour and taste combination to accompany roast meat!

For 6

6 whole beets
3 large fennel bulbs
3 small purple onions quartered
about 6 garlic cloves cut into thin slices
S+P
olive oil

Oven at 200C/180C fan

Wash but do not peel the beets, cut the stalks and roots off.
Coat in olive oil and roast for 1 hour (use a large traythat will hold the fennel and onions too eventually).
Clean the fennel heads, cut off the feathery heads and a slice of the foot. Slice thinly into vertical slices (about 5-6 per bulb).
Steam them for about 10 mins.
Take out the beets and using gloves, slough off the skins (should come off easily). Cut into thick slices. return to the tray, add the sliced fennel, garlic and onions, turning them all to coat with olive oil. Season generously with salt and pepper.
Roast for about 25 mins.

slow-roast leg of lamb

Recipe from the BBC recipe finder, by Silvvana Franco.
Went down very well the other day. I have made a few changes. I got a 2.5kg leg and this gave us enough for 5 plus a shepherd's pie the next day.

Wonderfully tender way of presenting lamb with a great wine gravy.

For 5-6

2 tbsp olive oil
2 kg/4lb leg of lamb
2 tbsp plain flour
2 medium onions, thinly sliced
4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
75cl dry white wine
600ml/1 pint lamb stock (chicken stock will do)
few sprigs of rosemary (or use oregano)
S+P

Preparation method

Preheat the oven to 170C/160C fan/Gas 3.
Pour the oil into a large, sturdy roasting tin and set it over the hob.
Season the lamb then roll it in the flour. Brown the lamb all over in the hot oil for 5-10 minutes.
Add the onions and cook for a further 5-10 minutes, turning the lamb and stirring the onions until both are nicely browned.
Add the garlic, white wine, stock, rosemary or oregano, bring to a simmer and cook in the oven for 3-3½ hours, basting now and again with the liquor. There should be a good quantity of wine left in the bottom of the tin to serve with the lamb but if you feel it is getting too dry, just cover with foil.
Take the lamb out of the tin and place on a large board to rest in a warm place, about 15 mins. While the lamb is resting, sit the tin back on the hob and simmer the pan juices for a few minutes, reducing the liquid, if there is a lot, to make a tasty gravy. Sieve the liquid into a split French-style gravy boat
Cut the lamb into thick slices - the meat falls easily from the bone.

I served it with roast potatoes, the wine gravy and with roast beetroot and fennel.

Quick and easy wholewheat bread

Based closely on Delia Smith's ancient but reliable Complete Cookery Course.

To make 2 large tin loaves

1350g strong flour (I use a mixture of wholemeal and white, eg equal quantities Bachelors Watermill malted flour - which adds a small amount of whole grains - wholewheat flour and white - must all be strong for bread)
3 tsp brown sugar
6 tsp Allinsons dried yeast
225ml hand hot water (for yeast mixture)
900ml hand hot water (for dough)
4-6 tsp salt

To make 1 medium loaf

450g strong flour
1 tsp brown sugar
2 tsp Allinsons dried yeast
75mll hand hot water (for yeast mixture)
300mll hand hot water (for dough)
1-2 tsp salt

Try and keep everything warm, it helps the yeast.

Put the smaller amount of hand hot water in a mixing jug and sprinkle in the sugar, then the yeast.
Stir to try to dissolve the yeast, then leave in a warm place for the yeast to activate.
Leave for 10-15 minutes until it has frothed up by at least an inch - but can froth a lot more so use a large container.
Meanwhile butter two bread tins very thoroughly, making sure you get right in the corners.
Weigh out the floor in a large mixing bowl, and add the salt. Mix thoroughly and make a well in the centre.
Add the yeast mixture, stirring in at first with a wooden spoon.
Then gradually add the larger amount of water bit by bit, drawing in the flour, until it's all a sticky mess.
Keep mixing, using plenty of flour to avoid it sticking to your hands and the bowl.
Transfer to a board and then keep kneading until it stops sticking and feels more elastic, leaving the board and your hands cleanly. The more you knead it the more 'bready'/less 'cakey' the final loaves will be.
Now split the dough into two, again cover in flour and knead a little more. Place in the tins, flattening out into oblongs.
Leave in a warm place covered by a tea towel for about 40 minutes, by which time it should be well risen.
I stick it on top of the boiler, but an Aga warming drawer would be handy at this point.
Heat the oven to 200C (180C fan), gas 6.
When the bread has risen, stick it in the oven.
Don't open the oven at all during coking as this can cause a collapse.
Bake for about 45 minutes (less for a small loaf - say 35). If you want it extra crispy, turn out of the tins at the end and bake upside down for a further 5 minutes or so.
Turn out onto a wire rack - important or the base will be soggy.

Potted salmon

400g salmon fillet (smoked preferably)
100g cooked seafood eg 50/50 cooked prawns and mussels
Bay leaves
50g unsalted butter
100g cream cheese
2 limes
Dill fresh or dried
S+P
About 50g melted butter

Just cover the fillets with boiling water in a pan and poach for 6 minutes, adding a couple of bay leaves and a long strip of the zest of one of the limes.
Drain and allow to cool. Discard bay leaves and zest.
Reserve about 80g of the fillets. Place the rest of the cooled fillets, broken up, the seafood, 50g butter and cheese in a mixer, add all the juice and a little grated zest from the limes, season - plenty of pepper but not too much salt if the fish is smoked.
Blend all together, until the mixture is smooth but still retaining some texture.
Place half the mixture in a small deep bowl just big enough to hold all the ingredients.
Lay the reserved fillet on top.
Sprinkle the dill over the entire surface.
Cover with the remaining mixture and smooth out to provide a level surface.
Pour over the melted butter to seal the entire surface.
Refrigerate for a couple of hours.
Done!

Serve with hot toasted bread ... Delicious!