Mushroom 'caviar'

A couple of weeks ago I mentioned a brilliantly wine-friendly spread called ‘mushroom caviar’ I’d tasted at our favourite local restaurant Culinaria. Well, I’ve now cracked the recipe and here it is:

Culinaria’s mushroom caviar
Enough to top 18-24 crostini bases2 shallots or 1 small onion, peeled and roughly chopped
1 clove of garlic, peeled and chopped
3 tbsp sunflower oil
350g button mushrooms, wiped clean and quartered
200g tub of creme fraiche
2 tbsp finely chopped tarragon leaves
Salt and pepper and a good squeeze of lemon juicePut the onion and garlic in the bowl of a food processor and pulse until finely chopped. Heat the oil over a low heat in a medium to large heavy bottomed saucepan or frying pan and cook the onion and garlic gently until starting to soften (about 5-6 minutes) Chop the mushrooms very finely in the food processor and tip into the pan with the onions. Stir and cook over a very low heat, stirring occasionally, for about 30 minutes until the mushrooms have the consistency of a thick paste. Take off the heat, stir in the crme frache and return to the pan until the mixture has thickened again (about another 15 minutes). Stir in the chopped tarragon and season to taste with salt, pepper and a good squeeze of lemon juice. Tip into a bowl and cool. If storing in the fridge trickle over a tablespoon or so of olive oil to stop the surface from discolouring and bring to room temperature before using. Spread on crostini bases (below) or toastRecommended wine match: A perfect match for champagne or a good sparkling wine or for a good Chardonnay. It would also be great with Pinot Noir.

For the crostini
It’s worth making a large batch of these as they keep well
Makes about 30-32 slices2 ready to bake ciabatta loaves
Olive oil spray or 4-6 tbsp light olive oil
You also need 2 baking traysPre-heat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4. Cut the ciabatta on the slant into fairly thin slices. Spray both sides with olive oil or pour the olive oil on the baking trays and dip the slices of ciabatta in it. Bake for 15 minutes, turning the slices half way through. Repeat with any remaining ciabatta slices. Cool then store the crostini in an airtight tin.

Irish cocoa

A 'naughty but nice' alternative to an Irish coffee to treat yourself to on St Patrick’s Day!

Makes 1 mug

2 level tsp cocoa powder
4 tbsp Bailey’s or other Irish cream liqueur
1 tbsp Kahlua or other coffee liqueur (optional, but good)
about 200ml semi-skimmed milk

Put the cocoa powder in a mug. Add the Baileys and Kahlua, if using, and whisk with a small hot-chocolate whisk (or stir vigorously, if you haven't got one). Top up with milk and whisk. Microwave for one minute, whisk again then microwave for a further 20-30 seconds until hot. Stir and serve.

* You can obviously make this with hot milk but because of the amount of cold liquid already in the mug it won’t be quite hot enough so I find it easier to make it a microwave.

Summer berries and pink Champagne sabayon

As far as I’m concerned, summer is no time to be serving hefty puddings. Take advantage, instead, of the brief season when berries are at their ripest – but make them special by adding a layer of gently foaming sabayon made with ros Champagne (or sparkling wine). As you only need to use a small amount of fizz to make the sabayon, you can always serve the rest of the bottle as an aperitif . . .

(serves 4)

500g mixed ripe berries (choose from strawberries, raspberries, blueberries or blackberries)
a scant teaspoon of rosewater
a sprinkling of caster sugar, if needed
3 large egg yolks
45g caster sugar
60ml pink Champagne (preferably at room temperature)

Halve the strawberries, or cut them into quarters if they’re really big. Tip them and the other berries into a mixing bowl.Sprinkle the rosewater on the berries (and a sprinkling of caster sugar is they’re not fully ripe) and mix gently but thoroughly.Spoon the berries into 4 small bowls or glass tumblers (to my mind, the glasses are the prettiest option because you get the full effect of the sabayon layered on top of the berries).

Bring about three or four inches of water to a simmer in a saucepan. Place the egg yolks, sugar and Champagne in a heatproof bowl that will sit comfortably on the rim of the saucepan (make sure the bottom of the bowl doesn’t come into contact with the simmering water). Whisk the mixture until it becomes thick and glossy, falling from the beater in a slow ribbon. Remove the bowl from the saucepan and carry on whisking until the mixture has cooled slightly (the sides of the bowl should no longer feel hot). Spoon gently over the berries and serve.

Wine suggestion:
The Champenois would, of course, suggest that you serve the rest of the bottle of ros Champagne but to my mind you need a bit more sweetness to complement the dessert. On the other hand, a full-on dessert wine would swamp the relatively delicate flavours of the berries and sabayon.

The ideal match would be a bottle of the gently ptillant Stella Bella Pink Muscat 2006 (£6.99, Oddbins and www.everywine.co.uk) – its rose-and-berries flavours would harmonise beautifully with those of the pudding. If you can’t get hold of a bottle, Arione’s Moscato Spumante (£4.49, Waitrose) would be my second choice – and not a poor second at that.

Terrine Beaujolais

My favourite cookery book so far this year is the delightfully idiosyncratic Pork & Sons by Stephane Reynaud (25 Phaidon) the grandson of a butcher and the owner of Village 9 Trois in Paris. It's an unabashed homage to all things porcine but written and illustrated with a great deal of humour. (Don't miss the butchery lesson on p. 44-45 which shows one pig marking out where to make the cuts, cosmetic surgery-style, on another.)

It's full of good simple recipes, some classic, some contemporary and all beautifully photographed. Even if you don't need it you'll have to buy it.

Terrine Beaujolais

PREPARATION TIME: 30 MINUTES
COOKING TIME: 2 HOURS
STANDING TIME: 3 HOURS, PLUS 48 HOURS

MAKES 1.5 kg ( 3 1/4 lb)

500 g (1 lb 2 oz) pig’s liver
80 g ( 3 oz) smoked bacon
130 g (45 oz) pork fat
250 g (9 oz) pork shoulder
250 g (9 oz) boneless pork blade
6 garlic cloves, chopped
2 onions, chopped
500 ml (18 fl oz) Beaujolais wine
50 ml (2 fl oz) cognac or brandy
1 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
100 g ( 35 oz) pig’s caul fat
salt and pepper

Mince all the meat with the coarse blade of a mincer or in a food processor and place in a bowl. Add the garlic, onions, wine, cognac or brandy and nutmeg, season with salt and pepper and mix well until thoroughly combined.

Fill a terrine with this mixture and cover with caul fat. Leave in the refrigerator for 3 hours.

Preheat the oven to 180°C ( 350°F/Gas Mark 4).

Place the terrine in a roasting tin. Add boiling water to the tin to come about halfway up the sides of the terrine. Bake for 2 hours, until the top is well browned.

Leave the terrine to stand for 48 hours before serving.