Love is on the Menu with Hisense

Impress your loved one this Valentine’s Day with an impressive three-course menu that will knock their socks off and earn you extra brownie points!

Gin Cured Salmon – with rhubarb, pickled ginger and sour cream

Ingredients

For the cured salmon:

• - 500g skinless salmon fillet
• - 100g rock salt
• - 100g sugar
• - 1 lemon
• - 1 lime
• - 1 orange
• - 75ml gin
• - 1tsp juniper berries

For the pickle:

• - 300ml water
• - 200ml white wine vinegar
• - 100g sugar
• - 5g salt

Garnish ingredients:

• - 100g rhubarb
• - 1 medium cucumber
• - 50g shop bought Sushi ginger
• - 200ml sour cream (hung overnight)
• - 1 x small bunch of chives
• - 1 x small bunch of dill
• - 1 x small bunch of flat leaf parsley
• - 25ml vegetable oil

Method

For the salmon:

• - Combine the sugar and salt together in a mixing bowl
• - To the bowl, add the zest and juice of 1 orange, 1 lemon and 1 lime
• - Crush the juniper berries in a pestle and mortar to release their essential oils
• - Add the gin and juniper berries and mix to create the gin cure
• - To a shallow tray add half of the cure and place the salmon on top, then add the remaining cure
• - Cling film the tray ensuring all the cling film is tight to the salmon
• - Place in the fridge and leave for 8 hours
• - After 8 hours – remove the salmon from the cure and lightly wash off any excess cure
• - Place in the fridge until you are ready to serve

For the pickles:

• - Combine the water, vinegar, sugar and salt and bring to the boil
• - Once boiled, remove from the heat and leave at room temperature
• - Ribbon the cucumber using a vegetable peeler and add to half of the pickle
• - Finely slice the rhubarb and add to the remaining pickle
• - Once the rhubarb and cucumber are in the pickle they can be refrigerated until ready to be used

For the herb crisps:

• - Remove the stalks from the parsley ensuring you are just left with the leaves
• - Take a microwaveable plate and cling film tightly
• - Lightly brush the cling filmed plate with vegetable oil
• - Place the herbs on the oiled, cling filmed plate, ensuring that they are well spaced out
• - Brush the herbs lightly with oil and cover with cling film tightly
• - Microwave for 2 minutes (depending on your microwave)
• - Remove the top layer of cling film and leave to cool

To serve:

• - Finely slice your salmon and place it in the centre of your plate
• - Arrange around the salmon; the cucumber ribbons, rhubarb and sushi ginger
• - Pipe the sour cream into small domes around the salmon
• - Garnish with the herb crips and season the salmon with sea salt

TOP TIPS:

• - You could replace the Gin cured salmon with shop bought smoked salmon and lightly dress it            with gin before serving
• - If you cannot source rhubarb, orange segments would complement the dish
• - Replace the homemade pickles with shop bought pickles – sweet pickled baby onions, baby            pickled beetroots, cornichons all would accompany the salmon and present it the same way

Main Course:

Beef Steak ‘Bourguignon’ – Fondant potato, truffle cauliflower puree and wild mushrooms

Serves 2

Ingredients

For the beef:

• - 2 x 180g Beef Fillets or any other steak you prefer
• - 50g butter
• - 100g wild mushrooms
• - 2 shallots
• - Thyme

For the Bourguignon sauce:

• - 50g pancetta
• - 1onion
• - 1 clove of garlic
• - 100g chestnut mushrooms
• - 1 tbsp tomato puree
• - 200ml beef stock (available in supermarkets)
• - 175ml Burgundy red wine
• - 10g flat leaf parsley

For the cauliflower puree:

• - 1 cauliflower
• - 300ml milk
• - 100ml double cream
• - Truffle oil

For the fondant potatoes:

• - 50g butter
• - 2 large Maris piper potatoes
• - Thyme

Method:

For the cauliflower puree:

• - Remove all the outer leaves from the cauliflower and finely slice
• - Add to the pan with the milk, cream and 25g butter.
• - Bring to the boil and simmer for 20 minutes
• - Blitz to a smooth puree and season with salt and truffle oil and chill
• - When you are ready to serve your dish, you can re-heat the puree.

For the Bourguignon sauce:

• - Caramelise the pancetta in a dry pan until golden
• - Add your onions, garlic and chestnut mushrooms and fry until golden
• - To your pan add the tomato puree and cook for 2 minutes
• - Add your red wine and reduce by ¾
• - Add your beef stock and bring to the boil, then simmer for 15 mins
• - Finish with chopped parsley

For the potato fondant:

• - Peel your potato and cut to a ring using your cutter, if you are not using a cutter you can cut to a       rectangle with a knife.
• - Seal the potato in a hot pan with vegetable oil until golden
• - To the pan add 25g of butter & thyme or rosemary
• - Add 100ml of water
• - Bake in the oven at 180oc for 20 minutes.
• - To check they are cooked use the tip of a knife – there should be no resistance.

For the Beef:

• - Sear your beef fillet in a hot pan until golden each side
• - Also, in your pan add your halved shallots and colour.
• - Add a good knob of butter and thyme/ rosemary and baste
• - Roast in a 180oc oven to your cooking requirements.
• - Once cooked remove the beef from the pan and leave to rest
• - To your pan add your wild mushrooms and sauté
• - After resting, add any of the juices to you re heated bourguignon sauce

To serve

• - Re-heat your fondant potato and cauliflower puree
• - Carve your beef fillet and season with sea salt and place in the centre of your plate
• - Add the fondant potato and puree
• - Garnish with the caramelised shallot and wild mushrooms

TOP TIPS:

• - You could serve the steak and sauce with oven chips or mash – this would
•    deliciously complement  the dish
• - Any remainder cauliflower puree can be turned in to truffle cauliflower soup with the addition
•    of milk – perfect for lunch the next day!
• - The Bourguignon sauce could be replaced with a shop bought peppercorn or Diane sauce
• - The sauce, cauliflower puree & fondant potatoes can all be made ahead of time and re-heated
•    when you are ready to serve – leaving more time for enjoying the evening and less cooking!

Dessert:

Yorkshire Rhubarb & Custard Choux Bun – with caramelized white chocolate

Serves 2

Ingredients:

For the choux bun:

• - 70g butter
• - 30ml whole milk
• - 90ml water
• - 5g sugar
• - 70g plain flour
• - 2 eggs & 1 egg white

For the craquelin (optional):

• - 60g sugar
• - 60g plain flour
• - 60g butter
• - ½ tsp ground ginger

For the poached rhubarb:

• - 200g rhubarb
• - 50g sugar
• - ½ vanilla pod
• - ½ zest of 1 lemon
• - 100ml water
• - 10g mint

For the custard creme diplomat:

• - 250ml milk
• - ½ vanilla pod
• - 2 egg yolks
• - 45g sugar
• - 25g custard powder
• - 100ml whipped double cream

For the oat crumble:

• - 75g oats
• - 25g sugar
• - 50g butter
• - ½ tsp ground ginger

For the caramelised white chocolate sauce:

• - 100g white chocolate
• - 100ml double cream
• - 50ml milk

Method:

For the choux bun:

• - To a small pan; add the milk, water, sugar and butter and bring to the boil
• - Once boiling, add the flour and beat until a smooth dough
• - Remove from the heat and leave to cool for 5 minutes
• - After cooling, gradually add the eggs and egg white beating in-between to
•   incorporate them – you should be left with a smooth semi-firm mixture
• - To cook – pipe in a dome shape onto grease proof paper or a Teflon matt
•   6cm in diameter – ensuring you leave space in between each dome
• - Top each dome with the craquelin (recipe below if you are making it)
• - Bake at 180oc in a pre-heated oven for 15 minutes
• - After 15 minutes remove the choux from the oven and pierce a hole in the bottom
•   and return to the oven for a further 5 minutes then leave to cool

For the craquelin (optional):

• - Soften your butter to room temperature
• - Add the flour and sugar and combine
• - Roll the mixture in-between grease proof paper and freeze until ready to use
• - Cut into 6cm diameter discs and place on top of your choux bun before baking

For the poached rhubarb:

• - Combine the water, sugar, vanilla and lemon zest and bring to a simmer
• - Wash your rhubarb and cut into cubes
• - Add you cubed rhubarb to your syrup and leave to simmer until the rhubarb is
•   tender and leave to cool.

For the custard creme diplomat:

• - Bring the milk and vanilla pod to the boil and leave to infuse for 10 minutes
• - In a bowl, add the egg yolk, sugar and custard powder and whisk to combine
• - Re-boil the milk and pour it over the egg yolk mixture and mix together
• - Return the mixture to the pan and cook on a low heat until thickened
• - Once thickened, remove the vanilla pod and add the mixture to the bowl
•   and cling film and leave to completely cool in the refrigerator
• - Once cooled, fold in the whipped cream and store in the fridge until
•    ready to plate your dish

For the oat crumble:

• - Combine all the ingredients into a bowl
• - Rub the butter into the oats and sugar to create a “breadcrumb “consistency
• - Bake on a greaseproof lined tray at 160oc for 12 minutes until golden brown
• - Leave to cool

For the caramelised white chocolate sauce:

• - Place your white chocolate in a microwaveable bowl
• - Microwave in 30 second increments stirring in-between each time
• - You are looking for the chocolate to turn golden in colour – when it starts to turn
•   golden reduce the increments to 15 seconds until a golden colour is achieved
• - Once golden, add you cream and milk and mix together
• - Microwave for a further 30 seconds until the chocolate has
•   melted into the cream and milk
• - Season with sea salt and pass through a sieve if not smooth

To serve:

• - Slice the top from your choux bun
• - To the base, add your poached rhubarb, top with your custard cream and top
•   with the crumble (reserve some of your poached rhubarb to garnish the top layer
• - Repeat the process
• - On your top layer of custard garnish with your poached rhubarb and sliced fresh mint leaves
• - Re-heat your sauce and serve on the side to accompany it.

TOP TIPS:

• - The custard crème diplomat could be replaced with shop bought custard
• - If you cannot source rhubarb, you could use apple or pear compote as a delicious alternative
• - The sauce could be substituted with a scoop of your favourite ice cream, or you could have both
• - Crushed oat biscuits or Biscoff work as a quick alternative to the oat crumble

For more information visit Hisense’s cooking range