Mix the flour and sugar in a bowl until evenly combined. Add the butter and run it in until the mix resembles breadcrumbs.
Mix the egg and water in a jug until combined, pour into the dry ingredients in the bowl and knead gently to a smooth dough. Wrap in clingfilm and leave to rest in the fridge for an hour before using.
For the tart
Bring cream to the boil. In a separate bowl, combine egg yolks and 150g sugar.
Pour the cream over eggs and sugar. Place 1 Litre of this mixture into bowl and add the Maldon salt.
In a separate pan, over a low heat, bring 280g sugar to a dark caramel. Once a dark caramel forms, slowly incorporate this into the custard mix in the bowl, whisking continually. Combine this with any remaining custard and pass through a fine sieve.
Remove the skin and large bubbles off of the mixture and cover with cling film to contact. Leave standing for 5 minutes before removing the cling film, taking the small bubbles with it.
Pour into two in 10 inch x 3 inch blind baked tart rings and bake at 130 C fan 2 for 40-50 minutes or until set.
Leave to stand for an hour before slicing and enjoy with pouring cream
Salt hake brandade with piquillo, thyme and orange oil
A familiar dish on the Andalucian tapa circuit- smokey piquillo peppers stuffed with salted and whipped fish- it’s a classic and doused in the vibrant orange oil-thyme oil its given a real hit of sunshine.
Hake is fast becoming my go to white, meaty fish. Its still underused in the UK but the clever, fish focused Spaniards have been championing it for decades. It mainly has all the attributes of cod (I’d say it’s sweeter and perhaps a little less firm) and is one of the most sustainable fish on the planet.
First make the oil. heat the oil in a saucepan to warm (don’t boil) add the zest and continue to warm for 10 minutes before transferring to a jar or lidded container and then adding the thyme.
Cover and then leave to steep for at least
4 hours. This will make more than you need for this recipe but can be used for dressing many things such as salads, vegetables and fish.
Place the cod in a bowl, pour over the salt and massage into the fish.
Leave to “salt” for 3 hours in the fridge, turning once and then desalinate-by washing off the salt for a few minutes under cold, running water.
Pat the fish dry and then place in a sauce pan with the milk, garlic, anise and bay.
Bring to a boil, then simmer for 8 minutes to cook everything through before turning off the heat.
Leave everything to cool before removing the fish and garlic and placing in a bowl.
Take off the fish skin and mash the flesh and garlic together with a fork, adding some of the milk as you go to moisten (only a few splashes, you don’t want it too wet) now slowly pour in the olive oil, stirring quickly as you go to emulsify the paste and oil to create the brandada.
Season with black pepper and lemon juice and then stuff the brandada into the pepper cavities- to completely fill.
Chill the stuffed peppers in the fridge for 30 minutes before serving, drizzled with the orange-thyme oil and a sprinkle of fresh thyme leaves.
50g quality smoked streaky bacon, cut into lardons
1 rosemary stalk- leaves picked and chopped
30g unsalted butter
1 tablespoon of red wine vinegar
Olive oil, sea salt and black pepper for cooking
Preparation
Hispi cabbages are all the rage – the conical shaped brassica are packed with nutrients and are deliciously sweet.
Lightly charring the leaves with the addition of crunchy sea is really interesting way of preparing the cabbages and adds a nice foil to the sweetness.
I like to do this over a BBQ for some real smokiness but a griddle pan will do the job just fine.
Heat a BBQ or griddle pan to a medium heat.
Quarter the hispi cabbage lengthwise and remove the hard, internal core with a sharp knife.
Peel off the layers of the leaves and toss them with a little olive and season well with Maldon salt and black pepper
Workings in batches throw the leaves onto the grill and cook them briskly until lightly charred. This will be a quick process and you need to stay with the cabbage, turning with tongs to stop over burning.
Reserve the leaves in a serving bowl and cover with cling film.
Heat a small sauté pan over a medium heat and add a lug of olive oil.
Sweat the pancetta and rosemary until lightly browned, add the butter and cook until it turns light brown and foamy.
Stir in the vinegar, season well and then pour over the cabbage.
Serve.
Fluffy Blueberry Pancakes
What could be more delicious than super fluffy pancakes with warm, juicy blueberries inside! This recipe shows you how to create the perfect American-style pancakes with beautifully golden edges and soft centres. Topped with a generous knob of melted butter or maple syrup, you’ll be asking for seconds!
This easy recipe is bursting with sweet blueberries and enhanced with a pinch of Maldon Sea Salt flakes. Whether you’re enjoying a lazy Sunday brunch or a quick weekday treat, these American-style pancakes are sure to delight.
Why Should You Add Salt To Your Pancake Batter?
Salt is a actually a vital step within your pancake cookery. Adding a pinch of Maldon Salt to the mixture ensures that the pancake doesn’t taste bland, enhancing the sweetness of the pancakes without them tasting salty.
How to Make Blueberry Pancakes?
In a large bowl, mix together 225g plain flour, 2 tsp baking powder, 1 tsp of caster sugar and a pinch of Maldon Salt.
In a separate bowl, beat the 2 eggs together and add the 300ml milk until mixed together.
Make a well in the centre of the dry ingredients bowl and gently whisk in the wet ingredients mixture to make a thick batter.
Whilst stirring, gently add 75g blueberries into the batter.
Melt a tablespoon of butter into a frying pan over medium heat. Once the melted butter bubbles slightly, it’s time to cook the pancakes.
To make the pancakes, you need to drop a tablespoon size of batter into the pan over medium heat.
Cook for roughly 3 minutes until small bubbles appear on the surface of the pancake. After this, you need to turn the pancake over and cook for another 3 minutes until golden. and slightly crisp on the edges.
Repeat the process with the remaining batter, adding a knob of butter to the pan in between pancake batches if required.
Once you have your pancakes, stack them up and drizzle them in golden or maple syrup, the remaining handful of blueberries and a pinch of Maldon Salt to enhance the sweetness.
What is the difference between American and English pancakes?
The main difference is that an American-style pancake is much thicker in comparison to a traditional English pancake. American pancakes are thicker, smaller and fluffy in texture due to having baking powder as one of the added ingredients to the recipe.
In contrast, English pancakes are thinner and large in size. Unlike being stacked up like American pancakes, they are usually folded or rolled up with the filling inside.
Should you use fresh or frozen blueberries in pancakes?
The best result for blueberry pancakes is using frozen blueberries. The reason for this is because frozen blueberries thaw, in which in doing so will allow the sugar within the pancake batter to stick to them. This results in a sweeter tasting pancake, perfect for breakfast!
How to prevent blueberries from bleeding in your pancakes?
Frustrated that your pancakes are turning a purple-blue colour from adding blueberries into the mixture? Don’t worry, you can prevent this by simply rinsing the frozen blueberries several times in cold water. When the cold water finally turns clear, you know it’s time to finally add them into the pancake batter.
What other toppings can you use on pancakes?
You can become completely creative when it come to choosing the toppings for your pancakes! If you want to go sweet, we have a delicious granola recipe which gives an added crunch of texture to your pancake. If you like all things savoury, why not add a handful of crispy bacon to your stack, resulting in the ultimate balance of sweet and salty.
