Lobster muffin with poached egg, avruga caviar, spinach and hollandaise
For the muffins
350g strong bread flour
10g fresh yeast
3⁄4 tsp salt
180ml warm milk
1 egg, beaten
Fine polenta or semolina, for dusting
For the hollandaise
50ml white wine
100ml white wine vinegar
1 shallot, finely chopped
1/2 small bunch tarragon
1⁄4 tsp whole black peppercorns
1 large egg yolk
1 tbsp double cream
125g butter, melted
Cayenne pepper, to taste
1-2 tbsp lemon juice, to taste
For the lobster
1 cooked lobster
25g butter
For the poached eggs
2 eggs
1 tsp white wine vinegar
To serve
Large knob of butter
100g baby spinach
Freshly grated nutmeg
2 tsp avruga caviar
For the muffins tip the flour into the bowl of a food mixer fitted with a dough hook. Add the yeast and salt and mix on low speed. Add the milk and egg and mix for 5-6 mins until smooth and elastic. Alternatively knead by hand for 10-15 mins. Cover the bowl with cling film and leave to prove for 1 hour until doubled in size. Dust a baking sheet with fine polenta or semolina. Turn the dough out onto a work surface dusted with fine polenta or semolina and knock back. Roll out the dough to a thickness of 2.5cm and cut out muffins using a 9cm straight-edged cutter. Place on the baking sheet and cover with lightly oiled cling film. Leave to prove for 20-25 mins, or until doubled in size.
Place a piece of baking parchment in a non-stick frying pan and heat over a low heat. Gently transfer the muffins to the pan and cook in batches for 5-6 mins on each side until toasted and brown. Remove from the pan and leave to cool on a wire rack. When cool, set 2 aside for the lobster and freeze the remainder, which can be toasted from frozen.
For the hollandaise, put the white wine, white wine vinegar, shallots, tarragon stalks and the peppercorns into a small pan and bring to the boil. Simmer for 8-10 mins, or until reduced to one-third of its original volume. Remove from the heat and leave to cool. Strain the infused vinegar mixture into a mixing bowl, add the egg yolk and a generous splash of water. Place the bowl over a pan of simmering water and whisk until light and fluffy. This is called a sabayon. Do not overcook it or it will end up like scrambled eggs.
When the mixture is fluffy but firm, add the double cream then slowly whisk in the melted butter, drizzling in a small amount at a time. When all of the butter has been emulsified, season with salt, cayenne and lemon juice. Pass the hollandaise through a fine sieve into a bowl. Cover with cling film and keep warm until needed.
For the lobster, cut off the tail and claws. Bash the claws with a rolling pin to crack the shell and reveal the meat. Remove the shell from the tail, then cut the tail in half lengthways and remove the intestine. You will have half a tail and a claw per person. Remove the meat from the shell. To heat the meat, melt the butter with 2 tbsp water in a medium saucepan. Add the lobster meat and warm over a gentle heat.
For the poached eggs, bring a small pan of water to the boil and add the white wine vinegar. Spin the water around with a slotted spoon and crack in the eggs. Turn the heat off and leave the eggs to poach for 2-3 mins until set but still soft. To serve, melt the butter in a pan, add the spinach and cook until it starts to wilt. Season with salt and pepper and grate over a little nutmeg. Remove from the heat and drain the spinach on some kitchen roll. Slice the muffins in half and lightly toast to warm through. Top the bottom halves of the muffins with the spinach, then add the warm lobster. Place a poached egg on top then spoon over the hollandaise and a dollop of caviar.
Tomato and pesto tarts
I have always been a sucker for anything cooked in, or with, puff pastry. These deep tarts are topped with the concentrated flavour of sweet tomatoes and the kick of a punchy pesto. Serve with peppery watercress. If you like, just make smaller individual ones as snacks for your hungry hordes.
500g block puff pastry (all-butter, if possible)
Plain flour, for dusting
1 egg, beaten
2 tbsp pesto
8 plum tomatoes, sliced
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
To serve
100g watercress
10ml peppery olive oil
Heat the oven to 220C/gas 7. Line a baking sheet with baking paper. On a lightly floured worktop, roll the puff pastry out until it is about 2cm thick. You will need to cut four circular discs from the pastry so you need to find a small plate or saucer that’s about 16cm in diameter to use as a template. Place the plate over the pastry and run a sharp knife around the edge to cut out the first disc. Repeat until you have four.
Now you need to lightly score a margin about 1.5-2cm in from the edge of the pastry discs, so find a smaller plate or bowl that you can use as a template. Place the smaller plate in the centre of each pastry disc and lightly run a sharp knife around the edge, being careful not to cut all the way through.
Lift the disks onto the baking sheet and brush with the beaten egg. With a fork, prick the inner circle but not the outer edge – this will stop the pastry from rising in the middle but will allow the outer edge of the tart to rise up. Take a good amount of the pesto and spread it over the inner circle of each tart. Place the tops and bottoms of the tomatoes in the centre of the tarts, then start to lay the slices on top of the pesto so they overlap and create a swirl effect – it should look a bit like a Catherine wheel. Season with salt and pepper.
Place the tarts in the oven and bake for 20-25 minutes, until well risen and coloured. Mix the watercress with the olive oil and serve with the tarts.
For emergencies cut out pastry discs, stack them between layers of cling film and keep them in the freezer – just take them out of the freezer 10 minutes before you want to cook them, then make the tarts and bake as above.
Breton pancakes with apples and pear
Calvados crème fraîche
125g crème fraîche
60g icing sugar, sifted
1 tbsp Calvados
Apple and pear filling
2 sweet dessert apples
3 sweet, ripe pears
1 tbsp butter
2 tbsp demerara sugar
A pinch each of ground cinnamon and grated nutmeg
Juice of ½ lemon
Pancakes
60g plain flour, sifted
3 tbsp dark rye flour
3 tbsp buckwheat flour
A pinch sea salt
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 tbsp vegetable oil
230ml milk
For the Calvados crème fraîche, beat together the crème fraîche, icing sugar and Calvados until smooth, then set aside. For the filling peel and core the apples and pears, and cut into large pieces. Pan-fry with butter and demerara sugar over medium-high heat until the fruit is golden and cooked. It should still be firm and the caramel golden. Sprinkle over a little cinnamon and nutmeg.
Place the flours in a bowl with the salt, egg and oil. Slowly beat in the milk, whisking vigorously to avoid lumps. Cover the batter and leave to rest for an hour. Check the consistency; you will need to add a little water if it’s too thick. Heat a 18cm non-stick frying pan, oil lightly, and ladle in enough batter to thinly cover the base. Cook until bubbles form and the pancake is firm enough to flip over. When cooked, place on a plate in a warm place. Continue until all the batter has been used up. Divide the fruit mix between the pancakes and roll into cone shapes. Serve warm with the Calvados crème fraîche.
