food / drink
RECIPE
Grilled Asparagus Soufflé
words RUTH JOSEPH www. ruthjoseph. co. uk www. veggischmooze. blogspot. com
OF THE BEST...
BUZZ 26
5
Welsh Picnic Ingredients
Dust off the picnic blanket and stuff your cool box full local Welsh goodies for the perfect Welsh-inspired picnic. Jon Doyle picks his perfect picnic ingredients.
GORWYDD CAERPHILLY www. trethowansdairy. co. uk This traditional cheese is made from unpasteurised cow’ s milk before being matured for two months to achieve a creamy texture and earthy mould rind. The winner of countless awards both nationally and globally, this cheese was described by Nigel Slater as“ one of the great cheeses of the world.” If it’ s good enough for his picnic, it’ s good enough for ours.
CARMARTHEN HAM www. carmarthenham. co. uk Rumour has it that when the Romans left Carmarthen they stole the recipe and renamed it Parma ham. Dry-salt cured before being air dried, the ham has been recognised in various competitions, including winning gold in the Wales True Taste Awards in 2004, and would be right at home in our Welsh picnic hamper.
THE PRESERVATION SOCIETY JAMES AND CHUTNEYS www. the-preservation-society. co. uk Based in Chepstow, Monmouthshire, The Preservation Society make a plethora of jams, marmalades, chutneys, pickles and just about anything else tasty you can put in a jar. Their Scrummy Scrumpy Jelly with cider, apples and sage is the perfect accompaniment to cold meats. Now all we need is some bread...
TORTOISE BAKERY LOAVES www. tortoisebakery. com Bridgend’ s Mike Sweetman left the rat race to set up a bakery and hasn’ t looked back since. Offering a multitude of options, from 44hr-fermented walnut sourdough to traditional Italian ciabatta and integrale, there is sure to be something on offer that would sit nicely with the rest of our selections.
MUNCHCAKE GLUTEN-FREE GOODIES www. munchcake. co. uk We couldn’ t forget dessert! Made with free-range eggs and only the finest ingredients, Munchcakes’ gluten-free goodies are treats that can be enjoyed by everyone without sacrificing the taste. Based in Caswell, Swansea, they produce a range of cakes and savoury loaves that have been recognised numerous times by the Wales True Taste Awards. The carrot and pecan cake would make a delightful addition to any hamper – just make sure you pack napkins!
Soufflés sound expensive and complicated, but they’ re actually simplicity itself; the basic mixture can be adapted by including slivers of fresh salmon, your favourite cheese or some grilled wild mushrooms. The joy of creating a soufflé is that the sauce can be made in advance, and then when your guests arrive, all you need to do is whisk up the egg whites, combine them with the sauce and pour the mixture into your greased moulds. This recipe has been adapted from my book Warm Bagels And Apple Strudel.
SERVES six
INGREDIENTS 55g butter or margarine, plus extra for greasing / 150g Parmesan, grated / 225g asparagus / olive oil for brushing / 4 tbsp plain flour / 350ml milk / 6 large organic free-range eggs, separated / finely grated zest of 1 lemon / 150g of soft white cheese such as mozzarella / freshly ground salt and black pepper / 25g fresh flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
PREPARATION
• Preheat the oven to 190 ° C / gas mark five.
• Prepare six ramekins by greasing them with butter or margarine and dusting them with 50g of the Parmesan cheese. Place in a roasting tin ready for transferring them to the oven later.
• Wash the asparagus and trim off the woody ends( save these for soup). Brush with oil and place on a hot griddle for four to five minutes until charred and just tender. Remove and leave to cool before cutting into bite-sized pieces.
• To make the white sauce, melt the butter or margarine in a medium saucepan and stir in the flour. Gradually pour in the milk, whisking constantly to avoid lumps. Bring to the boil and simmer for two minutes to cook out the flour. Add the egg yolks, lemon zest, mozzarella, remaining Parmesan, asparagus and seasoning and stir well to combine. Remove and set aside.
• Whisk the egg whites in a clean bowl until stiff, add a spoonful of the egg white to the asparagus sauce, and mix in to loosen the mixture. Carefully fold in the rest of the egg whites, along with the parsley, and then divide the mixture between your prepared ramekins.
• Carefully transfer the soufflés in their roasting tin into the oven. Fill the base of the roasting tin with boiling water to form a bain-marie and close the oven door. Bake for 20 – 25 minutes, by which time the soufflés should have risen. Resist the temptation to open the oven door or they will sink. Serve with chunks of granary bread.