AsJuleswas not home on Easter, we celebrated May Day yesterday with a bright and flavourful Spring Lunch. I had set the table in the dining room, but it was so lovely outside that, after enjoying our drinks (a Gold Rush for her and a Bee’s Knees for me) with nibbles in the sun, we ate the rest of our meal in the garden amongst the myosotis, by the Veg Patch and the apple tree! It was really nice and so was the poached salmon I served with these beautiful Broad Beans, Asparagus and Gnocchi!Happy Monday!
Gadually stir one cup of the flour into the Potato Mash. Add the egg to bind it all and work ingredients together until a soft dough forms, adding more flour if necessary. Roll small portionsofdough between your hands (approximately the size of a heaping teaspoon) and place them on a lightly floured surface. Working with one ball at a time, using your thumb, roll ball on the tines of a lightly floured fork. As you work, place gnocchionto a lightly flouredtray. When all gnocchiare ready, store them into the refigerator
In a large saucepan, bring waterto the boil over medium-high heat. Once boiling, stir in coarse sea salt until dissolved.
Trim the ends of the asparagus, and add to the boiling water. Cook, 10 minutes, until tender, then lift off the saucepan with a slotted spoon and transfer to a plate. Set aside.
Addbroad beans to the salted boiling water, and cook, 5 minutes. Once cooked, remove from the waterand plunge into a medium bowl filled with cold water andice cubes. Set aside.
Finally, add half of gnocchi to boiling water; cook for 3 to 4 minutes or until done (they will rise to the surface). Remove gnocchi with a slotted spoon, and place in a colander to drain. Keep warm. Repeat procedure with remaining gnocchi.
Peelbroad beans. Cut asparagus.
Meltbutterwitholive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Once foaming, add Dried Lemon Thyme anddried rosemary, cook 1 minute. Then, stir broad beansandasparagus, and sauté, to coat in butter. Finally, stir in gnocchi. Cook, until hot, a few minutes.
ServeRosemary and Thyme Butter Broad Beans, Asparagus and Gnocchi hot, sprinkled with grated ParmesanandLemon Zest, as a side toPoached Salmonor Rosemary and Honey Roast Lamb.
Pourdouble cream into a small saucepan. Add Vanilla Extract, and heat over medium-low heat.
Meanwhile, roughly chop dark chocolate and put in a medium bowl.
Once the cream is simmering, pour over the chocolate. Cover with a lid, and let sit, a couple of minutes. Then, stir energetically with a rubber spatula until you have a smooth and shiny ganache. Place in the refrigerator, to chill, at least a couple of hours.
Preheat oven to 210°C/410°F. Line two baking trays with baking paper.
Combinewater,milkandbutterin a large saucepan. Heat over medium-low heat. Once mixture is slowly boiling and butter is melted, remove from the heat and add both flours all at once, stirring well with a wooden spoon until a soft ball form. Return over low heat and cook, about 2 minutes, until a slight film forms at the bottom of the saucepan, stirring often. Set aside and let cool slightly.
Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition, until you get a smooth, shiny, soft-peak paste.
Spoon choux pastry into a piping bag, fitted with a large (1-cm/0.4″) star nozzle and pipe choux pastry into 14-cm/5.5″ long éclairs onto one of the baking trays until you have ten. With the remaining choux pastry you could pipe more éclairsorchouxon the second baking tray. Place baking trays in the hot oven. Bake at 210°C/410°F, for 30 minutes.
Remove from the oven. Using a skewer, carefully piercethree holes at the bottom of each éclair, to let the steam escape and put them back in the warm oven to dry out, 5 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool completely.
For this recipe, you will only need four éclairs. The others (and choux) will freeze well, stored in zip-lock bags and can be kept up to three months in the freezer. You will only need to thaw them before using in sweet or savoury recipes.
Once the chocolate ganache has chilled, beat with an hand mixer, gradually increasing speed to high, until ganache becomes fluffy and a paler shade of brown. Spoon into a piping bag fitted with a large star nozzle.
With a serrated knife, gently cut the topsoff each éclair. Pipe whipped chocolate ganache generously on the bottom of each. Gently press raspberriesin the ganacheof each éclair. Gently press éclair tops onto each éclair. Dust with.
EnjoyChocolate and Raspberry Eclairs immediately, with a glass of chilled Champagneor other sparkling wine, or chill until serving time. Happy Easter!
If you have éclairs or choux buns in the freezer, you can have these anytime you fancy!
Pourdouble cream into a small saucepan. Add Vanilla Extract, and heat over medium-low heat.
Meanwhile, roughly chop dark chocolate and put in a medium bowl.
Once the cream is simmering, pour over the chocolate. Cover with a lid, and let sit, a couple of minutes. Then, stir energetically with a rubber spatula until you have a smooth and shiny ganache. Place in the refrigerator, to chill, at least a couple of hours.
Preheat oven to 210°C/410°F. Line two baking trays with baking paper.
Combinewater,milkandbutterin a large saucepan. Heat over medium-low heat. Once mixture is slowly boiling and butter is melted, remove from the heat and add both flours all at once, stirring well with a wooden spoon until a soft ball form. Return over low heat and cook, about 2 minutes, until a slight film forms at the bottom of the saucepan, stirring often. Set aside and let cool slightly.
Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition, until you get a smooth, shiny, soft-peak paste.
Spoon choux pastry into a piping bag, fitted with a large (1-cm/0.4″) star nozzle and pipe choux pastry into 14-cm/5.5″ long éclairs onto one of the baking trays until you have ten. With the remaining choux pastry you could pipe more éclairsorchouxon the second baking tray. Place baking trays in the hot oven. Bake at 210°C/410°F, for 30 minutes.
Remove from the oven. Using a skewer, carefully piercethree holes at the bottom of each éclair, to let the steam escape and put them back in the warm oven to dry out, 5 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool completely.
For this recipe, you will only need four éclairs. The others (and choux) will freeze well, stored in zip-lock bags and can be kept up to three months in the freezer. You will only need to thaw them before using in sweet or savoury recipes.
Once the chocolate ganache has chilled, beat with an hand mixer, gradually increasing speed to high, until ganache becomes fluffy and a paler shade of brown. Spoon into a piping bag fitted with a large star nozzle.
With a serrated knife, gently cut the topsoff each éclair. Pipe whipped chocolate ganache generously on the bottom of each. Gently press raspberriesin the ganacheof each éclair. Gently press éclair tops onto each éclair. Dust with.
EnjoyChocolate and Raspberry Eclairs immediately, with a glass of chilled Champagneor other sparkling wine, or chill until serving time. Happy Easter!
Juleswill not come home until next week, when we shall have a proper Easter Feast. In the meantime, I am having a Pink Blossom in the sun, reading in the garden and a delightful dessert to celebrate the holiday; and I’m sharing Easter recipes I’ve cooked and baked over the years (this blog just turned nine, to quote a favourite comedian of mine, Cal Wilson, about turning forty: “How the fuck did that happen?”)…Happy Easter, friends!
