The rice challenge: #2 Risotto ai funghi cantarelli

Dear opponent, I'm sorry if my comment on the sandwich challenge has upset you. It was sincere. Hopefully, I will trounce your rice recipe with my risotto. You can use many sorts of mushrooms, I decided to go with chanterelles.

For this recipe I suggest you find the right products, especially the rice. It has to come from Arborio, Italy. If you use non sticky rice, this will not work. You also have to be prepared to stir a lot and not leave your pan unattended, otherwise it will be a mess.

 

Let's get started:

Cook the mushrooms in olive oil, then put aside.

In the same pan, sweat the sliced onion then add the rice and cook for a couple of minutes until pearly.

Deglaze with the wine and let it reduce. Crumble the stock cube and cover the rice with water. Reduce the heat and stir until the water evaporates, add more water and continue stirring until the rice is cooked (that should take between 16 to 18 minutes).

Remove the pan from the heat, add the butter and sliced parmesan, cover and leave to melt for 2 minutes so it gets nice and creamy. Add salt and pepper (to taste), sprinkle parsley and a few parmesan slices and enjoy while hot!

The frozen dessert challenge: #1 Chocolate Parfait

Dear Stephanie, this time we've been challenged by one of your best friend, Agathe, to prepare a Coffee Parfait. Well as much as I like espresso, I don't like hate coffee dessert, so I thought I'd make a chocolate version. Let me first reassure you, there's no need for a fancy ice cream machine. Once you've completed the recipe, just put the pan in the freezer for a couple of hours.

The other important tip concerns the whip cream. In order for it to thicken, you have to place both the mixing bowl and the double cream for at least an hour in the fridge before whipping.

Start by heating milk over low heat. Meanwhile, mix sugar and egg yolks until frothy.

Pour half the boiling milk into the egg-sugar mixture. Mix thoroughly and pour this mix into the pan. To thicken, stir constantly with a wooden spoon. Please note that the cream should not boil.
Once the consistency is reached, pour the cream over the chocolate, broken into small pieces. Stir and let cool.

Whip the cream and pour into the chocolate cream. 

Molde in a circle cake pan, smooth the surface and leave in the freezer (covered with plastic wrap).

The pie challenge: #1 Lemon & Pears (shortbread crust) pie

Hello Steph,

I know I was supposed to challenge you on an egg recipe, but you know how I have a sweet tooth... I couldn't resist to bake a pie. Not any pie, it's my grandma's recipe which I've changed a little to replace the regular crust with shortbread.

Let the butter soften a little bit. Then work it with the sugar, with a wooden spatula.

Add the egg and mix well. Add the flour and salt, and knead the dough until it holds together. Press into pan and put it in the fridge.

Now to the pie itself:

Preheat the oven to 240°C. Put the lemon zest into one bowl and the juice into another. Peel the pears, cut them in half and scoop them. Arrange the pears on the crust so they form a star shape. Pour about a quarter of the lemon juice over them so they don't blacken and also sprinkle some of the sugar. Bake for 10mins.

In the mean time, break the eggs into a bowl, mix in the zest and the rest of the lemon juice, the sugar and the melted butter.

Reduce oven temperature to 200°C. Pour the lemon curd over the pears and bake for another 25 to 30mins.

Enjoy hot out of the oven or warm!

The sweetened vegetable challenge: #2 Cumberland Chutney

My dearest Stephanie,

By divulging my private text messages, you've clearly declared war. War it is, then! How about starting with something you recently told me was too difficult to make: some chutney!

I've chosen to make some "Cumberland Chutney" a very old family recipe, given to me by my dear aunt Yvonne. The primary and quite peculiar ingredient is runner beans, but don't worry, there's plenty of sugar and spices!

 

Mix the cornflour, turmeric & mustard powder with a little of the vinegar to make a thick paste & set aside. Cook the beans in salted water until tender (5-10 mins) and strain. Chop into small pieces. Boil the chopped (or sliced, if you prefer chunks) onions in a large pan with half the vinegar until they are tender (5-10 mins). Add the beans together with the salt and the rest of the vinegar and boil for about 15 mins. Then add the sugar, sultanas & spice mixture. Boil gently and the mixture should thicken so there is no vinegary 'runniness'.

At this stage, taste the chutney and add more sugar or salt if needed. Rather than boil for ages, if it isn't thick, add more cornflour mixed with a little water.

Pot while hot into warmed jars.

Good luck and bon appetit!

The homemade bread challenge: #2 Sourdough Bread

Stephanie,

Today I've decided to something really simple that you could do almost everyday: Sourdough bread. I myself usually prepare 2 or 3 per week (ok I have to admit I have a kneading machine...). This time, though, I've kneaded it by hand, still very easy, only a takes a little longer.

Let's get started:

Mix the flour, leaven and salt in a big bowl. Form a well then gently pour the water. Knead the dough for 15 minutes.

Cover and let rise for 2.5 or 3 hours.

Bake in a preaheated oven at 220°C for 40 to 50 minutes, until nicely golden brown.

The original method consists of doing the leaven yourself which is also known as starter. It is obtained by mixing flour with potato water then letting the bacteria (bacillus) grow (at room temperature) for around 5 days. You feed the yeast everyday with the same amount of flour and water as originally used and then use it as a starter in your bread mix.