Cuisine

WELL SEASONED

David Neville gets to grips with a glut of summer cherries, reimagines Christmas favourites and welcomes devilled eggs back to the party.

Food styling, recipes & photography David Neville

David Neville gets to grips with a glut of summer cherries, reimagines Christmas favourites and welcomes devilled eggs back to the party.

CHERRY, CARDAMOM & LAVENDER SEMIFREDDO

SERVES 4 / PREPARATION 40 MINUTES PLUS FREEZING OVERNIGHT

Semifreddo is a super-simple Italian dessert. It is similar to ice cream, but much lighter. Be warned: once served, it can melt quickly, so I am encouraging you to eat your dessert speedily.

500g cherries, stoned

385g caster sugar

4 lavender fronds

4 eggs, size 7, separated into

yolks and whites

60ml kirsch liqueur or port ½ teaspoon ground cardamom 100g white chocolate buttons 100g mascarpone, room temperature

Place the cherries and 300g of the caster sugar into a medium-sized pot over a medium heat. As the cherries heat, they will begin to release their juice. Bring to a gentle simmer then remove from the heat. Swirl in the lavender fronds. Set aside to cool.

Put the egg yolks, kirsch, ground cardamom and the remaining caster sugar into a steel bowl and place over a pot of simmering water. Whisk vigorously for approximately 2–3 minutes until doubled in size, pale and thick. Fold through the chocolate buttons using as few stirs as possible. Let the chocolate begin to melt, but don’t stress if it doesn’t melt completely.

Put the mascarpone into a clean bowl and fold through the egg yolks/sugar/ chocolate mixture along with 60ml of juices from the stewed cherries. Beat the egg whites until nearly stiff peaks and fold through mascarpone mixture.

Place 10–12 cherries each into four 10cm x 4cm non-stick baking pans.

Reserve some cherries and juice for serving, refrigerating them until needed.

Fold the remaining cherries through the semifreddo mix. Evenly divide the semifreddo between the moulds and place into the freezer overnight.

To serve, dip each mould into a bowl of hot water almost to their edge for 25–30 seconds, then invert into the centre of a plate. They may need a touch of coaxing with a knife tip. Cover with the remaining cherries and a tablespoon of the cherry cooking liquid.

GIVE THESE A GO…

Cherry lassi Place 1 cup of fresh or frozen stoned cherries into a blender. Add 2 cups of yoghurt, 1 cup of cold milk, 1 teaspoon rosewater, 6–7 ice cubes and one pinch of salt. Cover with a lid and give 4–5 pulses to break the ice cubes up slowly. Continue to blend on high until smooth and when small, tight bubbles form on top when the blender is stopped. Divide between two chilled tall glasses.

Red cabbage, cherry & opal basil slaw

Remove the core from half a red cabbage. Quarter an apple and remove the core. Cut a fennel bulb in half and set aside any fronds. Peel a mediumsized onion and cut in half. Finely slice all vegetables to 1mm thick either by hand, mandolin or food processor attachment and discard any thick cabbage veins. Place into a large bowl with ½ cup dried cherries and 20 large opal basil leaves. Add 5 tablespoons thick mayonnaise, 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar and celery seeds if you have them on hand. Season with salt and pepper and toss to combine.

Cherry & coconut turnovers

These aren’t traditional turnovers and require a little bit more work. They are more similar to sweet Hawaiian hand pies. In a medium-sized pot place 2½ cups full-fat coconut milk, 1 cup milk, ½ cup water and 1 cup caster sugar. Bring to a simmer, then remove from the heat. Whisk in ½ cup custard powder. Return to the heat and whisk until thick and shiny and bubbling like lava. Pour into a baking tray and allow to cool, then refrigerate for 4 hours to become firm. Cut 4 prepared puff pastry sheets into 8cm x 15cm squares (each sheet will make 6 rectangles.) Divide the coconut custard into 12 fairly equal pieces about 4cm x 10cm, place a piece of firm custard in the centre of each pastry rectangle and press in 5–6 stoned cherries. Brush the edges of the pastry with beaten egg yolk, cover with a pastry rectangle and press the edges with a fork to seal. Repeat for all pies. Brush with egg wash, sprinkle with demerara sugar and bake at 180℃ for 20–25 minutes. Cool for 8–10 minutes before eating.

Sour cherry romesco sauce

Brush 4 large red peppers with oil and put them under, and as close to, a hot grill as possible. Grill until blistered and blackened on each side. Place into a large bowl, cover with plastic wrap and leave to sweat for 30 minutes. Scrape off the charred skin with the edge of a knife and remove seeds. Place peppers in a tall blender with 2 medium-sized ripe tomatoes, 1 cup raw blanched almonds, 2 medium-sized peeled garlic cloves, ¼ cup flat-leafed parsley, ½ cup stoned sour cherries and juice from ½ lemon. Blitz on low speed and drizzle in ¾ cup olive oil until smooth and the thickness of yoghurt. Season with salt and pepper and pass through a sieve.

Red is most definitely one of the integral colours of Christmas: red pōhutukawa petals lining the streets, tinsel and the pop-up stalls of shining red cherries. Cherries are good enough to eat as they are, but let’s take it one step further and make some dishes before they all get eaten raw.

MERINGUE SHELLS WITH CHERRY & KAYA JAM

MAKES 12 LARGE MERINGUES / PREPARATION 30 MINUTES PLUS 1 HOUR TO SET / COOKING 2 HOURS

4 egg whites, size 7, room temperature scant ¼ teaspoon baking powder ½ teaspoon salt

2 cups caster sugar

1 tablespoon cornflour

300g fresh or frozen cherries, stoned 150g kaya (Indonesian coconut jam) 150ml cream

2g gelatine (1 leaf), bloomed in cold water

Place egg whites into a mixing bowl and whisk with an electric beater until foamy. Add baking powder and salt and beat to a very soft peak. Measure 1 cup sugar and from that add 2–3 tablespoons of sugar to the egg whites and continue to beat to medium-firm peaks. Progressively add a tablespoon of sugar every 2–3 minutes until the whole cup of sugar is added and continue beating until thick and glossy. Fold through the cornflour with a spatula. Line two large baking trays with baking paper. Place meringue into a piping bag with a 1.5cm nozzle. Hold the tip 3cm above the tray and gently pipe meringue into a circle about 9cm wide and 3cm high. Pipe out 12 meringues, allowing a few centimetres of space. Bake at 90℃ for 90 minutes, until you can touch the meringue and it feels firm. Try gently lifting the edge to see if it comes free. If not, continue to bake for 30 minutes until the meringue releases easily from the tray with a gentle touch.

Hold each meringue carefully in one hand upside down and, using a small knife, incise from the centre out to cut a circle. Using a small spoon, gently scrape out two-thirds of each meringue (you can reserve this in the fridge for garnishing hot drinks such as Milo). Return meringues to the trays and place back into the oven. Turn off the heat and leavethe oven door slightly ajar. place cherries with the remaining 1 cup sugar into a small pot over a low heat and simmer until the juices ru. remove from the heat. place kaya and cream into a pot , bring

almost to a simmer and stir together until smooth. Remove from heat for 2–3 minutes. Squeeze out gelatine and dissolve into the mix. Place in a clean bowl in the fridge to set for an hour, then whisk to make creamy.

To assemble, flip each meringue and place 8–9 strained cherries into the hollow. Spoon in 2½ tablespoons of kaya mix. Using your free hand, place a plate overthe opening and flip right side up. Serve immediately.

GIVE THESE A GO…

Tuile biscuits Melt 125g butter in a small pot, then cool. Place 4 egg whites into a bowl with 125g caster sugar and whisk until foamy. Stir in 60g sieved plain flour with a pinch of salt. Beat in melted butter until incorporated and smooth, Place into the fridge for 2–3 hours to cool and firm. Heat the oven to 180℃. Line a baking tray with baking paper or a silicone mat. Roll the dough into 40 small balls the size of an almond and place onto the tray with 5–6 cm space between. Bake for 3–4 minutes then turn the tray and continue baking for 2–3 minutes until deep golden brown. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 4 minutes before trying to remove from the tray. The biscuits will crisp upon cooling. COOK’S TIP: If you want a challenge, try forming tuiles into different shapes – love hearts, geometric shapes; it’s really up to you. Take a leftover ice-cream lid and make a stencil using a Stanley-style knife. Using a small offset spatula gently spread the dough over the template shape to a thickness of 1mm.

Chocolate soufflé The soufflé is often revered for its technical skill, but the truth is they aren’t hard to make. What they are is temperamental. Follow the steps carefully, work gently… and don’t open the oven door prematurely. Thoroughly coat the inside of four 8cm x 6cm ramekins with butter and sprinkle with sugar to coat all the sides evenly. tap our excess sugar Put in the fridge to chill. place 20g cornflour and 20ml of milk into a small pot and cook over low heat to form a paste. Add 150ml full-cream milk and bring to simmer full-cream to remove lumps and thicken until it resembles white sauce. Add 160g 72% dark chocolate, remove from heat and stir until chocolate has melted. Pour into a large bowl to cool to blood temperature. Fold 2 large egg yolks into the chocolate mixture and set aside. Beat 2 egg whites in a clean bowl, then gradually add 40g caster sugar and beat to medium-stiff peaks. Fold egg whites through the chocolate mixture gently until no white can be seen. Divide the mixture between chilled ramekins, tap firmly to remove air pockets and run a knife tip around the edge of the soufflé. Bake at 175℃ for 16 minutes. Carefully remove from the oven and serve immediately with ice cream.

Whisky pomegranate sour One sunny day a restaurant worker asked what they should do with spare egg whites. Someone said, “Make them into a drink.” And that person did. Pour 60ml whisky into a shaker, add 25ml pomegranate juice, 15ml maple syrup and 1 fresh egg white. Shake for 10–20 seconds. Remove lid and add a cup of ice cubes and shake again until the shaker feels ice cold to the touch. Strain into two tumblers and add 2–3 drops of Angostura bitters to the foam.

No-churn plum sorbet Open one 850g can of Doris plums and strain juices into a pot. Add a star anise pod and a cinnamon quill, bring to a simmer and reduce to the consistency of maple syrup. Remove from the heat. Remove stones from the plums and add plums to the syrup. Blitz until smooth. Beat 3 egg whites to stiff peaks and fold through the plum purée. Pour into a suitably sized rectangular container and freeze overnight.

Egg whites: the bane of every recipe that asks for egg yolks only. Egg whites, like people, develop different personalities as they age. Fresh whites are ideal for raw use. Egg whites thin as they age (much like hair), making them better suited to baking. One thing remains the same though: egg whites and any trace of fat or oil just won’t work. Always use clean equipment with egg whites.

CLASSIC DEVILLED EGGS

MAKES 24 / PREPARATION 50 MINUTES PLUS 1 HOUR CHILLING / COOKING 9 MINUTES

12 free-range eggs, size 7

2 egg yolks

2 tablespoons Old Yella habanero mustard 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar 1 teaspoon smoked paprika powder ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper,

plus extra to serve

½ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce 200ml light olive oil juice of ¼ lemon

2 teaspoons sea salt

Bring a large pot of water to the boil. Using just the tip of a thumb tack, carefully pierce a tiny hole into the base of every egg. Put the eggs into the boiling water and set a timer for 9 minutes. Once cooked, put into a bowl and flood with continuous cold running water for 5–6 minutes, then transfer to the fridge for 1 hour.

Put egg yolks into a clean bowl and add mustard, vinegar, paprika, cayenne and Worcestershire sauce. Beat until pale and approximately doubled in size. Slowly drizzle in oil while whisking to make a very thick mayonnaise. Loosen mayonnaise with 2 tablespoons warm water then whisk in lemon juice. Set aside.

Remove eggs from the fridge and carefully crack and remove the shell.

Cut eggs in half lengthways. The yolk will be cooked, but just set and not chalky. Carefully scoop out the egg yolks, place into a clean bowl and mash into a paste with a fork. Add mayonnaise to the cooked yolks and beat together with salt until combined.

Using a spatula, press the egg yolk mayonnaise mix through a sieve to make it as smooth as possible and place it into a piping bag with a 1cm nozzle or a star nozzle if you want a true trip back in time. Pipe the mayonnaise into the egg white hollows until it comes approximately 1 cm above the egg. Repeat for all eggs. Return to the fridge until ready.

To serve, sprinkle each egg with a small pinch of cayenne pepper.

GIVE THESE A GO… Devilled eggs with masala, yoghurt & mint

Cook 6 size 7 eggs for 9 minutes as described above and chill for

1 hour in the fridge. Gently crack and remove the shell and cut eggs lengthways. Scoop out egg yolks into a bowl and mix with ½ cup thick natural yoghurt and 2 teaspoons masala spice. Add a teaspoon of salt and a teaspoon of lemon juice and mix well. Carefully scoop egg mix back into egg white hollows and garnish with 2–3 small mint leaves and an additional sprinkle of masala spice.

Devilled eggs with chilli, paprika & black olive

Cook 6 size 7 eggs for 9 minutes as described above and chill for 1 hour in the fridge. Heat a tablespoon of oil in a medium pan and gently cook 1 cup finely diced onion and a crushed garlic clove. Add ½ tablespoon of smoked paprika and cook for 5–7 minutes until lightly caramelised. Cool, then add a teaspoon of Tabasco sauce. Reserve a little onion to garnish. Gently crack and remove the shell, cut eggs lengthways and scoop out yolks. Add yolks to onion mix with 2–3 tablespoons mayonnaise and a teaspoon of salt. Mix to combine. Fill egg hollows and garnish with halved black olives, onion and a pinch of paprika.

Devilled eggs with wasabi & white anchovy

Cook 6 size 7 eggs for 9 minutes as described above and chill for 1 hour in the fridge. Gently crack and remove the shell and cut eggs lengthways. Scoop out egg yolks into a bowl and mix with ½ cup mayonnaise and ½ tablespoon wasabi powder, the juice of ¼ of a lemon and a teaspoon of dark soy sauce. Fill the egg white hollows with wasabi mix and top with 2–3 good-quality white anchovy fillets.

Devilled eggs with avocado and watercress

Cook 6 size 7 eggs for 9 minutes as described above and chill for 1 hour in the fridge. Gently crack and remove the shell and cut eggs lengthways. Scoop out egg yolks into a bowl and mix with the flesh of one large, ripe avocado, a teaspoon sea salt and the juice of ¼ of a lemon. Carefully fill the egg white hollows with the mix and garnish with watercress and a healthy grind of black pepper.

All things come back into fashion: low-cut jeans, the ‘Jennifer’ hairstyle, and maybe even Suede. In making these devilled eggs and eating them, I did wonder if they should have ever been removed from the menu in the first place. It’s hard to say where the devilled egg came from, but most accounts find them as far back as ancient Rome. The ‘devilled’ reference is simply used to describe any food that has a kick of spice. Sublimely good, I would encourage anyone to not overlook this rarely seen dish.

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