THIS global pandemic has changed our lives momentarily, closing all establishments except those necessary to the very basic function of our daily lives. Luxuries such as dining out or travelling abroad are not possible for the moment, however Glass has handpicked dishes from some of the finest hotels across the globe to let you go on a culinary journey in the comfort of your kitchen. The recipes are categorised varying in cooking ability – easy, moderate and difficult.
Easy:
Schloss Roxburghe Hotel’s Salmon Gravlax
Ingredients:
Half of a fresh salmon fillet
120g of soft brown sugar
20g of crushed black pepper
60g of fennel seeds
70g of orange zest
70g of lemon or lime zest
400g of rock salt
1 bunch of dill
25g of Dijon mustard
Method:
- The process is very simple it is about mixing all the mixture ingredients together using a big spoon (without the dill and mustard we keep this for the end)
- Once it is all mixed up, cover the side of salmon with the mixture making sure that it is spread evenly all over, including the edges. The best technique is to use your hands when spreading the mixture on the salmon and pressing firmly to ensure it sticks.
- Leave it between 12 and 24 hours in the fridge, the longer you leave it, the stronger the flavour will be. We would recommend 12 hours to have a light fruity flavour.
- After 12 hours, the salmon needs to be washed under running water. Once this is done make sure to dry the salmon well.
- Next, spread some Dijon mustard lightly over the salmon, ensuring that it is well covered – the mustard will help the dill to stick to the salmon. Once you have placed the dill on top, leave it to set in the fridge for 2 hours – it will then be ready to slice. It is most enjoyable when thinly sliced.
Almalusa’s Taste-Bud Tantalising Chocolate Cake
Ingredients:
400g of dark chocolate broken into small pieces
350g of unsalted butter chopped into chunks
350g of sugar
8 eggs
Method:
- Turn on the oven to 160°
- Add the chocolate pieces and butter into a bowl. Melt gently in a glass bowl placed over a pain of gently boiling water.
- Separate the egg whites and yolks, and set aside.
- In a bowl, add the sugar and egg yolks and beat until fluffy. Then add the melted chocolate mixture until well combined.
- In a separate bowl, whisk the egg whites until they’re standing in stiff peaks. Then combine with the other ingredients until everything is mixed well together.
- Spoon the mixture into two round cake tins (approx. 26cm) and place in the oven for around 45-50 mins
- Once baked, leave to cool and then serve.
Moderate:
Grand Hotel Tremezzo’s Saffron Risotto (with optional golden leaf)
Ingredients: (Serves Four)
320g of risotto rice
20g of grated parmesan
4g of butter
0.5g of saffron
1 litre of meat stock
1 onion
1 glass of white wine
Salt to taste and 4 edible gold leaves
Method:
- Soak the saffron threads in a glass with a small amount of hot broth.
- In a saucepan, fry 20g of butter and add the chopped onion. After a few minutes, add half of the white wine to cool, and wait for it to evaporate.
- In another saucepan, toast the risotto rice in 2g of butter and then add the rest of the white wine. Again, let it evaporate.
- Pour the stock into the risotto rice at regular intervals to allow for the rice to cook. Halfway through cooking add the saffron.
- Once cooked, put the risotto on a low heat. Add the onion and parmesan.
- Serve in a shallow plate – decorate with gold leaf if you wish.
La Bastide’s Roasted Seabass
Ingredients: (Serves Four)
4 Seabass fillets
2 tomatoes
2 courgette flowers (non-essential)
30g of caper berries
1 green courgette
1 yellow courgette
300g of green peas
1 lemon
Salt and pepper to taste
Olive oil
Method:
- Slice the yellow courgette and roast at 180°C for 10 minutes.
- Bring a pan of water (add a pinch of salt) to boil. Add the peas and boil for 3 minutes – keep some of the water on the side.
- Purée with a mixer; if it’s too thick, add some of the water from cooked peas. Strain with a spatula and season with salt and lemon juice.
- Cut the green courgettes into strips roughly 7-8cm. Gently sautée in olive oil.
- Peel the tomatoes, remove the seeds and dice them. Mix together with capers, salt and pepper and a splash of olive oil.
- Sautée the seabass on the skin side with olive oil for two to three minutes, and then finish in the oven (180°C) for two minutes.
- Finally, if you have courgette flowers, slice in half and swear on one side only.
Complex:
The Saxon Hotel, Villas & Spa’s Duck, Beetroot and Popped Sorghum
Ingredients: (Serves two)
2 duck breasts
Beetroot powder (optional, used for decoration)
6 baby golden beetroots
250g of golden baby beetroots
350g of large red beetroots
2 eggs whites
100ml of vegetable oil
360g of salt
50g of sorghum (alternatively, regular popping corn can be used)
Olive oil
Thyme
Method:
- For the golden beetroot puree: wash the 6 baby golden beetroots to remove any dirt. Then place on foil, drizzle with olive oil, salt and thyme. Wrap the beetroots in the foil and bake at 180°C until soft. Once removed from oven, peel the beetroots and blend until smooth – creating a puree.
- For the salt-baked roasted beetroot: begin by combining the eggs whites and salt to form a paste. Cover the 250g of golden baby beetroots and 350g of large red beetroots in 2cm of the paste. Place in a tray with a splash of water covering the tin foil. Bake in the over for 45 minutes at 180°C. Crack open the salt crust and peel the beetroots, and dice the red beetroots.
- For the popped sorghum: heat a pan and add olive oil. Pour the sorghum and place the lid on, allowing the grains to pop to form popcorn.
- For the duck: sear and cook at 180°C for five minutes until medium rare
- Plating the dish: slice the rested duck in half, and dust with beetroot powder. Place the remaining ingredients as per picture.
Hotel Royal Evian’s Les Fresques Morello Cherries, Warm Soufflé with Kirsch Liqueur and Almond Ice Cream
Ingredients: (Serves Four)
3.3 litres of milk
1050g of egg yolk
805g of caster sugar
27g of dry whole milk or cream powder
13g of cornstarch
3.5 egg whites
17g of kirsch liqueur
500g of morello cherries
0.5g of vanilla extract
1 litre of 30% cream
8 drops of almond flavouring
Method:
- For the base of the soufflé: boil 300g of milk. Blanch 5 egg yolks, 125g of caster sugar and the dry powders. Separate 171g of the mixture, and place to the side to use for the soufflé. Bake the other half like a pastry cream and set aside in a cool place.
- For the soufflé: use the 171g of mixture and pour the kirsch liqueur slowly in. Mount the egg whites with 30g of caster sugar, and then mix the mixture and mould. Bake at 200°C for 8 minutes.
- For the morello cherry marmalade: put all the cherries, 150g of caster sugar and the vanilla extract on the sove and stir for 5 minutes.
- For the almond ice cream: mix 3 litres of milk, the cream, 960g of egg yolks, 500g of caster sugar and 8 drops of almond flavouring to make a custard cream. Then put it in an ice cream maker.
by Imogen Clark