Wednesday, October 28, 2015

Grilled Steak with creamy Garlic Mushroom sauce.

Grilled Steak with Garlic Mushroom sauce

Equipment
·      Small fry pan
·      Chopping board and sharp knife
·      Measuring cup
·      Tongs
·      Serving plate
·      Ramekin for sauce

Ingredients
·      Rump steak, 2 portions, needs to be trimmed of fat and silver skin
·      Mushrooms, 2, sliced
·      Garlic, 1 clove or ¼ tsp, crushed and diced finely
·      Cream, 1/8 cup (3 Tbspns)
·      Seasonings (salt/pepper/herbs)
·      Butter for mushrooms.
·      Oil for frying

Method
1.    Slice up the mushrooms and crush/dice the garlic.
2.    Heat up the small fry pan (medium heat) and add butter.
3.    Quickly add garlic, then mushrooms.
4.    Toss and fry until soft.
5.    Add the cream, reduce the heat and simmer until thick.
6.    Pour out the sauce into a mixing bowl and keep warm. Season if required.
7.    Clean the fry pan and reheat.
8.    Wait until the pan is hot before adding a small amount of oil.
9.    Fry the steak one piece at a time, waiting for the blood to come through before turning over.
10.  Test for “degrees of doneness” before removing from pan. Poke the meat with your finger.
11. Rest the meat on a plate for 5 minutes before serving with the sauce.

Things to remember:
·      The steak should be at room temperature before cooking (bring out of the fridge at least 30 minutes before cooking).
·      Trim the steak of fat and silver skin.
·      Heat up the pan to medium hot.
·      Add a little oil. Grilled, not deep fried.
·      Season the steak after cooking.
·      Flip only once. Wait for the cooking juice to come through before flipping.
·      Cook to correct Degrees of Doneness
1.    Blue (very rare)
2.    Rare
3.    Medium rare
4.    Medium
5.    Well done

6.    Very well done


See the pictures for a better idea. Also use the finger poke test. Fatter steak will take longer to cook in the middle.

·      Resting the meat for 5 minutes after cooking allows the muscle fibers to relax which means the meat is more tender and easier to cut/chew. This should be applied to all meats after cooking.

Monday, October 26, 2015

Banana cake with Chocolate icing.



Banana Cake with Chocolate Icing

Equipment
·      Small cake tin (greased and floured)
·      Sharp knife
·      Mixing bowl
·      Measuring cups/spoons
·      Wooden spoon
·      Whisk
·      Sieve
·      Cooling rack
Ingredients
·      Butter, 75g, soft
·      Sugar, ½ cup
·      Eggs, 1
·      Soft banana, 1/2 large mashed (or 1 small mashed)
·      Vanilla essence, ¼ tsp
·      Flour, 1 cup
·      Baking soda, ½ tsp
·      Salt, ¼ tsp
·      Cinnamon, 1/4 tsp
·      Milk, 1/4 cup
·      Lemon juice, ½ tsp
Method
1.    Cream butter and sugar until light.
2.    Beat in the egg.
3.    Stir in mashed banana and vanilla.
4.    Sieve in the dry ingredients (flour, cinnamon, salt and baking soda).
5.    Fold into creamed mixture with milk and lemon juice.
6.    Pour into the greased and floured cake tin.
7.    Bake at 1800C for 20-30 minutes until cooked.
8.    Remove from oven and let cool down before turning out.
9.    Ice with chocolate icing.

Icing
·      Icing sugar, ½ cup
·      Cocoa, 1 tsp
·      Butter, 2 knobs, melted
·      Hot water, 2-3 tsp


Wednesday, October 21, 2015

Warm Salad (Bacon, eggs and croutons)

Warm Salad (Bacon, Egg and Croutons)

Equipment
·      Chopping board
·      Sharp knife
·      Peeler
·      Large mixing bowl
·      Small fry pan and fish slice/tongs
·      Small pot

Ingredients
·      Mesclun salad, 1 cup
·      Carrots, 1
·      Spring onions, ½ stem
·      Celery, 1 stalk
·      Bacon, 3 slices
·      Bread, 1 slice, diced
·      Eggs, 2
·      Oil for frying

Method
1.    Add eggs to a pot of hot water. Bring to the boil for 8 minutes. Pour out the hot water and fill pot with cold water.
2.    Peel the eggs and chop up. Add to the mixing bowl.
3.    Slice up the bread into cubes.
4.    Slice up the bacon in small pieces.
5.    Fry both in oil until crisp. Place into mixing bowl to cool down.
6.    Slice the carrot into julienne (matchstick sized pieces), after peeling.
7.    Slice up celery on the angle and spring onion into thin slices.
8.    Add all to the mixing bowl.
9.    Add the Mesclun salad to the other ingredients in the bowl.
10. Toss the salad together, mixing all the ingredients through.
11. Serve with tongs onto a plate and eat.