The Fires are lit - Winter 2007
With the temperature dropping and nights closing in, it's time to light the fires and cosy up around a great dinner and a glass of solid Australian red. The recently opened College Arms which joined the Spice Inns group has also opened up a previously borded up fire in the middle of the Haileybury dining room.
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An un-Seasonal Recipe !
For some reason we have the following recipe, however it sounds absolutely lovely, if only for the memory of summer.
“This dish typifies summer. It uses our traditional English fruit with an international twist, giving a striking result. Terrines are a great idea as they can be prepared the day before, making them an ideal party dish, you won’t fail to impress your guests!”
Strawberry & Mascarpone terrine with Basil syrup
Method
- Mix the mascarpone, cream cheese, icing sugar, lime zest and vanilla seeds together into a smooth paste. Add the yogurt and 200ml of cream and mix thoroughly. Warm the remaining cream through slightly in a saucepan and dissolve the gelatine leaves in it, then incorporate into the mascarpone mixture.
- For the strawberry jelly, bring the sugar and water to the boil, add the strawberry liqueur and the sliced strawberries and simmer gently for approx 6 minutes. Remove from the heat, stir in the soaked gelatine leaves, then blend the mixture in a food processor. Leave to cool slightly before folding in the diced strawberries and chilling over ice or in the fridge until nearly set.
- For the basil syrup, heat the sugar and water in a saucepan, add the whole basil leaves, blend in a food processor and pass through a fine sieve. Stir in the finely shredded basil and reserve.
- To assemble, line a terrine mould with cling film, ladle the mascarpone mix 2cm deep into the mould and leave to set in the fridge for 5-8 minutes. Then ladle in 2cm of the strawberry mix and again leave to set in the fridge for 5-8 minutes. Then ladle in 2cm of the strawberry mix and again leave to set in the fridge for 5-8 minutes. Repeat this process so as to finish on a layer of mascarpone cream, then leave to set in the fridge for 8 hours.
- To serve, remove the terrine from the mould and take off the cling film. Slice the terrine into even slices, place in the centre of a square plate, drizzle basil syrup around. Serve with fresh strawberries and garnish with a sprig of mint.
Serve with fresh strawberries and garnish with a sprig of mint.