Chicken Caesar Salad

Serves 4

For the chicken

·         1½ tbsp lemon juice

·         1 tbsp olive oil

·         2 tsp fresh thyme leaves, plus a few sprigs

·         1 garlic clove, bashed to bruise

·         4 organic/free-range skinless boneless chicken breast fillets , about 140g/5oz each

For the croutons

·         4 oz Baguette

·         2 tbsp olive oil

For the dressing-and-salad

·         1 garlic clove, finely chopped

·         1 tsp Dijon mustard

·         ½ tsp Worcestershire sauce

·         1 tbsp lemon juice, plus extra for squeezing

·         good pinch chilli flakes

·         4 anchovy fillets, finely chopped

·         3 tbsp good-quality mayonnaise

·         4 tbsp fat-free yogurt

·         1 head romaine or Cos lettuce, leaves separated, washed and dried

·         1 bag lolo roso lettuce

·         1 oz piece Parmesan, shaved with a potato peeler

Method

1.   juice, oil, thyme and garlic in a shallow dish. Add the chicken and turn it over in the marinade to coat well. Season with freshly ground pepper and leave for up to 2 hrs.

2.   Heat the oven to 200C/fan 180C/gas 6. Slice, then cut the bread into big, rough cubes for the croutons. Spread them in a single layer on a baking sheet, then brush all over with the 2 tbsp oil. Bake for about 10 mins until golden and crisp.

3.   Meanwhile, put the garlic into a mini blender with the mustard, Worcestershire sauce, lemon juice, chilli and anchovies. Blend until smooth, add the mayonnaise and yogurt, then blend again - it should be the consistency of double cream. Adjust the taste with lemon juice and pepper. If necessary, thin with a couple of tsps of cold water to get the consistency right so it will coat the leaves.

4.   Heat a griddle pan until very hot. Lay the chicken on the griddle, on the side that had the skin on. Cook for 15-16 mins, turning once or twice, until cooked through. Remove, then let the meat sit for 5 mins before slicing.

5.   Keep any small inner lettuce leaves whole, tear the larger outer leaves into 2-3 pieces, then put them all into a large bowl with the rocket or watercress. Pour just under half the dressing over the leaves and carefully toss to coat - it's gentler to use your hands. Either assemble in the bowl, or pile the leaves onto individual plates, tucking in the croutons, chicken and Parmesan. Drizzle the rest of the dressing over and around, then finish with an extra squeeze of lemon.

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Cheesecake

(180 – 200 degrees – 1hour)

Ingredients:

1550g. Cream cheese

500g. Sugar

400g. Sour Cream

14pcs. Whole eggs

Base: Melted Butter and Crashed grahams

Procedure: Beat Cream Cheese until  smooth. Add sugar and sour cream and eggs. Then Line ring molder with foil and spread base to your desired thickness and set. If base is already set, pour cream cheese mixture and bake using brain marie. Place ring molder on top of a baking tray and put water just enough to cover it do not overflow and place into oven over 180 - 200 degrees for 1hour. 

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Chocolate sorbet

Ingredients

Serves 6

·         7 oz caster sugar

·         2 oz cocoa

·         2 oz dark chocolate, finely chopped

·         1 tsp vanilla extract

Method

1.   Tip the sugar into a bowl, sift in the cocoa and stir. Bring 600ml water to the boil in a medium saucepan. Whisk in the sugar and cocoa and return to a gentle simmer. Simmer, uncovered, for 5 mins, whisking occasionally. Remove from the heat and stir in the chocolate and vanilla until the chocolate has melted.

2.   Cool the mixture, then put in the fridge for several hrs or overnight until well chilled. Make the sorbet in an ice-cream machine or pour into a rigid plastic container, preferably bowl shaped, and freeze until frozen 3cm from the edges. Whisk to break down the ice crystals, then freeze again for 1 hr more. Whisk and freeze again one more time, then leave until completely frozen.

3.   Before serving, transfer to the fridge for 30 mins to make scooping easier.

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Fruit Triffle

Glass Layer:

Blueberry Mousse

Coconut Mousse
Chocolate Mousse

Blueberry Mousse:

500g. Whip Cream

500g Blueberry Puree

8 Gelatin sheets

(+,-) Icing Sugar

Procedure:

Whip Cream until Soft Peak form. Puree blueberry and set aside. Bloom Gelatin into ice water until soft and put into double boiler to melt. Temper little amount of blueberry puree into melted gelatin and pour again into blueberry puree mixture. Fold blueberry-gelatin mixture into whip cream.

Coconut Mousse:

500g Whip Cream

500g Coconut Cream

8 Gelatin Sheets

(+,-) Sugar

Procedure:

Boil Coconut Cream and add Sugar and gelatin and stir. Cool mixture and set aside. Whip Cream until Soft Peak form. Fold Coconut-Gelatin mixture into Whip.

Chocolate Mousse:

500g Dark Chocolate

500g whip cream

8 gelatin sheets

Procedure: Whip Cream until Soft Peak form. Melt Chocolate in a double boiler and set aside. Bloom Gelatin into ice water until soft and put into double boiler to melt. Temper little amount of Ganache into melted gelatin and pour again into Ganache mixture. Fold Ganache-gelatin mixture into whip cream. Pipe into little glasses and chill!

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Strawberry-Chocolate SemiFreddo

Ingredients

150g dark chocolate, melted
6 egg whites,
6 eggyolks

3 T. sugar
2cups heavy cream

Fresh Strawberries

Procedure:

1. Melt the chocolate in a double boiler until no longer solid. Remove from heat and continue to mix gently as it cools down. Add egg yolks and sugar and blend at high speed until mixed thoroughly.
2.  In a separate, grease-free mixing bowl, beat the egg whites until peaks form. In a third bowl, whip the cream slightly until soft peaks form but before it loses its liquidity.
3.  First fold the egg whites into the chocolate-yolk mixture, and hand mix gently with a spatula until all ingredients have been incorporated. Then add the cream, scraping the sides to make sure the mixture is homogeneous.
4.  Pour into individual serving containers or log form and freeze for several hours.
5. Serve with puree fruits or chocolate syrup.

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Blueberry Layered Cake

Ingredients:

1000g Ganache

350g Croquant

Chocolate roulade

Chocolate Mousse

Blueberry Mousse

Strawberry Puree

1. Chocolate Ganache

1kl. Dark Chocolate

1Liter whip Cream

 Procedure: Boil whip cream and pour into chocolate and stir until chocolates are melted.

Base: Mix 500g ganache and 250croquant.

2. Chocolate Sponge (Roulade)

200g. Cake flour

300g. Cocoa Powder

100g. Mixo

500g. Sugar

225g. Melted butter

30pcs Whole eggs

(Mix all using kitchen Aid or any mixer)

Note: If Plain Roulade, Cake Flour must be 500grams.

3. Chocolate Mousse 

1:1 ratio  

1Liter Whip Cream

1Liter Ganache

12 Gelatin Sheets­

Procedure: Bloom 12 sheet of gelatin in an ice water bath. Then melt the gelatin sheets in a double boiler, temper and mix into chocolate ganache and fold into Whip cream.

4. Blueberry Mousse

2cans Blueberry (Comstock)

1Liter Whip Cream (softpick)

(+,-) Icing Sugar

15 Gelatin Sheets

Procedure: Puree 2cans of blueberry(comstock), Whip Cream until soft peak and add icing sugar. Bloom gelatin sheets into an ice water bath and melt into double boiler. Mix melted gelatin into blueberry puree and fold into whip cream.

5. Strawberry Puree

1000g Strawberry Puree

(+,-) Icing Sugar

12 gelation sheets

Procedure: Boil 1L of strawberry puree and add 300g sugar. Whip Cream until soft peak. Bloom gelatin sheets into an ice water bath and melt into double boiler. Mix melted gelatin into strawberry puree and fold into whip cream.

Final Procedure: line a ring molder with wax paper. Pour ganache and let it set. If ganache is already set put the roulade and pour chocolate mouse mixture, and let it set. do the same procedure for the next layers.

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Kinilaw with coconut milk

Prep Time: 20mins


Ingredients:
1/2 kg fresh fish meat (tangigue), cut into cubes
100 ml fresh coconut milk
350 mL sukang bahal or aged vinegar
5 tbsp sliced onions, white
5 tbsp sliced ginger
1 large biasong or kaffir lime
2 green chili peppers, or jalapeno, chopped
1 red bell pepper
2 pcs green or red tomatoes, sliced
50g cucumber, cut into rondels
1/4 cup calamansi juice
salt and pepper to taste


Procedure:

Wash the fillets and trim any remaining skin and bones. Cut into one-inch cubes. Place in a glass bowl and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Pour in the vinegar and mix well. Drain the fish. Add the kalamansi juice, garlic, tomatoes, kaffir lime zest, chili peppers, bell peppers, ginger and onion. Mix well and set aside. Squeeze the remaining kaffir lime juice into the mixture and pour in the coconut cream.


Note: While it is more common to use red onions for making kinilaw, I prefer the sweet white onions as they give a wonderful contrast to the sourness of the vinegar and kalamansi juice. When eating kinilaw, remember to eat each piece of fish with a few pieces of onions as well. It makes the experience of eating kinilaw really memorable.

Yield: 4servings
Prepared by: NJTM

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