2kgs live mussels
2 cups dry white wine
4 large shallots, finely chopped
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup mixed fresh herbs, such as flat-leaf parsley,chervil,or basil,chopped
3 tablespoons butter, cut into piecesDirections:
Rinse and scrub mussels under cold water.
Using your fingers or pairing knife, remove beards (strings that hang from the mussel shells), and discard.
In a large stockpot set over medium heat, combine wine, shallots, garlic, and salt.
Simmer 5 minutes.Add mussels Cover, and increase heat to high.Cook until all mussels are open, about 5 minutes.Stir in herbs and butter.
Remove from heat.
Divide mussels and broth among four bowls.
Serve immediately….. naughty but good with frites or crunchy sourdough !!!!
I included this recipe more for my benefit…. I will try it when I get home!!!
Recipe courtesy from La Carree Restaurant Brittany (near Tramblay and our hamlet)
Ingredients
Crepes:1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
Pinch salt
3 eggs
1/2 cup sugar
2 cups milk
1 tablespoon orange liqueur (recommended: Grand Marnier)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon orange zest
1/2 cup clarified butter
Sauce:
1 1/2 cups freshly squeezed orange juice
2 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons grated orange zest
2 tablespoons orange liqueur (recommended: Grand Marnier) 3 oranges, peeled and sectioned
Vanilla ice cream, for serving
Crepes:
Directions
Whisk together the flour and salt in a medium bowl. Whisk together the eggs and sugar in a large bowl until pale. Whisk in 1 1/2 cups of the milk, orange liqueur, vanilla, and orange zest and flour until combined. If the mixture is too thick, add the remaining milk until a thin consistency is achieved. Cover and refrigerate batter for 30 minutes.
Heat an 8-inch crepe pan or skillet over medium heat for about 1 minute. Cover the surface of the pan with clarified butter until it gets sizzling hot. Ladle some batter onto the middle of the crepe pan and immediately start swirling the pan to distribute the batter over the surface. Cook for 45 to 60 seconds or until lightly golden brown. Flip over and cook the other side for 20 seconds. Remove to a plate and repeat with the remaining batter.
Sauce:
In a large skillet over high heat, bring the orange juice to a boil. Add the sugar and zest, reduce the heat to a simmer, and cook until the sugar has melted and the mixture is slightly reduced, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and add the orange liqueur and orange sections. Set aside.
Working in batches, gently place a crepe into the pan holding the orange juice and orange sections. Leave for 1 minute to absorb some juice. Using a narrow spatula, remove the crepe to a warm serving plate. Repeat with remaining crepes. Roll the crepes into a cylinder. Spoon on some of the orange sections. Serve 2 crepes per person. Top with vanilla ice cream and serve immediately.
Any foodie traveling south from Perth to Margaret River is likely to have stopped at a variety of places seeking elusive amazing new tastynoms. Mal and I are no different.
One of these, and in many ways the most significant is Gabriel Chocolate. We saw the chocolate sign and turned around and went back. We were not disappointed. When entering the building I glanced through a glass panel and saw sacks. Of cocoa beans. Unroasted.
No one, to the best of my knowledge, roasts cocoa beans in Western Australia. Gabriel roasts the cocoa, hand sorts, grinds, conchs, tempers and pours. That is, they actually make chocolate, not just blend courveture or enrobe things to make truffles. Better yet they use single origin cocoa beans of great quality that have characteristic flavours.
Western Australia has a genuine chocolate producer using high quality ingredients and rare bean stocks. If you are going to Margaret River I think you really need to add a visit to this tiny producer of amazing things.
As a bonus, if you drive out of Gabriel’s driveway and into the driveway immediately opposite you will drive into another discovery – Windows Estate.
Nadia is the cook at Gabriel’s. With Mal’s hot chocolate he had THE MOST AMAZING biscuit I have ever tasted. “French Kiss Cookies” He ended up having to let me have a second bite. Nadia was generous enough to share the recipe with me. She also shared her “Absolute Best Brownies” recipe with me. I think we will go back before we leave to try the brownies. If you make the cookies and love them, and would like the Brownie recipe, you will have to bribe me !!!
I have decided to share the recipe with you as well……
FRENCH KISS COOKIES
240g cake flour
240g bread flour
1.25 tsp baking soda
1.5 tsp baking powder
1.5 tsp course salt
285g unsalted butter
285g granulated sugar
2 large eggs
2 tsp vanilla extract
570g bittersweet choc discs @ least 60%
sea salt
Sift flour, soda, powder and salt. Set aside. Cream butter and sugar until very light – about 5 minutes. Add 1 egg @ a time. Mix well after each addition. Add vanilla. Reduce to a slow speed and add dry ingredients then mix for 5 – 10 seconds. Drop in chocolate without breaking them. Wrap in plastic for at least 24 hours. (up to 72 hours). Preheat oven to 180 degrees. Scoop 6 100g rounds (golf ball size). Turn any chocolate drop horizontally so it is not poking up. Sprinkle lightly with sea salt, bake until golden brown but soft. Transfer on sheet to wire rack for 10 minutes, then on another rack to cool.
Secrets supplied by Nadia and Jacque Torres.
Batter – chill for at least 24 to 36 hours
6″ cookies to get snap and chocolate goo. I am going to increase the mixture to get more yummy cookies !!!!! I know, more walking.
Best served hot or warmed up again.
60% plus good quality chocolate.
Chocolate dough use no less than 40:60
Belgian (Belcolade) uses quart disc so they are flat and melt in layers.
(Recipe requested by Karen and Jim @ Victor Harbor)
Ingredients:
1 kg gravy beef or chuck steak
1 pk french onion soup powder
half to one can beer
Cube meat, toss in onion soup powder to coat and place in casserole dish.Add beer (half can), cover and cook in a moderate slow oven for 3 hours. Stir once or twice adding more beer if necessary. Add a pinch of nutmeg and chilli (both optional).
Serve with potato mash and greens.
Blade or skirt steak can be used ….cook for 2 hours…but I believe it has less flavour.
A great tasting and easy recipe…if cooking in the caravan add at least an extra hour (depending on your precious caravan oven).
If cooking in the camp oven over glowing coals, cook for only 2 hours.
I don’t really have a recipe for this, but taste as you go…
Thai Red Curry
Fry 2 tablespoons red curry paste with the top cream from a can of coconut cream.
Add remainder of can. Add 1 tablespoon fish sauce, chopped coriander stem, large red chilli and some fresh or bottled lemongrass. Add chopped sweet potato and chopped carrot.
Simmer gently for about 15 minutes.( May need to add some coconut milk or small amount of chicken stock).
Add seafood (ie…prawns, firm white fish, salmon, vongole, mussels or scallops.)
Add chopped coriander and snow peas just before serving with rice. Enjoy with a beer or wine
