Skip to main content

Strawberries with Cream and Chocolate

Here's a dessert that doesn't ask much of you but gives plenty back: fresh strawberries nestled in whipped cream, tucked inside flaky puff pastry, and finished with a drizzle of dark chocolate. Simple, elegant, and just the thing when strawberries are at their best. Ingredients For 4 people 12 large strawberries. 1/2 sheet of rectangular puff pastry. 400g heavy cream for whipping (35% fat). 60g powdered sugar for whipping the cream. 75g dark chocolate (I use Nestlé Postres). 40g heavy cream (35% fat). 1 egg yolk beaten with a few drops of water. Powdered sugar for dusting. Preparation Preheat your oven to 180°C. Start by baking the puff pastry. Use a pastry cutter to cut out 4 rectangles and arrange them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper... Brush the tops with the egg wash and slide the tray into the oven. Bake until the pastry turns golden and puffs up beautifully, about 8 to 10 minutes... Once they've cooled completely, use the ...

Santa Pau Beans

These beans are a special variety grown in the volcanic soil around Santa Pau, a small village in La Garrotxa. They're smaller than your typical white bean, which gives them an incredibly delicate flavor and creamy texture when cooked.


 What You'll Need

Cooking time: 70 minutes


How to Make It

Place the beans in cold water with a generous pinch of salt. Let them soak for 24 hours.
Drain and rinse the soaked beans, then put them in a pot covered with cold water. Bring to a boil, then drain them right away and cover with fresh cold water. Bring back to a boil, then lower the heat to the lowest setting and let them simmer gently for 60 minutes. Add cold water if needed to keep them covered.
After 60 minutes, add 1 glass of cold water and season with salt. Cook for 10 more minutes. The beans should be tender by now, but if they're still a bit firm, give them a few extra minutes.
Let them cool right in the pot with their cooking liquid.

Notes

Once cooked, these beans freeze beautifully.
Labels:

Popular posts from this blog

Cod with Hazelnut Crust and Roasted Vegetables

  ingredients 4 pieces of desalted cod. flour for dusting the cod. 100g roasted hazelnuts, chopped. a small piece of orange peel. 2 sprigs of fresh parsley, chopped. 1 egg. salt. extra virgin olive oil. for the vegetables: 1 small zucchini. 1/2 red bell pepper. two onions. 2 garlic cloves. 5 or 6 pitted prunes, halved. two tablespoons of currants. 100ml white wine. salt. freshly ground black pepper. extra virgin olive oil. preparation First, you'll want to make the coating for the cod. Grind the hazelnuts with the piece of orange peel and chopped parsley, then stir in the beaten egg. Dust the cod pieces lightly with flour, then coat them with the hazelnut mixture. Put the currants and prunes in a small bowl with a bit of water to soak while you prepare the vegetables. Rinse the vegetables well and drain them thoroughly. Slice the onions and zucchini into rounds, dice the bell pepper, and mince the garlic. In a deep skillet, heat 4 tablespoons of oil and sauté the onion, bell peppe...
Read more

Beet Salad with Zucchini, Asparagus, and Pear

ingredients for 4 people 1 bunch of green asparagus. 2 medium zucchini. 2 pears, unpeeled. 1 or 2 ripe tomatoes. cooked black beans (or white beans work too). small chunks of cheese (whatever you fancy). toasted sliced almonds. for the dressing: juice of 1/2 lemon. freshly ground black pepper. salt. 1 tsp honey. 6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil. preparation Start by making your dressing. Whisk together all those ingredients until they're well blended and slightly thickened. Set it aside for now. Get your asparagus ready... and cook them in salted water once it comes to a boil. Let them cook for about 4 minutes, then pull them out and plunge them straight into plenty of cold water to stop the cooking. Set them aside. Now for the zucchini. Give them a good wash, then use a mandoline to slice them into thin ribbons like tagliatelle. If you don't have one, a vegetable peeler does the trick just fine... Drop those zucchini ribbons into boil...
Read more

Red Velvet Cream Cake with Currant Flavor

This is a cake that features a brilliant red sponge, and the contrast with the pure white cream makes it absolutely stunning! Ingredients for 8 to 10 servings 4 whole eggs 300g sugar 2 tablespoons cocoa powder 125g butter, at room temperature 280g all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon baking powder 1 teaspoon baking soda 1 pinch of salt 2 tablespoons red food coloring 1 tablespoon white vinegar 1 teaspoon currant extract (optional) 240ml buttermilk for the buttermilk 240ml whole milk 1 tablespoon lemon juice to finish the cake 750g heavy cream (35% fat) 220g powdered sugar you'll also need a 22cm diameter cake pan butter for greasing the pan flour for dusting Preparation To make the buttermilk , pour the 240ml of milk into a saucepan over medium heat and bring it to a boil... add the lemon juice, stir well, and remove from the heat. The milk will look curdled — that's exactly what you want. Let it cool for about 5 minutes... mix i...
Read more