Choux pastry recipes

A very light, twice-cooked pastry usually used for sweets and buns. It’s made with plain flour, salt, butter, eggs, milk and a little sugar (if it’s being used for a sweet dish). Choux pastry is used to make profiteroles, éclairs and choux puffs and is the basis of the dramatic dessert Gâteau St Honoré. It can also be used for savoury pastries such as gougère, a large ring of choux flavoured with Gruyère or Emmental cheese.

Preparation
Choux pastry has a reputation for being difficult to master, but in fact it’s no bother once you know the technique. A pre-heated hot oven is essential to raise and set the choux and if you take it out of the oven before it’s cooked thoroughly (firm to the touch) it will collapse. Any filling should not be added until the last possible moment because it will make the choux pastry sag.

Garlic and Rosemary Lamb Chops

4-8 [680-900g (1½lb)] Lamb Chops, depending on size
5-6 Cloves Garlic
3 tbsp Oil
2 tbsp Honey
3 tsp Fresh Rosemary, chopped
2 tsp Salt
1 tsp Black Pepper, freshly ground

Place all of the ingredients except the lamb chops into a food processor and blend until a smooth mixture is produced.
Coat the chops with the mixture, place on a baking sheet or similar, cover and chill.
Allow to marinate for up to 6-8 hours, turning occasionally.
Pre-heat the grill and cook to the desired degree (this will depend on the thickness of the chops and personal preference).
Alternatively, this recipe also works very well on a barbecue.
Serve with minted potatoes and seasonable vegetables or a crisp mixed salad.

Boiled Beef and Carrots

Serves 6

1.6 kg (3½ lb) Lean Salted Silverside or Brisket of Beef
18 small Carrots
2 sticks Celery
2 small Turnips
2 small Onions
1 Leek
8 Cloves
6 Black Peppercorns
1 Bouquet Garni

Soak the meat in cold water for several hours or overnight and then rinse.
Tie the meat to form a neat joint and put in a large saucepan.
Cover with just enough water and bring slowly to the boil.
Chop the celery and leek, quarter the onions and turnip.
Add the bouquet garni, crushed peppercorns, onions each quarter stuck with a clove, turnip, celery and leek.
Cover and simmer for about 2 hours.
Add the carrots and simmer for another 30-40 minutes until the carrots are tender.
Carefully transfer the beef and carrots to a serving plate and keep hot.
Skim the fat from the surface of the cooking liquid and strain.
Boil the liquid to reduce, transfer to a sauceboat or jug.
Serve immediately.

Trout Wrapped in Bacon

4 x 275g (10oz) Trout
8 Thin rashers streaky bacon
Fresh parsley

Pre-heat oven to 200 °C; 400 °F; Gas 6
Wind two rashers of rinded bacon in a spiral round each fish, use cocktail sticks to secure.
Place them in a shallow ovenproof dish.
Bake for 15-20 minutes, until tender.
Serve garnished with chopped parsley.

Lemon Baked Fish

450g (1lb) Haddock or Cod Fillets
4 tsp Lemon Juice
1 tbsp Butter or Margarine
1 tsp Lemon Rind
1/8 tsp Salt
1/8 tsp Rosemary
Salt & Black Pepper

Preheat oven to 180°C: 350°F: Gas 4.
Divide fish into 4 portions.
Place on in a baking pan.
Mix butter or margarine, lemon juice, grated lemon rind, rosemary, salt, and pepper.
Pour over fish.
Bake for 25 minutes or until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork.