Masterclass Recipes

Welcome to our recipe collection.

Here you will find some favourite recipes regularly demonstrated during masterclasses at the Academy!

APPLE TARTE TATIN

Ingredients

100g butter

200 g caster sugar 

water

6 Granny Smith apples

6 star anise

3 vanilla pods, halved 

12 cardamom pods

3 cinnamon sticks

300 g puff pastry – Ready Rolled

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C.

2. Line deep tart tins with greaseproof paper. 

3. Using a large oven proof frying pan (approx. 28cm) gently melt the butter on a medium heat with the star anise vanilla pod and cardamom pods and then add the sugar. Gently colour everything until it is pale yellow in colour. 

4. Bring to a simmer and boil for approximately 5 minutes, without stirring, or until you have a rich golden brown caramel.

5. Pour the caramel into the bases of the tart tins.

6. Put one star anise, half vanilla pod, half cinnamon stick and a couple of cardamom pods in the caramel.

7. Peel the apples and place in the centre of the tin.

8. Roll out the pastry and cut into discs large enough to totally cover the apple.

9. Cover the apple, tucking the edges of the pastry down the sides, making sure it touches the caramel.

10. Place the tarts into the oven and bake for 20/30 minutes, until the pastry is crisp and golden and the apples are soft when a knife is inserted into them.

11. Leave to cool slightly, then invert onto serving plates and serve with a scoop of vanilla or caramel ice cream. 

MUSHROOM GATEAU

Ingredients

350g mixed mushrooms, cleaned (mushrooms should be cleaned with a brush and not washed in water)

cracked black pepper

½ tsp sugar

4 sprigs of thyme

1 bay leaf

spices to taste: cumin seeds, coriander seeds, fennel seed, chilli powder, star anise, cardamom pods

nutmeg

smoked paprika

vegetable stock/water

1½ small onion chopped (optional)

1 teaspoon of chopped garlic

2 tablespoons of chopped parsley

1 tablespoon of basil

½ tablespoon of thyme

150ml double fresh cream whipped, but left very loose

2 egg whites

Sauce

100g blue cheese at room temperature (any blue cheese can be used)

2 crushed garlic cloves

100ml double cream

Small bunch of micro-herbs

Few mushrooms for garnish 

Method

1. Cut the larger mushrooms in chunks and rip the oyster mushrooms (if used) into strips sprinkle with the sugar, add the spices (seeds only), crushed garlic, half of the thyme and the bay leave. Cover with cling film and leave to sweat for ½ hour.

2. Place a heavy bottom saucepan on the heat.

3. Add all the mushrooms, cover the pan with a lid and shake it vigorously or stir them with a spoon. Keep over the high heat for a couple of minutes before adding some stock or water.

4. The mushroom will start to cook and release liquid. Cook for two minutes.

5. Place a colander over a bowl (we need to save the mushroom jus) and drain the mushrooms.

6. When the mushrooms have cooled down,. Place the mushrooms in a food processor with the chopped onion and pulse a few times to chop them up a little.

7. Squeeze out as much liquid as possible from the mushroom and add the liquid to the one reserved originally

8. Line mould with cling film and place a pancake in, living it overhanging over the side

9. Pour the mushrooms into a large bowl, add the smoked paprika, garlic, Parsley, Basil and Thyme, mix in the egg whites and finally the double cream, adjust the seasoning to taste.

10.  Pour into the prepared moulds, fold the pancakes over to close the gateau and seal with cling film so that no water can access the timbale. Steam for 25 minutes.

11. Prepare the sauce by returning the mushroom liquor to the pan and reduce on a low heat until the liquor looks like a thick syrup and has the same consistency of the double cream.

12. Remove from the heat and add the cheese to the pan and cover to allow it to gently melt.

13. When the cheese has melted, add the cream and mix together.

14. To serve, remove the timbale from the mould and arrange on a plate

15. Steam the mushroom garnish and place over the timbale, warm the sauce (if too thick add a little water, pour over the timbale and decorate with micro herbs. 

PANCAKES

Ingredients

100g flour, sifted 

2 eggs

250ml of semi skimmed milk 

2tsp poppy seeds

Vegetable oil

Method

1. Break the eggs into a bowl add the flour and poppy seeds and mix well with a whisk.

2. Slowly add the milk whilst still stirring.

3. Hopefully you will not have any “lumps”; if you do strain them off.

4. Warm up a 15cm pancake pan, grease with a little oil and pour in a little pancake mix, (ideally the pancakes should be very thin, no more than 2mm thick).

5. Cook for 40-60 second on one side before turning and cooking it on the other side, remove from pan and keep warm.

6. Carry on until all the pancake mix is finished. (you should have at least 8 pancakes)

CARAMEL

Ingredients

Sugar

Water

Method

1. In a clean pan place some sugar and enough water to melt the sugar, stir and clean the side of the pan.

2. Place on the heat and leave to cook until all the water has evaporated.

3. As soon as the sugar syrup starts to change colour, reduce the heat and cook until golden.

4. When the desired colour has been reach, stop the cooking process by placing the bottom of the pan in cold water, making sure that no water comes into contact with the caramel itself. You might need to repeat this step a couple of times.

5. When totally cold, cover the caramel and keep in a dry place.

6. The caramel can then be gently warmed up to create your decorations and cooled down as many time as required or until the caramel is totally used.

ITALIAN FLATBREAD

This flat salty bread is produced all over Italy with a number of variations, including  pancetta, onion, rosemary, sage garlic, sundried tomato to mention just a few. It is usually  eaten warm as a mid-morning snack, and you are lucky if you manage to find any in a bakery after 12 noon. 

Ingredients 

50g fresh yeast 

500ml warm water (approx) 

900g strong white flour (plus extra for kneading) 

1tsp sugar 

Coarse sea salt 

Extra virgin olive oil 

Method 

1. Mix the yeast and sugar in the warm water. 

2. Combine with the flour. 

3. Mix well and carry on kneading until it becomes elastic and it no longer stick to  your hands.

4. Place in a large bowl, cover and leave to rise in a warm place until it has doubled in  size 

5. Place into a bowl, cover and leave to rise until doubled in size again.

6. Grease a large baking sheet with oil. 

7. Roll the dough to about 1.5cm thick and place in the baking sheet.

8. With your finger press well down onto the dough at regular intervals say 6- 7cm  apart. 

9. Pour some olive oil over the whole surface and sprinkle with the salt.

10. Bake in a preheated oven 200°C for about 25-30 minutes until golden and crusty.

PASTA DOUGH 

Ingredients 

500g flour 

5 whole eggs 

2 egg yolk 

Method 

1. Pour the flour in a mound, make a well in the middle and add the eggs and yolks. 2. Starting from the centre mix the eggs well and slowly fold in the flour and continue to knead until the eggs and the flour are amalgamated and the pasta can be formed into a  ball. (The exact quantity of flour will depend on the sizes of the eggs, but do not worry, flour can be either added or discarded as required. 

2. Carry on kneading the pasta on the board holding it with one hand while you roll it from you with the heel of the palm of the other hand. After about 10/15 minutes the dough should have the right somewhat elastic consistency. 

3. At this stage the pasta should be left to rest for a little while before being rolled out and cut into shapes.

   
   

COLOURED PASTA

Proceed as per normal pasta dough, but add your colour/flavouring during step one; you can use tomato paste, squid ink, and almost any vegetable puree you can think of. 

BREAD

To make the starter

Day 1: To begin your starter, mix 50g flour with 50g tepid water in a jar or, better still, a plastic container. Make sure all the flour is incorporated and leave, semi-uncovered, at room temperature for 24 hrs.

Day 2: Mix 50g flour with 50g tepid water and stir into yesterday’s mixture. Make sure all the flour is incorporated and leave, semi-uncovered, at room temperature for another 24 hrs.

Day 3: Mix 50g flour with 50g tepid water and stir into yesterday’s mixture. Make sure all the flour is incorporated and leave, semi-uncovered, at room temperature for another 24 hrs.

Day 4: Some bubbles should be forming and bubbling on top. Mix 50g flour with 50g tepid water and stir into yesterday’s mixture. Make sure all the flour is incorporated and leave, semi-uncovered, at room temperature for another 24 hrs.

Day 5: The mixture should be very active now and ready and it should smell like yogurt. If it does not carry on feeding on a daily base until it does.

To make the bread

300 stoneground flour

300g spelt flour

450ml water

20g salt

12g sugar

200g starter (as above)

Method

1. Mix together the flours, salt and sugar, add the starter and water and mix well and keep working it until it’s one smooth texture. Leave for 15 mins.

2. Wet your hands, grab the dough from one side and stretch it over itself, then repeat with the other side. Pick the dough up and curl it around onto itself, cover and leave for another half hour Repeat this process a couple more times. Leave the dough for another 2-3 hrs until it’s risen by about 30% and looks bubbly and soft.

3. Using a rubber spatula, scrape the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and split in two. Fold each piece onto itself to create a ball, leave for 30 mins.

4. Dust two bread-proving baskets generously with flour. Scrape the balls of dough off the work surface, then fold it onto itself to create a tight ball, lift into a basket, seam-side up, then transfer to the fridge to chill overnight, or for up to 18 hrs.

5. Heat the oven to 240C/220C fan/gas 9

6. Place some baking parchment into two baking dishes, gently turn over your dough into them and bake for 30 mins, reduce the heat to 180 continue to bake for another 10 mins, for an extra crunch, take the bread out of the mould and place on a baking tray upside down and return to the oven  When ready, transfer to a wire rack and leave to cool to room temperature before slicing.

ICE CREAM

Ingredients

350ml whole milk

150ml double cream

5 egg yolks

100g sugar

2 vanilla pods

1g salt

Method

1. Place the cream and milk into a medium heavy-based pan, Split the vanilla pod down its length with a small sharp knife and scoop out as many of the tiny black seeds as you can and place in a separate mixing bowl. Place the pod into the milk and cream mixture.

2. Heat the cream and milk over a low heat, stirring occasionally, until it almost boils.

3. In the meantime, place the egg yolks into the bowl with the vanilla seeds, add the sugar and mix for about 2 minutes until the mixture has thickened and it is pale in colour.

4. When the milk/cream is ready remove from the heat and stir into the egg yolk mixture.

5. Pour the mix into a pan and cook on a low heat stirring all the time with a wooden spoon, for 8-10 minutes, until the custard is thick enough to coat the back of the spoon.

6. Pour the custard into a pre chilled bowl to cool down, stir occasionally to stop a skin forming.

7. Pour into a ice cream machine and leave to churn for 25-40 minutes (depending on your machine).

8. When the machine stops, spoon out into a container, cover with cling film, and freeze for a minimum of 3 hours enjoy.