Poached Pear and Marzipan Mille-feuille

150g ready-made white marzipan
A little icing sugar, for rolling and sweetening
200g granulated sugar
1 small lemon (juice, optional)
Bunch fresh basil, about 50g
4 large fairly firm pears, halved and stoned
Crème fraiche
1 lime, zest only
1 lemon, zest and juice
1-2 tbsp Grand Marnier

flaked almonds to sprinkle

1. Dust the worktop lightly with sifted icing sugar and roll the marzipan out to the thickness of a 10kr coin. Cut out eight circles using a 10 or 11cm cutter , re-rolling the marzipan trimmings if necessary.

2. Using a blowtorch, brown each marzipan disc evenly until it turns a caramel colour. Set aside.

3. Heat the sugar and 500ml water slowly in a saucepan until the sugar starts to dissolve, stirring once or twice. Meanwhile, peel 3 or 4 strips of zest from the lemon using a swivel peeler, and drop into the sugar and water. When the sugar has dissolved, bring the mixture to the boil, then boil for about 5 minutes so you have a medium-strength syrup. Pick out a good handful of small basil leaves and reserve for the crème fraiche. Put the rest of the basil leaves and stalks into the hot syrup.

4. Slip the halved pears into the syrup. Poach on a low heat for 5 - 6 minutes. Remove from stock. When cool enough to handle, peel the skin off each pear and the stone should fall out. Place in an ovenproof frying pan over a medium heat and drizzle the Grand Marnier over, then sprinkle with icing sugar. Transfer to the oven and bake for 6-7 mins.

5. Mix the crème fraiche with the lemon and lime zest. Roll the remaining basil leaves together, slice finely and mix into the crème fraiche.

6. To serve, spoon a little crème fraiche onto the plates and use it to 'fix' the marzipan discs to the plates so they don't slide around. Spoon more crème fraiche on top of the discs. Arrange a pear half, cut side up, on top of the crème fraiche and sit another half, cut side down on top - so you now have a whole pear. Repeat for the remaining plates. Finally sprinkle over the flaked toasted almonds.

Marmalade Bread and Butter Pudding – with Bailey´s

Bread and butter pudding is one of those classic old English recipes. The addition of marmalade brushed over the bread makes it fantastically crisp, with a zingy orangey bitterness that just makes the whole thing superb. I also include baileys wich I love but if you don´t like it....leave it out. This is another dessert that you don’t want to overcook because you want to have the soft insides contrasting with the crispiness on top.

350g white bread, at least 24 hours old

5 tbsp orange marmalade

3 large eggs and

1 egg yolk

250ml full fat milk
250ml double cream
1dl bailey´s liquor
2 tbsp sugar

few drops of vanilla extract

sugar and cinnamon to sprinkle

1. Set the oven at 180˚C. You will also need a deep ovenproof dish, very lightly buttered.

2. Slice the bread and trim the edges off.

3. Melt the marmalade in a small saucepan. Put half of the bread slices in the oven proof dish. Spoon half of the marmalade over the bread. Heat the milk, cream, vanilla extract, baileys and sugar in a pot and bring to the boil. Take of the heat and beat in the eggs. Pour half the egg and milk mixture over the bread. Add the remaining slices, the rest of the marmalade and the rest of egg and milk mixture. Push the bead down so it soaked with the sweet liquid. Sprinkle a little cinnamon and sugar on top.
4. Bake in the preheated oven for 35-40 minutes until it is puffed and golden. Shake it gently, it should wobble but show no sign of uncooked custard. Serve warm, and if you wish, with a dollop of whipped cream.

Coleslaw

Coleslaw is something most of us have grown up eating, but most of the time it´s store bought which is the worst thing in the world.......who likes that crap anyway???!!! With this in mind, I want to bring it back with a vengeance.
I’ve used 50-50 creame fraise and mayonnaise to bind the vegetables because it not only tastes better, in my opinion, but it’s also healthier.

3 carrots
3-4 radishes
400g white cabbage, outer leaves removed
1/2 red onion, peeled
1 shallot, peeled
1 lemon
Extra virgin olive oil
A handful of fresh parsley, leaves picked and chopped
2 tbsp mayonnaise

2 tbsp creame fraise
1 tablespoon dijon mustard
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

1. Shred the carrots with a grater and slice the radishes on a mandoline.

2. Put the veg into a mixing bowl. Slice the cabbage, onion and shallot as finely as you can and add to the bowl.
3. In a separate bowl, mix half the lemon juice, a glug of extra virgin olive oil, the chopped parsley, mayonnaise, creame fraise and mustard.
4. Pour this dressing over the veg and mix well to coat everything. Season to taste with salt and pepper and the rest of the lemon juice if you like.

Big-G Borgari

Stundum vill maður bara hamborgara og franskar og þá er þessi borgari algjör snilld. Þessi uppskrift verður í komandi bók okkar bræðra sem kemur vonandi út jólin 2010. Hlynur Pálmason er algjör meistari með myndavélina og lætur einfaldan hamborgara og franskar líta út eins og málverk eftir Monet......:) Vonandi á þessi borgari eftir að njóta sín á grillum íslendinga í sumar.

Gerir 6 stóra borgara

1 kg nautahakk
1 laukur, fínt saxaður
1 msk dijon sinnep

½ tsk kúmin

1 msk kóriander fræ
salt og pipar rósmarín, eftir smekk
1 lúka parmesan ostur, rifin
1 egg
120 g brauðmylsnur

Franskar

2kg kartöflur

ólívuolía

rifin börkur af 1 sítrónu

100g maldon salt

rósmarín, eftir smekk

1. Byrja á að steikja laukin í smá olivuoliu á meðal hita þar til gylltur og taka svo til hliðar. Settu hakkið í skál og settu laukin saman við. Settu kúminfræin og kórianderfræin í mortel ásamt salti og pipar, og mala í gróft duft. Settu kryddblönduna við kjötið ásamt sinnepi, eggi og parmesan osti og blandaðu vel saman með höndunum. Ef þú villt ekki nota hendurnar getur þú sett þetta allt saman í matvinnslu vél. Bættu síðan við brauðmylsnunum saman við og vinna vel saman. Ef kjötið er of klístrað þá bara bæta við brauðmylsnum. Móta síðan borgarana með höndunum.

2. Hálftíma áður en þú villt steikja hamborgarana, kveiktu þá á ofninum og stilltu á 230˚C. Skerðu kartöflurnar í littla franskar og settu í sjóðandi vatn í 10 min. Taktu þær svo úr vatninu og settu á ofnplötu. Settu sítrónubörkin, saltið og rósmarín í mortel og malaðu það saman í fínt salt. Stráðu því síðan yfir kartöflunar ásamt skvettu af olivuolíu og veltu þeim vel saman við saltið og olíuna. Skelltu þeim síðan inn í ofn og bakaðu þær í 20 – 25 min. Kartöflunar verða stökkar en mjúkar í miðjuni.