• preparation

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Mix creme fraiche or sour cream, shallots, dill and one tablespoon lemon juice in a mixing bowl. Season mixture with salt and pepper. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use. (Mixture can be prepared a day ahead. Keep chilled.)
Peel and finely grate potatoes. Wash potatoes under cold water. Drain well. Toss potatoes with 2 tablespoons butter in bowl. Season with salt and pepper.
Heat a large cast iron skillet over high heat. Add remaining butter. Spoon 1/2 cups of grated potatoes in the skillet to make four round galettes.
Using a metal spatula, press and flatten potatoes into pancakes. Cook 2 minutes. Reduce heat to medium-high and cook until bottom is golden, about 4 minutes. Invert galette with a metal spatula. Cook until bottom is golden, about 4 minutes.
Transfer pan to oven; cook until galettes are crisp, about 10 minutes.
PRESENTATION
Place galettes on warm plates. Spread with creme fraiche. Top with salmon. Drizzle with a squeeze of lemon juice on each plate. Season with pepper. Garnish with caviar, (optional) and chives.

• preparation

Tenderize the conch to 1/8-inch thickness, using a meat mallet.
Place the conch in a pot of water. The water should just cover the conch. Boil for 20-30 minutes.
In a large pot, add the oil and allow to heat up for a minute.
Add the flour and stir to make a roux. Let the roux simmer for about 5 minutes. Don't let the roux burn!
Add the tomatoes, onions, thyme, pepper sauce/red pepper flakes, salt and pepper. Stir and let simmer for a minute or two.
Add the potatoes, tomato paste. Stir and let simmer for about 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, take the conch out of the water and cut it into small chunks.
Add the water, conch and the juice of 1 lime to the large pot.
Cover the pot and simmer until the potatoes are done, about 30 minutes.
Taste and add more salt and pepper if necessary.

• preparation

Heat oil in large sauté pan over medium heat. Add onion, peppers, celery, garlic, thyme and ¼ teaspoon salt. Cook until tender and starting to brown, about 10 minutes. Add vinegar, tomatoes, tomato paste and ¼ cup water. Reduce heat to low, and cook 10 minutes. Add salt to taste. Reserve sauce.

To make fungi, bring 2 cups water and 1 teaspoon salt to boil. Whisking constantly, gradually add cornmeal in thin stream. Reduce heat to low. Simmer, stirring frequently, until it holds its shape on a spoon but the cornmeal is tender, at least 15 minutes. Add more water if it becomes thick but the cornmeal is still tough. Add butter and okra. Add salt to taste.

In a wide saucepan, bring 8 cups water to boil. Add lime juice, and reduce heat to low. Add fish. Simmer 10 minutes, or until it flakes easily with fork. Drain well.

To serve, put 2 scoops fungi and a fish fillet on each plate. Spoon sauce over and around fish.

• preparation

Thoroughly wash the chicken pieces and reserve on paper towel to dry.
Combine the flour with half (half a teaspoon) of the salt and place in a large bowl and reserve.
Combine all remaining dry spices and herbs in a small bowl. Season chicken pieces and mix well.
In a separate bowl combine the two eggs with the milk and whisk. Dip the chicken in the milk and egg mixture and then into the flour.
Repeat and reserve the chicken pieces.
Using a deep fryer or a large cast iron pan with high sides, fill the pan until it is almost half filled with the oil.
Heat the pan over medium high.
Place 4 pieces of the chicken into the pan and let them cook for 6 to 8 minutes. Turn the chicken over and cook another 6 - 10 minutes or until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees. Remove the chicken and reserve.
Fry the last four pieces of chicken in the same manner. Serve the chicken warm.

• preparation

In a large bowl, mix together flour, salt, baking powder, and dill. Add beer, milk, and eggs; mix well. Season cod fillets.
Place fillets in batter mixture, coat well.
Heat deep fryer to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Place fish in hot oil, and fry until golden brown.
Cook fish in batches to maintain oil temperature

• preparation

Soak the cod in cold water for 12 hours. Drain and poach, starting with fresh cold water. Simmer for 15 minutes or until fish becomes flaky. Drain and flake the fish. Combine with the remaining ingredients.
Shape into patties, allowing two per person.
Deep fry at 375 F (190 C) until brown. Arrange on a serving platter and serve hot.
Note: use any leftover fresh or salted codfish for this recipe. Serve with a sauce.

• preparation

Cod can be substituted with other white firm skinless, and boneless fish.
Cut fish into 5 oz. (140 g) pieces. Wash under cold water and dry. Season with salt. Coat in the cold batter.
Deep fry at 360 F. (190 C) for 4 to 5 minutes. Arrange on a warm dish lined with a napkin.
Serve with chips and lemon pieces, or the traditional malt vinegar.
(The chips are actually large French fried potatoes, made with the baking potatoes, and deep fried.

BATTER FOR FISH

In a large mixing bowl, combine all dry ingredients. Beat egg and water. Blend in dry ingredients until smooth.

• preparation

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
Combine onion, water, ketchup, brown sugar, Worcestershire, hot sauce, garlic lemon rind and juice in a saucepan. Simmer for 5 minutes.
Wash and dry chickens. Cut into quarters. Brush pieces on both sides with sauce.
Arrange in greased baking pan skin side down. Bake 20 minutes. Reduce heat to 375 degrees.
Turn chicken pieces over. Brush with remaining sauce. Bake 20 minutes or until done and tender.

• preparation

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Melt the butter in a saute pan. Add the scallions and cook over low heat for 5 minutes. Add the sour cream and curry powder. Mix well.
Flake the boneless and skinless cooked salmon. Combine with the diced smoked salmon.
In a separate pot, stir the rice with the chicken broth. Bring to a boil. Cover and cook over medium heat until the liquid is almost absorbed.
While the rice is cooking, separate the egg yolks from the whites. Chop the egg whites.
Reserve. Chop the egg yolks and save for garnish.
Combine the rice and the salmon mixture. Mix in half of the egg whites. Butter a deep casserole dish large enough for the rice mixture. Spoon the salmon-rice mixture into the casserole dish. Bake at 400 degrees for 10 minutes. Lower the oven temperature to 350 degrees, and bake for 40 to 45 minutes.

PRESENTATION

Unmold the kedgeree unto a serving platter. Garnish the top with rows of the chopped egg yolks, chopped onion, and chopped parsley. Garnish the platter with sprigs of parsley.
Serve with the lemon butter.

• preparation

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F.
Place the ham in a large roasting pan, fat side up. Using a sharp knife, score the ham with cuts across the skin, about 2-inches apart and 1/2-inch deep. Cut diagonally down the slashes to form a diamond pattern; season with salt and pepper.
Chop about 6 of the sage leaves and put in a bowl; mix with the oil to make a paste. Rub the oil all over the ham, being sure to get the flavor into all the slits. Bake the ham for 2 hours. Prepare the orange glaze while the ham cooks.
1. For the glaze: Place a saucepan over medium heat. Add cut up butter, oranges, orange juice, brown sugar, water, and spices. Slowly cook the liquid down to a syrupy glaze; this should take about 30 to 40 minutes.
2. After the ham has been cooking for about 2 hours, pour the orange glaze all over it, with the pieces of fruit and all. Scatter the remaining sage leaves on top and return the ham back in the oven. Continue to cook for 1 1/2 hours, basting with the juices every 30 minutes.
3. Scatter the carrots and turnips of used around the ham and coat in the orange glaze. Place the ham back in the oven and cook for a final 30 minutes, until the vegetables are tender, the ham is dark and crispy, and is glistening with a sugary glaze.
4. Set the ham on a cutting board to rest before carving. Serve the carrots and orange glaze on the side.

• preparation

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a small bowl, mix butter, half of the lemon juice, chopped chives, mustard, lemon peel, salt and pepper until well blended.
Line a baking sheet with foil. Rub one tablespoon of mustard-chive butter over foil. Place fillets skin side down on foil and spoon about one teaspoon of lemon juice on each fillet. Season with salt and pepper.
Top each fillet with one tablespoon of mustard-chive butter. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes.

PRESENTATION

Using a slotted spatula, place the fish fillets in the center of warm plates. Spoon the chive-butter sauce over. Serve hot.

• preparation

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Line a shallow baking pan with foil.
In a mixing bowl, beat egg, soy sauce, sherry, ginger powder, and garlic powder together, and pour into a shallow dish.
Sprinkle bread crumbs on a large plate. Dip pork chops into egg mixture, then coat evenly with bread crumbs on both sides.
Arrange chops on foil-lined baking pan. Bake for 20 minutes. Turn and bake another 10 minutes or until chops are tender.

• preparation

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
In a small bowl, combine the apricot jam, horseradish, and vinegar.
Rinse salmon steaks under cold water and pat dry. Lay steaks on a lightly oiled baking pan. Spoon the sauce evenly over tops of steaks.
Bake the salmon steaks for ten minutes. Remove center bone to test for doneness.
PRESENTATION
Skin and bone the salmon steaks. Place each steak in the center of warm plates.

• preparation

In a large bowl, stir flour, cereal, baking powder, baking soda and seasonings.
In a separate bowl, beat eggs thoroughly. Stir in carrots, buttermilk, brown sugar and oil.
Add to dry ingredients just until moistened. Stir in raisins. Spoon into greased muffin cups 3/4 full and bake at 400 degrees F. for 15 to 18 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Transfer muffins on a rack to cool.

• preparation

Wash cauliflower and cook in boiling water until done.
Cool, drain and cut into small pieces.
Place in a salad bowl. Combine remaining ingredients and mix with cauliflower. Marinate for 1 hour in refrigerator.

• preparation

Heat oil in heavy medium skillet over medium heat. Add celery and sauté until tender, about 3 minutes. Add shallots and garlic; sauté until shallots are tender. Transfer mixture to large bowl.
Mix in all remaining ingredients except beef broth. Add enough broth to moisten stuffing.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Set aside about half of the stuffing to fill crown roast of pork cavity. Transfer remaining stuffing to loaf pan large enough to hold stuffing. Cover with foil. Bake stuffing in pan alongside roast during last 1 hour of cooking until thermometer inserted into center registers 155 °F, about 1 hour.
Invert stuffing in pan onto platter. Slice stuffing and serve with roast.

• preparation

Preheat your oven to 180°C (350°F).

Start by rehydrating the dried porcini mushrooms. Place them in a bowl and cover with hot water. Let them soak for about 20 minutes or until they are soft. Drain and chop them coarsely.

In a large skillet, heat the olive oil and butter over medium heat. Add the chopped onion and minced garlic, sauté until they become translucent.

Add the fresh mushrooms and rehydrated porcini mushrooms to the skillet. Cook them until they release their moisture and start to brown. This should take about 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

In a separate saucepan, heat the heavy cream and milk over low heat. Once it's warm, add half of the grated Parmesan and half of the grated Gruyere cheese. Stir until the cheese is melted and the mixture is smooth. Season with a bit of salt and pepper.

If you want to add a layer of potatoes, arrange the thinly sliced potatoes in a greased baking dish first. Then layer the mushroom mixture on top.

Pour the cheese sauce over the mushrooms and potatoes (if using).

Sprinkle the remaining Parmesan and Gruyere cheese on top of the gratin.

Bake in the preheated oven for about 25-30 minutes or until the top is golden brown and the gratin is bubbling.

Garnish with fresh thyme leaves if desired and serve your delicious gratin aux porcini hot.

• preparation

Preheat oven at 375 degrees.
In a large bowl, combine rhubarb, strawberries, sugar, flour, and cinnamon.
Place in a greased 9-inch baking dish. Topping:
Combine flour, sugar, oats and butter. Sprinkle over rhubarb mixture.
Bake until fruit is tender and topping, golden brown, about 35 to 40 minutes.

• preparation

Prehet oven at 400 degrees.
Blend sugar, cornstarch, and cinnamon in a medium saucepan. Stir in peaches and lemon juice. Cook, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens and boils. Boil and stir 1 minute.
Pour into ungreased 2-quart casserole. Keep fruit mixer hot in oven while preparing biscuit topping.
For biscuit topping:
Combine in a bowl, flour, sugar, and baking powder. Add shortening and milk. Cut through 6 times; mix until dough forms a ball. Drop dough by 6 spoonfuls onto hot fruit.
Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until biscuit topping is golden brown. Serve warm with cream or ice cream.

• preparation

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
In a mixing bowl, combine rhubarb, brown sugar, butter, flour and cinnamon.
Spoon into a buttered medium casserole dish.

For topping:
Combine the topping ingredients in a bowl. Sprinkle evenly over rhubarb mixture.
Bake for 30 to 40 minutes. Test center to make sure rhubarb is cooked.

• preparation

Preheat the oven to 350F and grease a 9 by 13 baking dish.

Combine the dates and water in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil and cook over medium-low heat until softened, about 5 minutes. Allow liquid to cool and puree the date mixture with its liquid in a blender or food processor. Reserve.

Mix together flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and cloves. Set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream butter and sugar until smooth at medium-high speed. Beat in eggs one at a time until just combined. Add molasses and mix until incorporated. Lower the speed and slowly add flour mixture in three parts. Stir in date puree and orange zest.

Transfer batter to prepared dish and bake until a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean, about 20-25 minutes.

Meanwhile, make the sticky toffee sauce: Melt butter in a saucepan. Slowly add cream and dark brown sugar, whisking until mixture comes to a gentle boil and forms a smooth sauce. Set aside.

Remove pudding from the oven and immediately poke holes in the pudding every inch or so using a skewer or chopstick. Pour three quarters of the sauce over the cake and allow it to soak in for at least 30 minutes. Serve warm with a drizzle of extra sauce and a dollop of whipped cream.

• preparation

Topping: In small bowl, whisk together oats, sugar, flour and nutmeg; drizzle with butter, tossing with fork until crumbly. Sprinkle over pear mixture.

Bake in 350°F (180°C) oven for 45 minutes until the topping is golden brown. Remove from the oven, place on a wire rack, and allow to cool slightly before serving. Serve warm, room temperature, or cold. Cover leftovers and store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

• preparation

Heat oven to 325°F.
Combine cookie crumbs and butter; press onto bottom of 9-inch springform pan. Bake 10 min.

Beat cream cheese, sugar and vanilla in large bowl with mixer until blended. Add chocolate; mix well. Add eggs, 1 at a time, mixing on low speed after each just until blended. Pour over crust.

Bake 45 to 55 min. or until center is almost set. Run knife around rim of pan to loosen cake; cool before removing rim.
Refrigerate cheesecake 4 hours. Top with strawberries just before serving.

• preparation

In a saucepan, combine rhubarb and 3/4 cup sugar. Cover and cook over low heat until rhubarb releases its juices, about 5 minutes. Uncover and cook over medium heat, stirring frequently until most of water evaporates and rhubarb has a soft jam like consistency, about 20 minutes. Transfer to a bowl.
Whisk egg yolks lightly. In a saucepan, combine milk and remaining 1/4 cup sugar. Bring to a boil. Gradually whisk milk mixture into yolks. Return to saucepan. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until thick enough to coat back of a spoon, about 10 minutes. Using a fine-meshed sieve, strain into a bowl.
Add rhubarb mixture and cream. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours or as long as overnight.
Freeze in an ice-cream maker to manufacturer's instructions. (Adapted from Williams-Sonoma Taste)