Feast for your senses

TOMATO & FETA TART (Serves 4)

Ingredients:

• Unbaked pie crust: 1 No
• Feta cheese crumbled: 1 1/2 cups
• Medium shallot, diced: 1 No
• Fresh thyme: 4 sprigs
• Chopped basil: 1 tbsp
• Kosher salt: 1/2 tsp
• Black pepper: 1/4 tsp
• Tomatoes sliced: 3 medium

Method:

• Preheat oven to 250 C. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Place the pie crust on a lightly floured work surface and roll the dough out to a 12 inch round.
• Transfer it to the prepared baking sheet.
• Sprinkle the cheese evenly over the dough. Sprinkle with the shallots, thyme leaves, basil, salt and pepper. Arrange the tomatoes over the cheese and herbs.
• Gently fold the edges of the dough over the tomatoes, covering about 2 inches of the filling. Pleat the dough every 2 inches.
• Bake until the crust is golden-brown and the tomatoes are soft - about 40 to 45 minutes.
• Cool for 10 minutes more. Serve warm.

Ingredients:

• Tofu, cut into squares: 24 pcs
• Bok choy: 1 pc
• Enoki mushrooms: 40 gms
• Shiitake mushrooms: 40 gms
• Black finger mushrooms: 40 gms
• Vegetable oil:  4 tsp
• Sliced garlic: 2 cloves
• Finely grated ginger: 2 tsp
• Dark soy sauce: 3 tsp
• Light soy sauce: 3 tsp
• Chicken stock: 150 ml
• Sugar:  2 tsp
• Truffle oil: 2 tsp
• Chopped truffle: 2 tsp
• Chinese green spring onion: 2 pc

Method:

• Chop and mix all the mushrooms.
• Chop black truffles, ginger and spring onions.
• Cut one piece of bok choy into two; blanch in boiled, salted water.
• In a wok, sauté the mushrooms, truffle, ginger and garlic; add chicken stock, dark soy sauce and light soy sauce. Cook for 2-3 minutes.
• Add truffle oil and spring onions to the wok and put aside. Keep the sauce hot.
• Deep-fry the 24 pieces of tofu until the outside is crispy and browned.
• Stack the crispy tofu in a plate, add the sauce.
• Garnish with bok choy and spring onion.

TURKEY ROAST  (Serves 4)

Ingredients

• Whole turkey, neck and giblets removed: 5 kg
• Kosher salt: 2 cups
• Melted butter: ½ cup
• Peeled and chopped onions: 100 gms
• Peeled and chopped carrots: 100 gms
• Thyme: 20 gms
• Bay leaf: 1 No
• Dry white wine: 1 cup
• Brussels sprouts: 200 gms
• Baby potatoes: 200 gms
• Seasonal root vegetables: 200 gms
• Butter: 100 gms
• Smoked turkey bacon: 100 gms

Method:

• Rub the turkey inside and out with the kosher salt.
• Place the turkey in a large stock pot and cover with cold water. Place in the refrigerator and allow the turkey to soak in the salt and water mixture for 12 hours or overnight.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Thoroughly rinse the turkey and discard the brine mixture.
• Brush the turkey with half of the the melted butter. Place the turkey on a roasting rack, breast side down in a shallow roasting pan.
• Stuff the turkey cavity with onions, carrots, thyme and bay leaf. Scatter the remaining vegetables and thyme around the bottom of the roasting pan and coat with white wine.
• Roast the turkey uncovered for 3½ - 4 hours in the preheated oven until the internal temperature of the thigh reaches 75 degrees C.
• Carefully turn the turkey breast side up about 2/3 through the roasting time and brush with the remaining butter. Allow the bird to stand for about 30 minutes before carving.

Prepare the vegetables:

• Blanch the Brussel sprouts in salted boiled water and cool in ice after cooking.  
• Peel and cut the root vegetables in cubes, wash the baby potatoes and keep in a container. Slice the smoked turkey bacon.
• Mix all vegetables and cook slowly in a pan with butter, add salt, pepper and smoked turkey at the end.
• Plate the roasted turkey in a dish with mixed vegetables, served with the turkey juice on the side.