Rustle up these easy-to-replicate recipes when guests come calling during this festive season.
Tomato and Feta tart (Serves 4)
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.
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