Remembering the great chef Carrier
Clare Latimer pays tribute to the chef's who inspired her with two of his classic dishes
ROBERT Carrier died on June 27. His heyday was my beginning and who better to guide me into a culinary world than the great man himself.
His worldly, beautifully illustrated cookbooks not only taught me fascinating ingredients and their combinations but also how to present them.
Fascinating ingredients now of course are everyday usuals but avocados, coriander, lemongrass and chilli salt squid were introduced and encouraged to this country by him and most households had at least one of his world recipe cook books which were not only bought but actually used and used.
I was lucky enough to meet him recently at a dinner party in Islington and had the opportunity to tell him how he had built the foundation of my catering company.
I am sure some of you remember his well-frequented restaurant in Camden Passage, Carriers, and the country abode Hintleshall Hall not forgetting his cookery school and the many intriguing telly cookery lessons.
I am choosing two of my favourite Carrier recipes this week as a memory of the great man, and how difficult to just pick two.
Soupe de poissons
(Fish soup)
You could use any fish that you like and perhaps add the odd crab claw or pieces of lobster.
When I strain the fish I put back the chunks of fish etc into the soup.
Ingredients
Serves 4-6
1.4kg assorted fish, choose from brill, sea bass, rouger, monkfish, cod or haddock;
One pint mussels, washed, scraped and bearded;
Two Spanish onions, sliced;
3-4 garlic cloves, chopped;
One bouquet garni;
Six tomatoes, chopped;
Two tbsp tomato puree;
Half teasp ground saffron;
Salt and freshly ground black pepper;
Cayenne pepper;
Olive oil;
300 ml fish stock or canned clam juice;
Two tbsp Pernod
French bread, half inch thick;
Cut garlic clove.
Method
Place thickly sliced fish and prepared mussels in a bowl (not metal) together with the onions, chopped garlic cloves, bouquet garni, chopped tomatoes, tomato puree, ground saffron and salt, black pepper, cayenne pepper, to taste.
Stir in eight tbsp olive oil, fish stock or clam juice and Pernod.
Marinate the fish in the fridge for six to eight hours, stirring once or twice to allow flavours to permeate flesh.
Preheat oven to 220°C 425°F Gas Mark 7. Sprinkle slices of French bread with olive oil and bake in oven for five minutes or until dry.
Rub with cut garlic clove and place in the bottom of the heated soup tureen.
Keep warm. Pour fish and marinated juices together with two pints water into a thick-bottomed pan and bring rapidly to the boil; boil for five minutes. Pass bouillon and fish through a fine sieve and return to the clean pan.
Collect seasoning. Bring to the boil again. Remove from the heat and serve soup immediately over slices of French bread.
Stuffed Apricot Meringue
The only change I would make here is cut the egg whites by half and then only top each fruit half with the meringue and not cover the whole dish. Either way it will be delicious.
Ingredients
Serves 6
Nine ripe apricots or peaches, washed and halved. Stones removed;
One tbsp lemon juice;
225g soft brown sugar;
100g pine kernels;
225g ground almonds;
Two tbsp rose water;
Four egg whites;
75g caster sugar.
Method
Preheat the oven 150°C 300°F Gas Mark 2.
Place the apricots in a saucepan with the lemon juice. Simmer for five minutes and then add half the sugar and continue to simmer for 15 minutes. Leave to cool.
Finely chop the pine kernels. Mix together half the ground almonds, the remaining sugar and the pine nut kernels into a bowl.
Add the rose water, blending the mixture to a soft paste. Drain the apricots and reserve the syrup.
Place teaspoons of the mixture in the centre of each of the apricots halves.
Arrange the filled apricots in a well-buttered baking dish. Pour the syrup over and sprinkle with the remaining ground almonds.
Whisk the egg whites until stiff, add the sugar and whisk again until the mixture is glossy.
Spoon the meringue over the apricots, taking care that the meringue completely covers the apricots and is spread to the sides of the dish.
Bake in the oven for 30 minutes, or until the meringue is golden brown and firm. |
