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A hollow centre, filled with food
Clare Latimer is left wanting more from her Christmas shopping experience, but finds a culinary gem among the world cuisine
LAST week I braved going to see the new Westfield shopping centre. The best description I can come up with is it is like being in Dubai. I found it enormous, uninviting, and totally overwhelming. There were plenty of people walking around but no one was carrying a shopping bag of any kind so I just wonder what the takings are at the end of the day.
One part I did like was the eating area on the first floor: Lebanese, Chinese, Indian, Pie and Mash, Morrocan and almost any country you could think of. In among this world cuisine was a little gem: Croque Gascon. I had one of the best lunches I have had in a long while and the bill for two came to £25.
Here are two dishes like the ones served. I will definitely be aiming for Regent Street in future for a shopping experience, as beautiful architecture, the sight of the sky and at the moment giant spider’s web Christmas lights remind me that I am in one of the most stunning cities in the world.
Scallops with polenta chips
This is a fabulous dish and I would serve it with warmed nutty bread.
Ingredients
Serves 4
1 tbsp olive oil
1 small onion, peeled and chopped finely
1 clove garlic, peeled and crushed
20 fl oz boiling water
200g polenta
1 teasp fresh rosemary leaves, chopped finely
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
75g feta cheese, crumbled
12 large fresh scallops
12 cherry tomatoes, halved
1 bunch rocket
1 tbsp basil oil.
Method
To make the polenta chips, put the oil, onion and garlic into a frying pan and cook gently for a few minutes until the onion is soft but not browning. Bring the water up to the boil in a saucepan and greadually add the polenta, whicsk continuously. Reduce the heat to low and then add the cooked onion, rosemary, seasoning and feta cheese. Keep stirring until a smooth paste.
Line a baking tin with parchment paper and pour the polenta mixture into the tin and smooth over. Leave to set. Remove when cold and cut into chip-size pieces.
To serve, put some olive oil into a large heavy-based frying pan, add the polenta chips and fry gently on each side to brown slightly. Remove and keep warm. Add the cherry tomatoes and fry gently until just turning soft. Remove and keep warm.
Add the scallops and cook gently for about one minute on each side (depending on size) or until just cooked. Place the rocket on each plate, arrange the chips scallops and tomatoes over the rocket and then sprinkle over the basil oil. Season with salt and pepper and serve.
Squiggles
Pile these up for an ending to any dinner party and you will be remembered for ever! They are just superb. You can serve these with or without the lemon sauce.
Ingredients
Serves 6
75g plain flour
Pinch salt
150ml half water, half milk
50g butter, cut into pieces
2 large eggs, beaten
Oil for deep frying
50g caster sugar
½ teasp cinnamon powder.
Lemon Sauce
125g butter
125g caster sugar
Rind and juice of 2 lemons
2 egg yolks.
Method
Sift the flour and salt in to bowl. Heat the water and milk in a saucepan with the butter. When the butter melts, bring to a rapid boil, remove from the heat, immediately pour in the flour, then beat well with a wooden spoon until the mixture leaves the side of the pan cleanly and has a sheen.
Gradually add the eggs, beating well. (To use an electric mixer, pour the boiling water mix into the bowl, quickly add the flour, beat well for a few seconds, then gradually beat in the eggs. This technique is good for the larger quantites as the heat is retained due to increased volume.) When cool put the mixture into a large piping bag with a large serated nozzle.
Heat the oil in a fryer or saucepan to about 190C/375F or until a little of the mixture, when dropped in, bubbles and turns brown. Squirt in lengths of the mixture, about six inches into the oil and fry for 2-3 minutes, moving them around to brown evenly.
Leave until golden brown and puffed up well. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on kitchen towel. When finished, mix the caster sugar and cinnamon together in a bowl and toss the squiggles to coat them. Place in a dish and keep warm.
To make the lemon sauce, heat the butter, sugar, lemon rind and juice in a double boiler. Gradually add the egg yolks and stir continuously, until the mixture thickens and coats the back of a spoon. Serve in a bowl and dip in the squiggles. |
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