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Enjoy the last of the sunset cocktails at the Boundary rooftop - such as the lovely Belle Vue Cocktail (vodka, plum jam, cinnamon syrup, lemon juice) which was created especially for this year’s London Cocktail Week. Be quick though. By the end of this week the rooftop bar will close until next Spring…..
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A winning combination: Rib-eye steak sandwich with roasted garlic and wild mushrooms
This recipe has three of my favourite things trapped between two pieces of crusty bread!
Take 1 head of garlic, drizzle with a little rapeseed oil, wrap in aluminium foil and bake in the oven at 200 for about 30 minutes.
Take two handfuls of wild mushrooms (or 1 portabello), slice and stir fry till lightly golden in a little olive oil. Add 1 garlic clove, finely chopped, a good glug of white wine or vermouth and reduce down. Season with sea salt and pepper, and some chopped parsley.
In the meantime, split a ciabatta role lengthwise and grill in the oven till lightly golden.
Take a rib eye steak and place in a hot pan, seasoning with sea salt. Turn over after about 3 minutes. Cook for another 3 minutes (for rare). Place on a board and slice across the grain.
To assemble: Spread a little horseradish cream or dijon mustard on the cut sides of the grilled bread. Squeeze out the garlic cloves from their skins directly onto the bread, and spread evenly. Transfer the mushrooms to the bottom slice of the bread and then layer steak on top. Close with the other slice of bread and cut in two.
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Crunchy fettucine with wild mushrooms
This recipe is a somewhat simplified version of one by Ottolenghi in his new recipe book Plenty.
Put a pot of water to a boil. In the meantime heat up a little olive oil in a large pan and stir fry 250g wild mushrooms (or button mushrooms), sliced, till they start to take on colour. Add 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped and stir. Now add 100ml vermouth (or white wine) and 3 thyme sprigs, leaves picked, and reduce the liquid to a third. Stir in between 50-150ml thick double cream (depending on how creamy you like your pasta). Season with sea salt and pepper. Keep warm.
In a small pan toast 20g panko (Japanese) breadcrumbs till golden. Take off the heat and add the zest of 1 lemon, grated and 3 tbs chopped parsley.
Cook 250g fettucine or pappardelle till al dente. Drain, keeping some of the cooking liquid and stir into the mushroom sauce. If the sauce seems dry (especially if you have not used the full quantity of cream) then add in some of the cooking liquid.
Transfer to two pasta bowls and sprinkle with the breadcrumb mixture and some grated parmesan and a little olive oil (if you like).
Serves 2.
Optional: for a vegan version substitute soya cream for the regular cream and omit the parmesan.
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When in Switzerland…
Make a point of eating lots of cheese and wild foods (such as mushrooms, cured venison or boar), pay a visit to the ultimate chocolate destination - Sprüngli. and order chanterelles on toast atVeltliner Keller a fabulous little local restaurant tucked in a back-street of central Zurich, which is decorated in traditional and beautiful inlaid wood throughout.
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SPAGHETTI SQUASH QUICHE WITH SWISS CHEESE >
Curried wild rice and chicken soup
This is a great recipe to use with bits of a leftover roast chicken.
Make a stock using the carcass of the roast chicken, whatever bits of meat are leftover (if not, substitute with a couple extra chicken thighs). 1 each of onion, carrot and celery (chopped), cover with water and simmer for about an hour. Meanwhile, simmer 1 cup of wild rice in 4 cups water till the wild rice pops (the white interior will emerge). This will take about 50 minutes.
Strain the stock and In a blender puree together the onion, carrot, celery and the chicken meat (moisten with a little stock). Return to the pot with the rest of the stock and heat through. Now add 1 tbs curry paste, 1 tbs mustard, 1tbs tomato paste, 200ml soy cream or light cream, and season to taste with sea salt and pepper.
Serve in soup bowls with a large garnish of the wild rice and roasted flaked almonds.
Optional: For additional crunch and colour you can add a garnish of onion, carrot and celery, finely diced and softened in a little olive oil. You can also add a drizzle of walnut oil.
Spaghetti Squash and Swiss Cheese Quiche
This has to be the fluffiest, crispiest, cheesiest quiche I’ve ever eaten. Who knew a quiche could be so good?! I found it in the lovely rooftop canteen at the Manor department store in the centre of Zurich. The views are not bad either.
I will have to try and recreate this at home. The pastry base is a standard butter-based one, the quiche itself seems to have been made with a combo of eggs (whites whipped separately for a souffle-like lightness), bechamel, swiss cheese and strands of yellow spaghetti squash. It was served just out of the oven, with a crisp and golden shell on the outside.
