Another Afternoon Tea Cajun shrimp sandwiches (SpecialTeas)

Makes 12 pièces

• One-eight teaspoon onion powder
• One-eight teaspoon garlic powder
• One-eight teaspoon Cayenne pepper
• One-eight teaspoon ground black pepper
• ¼ teaspoon paprika
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 1 cup fresh tiny shrimp, peeled, cooked, and drained
• 1 teaspoon grated orange peel
• 6 thin slices white bread
• Unsalted butter

1. Combine all the seasonings and set aside.
2. Heat the butter in a skillet until hot and foamy.
3. Pour in the seasonings and cook at medium-high heat for 1 minute ; add the shrimp and orange peel and cook until all the liquid is absorbed, about 2 to 3 minutes.
4. Cool at room temperature.
5. Spread each slice of bread with a thin coating of butter.
6. Divide the shrimp mixture between 3 of the bread slices ; top the sandwiches with the remaining bread.
7. Trim the crusts and cut each sandwich into 4 pièces.

Note : If you cannot find fresh tiny shrimp, it is best to buy them frozen rather than canned.

HAVE A NICE AFTERNOON TEA

Afternoon Tea Fruit Tarts (SpecialTeas)

Makes 6 tarts

Sweet pastry

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 5½ tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 egg, slightly beaten

1. Combine the flour, sugar and salt in a food processor fitted with the metal blade and pulse 2 or 3 times ; process in butter until the dough is crumbly.
2. Add enough of the egg, approximately one half, to form a dough ; wrap the dough in plastic wrap and chill for one hour.
3. Preheat oven to 350F.
4. Roll out half of the dough on a lightly floured surface ; cut out 6 4-inch circles. (Freeze the remaining dough, well wrapped. It will last 3 months.)
5. Place a dough circle in each 6 fluted tart pans, 3 inches in diameter and ½ inch high ; press down and around gently, remove any excess and gently prick the dough with a fork.
6. Bake in a preheated oven for 15 to 30 minutes or until starting to brown ; cool in the tin until ready to use.

Lemon curd

• 1¼ cup sugar
• 4 eggs
• ½ cup fresh lemon juice (approximately 4 lemons)
• 12 tablespoons unsalted butter
• Grated rind of 2 lemons (optional)
• Fresh raspberries (for final step of assembly)

1. Beat the sugar and eggs until light and fluffy ; blend in the lemon juice.
2. Pour the mixture into a saucepan and heat over a low flame until hot.
3. Add the butter, 1 tablespoon at a time, until completely melted and blended.
4. Raise the heat to medium and cook until thick ; stir well as it thickens to prevent sticking and burning, fold in the rind, if desired, and cool.

Assemble the tarts

1. Fill each shell with 2 tablespoons of lemon curd ; starting in the center and working outward, cover the top of the tarts with fresh raspberries.
2. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Note : These tarts are best if made within 24 hours of serving.

HAVE A NICE AFTERNOON TEA

More Afternoon Tea sandwiches (SpecialTeas)

 

Roast Beef sandwiches with horseradish sauce

Makes 16 pièces

• 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
• 1 tablespoon prepared horseradish
• 8 thin slices white bread
• Unsalted butter
• 4 ounces thinly sliced roast beef
• Salt and pepper, to taste

1. Combine mayonnaise and horseradish in a small bowl ; set aside.
2. Spread each slice of bread with a thin coating of butter.
3. Put 1 ounce of roast beef on each of 4 slices of bread, folding it to conform to the size of the bread ; season with salt and pepper and spoon a teaspoon of the horseradish sauce over the beef on each sandwich.
4. If you would like a sharper taste, use 1½ teaspoons of the sauce.
5. Top the sandwiches with the remaining bread slices ; trim the crusts and cut each sandwich into 4 pièces.

Waldorf chicken salad sandwiches

Makes 12 pièces

Salad

• 3 cups cooked chicken, medium diced
• ¾ cup walnuts, coarsely chopped
• ¾ cup Granny Smith apples, small diced
• ½ cup golden raisins
• ½ cup celery, small diced
• 2 scallions, finely sliced
• Salt and pepper, to taste

Dressing

• 1 cup mayonnaise
• ½ cup sour cream
• ¼ cup cider vinegar
• 1 tablespoon honey

• 6 thin slices whole wheat bread
• Unsalted butter

1. Place the salad ingrédients in a large bowl, tossing to combine.
2. In a smaller bowl, whisk the dressing ingrédients together ; pour the dressing over the salad and mix well ; season with salt and pepper and chill about 2 hours.
3. To assemble the sandwiches, spread the bread with a thin coating of butter.
4. Spread 2 to 3 tablespoons Waldorf Chicken Salad on each of the 3 slices of bread ; top the sandwiches with the remaining bread.
5. Trim the crusts and cut each sandwich into 4 pièces.

Curried tuna salad sandwiches

Makes 12 sandwiches

• 1 3¼-ounce can solid white tuna, drained
• 1 tablespoon finely sliced scallion
• 3 tablespoons currants
• 3 tablespoons finely chopped walnuts
• ½ cup mayonnaise
• 1½ teaspoons curry powder
• 3 thin slices white bread
• 3 thin slices whole wheat bread
• Unsalted butter

1. Put the tuna in a small bowl, flaking with a fork to separate the meat ; add the scallion, the currants, the walnuts, the mayonnaise and the curry powder, and mix well.
2. Making it the day before allows time for the flavors to meld ; this salad will stay in the refrigerator for a maximum of 3 days.
3. To assemble the sandwiches, spread the slices of bread with a thin coating of butter.
4. Divide the curried tuna salad between the 3 slices of white bread, spreading it evenly ; Cover each sandwich with the whole wheat bread slices.
5. Trim the crusts and cut each sandwich into 4 pièces

HAVE A NICE AFTERNOON TEA

Afternoon tea sandwiches (SpecialTeas)

Of the many wonderful gifts the British have given us, Afternoon Tea is clearly a favorite.

Smoked salmon and dill sandwiches

Makes 12 pièces

• 6 thin slices wheat bread
• Unsalted butter
• 3 ounces smoked salmon, sliced
• 1 teaspoon chopped fresh dill

1. Spread each slice of bread with a thin coating of butter ; divide the smoked salmon evenly between 3 slices of bread and sprinkle evenly the chopped dill over each sandwich.
2. Cover the sandwiches with the remaining bread slices.
3. Trim the crusts ; cut each sandwiches into 4 pièces.

Curried egg-mayonnaise sandwiches

Makes 12 pièces

• 4 thin slices of white bread
• 4 thin slices of wheat bread
• Unsalted butter
• Curried egg salad

1. Spread each slice of bread with a thin coating of butter.
2. Divide the curried egg salad between the 4 slices of white bread and spread evenly.
3. Top the white bread with the wheat bread ; trim the crusts and cut the sandwiches into 3 parallel pièces.

Curried Egg Salad
Makes ¾ cup

• 2 hard-boiled eggs, peeled
• ½ cup mayonnaise
• ½ teaspoon curry powder

1. Finely chopped the eggs ; mix in the mayonnaise and curry powder, making sure all the ingrédients are combined.
2. This will keep in the refrigerator, well covered, for 3 days.

Cucumber sandwiches

Makes 12 pièces

• ½ medium cucumber, peeled and thinly sliced
• 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
• Unsalted butter
• 6 thin slices white bread
• Salt and pepper, to taste

1. Combine the cucumber and the vinegar in a bowl ; tosse to blend ; let sit for ½ hour, drain off excess liquid.
2. Spread a thin coating of butter on each slice of bread.
3. On 3 slices of bread, place the cucumber slices, making sure the bread is well covered.
4. Salt and pepper each sandwich ; cover with the remaining slices of buttered bread.
5. Trim the crusts and cut each sandwich into 4 pièces.

Roquefort, walnut and Cognac sandwiches

Makes 12 pièces

• ½ cup walnuts
• ¼ pound Roquefort cheese, at room temperature
• 2 tablespoons Cognac
• 6 thin slices white bread
• Unsalted butter

1. Toast the walnuts under the broiler for approximately 8 to 10 minutes or until golden brown ; cool and finely chopped.
2. While the walnuts are toasting, blend the cheese with the Cognac.
3. Spread each slice of bread with a thin coating of butter.
4. Spoon the cheese mixture, dividing evenly, on 3 slices of bread and spread over each slice.
5. Sprinkle a full tablespoon of nuts over the cheese.
6. Top each sandwich with the remaining bread slices, pressing down firmly.
7. Trim the crusts and cut each sandwich into 4 pièces.

Prosciutto and Explorateur cheese sandwiches

Makes 12 pieces

• 6 thin slices white bread
• Unsalted butter
• 3 ounces Explorateur cheese, at room temperature
• 2 ounces thinly sliced prosciutto, approximately

1. Spread each slice of bread with a thin coating of butter.
2. Spread a thin layer of cheese on 3 slices of bread ; lay a slice of prosciutto on the cheese, folding the prosciutto to conform to the size of the bread.
3. Cover the 3 sandwiches with the remaining bread, trim the crusts and cut each sandwich into 4 pièces.

HAVE A NICE AFTERNOON TEA

Currant Scones serve with clotted cream (SpecialTeas)

Makes approximately 10 to 12 scones

• 2 cups flour
• ¼ cup sugar
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, cold
• ¾ cup milk
• 1 egg
• ½ cup currants
• 1 egg yolk
• 2 tablespoons cold water

1. Preheat oven to 350F
2. Sift the dry ingrédients together.
3. Using a pastry blender or 2 knives, cut the butter into the dry ingrédients until the mixture is crumbly.
4. Beat the milk and eggs together ; pour into the dry ingrédients and stir until well blended.
5. Add the currants, stirring until well combined.
6. Prepare a flat surface by flouring it well (the dough will be slightly wet and will absorb the flour quickly).
7. Place the dough on the flat surface ; knead briefly (once or twice) and pat the dough until it is ¾ inch thick ; cut out the scones with a 2½-inch biscuit cutter and place on a greased baking sheet.
8. Beat the egg yolk with the cold water ; using a pastry brush, glaze each scone with this mixture.
9. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until golden brown.
10. Serve hot or cold, with jam and clotted cream, if desired.

Clotted Cream
     The cream used in England is not available here, although there are a number of substitutes and facsimiles available.
     We used the following :

• 1 cup heavy cream, at room temperature
• One-third cup sour cream, at room temperature
• 1 tablespoon confectioner's sugar

1. One hour before serving, pour the heavy cream into a bowl and whip until soft peaks form.
2. Whisk in the sour  cream and sugar, continuing to beat until the mixture is very thick.
3. Place in the refrigerator and chill until it is time to serve.
4. If you want make this ahead of time, it should last 4 to 6 hours in the refrigerator.

HAVE A NICE AFTERNOON TEA

SpecialTeas

A perfect pot of tea

     The round shape of the teapot was designed by the Chinese, who used a musk melon as the model.
     To brew a perfect pot of tea, boil fresh, cold tap water in a kettle. (Cold water is essential because it has a greater oxygen content and gives the tea a fuller flavor.) While the water is boiling, warm the teapot with hot water. Once the teapot is warmed, pour out the water and put in the tea. Use one teaspoon of leaves or one tea bag per cup of tea. Some people like to add one extra for the pot. Once the water is boiling, bring the teapot over to it and pour it in the teapot immediately. Boiling water drops in temperature the moment you lift it from the flame, so by bringing the teapot to the kettle rather than vice versa, you have the hottest water possible. Let the tea brew three to five minutes. For reliability in flavor, always brew by the clock, not the color. Serve hot.

Iced tea

Makes 8 12-ounce glasses

(with ice)

     Iced tea was invented in 1904 at the St-Louis World Fair by an English tea merchant who was there to introduce Americans to Eastern teas. It was a hot day and fairgoers bypassed his pavillon for those who served cold drinks. In desperation, he poured his tea into ice-filled glasses. It was an instant hit, and has remained so.

• 2 quarts cold, fresh tap water
• 12 tea bags (your choice)

     The rule of thumb when making iced tea is to use 50 percent more tea then when making hot tea. This amount of tea gives you a flavor that is not diluted despite melting ice. Pour 1 quart of water into a saucepan and 1 quart of water into a 2-quart pitcher. Heat the water in the pan until boiling. Remove the pan from the heat, add the tea bags to the pan, and let sit for 10 minutes.
     Remove the tea bags from the pan and pour the tea concentrate into the pitcher of cold water. Cover and refrigerate until cold, approximately 2 to 3 hours.
     Because of tea solids, tea made this way sometimes becomes cloudy. The flavor isn't affected, but if this bothers you, pour a small amount of boiling water into the tea. This should clear it up.

Sun-Brewed Iced Tea

Makes 4 12-ounce glasses

(with ice)

• 1 quart of cold, fresh tap water
• 6 tea bags (your choice)

1. Place the cold water in a glass container.
2. Put the tea bags into the water.
3. Cover and set out in the sun for 2 hours.
4. Serve over ice or refrigerate until ready to use.

Mint Tea Juleps

Makes 4 12-ounce glasses

• 6 tablespoons sugar
• 6 tablespoons water
• 12 large mint leaves, approximately (depending on your personnal taste)
• Sun-Brewed Iced Tea, chilled
• 4 straws

1. Put the sugar and the ater in a small pan and bring to a boil ; continue to boil for 2 minutes, remove from the heat and cool to room temperature.
2. Fill 4 12-ounce glasses halfway with ice ; tear mint leaves with your fingers and put them over the ice (3 leaves per glass).
3. Spoon 2 tablespoons of sugar into each glass.
4. Pour iced tea into the glass, filling it ; stir.
5. Place a straw in each glass and serve.

HAVE A NICE AFTERNOON TEA

Macaroni au saumon et aux légumes en images

     Un petit tour dans le garde-manger et le congélateur, et voilà.

Pour 20 portions de 300 grammes

• 1.2 kg de saumon du Pacifique sauvage, assaisonner avec du sel et du poivre, arroser avec un peu d'huile d'olive ; rôtir au four 375F pendant 30 à 40 minutes.
• Émietter le saumon cuit à la fourchette.
• 1 paquet de macaroni de 750 gr, cuit selon les directives sur le sac.

• Faire revenir à l'huile d'olive, 2 oignons en dés, 2 poivrons en dés, 1 branche de céleri en dés et 1 sac de brocoli/chou-fleur congelé de 750 gr, ajouter 15 ml d'aneth séché.
• Vous pouvez utiliser le brocoli, le chou-fleur et l'aneth frais, seulement blanchir les légumes quelques minutes avant de les faire revenir avec les oignons et les poivrons.

• Dans un grand bol, déposer le macaroni cuit et refroidi, les légumes, le saumon émietté, 200 grammes de fromage râpé, du persil haché, 1 litre de sauce béchamel et 1 ou 2 boîtes de lait évaporé.
• Cliquer ici recette SAUCE BÉCHAMEL.
• Rectifier l'assaisonnement, sel et poivre au goût.

• Préparer des plats pour vos lunchs pour le travail ou l'école à chauffer au micro-ondes ; pour le souper, dans un plat à gratin ou des ramequins individuels parsemés de 200 grammes de fromage râpé pour le plat familial et 20 à 30 grammes pour le plat individuel.
• La portion de macaroni est de 300 grammes.
• Cuire au four 350F de 25 à 35 minutes, jusqu'à ce que le fromage soit gratiné.

BON APPÉTIT

Bouillon de poulet maison, sans sel, sans gras en images

     Un bouillon de poulet 100% maison, sans sel, sans gras et surtout, sans additif alimentaire.

• 1 poulet entier
• 1 carotte, 2 branches de céleri et 1 oignon, coupé en mirepoix

 

• Mouiller à l'eau froide jusqu'à ce que le poulet sois bien recouvert.

 

• Ajouter du thym, feuille de laurier, poivre concassé et quelques branches de persil qui traîne dans le frigo.
• Laisser frémir environ 1h30 à 2h. Ne pas laisser bouillir pour obtenir un bouillon clair.

 

• Lorsque le poulet est cuit, le retirer du chaudron.
• Pour vérifier la cuisson du poulet, piquer la chair et si le liquide est clair, le poulet est cuit.
• Si le liquide est rosé et brouillé, laisser cuire encore un autre 15 à 30 minutes, selon.
• Désosser le poulet et utiliser la viande pour une salade de poulet, un appareil à vol-au-vent ou pour des pâtés au poulet.

• Filtrer le bouillon au tamis et le laisser tiédir ; mettre au réfrigérateur pour la nuit, le gras va se solidifier.

 

• À l'aide de l'écumoir, retirer le gras à la surface du bouillon et qui est clair et limpide.
• Voilà un bouillon de poulet clair, sans sel et sans gras, prêt à la confection de soupes ou de velouté de poulet pour vos pâtés au poulet ou votre appareil à vol-au-vent.

 

BON APPÉTIT

 

Coquilles Saint-Jacques ou Pelerines (Le guide culinaire Escoffier)

     Placer les coquilles sur le fourneau pour les faire ouvrir ; enlever la valve supérieur ; détacher les chairs de la coquille concave en passant dessous la lame d'un couteau pliant, et les laver d'abord à grande eau. Les mettre à blanchir ensuite pendant 8 à 10 minutes et les égoutter.
     Diviser la noix en rondelles minces, escaloper le corail et couper les barbes en salpicon.

Coquilles Saint-Jacques au Gratin

     Après avoir bien brossé et nettoyé les coquilles concaves, masquer le fond de sauce Duxelles et ajouté une demi-cuillerée de vin blanc. Ranger sur cette sauce les rondelles de noix, corail, et barbes ; border les coquilles de lames de champignons crus et couvrir le tout de sauce Gratin.
     Saupoudrer de chapelure ; arroser de beurre fondu et mettre gratiner en observant qu'il s'agit, là, de la conduite d'un Gratin complet.

Coquilles Saint-Jacques à la Nantaise

     Blanchir les chairs comme il est dit plus haut ; escaloper les noix et le corail ; les faire braiser doucement avec vin blanc et cuisson de champignons.
     Masquer le fond des coquilles concaves de sauce au vin blanc ; ranger dessus les escalopes de noix et le corail avec un petit champignon et 2 lames de truffe par coquille ; border les coquilles d'une ligne de petites moules pochées ; napper de sauce au vin blanc et glacer vivement.

Coquilles Saint-Jacques à la Parisienne

 

     Blanchir les chairs, et les braiser comme ci-dessus.
     Border les coquilles d'un cordon d'appareil à pomme duchesse, couché à la poche munie d'une moyenne douille cannelée ; dorer et faire colorer au four à l'avance.
     Masquer le fond des coquilles de sauce au vin blanc additionnée d'un peu de truffe hachée ; garnir les coquilles avec les escalopes de noix et le corail, en les alternant de lames de champignons cuits. Napper de la même sauce au vin blanc et glacer.

En hommage à Auguste Escoffier