Fr Alex's Recipes for this week

For the kitchen
Give us a quiche!
(a Tomato & Onion Curry one)
(Serves 8–12)
Dietary – Vegetarian   
Ingredients
  • 2 onions, halved horizontally
  • 4 tomatoes, halved horizontally 
  • 25–50g/1– 1¾oz cater sugar
  • 50g/1¾oz butter, cut into small pieces
  • small bunch thyme, chopped
  • 150ml/5fl oz vegetable stock
  • 150ml/5fl oz white wine
  • 1 tsp cumin seeds
  • 1 tsp coriander seeds 
  • ½ tsp fennel seeds 
  • ½ tsp black mustard seeds 
  • 1 clove
  • 1 star anise 
  • pinch ground turmeric
  • 1 tsp madras curry powder
  • 300ml/10fl oz full-fat milk 
  • 200ml/7fl oz double cream 
  • 140g/5oz cheddar, grated
  • 5 free-range eggs, beaten
  • 25cm/10in Block of Shop Supermarket Shortcrust Pastry Cooked to Packet Instruction                       (See Other Recipe to make from scratch) 
  • salt and freshly ground black pepper 
  • green salad, to serve
Method
Preheat the oven to 200C/180C Fan/Gas 6.
Put the onions and tomatoes cut-side up in a roasting tin. Sprinkle over the sugar, butter and thyme. Pour the stock and wine into the tin and roast for 1–1½ hours, basting frequently, until golden and soft. Turn the oven down to 170C/150C Fan/Gas 3.
Make the tart shell whether Shop Bought (follow Packet instructions) or from Scratch (NB. Blind bake it for 12mins then another 10mins with the baking beans removed)

Meanwhile, place the seeds, clove, star anise, turmeric, curry powder, milk and cream in a bowl and leave to infuse for 30 minutes. Strain and pour into a bowl containing 60g/2¼oz of the cheese and the eggs. Mix together thoroughly and season with salt and pepper.

Arrange the onions and tomatoes in the tart shell (25cm -10”). Pour in the egg mixture and sprinkle over the remaining cheese. Bake for 1 hour, or until just set.
Leave to cool and serve with green salad.
How to make a savoury tart crust from scratch
Prep Time 30 mins; Cook Time 30 mins Refrigerate Time 1 hr Total Time 2 hrs
 This tart dough recipe produces an incredibly flaky savoury French style tart crust for 9.5 inch tart pan.  
You can use this recipe with endless savoury fillings (as opposed to sweet).Serves 10 people.   Calories: 154 kcal.
Ingredients
  • 204gms flour
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 130gms unsalted butter cold
  • 1 egg yolks
  • 1 tablespoon ice water
Instructions
How to make savoury tart crust dough:

  1. Using food processor, pulse the flour, salt to combine thoroughly.
  2. Cut cold butter into small cubes. Add the butter into the food processor and pulse until the consistency becomes that of a coarse meal.
  3. In a small cup, combine the egg yolk, ice water and stir well together. Add the egg mixture to the food processor and pulse to combine.
  4. Dust working surface with a very small amount of flour. Shape the dough into a disk on a foil (dusted slightly with flour). I usually do it with my fingers pushing the dough away from its centre into a round shape, pressing into the foil.
  5. Bring the tart pan over the tart dough to make sure the round is larger in diameter than a tart pan. Grease the tart pan. Then, I take the foil and ease the round into a tart pan, patting it firmly into the bottom and up the sides. Carefully remove the foil. If some pieces of crust fall off, just gently press them back. Extend the dough slightly above the rim to compensate for any shrinkage during baking.
  6. If your foil gets stuck to the dough, don’t remove it and refrigerate the tart shell with foil on top. After your crust has been refrigerated for at least an hour, you will be able to remove foil easily. Or leave that same piece of foil while you bake the shell with weights as described further.
  7. Place the tart pan with the dough in the refrigerator for an hour or overnight (covered with plastic wrap).
How to bake tart crust:
  1. Preheat oven to 400 F.   
  2. Remove the tart pan (with the tart crust) from the refrigerator. Remove plastic wrap from the tart crust. Line the cold tart crust with a sheet of aluminium foil, with edges hanging over the sides of the tart pan.
  3. Place pie weights into the shell. I use rice, beans, or quinoa.
  4. Bake for 15 minutes. Remove from oven, lift the foil and weights out of the pan.
  5. Continue baking the tart shell without weights and aluminium foil for 15 minutes, until golden brown colour.
  6. Remove from the oven. Let it cool.
For the bar
South Edinburgh Cluster Early Gin Sling
Ingredients                                                                                                                               
2 Measures Vodka
¼ Measure Lime Juice
Ginger Ale to top-up

Method
Add all the ingredients in the order above into a tall glass (half filled with cracked ice) Add a slice of lime.





South Edinburgh Cluster Balalaika
Ingredients
1½ Measures of Vodka
3/4 Measures Cointreau
3/4 Measures of Lemon Juice

Method
Shake all of the ingredients well with ice, then strain into a cocktail glass. A Vodka version of last fornight's White Lady.