Mussels, ribbons of pasta, herbs and cream is an ideal marriage for a spring lunch. I typically fill a puff-pastry case with such an meeting or current it in a white porcelain dish with a splodge of creamy potato within the retro model of coquille St Jacques. (And when precisely did I final see that on a menu?) The combination of shellfish and cream is one in every of my favorite pasta sauces, particularly once I take a couple of minutes to take away the mussels from their shells.
Any aniseed-scented herbs work, chervil or tarragon being good dill alternate options, but additionally fennel fronds. I even used celery the final time I made this, however it’s also possible to finely chop a bulb of fennel as a substitute, letting it cook dinner for a couple of minutes earlier than you add the vermouth or white wine. You possibly can additionally swap the mussels for clams, in case you are the kind of one who doesn’t thoughts extricating the little chaps from their shells as you eat.
I want my Easter chocolate within the type of a crisp, skinny egg, so no gooey chocolate desserts from me in the present day. However I do like a cake for an Easter tea. A slice of one thing I in all probability wouldn’t usually make that I might provide to others. My earliest reminiscence of cake-making includes a Swiss roll – not the neatly coiled sponge and jam association one may anticipate, however a straightforward sufficient bake, and one open to infinite interpretation. The necessity for one thing sharp and refreshing led me to fill my rolled-up cake with a mix of lemon curd and mascarpone (utilizing cream makes a filling too smooth to roll) and firmed up my perception that this gentle, citrus sponge is now my go-to Easter cake.
Fettuccine with mussels and dill
Candy, plump mussels, ribbons of pasta and the smooth, aniseed notes of dill.
I quite get pleasure from teasing cooked mussels from their shells with thumb and forefinger. A fragile job, usually accomplished shortly whereas they’re nonetheless scorching, and leaving you with a pile of tender, rust-beige morsels to stir into freshly cooked pasta, pile on toast or to drop right into a puddle of cream and dill. Get into the rhythm of it and you may get by a panful in 5 minutes or so.
As soon as shelled, the mussels are particularly good tossed with flat, ribbon pasta, reminiscent of fettuccine, cream and herbs. Regardless of the rule about not consuming mussels when there may be an “r” within the month being outdated, I nonetheless are likely to cook dinner extra of those little molluscs in spring and autumn. Sufficient for two. Prepared in 45 minutes
mussels 600g
celery 2 stalks
garlic 2 cloves
white vermouth or white wine 125ml
fettuccine 150g, dried
dill a 25g bunch
double cream 250ml
Scrub and scrupulously test the mussels, by which I imply checking the shells are tight and shut immediately when tapped on the facet of the sink. Finely cube the celery. Peel the garlic and squash every clove flat with the facet of a knife blade.
Put the garlic right into a deep pan, then pour within the white vermouth or wine. Place over a excessive warmth and, because the liquid involves the boil, add the mussels and canopy tightly with a lid. Let the mussels steam for 3-4 minutes till their shells begin to open. Take away the mussels from the warmth, then take away every mussel from its shell. Discard the shells and pressure the cooking liquor by a fantastic sieve.
Pour the liquor again into the clear saucepan, then place over a excessive warmth, add the celery and slightly black pepper. Decrease the warmth and cook dinner for 3-5 minutes till the celery is simply tender.
In the meantime, cook dinner the fettuccine in a pan of deep, generously salted boiling water till al dente. About 7-8 minutes from when the water returns to the boil. Finely chop the dill. Put the shelled mussels into the pan along with the chopped dill and the double cream. Heat totally, then drain the pasta and toss with the sauce. Switch to bowls and serve.
Lemon Swiss roll
The Swiss roll has been quite uncared for of late. A roll-up of sentimental, gentle cake and citrus curd, it’s one thing to serve for dessert or tea. It goes nicely with inexperienced tea or a bergamot scented Earl Gray.
Serves 8. Prepared in 1 hour
eggs 4
caster sugar 150g
plain flour 130g
butter 50g, melted
orange zest of 1
lemon zest of 1
For the filling:
double cream 200g
lemon curd 250g
To complete (non-obligatory):
Slightly caster sugar, segments of orange, edible flowers
Set the oven at 180C/gasoline mark 4. Line a 30 x 20cm Swiss roll tin with baking parchment. Break the eggs into the bowl of a meals mixer fitted with a whisk attachment. Add the sugar and beat till thick, fluffy and nicely risen, a great 4-5 minutes at a reasonably excessive pace. Take away the bowl from its stand then, utilizing a big metallic spoon or rubber spatula, fold within the flour, melted butter and the orange and lemon zests. Do that tenderly however totally, leaving no seen flour.
Scrape the batter into the lined Swiss roll tin, pushing it very gently into the corners. (Treating it roughly will result in a sunken, rubbery cake.) Bake for 12-Quarter-hour till pale gold and calmly risen.
Place a bit of baking parchment on the work floor and sprinkle it calmly with caster sugar. Give it a few minutes to settle then, whereas nonetheless heat, flip the cake out on to the sugared paper and thoroughly peel away the paper the cake was baked on. Beginning at one of many quick sides, roll up the sugared paper and Swiss roll collectively and put aside to chill.
Flippantly whip the cream. Unroll the cake, unfold the lemon curd over the underside, then cowl with the whipped cream. Rigorously roll up from one of many lengthy sides and switch to a plate utilizing two palette knives. Beautify with extra caster sugar and, if you want, some slices of orange and edible flowers.
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