Gordon Ramsay’s World Kitchen Sample Recipes: Green beans and mushrooms in black bean sauce

THIS IS A QUICK, TASTY STIR-FRY of vegetables. Fermented black soy beans – sometimes labelled as salted black beans – are available from Asian grocers and selected supermarkets. They are, in fact, salted, fermented and dried beans, which may also be flavoured with chilli or ginger. They are normally rinsed before cooking to remove some of the excess salt.

Serves 4
400g green beans, trimmed
225g shiitake mushrooms, cleaned
2 tbsp vegetable or groundnut oil
1 tbsp fermented black beans, rinsed and dried
2 large garlic cloves, peeled and chopped
Sauce:
2 tbsp Chinese rice vinegar
2 tbsp Shaoxing or Chinese rice wine (or dry sherry)
2 tbsp light soy sauce
1 tbsp oyster sauce
1 tsp caster sugar
1 tsp cornflour, mixed with 2 tbsp water

Cut the green beans into finger lengths and finely slice the mushrooms. Mix together all the ingredients for the sauce in a bowl and set aside.

Heat the oil in a wok over a medium-high heat. Tip in the black beans and garlic and fry for 30 seconds or so, until fragrant. Add the green beans with a little splash of water. Stir-fry for 2 minutes, then add the mushrooms. Stir-fry for another minute or two.

Pour the sauce over the vegetables and toss well. Simmer for a couple of minutes until the sauce begins to thicken and the green beans are tender but still retain a slight crunch. Transfer to a warm plate and bring to the table.

Gordon Ramsay’s Recipes
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Gordon Ramsay’s World Kitchen Sample Recipes: Raspberry Tart

EXQUISITE PASTRIES AND TARTS IN PATISSERIES and bakeries across France never fail to seduce passers-by. I’m always reminded of them by this irresistible, glistening tarte aux framboise. You will have more pastry and possibly more vanilla cream than you need (it isn’t practical to make a smaller amount), but you can always make some little tartlets.

Serves 8–10
Sweet flan pastry:
125g unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
90g caster sugar
1 large egg
250g plain flour, plus extra to dust
1 tbsp ice-cold water (if needed)
Vanilla cream:
250ml whole milk
1/2 vanilla pod, slit lengthways and seeds scraped out
50g caster sugar
20g cornflour
3 large egg yolks
100ml double cream
Topping:
about 700g raspberries, wiped or brushed clean (rather than washed)
2–3 tbsp seedless raspberry jam, to glaze
1 tbsp hot water (if needed)

To make the pastry, whiz the butter and sugar in a food processor until just combined. Add the egg and whiz for 30 seconds. Tip in the flour and process for a few seconds until the dough just comes together, adding a little water if needed. Knead lightly on a floured surface. Shape into a disc, wrap in cling film and chill for 30 minutes.

Roll out the pastry on a lightly floured surface to the thickness of a £1 coin. Use it to line a 23–25cm tart tin with removable base, trimming off the excess pastry around the edges. Chill for at least 30 minutes.

For the vanilla cream, put the milk, vanilla seeds and pod in a heavy-based pan with 1 tbsp of the sugar. Heat slowly until almost boiling. Meanwhile, beat the remaining sugar, cornflour and egg yolks together in a bowl. As the milk begins to scald, slowly trickle it onto the egg mix, stirring all the time. Rinse out the pan. Pass the mixture through a fine sieve into the pan. Stir over a low heat until it forms a thick custard. Pass through a sieve into a clean bowl and let cool, stirring occasionally, to prevent a skin forming.

Preheat the oven to 200°C/Fan 180°C /Gas 6 with a baking sheet inside. Line the pastry case with greaseproof paper and baking beans. Place the tart tin on the baking sheet and bake for 15–20 minutes. Remove the paper and beans and return to the oven for 5 minutes to finish cooking the base. Leave to cool for 10 minutes, then unmould and cool on a wire rack.

Whip the cream to soft peaks. Beat the cooled vanilla custard slightly to loosen it, then fold in the cream. Chill until ready to serve. Spread a thin layer of vanilla cream in the pastry case. Arrange the raspberries on top. Warm the raspberry jam a little, thinning it with the hot water if necessary, then brush over the berries to glaze. Best eaten slightly chilled on the day.

Gordon Ramsay’s Recipes
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Gordon Ramsay’s World Kitchen Sample Recipes: Guinea fowl braised in cider with caramelised apples

THE NORMANDY REGION BOASTS SUPERB PRODUCTS, including wonderful cream, butter, apples and Calvados – all of which are ingredients for the classic poulet
à la Normande. For a change, I’ve replaced the chicken with guinea fowl, which I find to be more flavourful and well suited to the rich and creamy sauce.

Serves 4
2 guinea fowl, about 800g each, jointed
sea salt and black pepper
2–3 tbsp olive oil
2 thin rashers streaky bacon, chopped
300ml medium cider
100ml Calvados or brandy
250ml double cream
few thyme sprigs, leaves stripped
500g firm, tart apples (about 3)
30g butter
1–2 tsp caster sugar
squeeze of lemon juice, to taste
30g walnuts, toasted and lightly crushed
handful of flat-leaf parsley, leaves chopped

Preheat the oven to 200°C/Fan 180°C/Gas 6. Season the guinea fowl joints with salt and pepper. Heat a thin layer of olive oil in a wide flameproof casserole until hot. Brown the guinea fowl in batches for 2–3 minutes on each side until evenly coloured, removing the pieces to a plate when they are ready.

Add the bacon to the casserole and fry until lightly golden brown. Pour in the cider and Calvados, bring to the boil and let bubble until reduced by one-third. Stir in the cream and thyme leaves.

Return the guinea fowl pieces to the casserole, put the lid on and place in the oven. Braise for 30–45 minutes until the guinea fowl is tender and just cooked through; remove the breast pieces after 20–25 minutes to avoid overcooking and return them for the last 5 minutes to warm through.

About 15 minutes before you will be ready to serve the guinea fowl, peel, core and thickly slice the apples into rings. Melt the butter in a large frying pan. Sprinkle the apple slices with sugar and fry them in the butter for about 4–5 minutes on each side until golden brown.

When the guinea fowl is ready, remove the pieces to a warm plate. If you find the sauce too thin, boil it until reduced and thickened to the desired consistency. Season to taste with salt, pepper and a little lemon juice.

Return the guinea fowl to the sauce and garnish with the caramelised apples. Sprinkle the walnuts and chopped parsley on top before serving.

Gordon Ramsay’s Recipes
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Straight from the Times website, – 3 meringue recipes – Gordon Ramsay Style. So grab your egg whites (preferably a week old), caster sugar and a whisk. Also inlcudes three siple tips to enure that your recipe works every time!

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/food_and_drink/gordon_ramsay/article6798924.ece

Recipes by Gordon Ramsay, It's quality over quantity, Serves 8 Ingredients For the topping: 8 digestive biscuits 6 tbsp caster sugar 75g unsalted butter For the berries: 200g blueberries 100g.