Cooking with Paula McIntyre

Recipe
Meringues
3 egg whites
175g castor sugar
1 teaspoon white wine vinegar
1 teaspoon cornflour
Set the oven to 120oc and line a baking tray with parchment paper.
Whisk the egg whites in a clean bowl to stiff peaks. Slowly add the sugar, whisking all the time. Whisk in the vinegar and cornflour.
Spoon into a piping bag preferably with a star nozzle. Pipe onto the baking tray.
Cook in the oven for about an hour or until firm to touch and allow the meringues to cool in the oven when you turn it off.
500ml double cream
500g strawberries
Half of the meringues above
Lightly oil a loaf tin and line with cling film.
Remove the green from the strawberries and set 8 aside. Finely chop the rest.
Whip the cream. Crush the meringues with your hand coarsely and add to the cream with the chopped strawberries. Spoon the mixture into the tin, cover with cling and freeze for a few hours. Remove from freezer half an hour before you want to serve. Remove from tin and take off cling. Half the remaining strawberries and top the parfait with them and some of the remaining meringues. Slice and serve.

Recipe:
3 egg yolks
160g castor sugar
190g soft butter
250g plain flour
1 heaped teaspoon baking powder
Beat the butter with half the sugar until pale and fluffy.
Whisk the egg yolks and remaining sugar for a minute.
Mix the egg yolk mixture, flour and baking powder into the butter mixture to a smooth dough.
Line 2 x 8 inch cake tins with parchment paper or 6 individual tins or ring moulds.
Divide the dough in 2 and roll each one into a ball. Place on parchment paper and place another sheet on top. Roll out to a circle to line the bottom of the tin and press up the side a bit. Repeat with other tin and then chill for an hour.
Set oven to 170oc and cook the sables from the fridge, for about 20 minutes or until golden. Cool.
Poached Rhubarb
8 stalks rhubarb, cut into 2cm pieces
1 litre local apple juice
500ml water
50g castor sugar
50g honey
2 tablespoons grenadine
Place the water, honey and sugar in a large saucepan and simmer until sugar has dissolved. Add the apple juice and bring to a simmer. Add the grenadine and then the rhubarb. Cover the surface with parchment paper and lower the heat to as little as possible. Cook for about 3 minutes then turn off and allow the rhubarb to cool in the liquor. Place in a sterilized kilner jar and seal. Store in the fridge and use as necessary. More than you’ll need for the recipe but will keep in the fridge for a few months.
Honey cream
250ml double cream whipped
1 tablespoon honey
Bee pollen
Mix the honey into the cream.
Spoon some rhubarb onto the shortcake. Pipe on the cream and sprinkle over the bee pollen.

Grilled picanha steak, hash browns, café de Paris butter
4 x 175g picanha steaks
Salt
Remove steaks from fridge half an hour before cooking and season with seasalt.
If cooking in a pan – place steaks fat side up over medium heat and cook until fat is rendered and golden. Flip and cook to your liking. Allow to rest. Keep the fat for the hash browns.
Café de Paris butter
250g soft butter
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 tablespoon oil
1 shallot,finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon curry powder
2 anchovies, chopped
1 teaspoon capers
1 tablespoon ketchup
1 teaspoon English mustard
35ml Brandy
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
Handful parsley
Cook the shallot and garlic in the oil until soft and golden. Cool and then blend with the butter and other ingredients to a smooth paste. Wrap in a sausage shape in cling and chill.
Slice and serve on the steak. Any excess can be frozen.
Hash browns
4 medium rooster potatoes
1 heaped tablespoon plain flour
1 egg
Good pinch salt
Oil for cooking
Boil the potatoes for 10 minutes then drain and cool.
Coarsely grate and mix in the flour, egg and salt.
Add a little oil to the beef fat. Press the mixture into moulds and then cook for 2-3 minutes each side until golden.

Wild garlic mole
1 tablespoon oil
1 shallot, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
Handful wild garlic leaves, shredded
Handful coriander chopped
75g purple sprouting broccoli
2 green chillis, deseeded and chopped
2 tablespoons pumpkin seeds
Zest and juice 1 lime
50ml olive oil
Shred the broccoli and cook in boiling salted water for a minute. Drain and cool.
Cook the onion and garlic in the oil until soft and add the chillis. Cook for a minute. Place the mixture in a jug and blend with the wild garlic, coriander, broccoli, pumpkin seeds, lime juice and zest and oil. Check seasoning.
Tostadas
6 soft flour tortillas
Oil for cooking
Cut 3 rounds out of each tortilla.
Fry in oil until crisp and set aside.
Grilled asparagus
8 asparagus stems
Oil for brushing
75g feta cheese crumbled
Bring a pan of water to the boil and season with salt. Trim the tough bottom of the asparagus and add to the water. Cook for about 3 minutes – check if a knife goes in. Drain, brush with oil and cook on a grill pan to mark.
Cut the stems into 4 slices
Spoon some mole onto the tostadas and top with asparagus and crumble of feta.

Teasmoked brined chicken
8 boneless chicken thighs
500ml water
1 teaspoon mustard seeds
2 cloves garlic, smashed
Few sprigs rosemary or thyme
20g seasalt
50g brown sugar
1 tablespoon cider vinegar
Simmer the water with the mustard, garlic, herb, salt, sugar and vinegar until the sugar has dissolved. Cool completely and add the chicken. Refrigerate for a few hours or overnight. Remove from brine and pat dry
50g longgrain rice
25g Demerara sugar
1 dessertspoon tealeaves
Line a roasting tray with foil and scatter over the rice, sugar and tea. Mix well. Place a rack on top and add the chicken. Cover tightly with foil and cook on a high heat for 5 minutes then turn heat off and allow to rest for a few minutes.
Peri Peri sauce
Roast garlic
1 bulb garlic broken into cloves
Oil to cover
Place in a ramekin, cover with oil, cover with foil and bake in a 180oc oven until soft. Cool and peel the garlic and place back in oil
4 red chillis
50ml extra virgin olive oil
50ml red wine vinegar
4 cloves roast garlic
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
¼ bay leaf, shredded
Salt to taste
Brush the chilis with oil and place in 180oc oven for 10 minutes. Cool for 5 minutes then peel and remove seeds ( keep them in if you want it hot). Blend with the garlic, oil, vinegar, paprika and bay.
1 tablespoon maple syrup
Place the chicken, skin side up, on a baking tray. Mix the maple with 2 tablespoons of the peri peri and brush all over the chicken. Cook for about 12 minutes or until cooked through. Remaining peri peri will keep in the fridge for a couple of weeks.
Cucumber salad
1 little gem
Handful mixed leaves
½ cucumber
25ml balsamic vinegar
75ml oil
Salt and pepper
Peel and slice the cucumber. Break the gem into leaves.
Drizzle the vinegar and oil all around a bowl and season with salt and pepper. Add the leaves and cucumber, toss around and serve.