This week bask in a lusciously visual treat as Maggie makes a chocolate cake with whisky soaked raisins while Simon conjures up a spectacular Bombe Alaska. Maggie follows her cake with a twist on traditional Moussaka and Simon shows us how to keep a beautiful cut of lamb moist and tasty in a Lamb Mousseline.
Maggie loves good quality chocolate in her cooking and it doesn’t get much finer that the chocolate she discovered in Victoria’s Yarra Valley. French Chocolatier, Didier, shows Maggie his artisan chocolates made with cocoa liquor and cocoa butter imported from Africa. In the kitchen Maggie uses the chocolate to make a beautiful cake which is particularly wonderful because all the ingredients, from orange to whisky soaked raisins find their place on the palate. Simon's ambitious attempt at a Bombe Alaska pays off with sorbet, parfait, sponge and meringue carrying flavours of chocolate and coffee and combining to make a memorable dessert, as visually spectacular as it is delicious.
At Simon’s hotel new produce is always being tested. Simon is a great supporter of local and wherever possible also supports best practise farming which has a focus on animal welfare. However before any new produce makes it on to his menu it has to pass a couple of tests; it has to be affordable and it has to taste good. In this episode Simon tests a lamb that has been produced with the assistance of a best practise management group. Will it pass his cost test and how will one of the management group feel about being part of a blind taste test of his product? In the kitchen Simon smothers a sealed loin of lamb with a creamy chicken mince, wraps it in vine leaves and steams it to perfection. Maggie also uses lamb but in a mince which is spiced up to be included in a Moussaka that benefits from a terrific twist on a bechamel sauce.
Recipes:
- Lamb with Basil Mousselline
- Lamb Mince Mousakka
- Chocolate Bombe Alaska
- Chocolate and Orange Cake
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Ready to Watch The Cook and the Chef, Season 3, Episode 9?