Adam Handling’s restaurant, Ugly Butterfly, has taken residence at Carbis Bay Estate, showcasing British food, inspired by Cornwall.
Starter: Scallops, Apples & Hazelnuts
Serves 2
INGREDIENTS:
For the scallops:
6 scallops, shucked from their shells
Oil for frying
Pinch of salt
Knob of butter
1 tbsp lemon juice
For the apple pickle:
½ an apple
80ml water
2 tbsp white wine vinegar
1 tbsp sugar
Pinch of salt
For the vanilla apple:
½ Granny Smith apple, diced
Vanilla pod
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 tbsp sugar
25ml water
For the burnt apple puree:
1 Granny Smith apple
This is a great starter because so much of the preparation can be done beforehand. When you’re ready to eat, you can cook the scallops and make the puree in about 10 minutes! The scallops should only be cooked on one side – make sure they are golden brown before coming off the heat. Adding burnt apple puree and acidic fresh apple brings the scallops alive.
Method
The day before cooking, make the apple pickle and vanilla apple. For the apple pickle, slice the apples thinly (if possible, use a mandoline). Place all the ingredients except the apple into a saucepan and bring to a simmer. Remove from the heat and add the apple. Leave for 5 minutes then add the mint. Leave to cool then place in the fridge to marinate for 24 hours. Make the vanilla apple by adding all of the ingredients except the apple into a small saucepan. Bring to the boil then remove from the heat. Infuse for 24 hours.
10 minutes before you’re ready to eat, make the burnt apple puree by quartering the apple and placing on a small baking tray lined with tin foil. Bake in the oven at 180 degrees for 30-35 minutes or until darkly coloured. Allow to cool then blitz in a food processor until smooth.
Pass through a sieve.
At the last possible minute, prepare the scallops for cooking. Place a frying pan on a medium heat with a touch of oil. Season the presentation side of the scallops with a pinch of salt. Place the scallops in the frying pan, presentation side up, and cook until golden brown. Add the butter and baste. Finish with a squeeze of lemon juice. Remove from the pan and serve immediately.
Main: Beef Wellington
Serves 6
INGREDIENTS:
For the Chicken Mousse:
250g chicken breast, diced
1 egg white (keep the egg yolk for the pastry)
200g haggis
80g double cream
3g table salt
1g black pepper
Prep time: 20 minutes
For the Crepe Mix:
100g plain flour
2g table salt
2 eggs
50ml semi-skimmed milk
1tbsp sunflower oil
Prep time: 10 minutes
For the Beef:
1 beef fillet
2tbsp Dijon mustard
2 sheets of puff pastry sheets (1 sheet for latticing)
1 egg yolk
Prep time: 25 minutes
Method
For the chicken mousse, place the chicken breast into a cold blender, add the remaining ingredients and blend until smooth. Mix with haggis and refrigerate, until needed.
For the crepe mix, put the plain flour and salt into a large mixing bowl. Make a well in the centre and crack 2 eggs into the middle. Pour in the milk and oil. Start whisking from the centre, gradually drawing the flour into the eggs, milk and oil. Ladle into a pan and spread the liquid, so that it creates a thin layer. Cook on each side for 1 minute, at 170°C.
For the beef, seal off the beef in a frying pan (reserve the beef fat). When golden, take the pan off the heat and rub the mustard into the meat. Leave it to cool down. Lay the crepe out on a surface. Spread the chicken and haggis mousse on top of the crepe. Place the beef on top and roll it into a cylinder. Lay out the pastry and egg wash. Place the rolled beef cylinder on top of the pastry and roll again to form a neat cylinder. When the wellington is set, add your lattice pastry on top.
Pre-heat your oven to 200°C and place a large tray into the oven until it gets really hot. Remove the tray from the oven, place the Wellington on the tray and put it back into the oven (be as quick as possible with this step). Cook for approximately 15 minutes, or until you see the pastry turning golden brown. Reduce the heat to 180°C and cook for a further 15 minutes.
Remove from the oven and probe the centre of the Wellington. When the core temperature is 35°C, remove the Wellington from the oven and leave to rest on the side for 5 minutes. Carefully remove the two ends of the pastry to release the steam. This needs to rest for 20 minutes. The pastry will act as a very hot blanket and continue to cook the Wellington.
Dessert: Chocolate Orange Torte
Serves 10
INGREDIENTS:
For the Base:
200g butter
90g icing sugar
50g cocoa powder
200g flour
For the Torte:
375g 72%+ cocoa chocolate
2 gelatine leaves
150g glucose
900g double cream
2g salt
50g water
25ml orange oil
Method for base
Beat butter and icing sugar together until fluffy, ideally in a mixer, then add the flour and cocoa powder gently and mix thoroughly
Roll the mix between two sheets of greaseproof paper to about 3cm thickness and leave in the fridge to set for around half an hour.
Take the mix out of the fridge and cut into 10 rectangles the same size as your moulds and cook on a baking sheet at 180°C for 8 minutes.
Allow to cool thoroughly before placing into the bottom of 10 rectangular moulds lined with greaseproof paper.
Method for torte
Soak the gelatine in iced water until its softened.
In a medium saucepan bring the water and glucose to the boil
In a separate pan, bring the cream to the boil and then combine with the other liquid, then pour hot cream mix over the chocolate to melt, and mix until completely combined. Add salt and orange oil
Mix thoroughly and pour into the lined moulds, and leave to cool completely before serving.