So this week is courgette week....
When @progressivechef made his announcement about the theme for week 4, the first thing that came to my mind was ‘oh darn it’! Yet another vegetable, challenging to locate in my small Chinese city in the Hunan Province, especially now that courgettes are no longer in season- it was hard enough finding them when they were!
But I think now that I’ve managed to get hold of them (at a hidden backstreet market that I was introduced to this week- so thanks for that @progressivechef :-) I never would have found it if it wasn’t for this week’s theme!), I will not regret experimenting with this vegetable in dishes I often have sweet- ice cream and soufflé.
Believe it or not, the courgette is actually categorised as a berry rather than a vegetable, but it is the way we prepare and consume it that makes it appear a vegetable. So we normally prepare this berry as though it were a typical vegetable, but in this recipe I will be using it in a typically dessert-like dish- just to add to the confusion factor!
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I’ve been hunting for ingredients today and not to my surprise, my mature cheddar was nowhere to be found in any supermarket (was I desperate enough to resort to the only option available- plastic hamburger cheese slices? NO! There has to be another plan B!).
Fortunately for me, I have a neighbour who is very much obsessed with Western style cooking, and she frequently has a fridge-full of dairy produce, so I was in luck when I stumbled across the parmesan in her fridge, result- thanks Marrisa!
This wonderfully sharp yet slightly sweet cheese, umami by nature, does not share a mutual flavour with cheddar, but it’s strong, tastebud-grabbing-ability, comparable to that of the mature cheddar, makes it a perfect candidate for bringing out a complex flavour in the ice cream.
Since courgette season has just passed, I managed to dig beneath the old, mouldy summer squashes at the hidden market and pull out some decent looking members of the family. Albeit, the long ones are rather pale, but the stout relatives of the long, skinny versions are a vibrant green with clear white-tan stripes running from top to bottom.
The flowers were dry and brown, but still managed to exude a slimy viscous liquid, so I definitely will not be using these in my recipe! The breeds of courgette here differ slightly from those I’ve seen in England, hence the difference in aesthetics, but the taste is relatively the same.
Parmesan Ice Cream with Crispy Courgette Bits
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Just to let you know, I have no ice cream maker in China and had to go to work, so my housemate kindly filled in for me and mixed my ice cream every 30 minutes for 6 hours- thanks Sarah!
To make this laborious ice cream, heat 100ml double cream with 100g grated parmesan,salt and pepper.
Just before boiling point, remove from the heat. To this, fold in 100ml whipped cream and 1 whisked egg white and place in the freezer for at least 6-8 hours, stirring every 30 minutes-1 hour to prevent the formation of large ice crystals.
For the crispy courgettes, make a smooth batter by whisking together an egg, some milk and plain flour. Evenly coat individual courgette strands and deep fry until golden brown and crispy.
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Courgette Souffle!
Before preceding to make a white, stiff roux, place 300g grated courgettes in a colander with some salt and leave aside to dehydrate. In a saucepan, heat 250ml milk with a medium chopped onion, 2 bay leaves, 4 cloves, ½ tsp nutmeg and salt and pepper to taste.
Once almost boiling, remove from the heat and allow the flavours to infuse. In the meantime, add 45g butter and 45g flour to a pan and heat until a doughy, brown paste is achieved. Pour the infused milk into this thick paste through a fine sieve and whisk aggressively whilst on a low heat to ensure no lumps appear. Remove from the heat and add 100g grated parmesan (or hard cheese of your choice) and continue to whisk vigorously for a smooth, even paste.
In another pan, add the courgettes- these should first be rinsed through a tea towel to squeeze out as much liquid as possible- and sweat in 1tbsp hot oil. Once softened, add to the roux.
Whisk 4 egg whites until stiff peaks form and fold into the roux. In 6 greased ramekins, pour in the fluffy cheesy-eggy-courgette mixture and cook in a bain marie at 180C for 25 minutes.
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Sweet Courgette Ribbons
Using a peeler, pick apart a long courgette for some ribbons and lightly pan fry in 1 tsp sugar until slightly caramelised.
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All components are now ready to be plated. When it comes to the eating experience, the best part is making a slit in the middle of the soufflé and placing a quenelle of ice cream on top, allowing this solid to become a creamy puddle of liquid cheese, oozing out of the cracked soufflé top. The ribbons can be enjoyed between every mouthful of soufflé- scrummy!
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PS- my boyfriend is away this week so had to make do with my own camera and skills (real downgrade!). But he'll be back for week 5 ;-)
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Hi @progressivechef, just to let you know, my photographs are a bit of a downgrade this week as my boyfriend is away on business and has taken the camera with him so I had to use my not-so-great camera and photography skills! Hope they're not too bad!
Hey my friend, keep cool , your post and photos are just wonderful. Keep delivering such great content , you'll succeed my friend!
Yuuummmmm
Ha this was sooo me as a kid! Thanks @kevteh :-)
I like the presentation of the foods, very professional and artistic. Moreover, it looks delicious and feeling yummy.
Thank you for saying so @theia7 :-)
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Wow! I think I know what this message means, maybe not so much the technical terms! But...either way I think it's good! Unbelievable! Thank you Dust account holders!
Your post up is impressive. Followed @foodflaneur
Thank you so much @nakamurasatoshi! :-)
Are you rooting for a taste @rootingrobert?!
Rooting yeah! But this weeks meal will be difficult for a vegan stomach :D
Maybe I could attempt a vegan version...
awesome post friend.please follow me and vote my post.all time I with you. @shiqder
Thanks for the support @shiqder :-)
Looks beautiful and sounds so good !
Thank you @globaldoodlegems :-) Not had a chance to check out everyone's dishes in the ironchef contest this week, but from what I skimmed over briefly when I put my post up they look fantastic- thanks for the compliment :-)
Good post! I'm going to follow you to see more post like this and for support us!
Thank you so much @peterhab, its a real pleasure to have even one follower! Blogging is so new to me, I don't even think I've got the hang of it yet and I still have helpers to guide me when I'm posting, even sometimes with downloading photos, embarrassing I know! So thank you for the support :-)
Wonderful dish @foodflaneur! Looks beautiful and delicious!
And I admire your perseverance in finding courgettes! You were indeed successful... woohoo!
Thank you @offoodandart. It's a real pleasure having such a talented and (definitely professional!) chef appreciate my work :-)
Omg, that's very kind of you to say. I'm not a professional and not in the food industry at all. I work in a biotech company where I build databases. But my passion is food and art ... offoodandart 😉 ... almost all forms of art. So I have truly enjoyed your food artwork these past weeks. Thanks for this enjoyment @foodflaneur!
I love food, creating and eating. Actually, I should probably put eating first 😋.
Biotech sounds pretty cool- it's nice that you have such a creative hobby outside of work and are so passionate about it. I'm also an art lover, but it's difficult finding good galleries in Changde, especially in comparison to London- that's why using the kitchen as a medium for art has brought me so much pleasure here. Thank you right back at you for some kitchen inspiration- I definitely put eating first!
It looks incredible dear!
Real professional skills here, I´m impressed!
Lots of love xoxo
Aww thanks @isabelfiona, especially for providing me with some assistance to help me upload the cover photo! :-)
Nice presentation and looks yummy. :)
Thank you @zararina (PS, my name is reena and I have a cousin called zara, ha!) :-)
So cool to know! :D
Nice dish! Sounds like a monumental task to make Ice-cream in China! I hope you paid Sarah by the hour! Haha! just kidding. You always seem to be so handicapped by not having access to ingredients but then find a way to pull through! Well Done! The soufflé sounds divine!
Why thank you for saying so @chefsteve- ha, well she did request a salary for acting like my personal assistant most days! Well, I sometimes have to change the recipes if the ingredients aren't available but it's not been so debilitating yet, though I can't promise that this will not be the case in the future! Thank you again for your kind words :-)
Again you went through some hard times in making your entry, you are such a hard worker! In the end the effort pays...I'm so happy you got the attention of some great curators here! Bravo my friend!
Thank you @progressivechef- still in awe here!
I like your passion about cooking and sharing all the wonderful photos and recipe for this delicacy. Awesome work! Indeed your writing is an inspiration to me:)