Bay Leaf Creams Recipes

BAY LEAF CREAMS

Steps:

• To make the syrup, dissolve the sugar in a pan with 150ml water over a low heat, and bubble until it reduces by almost half. Put the bay leaves in a bowl (scrunch them in your hands first), then pour in the hot syrup and lime juice, cover and leave in a cool place for at least 4 hrs to infuse (if you have time, do this ahead and leave it for at least two days). Strain into a bottle. Will keep chilled for up to a week. If you want to keep it for longer, then bring the syrup back up to the boil before bottling it.
• Soak the gelatine leaves in a bowl of cold water and set aside. Put the cream, milk, sugar and bay leaves (again, scrunch them as you add them) in a pan and bring to the boil. Stir to dissolve the sugar, then take off the heat. Gently squeeze the excess water from the gelatine, then stir into the hot cream until completely dissolved. Leave to cool for 10 mins, then fish out the bay leaves. Pour into six to eight decorative glasses and leave to set in the fridge overnight. Pour the syrup over the creams just before serving.

LOIN OF PORK WITH BAY LEAVES

Steps:

• In a small bowl mix the olive oil, garlic, salt, peppercorns, and crumbled bay leaves and rub the mixture all over the meat. Put the pork on a large dish or in a large plastic bag and cover the dish or tie up the bag and leave in the refrigerator if you've got steeping time; otherwise - if you're about to start cooking it - just leave it out.
• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a roasting pan with the onion. Strew over the onion 10 whole bay leaves. Place the pork, including its marinade, on top and the bones all around, if they fit and if you've got them. Roast in the oven for about 1 3/4 hours or to an internal temperature of 150 to 155 degrees F on an instant-read thermometer, basting regularly.
• Remove the pork, scraping burnt bits off, to a plate or carving board and let it sit. On the stove at moderate heat, pour the wine and 1/2 cup boiling water over the bones, bay, garlic, and onion. Let it bubble up and reduce by about a third, and then remove the bones gingerly and strain the liquid contents into a saucepan. Heat, correct the seasoning, and add liquid as you like to make a good, thin, not-quite gravy.
• Carve the loin, put the slices on a big warmed plate, sprinkle with salt, and pour over a little of the juice-gravy, then tent with foil and leave in the turned-off oven while you eat the starter. It is a bit prinky, I know, but it will look fabulous if, when you take it out, you arrange, Napoleonically, some more bay leaves around the edges of the dish with the bay-scented pork.

FRIED FRUIT WITH BAY LEAF SAUCE

Steps:

• Sauce (can be prepared in advance): mix all ingredients in a small pot. Heat on medium high heat and stir all the time. The mixture will thicken during heating to a temperature of about 175 F (80 C). It is important that during heating the mixture will constantly be stirred. Do not let the sauce boil. The sauce has the right conistency, if it builds a thick film on the backside of a tablespoon.
• Remove sauce from heat and stir for 2 minutes. Set aside and let cool down completely.
• Prepare berries: Wash small panicles of red currant and pat dry with paper towels. Wash grapes and cut into clusters of 3-5 berries.
• In a suited pot or deep fryer heat about 2 inches high oil for frying.
• Combine flour, sugar, ground nutmeg and ground cinnamon.
• Mix egg, milk and 1 tablespoon oil. Add to flour mixture and beat until smooth.
• Dip berries and sage leaves into batter.
• Fry berries in hot oil for about 1 minute or until batter is light golden brown. Fry sage leaves until batter is light golden brown and puffed up.
• Remove with slotted spoon; drain on paper towels.
• While still warm sprinkle the fired red currant berries and the sage leaves slightly with some sugar.
• Serve berries and sage leaves still warm with the cold bay leaf sauce.
• NOTE: You can replace the berries in this recipe against others of your choice, but use fresh ones. They should not be to sweet. Or choose a sweet and a more tart one.
• NOTE: I used fresh bay leaves. If you have no fresh leaves, you can use dried ones, but you may have to use more leaves. Try the sauce during heating and add more leaves to your taste. The sauce should have a delicate vanilla taste and additional notes.