Recipes By Soma Sengupta Eton Mess

RECIPES BY SOMA SENGUPTA- ETON MESS!

Steps:

• To make the meringue:.
• Preheat oven to 200 degrees and place the rack in the center of your oven.
• Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Beat the egg whites on medium speed until foamy, add the cream of tartar and continue to beat until the whites hold soft peaks. Gradually add the sugar, a little at a time, and continue to beat until the meringue holds very stiff peaks. The meringue is done when it holds stiff peaks and when you rub a little between your thumb and index finger it does not feel gritty. If it feels gritty, keep beating until it feels smooth between your fingers.
• Place a little of the meringue on the underside of each corner of the parchment paper, to keep it from sliding. Then, using two spoons, place 10 equal sized mounds of meringue onto the prepared baking sheet.
• Bake the meringues for approximately 1 1/2 to 1 3/4 hours, rotating the baking sheet from front to back (about half way through) to ensure even baking. The meringues are done when they are crisp. Turn off the oven, open the door a crack, and leave the meringues in the oven to finish drying overnight.
• When you are ready to assemble the Eton Mess:.
• In a large mixing bowl place the whipping cream, vanilla extract, and sugar and stir to combine and beat the mixture until soft peaks form. Stop beating when peaks maintain shape when beaters are lifted, the tips curling over slightly. Do not overbeat.
• Puree the packet of berries in a food processor, blender, or with a stick-mixer. Taste. If you prefer a more tart sauce, add a dash of lemon juice. If you prefer a sweeter sauce, add a little confectioner's sugar.
• Break & crush the meringues into bite size pieces. Do not discard the dust. Fold gently into the whipped cream with the cut strawberries, disturbing the cream as little as possible. Swirl in the sauce to taste, reserving any extra sauce to serve on the side.
• Spoon the Mess into serving glasses or plates & serve immediately.

SOMA SENGUPTA EASTER RECIPES- HONEY GLAZED HAM

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 350°F and arrange a rack in the lower third. Remove any packaging or netting from the ham. Trim away any excess fat, leaving about a 1/4-inch layer all over. Set the ham aside to rest at room temperature for 30 minutes.
• Line a baking pan with aluminum foil. Place the ham, cut side down, on the baking sheet and cover it with a piece of parchment paper. Tightly cover the ham and parchment paper with aluminum foil and bake for 45 minutes.
• Meanwhile, combine the remaining ingredients in a small saucepan over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until the butter melts and the brown sugar has completely dissolved, about 3 minutes. Set aside and let cool to lukewarm (the glaze should be the consistency of room-temperature honey).
• When the ham is ready, remove it from the oven and increase the oven temperature to 425°F. Discard the foil and parchment paper and, using a sharp knife, score a 1-inch-wide diamond pattern (don't cut more than 1/4 inch deep) over the entire ham.
• Brush the ham with a quarter of the glaze, return it to the oven, and bake uncovered for 15 minutes. Remove from the oven, brush with another quarter of the glaze, and repeat every 15 minutes until all of the glaze has been used and a dark golden-brown crust has formed, about 60 to 75 minutes total. Let the ham rest 20 to 30 minutes before slicing.

SOMA SENGUPTA EASTER RECIPES: SPRING PEA SOUP! A GREAT START TO

Steps:

• Place cream, parsley and rosemary sprigs in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Turn off heat and set aside.
• In a medium soup pot or casserole, cook the bacon over moderate heat until browned and crisp, about 6 minutes. Transfer the bacon to a plate. Pour off the fat in the pot.
• In the same pot, heat the olive oil. Add the garlic, celery, onion, leek and sugar snap peas and cook over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until softened but not browned, about 7 minutes. Add the chicken stock, 4 slices of the cooked bacon and the salt and white pepper. Simmer for 10 minutes and then add the thawed baby peas. Continue to simmer for a further 5 minutes until the vegetables are very tender, about 15 minutes total. Discard the bacon.
• Remove the rosemary sprigs and bring the cream and parsley leaves to a boil. Add the rosemary-infused cream to the soup and boil hard for a further 5 minutes. Turn off heat. Using a hand blender if you have one, liquefy the soup. Otherwise, carefully transfer to a blender and blend only until smooth, in batches if you need to. Adjust seasonings.
• Ladle the soup into bowls and drizzle with extra cream, or a few drops of olive or other scented oil. Crumble the remaining 4 slices of bacon into each bowl and serve.