Tuesday 15 April 2008

Worth Waiting Four Years For


It's needless to say, but I don't remember everything I make. I remember Psychology revision pretty well, and I can recall conversations or emails word for word; but I can't remember important documents, where I leave things, or traumatic events. (That last one is, I think, repression; the Psychology revision comes in somewhere).

Anyway, the other day I was reminiscing with my friend Alex about the good old days of Home Ec. GCSE (well it FEELS like a long time ago), and she said, 'do you remember when we both got into the finals of that cooking competition thing?'

'Er,' I said, 'no.'

I have very cold and stiff fingers cause I've just been walking the dog so I'm tempted to say that the conversation ended there, but actually she perservered a bit: 'The 'Taste of Success' thing. We had to go into the university and you made something with chicken and shallots, and this white chocolate pudding thing which I really wanted the recipe for.'

It was beginning to sound familiar. 'I don't remember the food... did I give it you or what?'

'No.' Oops. 'You forgot. But it was in little ramekins, and there were all berries at the bottom - raspberries and stuff - and white chocolate cream and then it was like a creme brulee top that you did on the grill.'

I stared at her. 'Alex,' I said, 'I made that recipe, once, four years ago. That's almost a quarter of your life. (No, I'm not so hot at maths). Are you sure I didn't give you the recipe? Because you seem to have memorised it.'

She looked melancholy. 'I just really wanted that recipe,' she sniffed.



I think the reason I'd blanked this entire episode from my mind was that a cooking competition = pressure, and I don't perform well under pressure (I once announced in a French oral exam that my dream was to be a 'chaussure'. Chaussure means SHOE. I was trying for 'chanteuse'; singer). Alex, apparently, had not, so when I went home I started going through my mum's books to try and find the recipe I'd promised her four years ago.

This is it.

White Chocolate Berry Gratin
Adapted from one of my mum's recipes (so probably originally from Good Food).
Ready in 15 mins plus cooling.
Serves 4; 356 cals p/s

140g strawberries, hulled and quartered
140g raspberries
140g blueberries (I missed these out as my sister won't eat them, so used more of the other two)
grated zest of one small lemon
100g white choc
142ml pot double cream
2 tbsp icing sugar

1. Scatter the berries into medium ramekins. Sprinkle with the lemon zest, cover & leave to chill in the fridge until ready to serve.

2. Meanwhile break up the chocolate into a small bowl. Heat the cream in a pan until almost boiling, then pour over the chocolate. Leave for three mins then stir slowly til dissolved (Alex objected to my use of the word 'dissolve' here - she is a sciencey type - until I offered to stick the recipe up her nose, at which she relented). Allow to cool to room temp until thickened.

3. To serve, use a small kitchen blowtorch or heat the grill for a few mins until hot. Spoon the chocolate cream over the berries, sprinkle over the icing sugar and blast/grill for a couple of minutes until it starts to brown & caramelise. Remove & serve immediately.


(I copied the recipe out a couple of weeks ago and stuck it in her birthday card. How could I not, after a freakishly amazing feat of memory like that?)


15 comments:

RecipeGirl said...

I love that story. Just wait until you have kids. You won't remember anything. Ever. :)

Anonymous said...

I find this to be a very sweet story. How great and the Berry gratin...'m all over it.

test it comm said...

With white chocolate, cream and berries this sounds really good. I sometimes check my blog to see if I have made a dish before. :)

Anonymous said...

This looks delicious. What brand of white chocolate did you use?

Pixie said...

awww, I love the story too :) she must have loved receiving that recipe! I didn't even read your dessert because I was so into that story lol I'll check it out now. :)

Mike said...

Came across your blog on tastespotting...

I did a very simular dish some blogs ago bur with out the white chocolate, such a good simple idea!

Mike

Maria♥ said...

Gosh does this look damn good! Congrats on being Tastespotted ;o)

Maria
x

Anonymous said...

Oh heck, talk about for the sweet tooth! I like the idea of berries and chocolate, but I don't think my poor teeth could handle this, as much as my tastebuds wanted to :P

Sandy said...

Honestly, my mouth was watering looking at these photos - Delicious!
Sandy

Anonymous said...

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Rosie said...

Awe love that story :) A great looking and sounding dessert with white chocolate so delicious.

Rosie x

Wendy said...

You are hillarious. Very glad to have found your blog. :)

Anonymous said...

hahaha, your cracking me up - my boss calls it crs (can't remember shit)

oh i've got it for sure too, those look so delicious, here let me pin another blue ribbon on your lapel :)

yum!

Nilmandra said...

That looks beautiful! I got to make this with strawberries being so plentiful and in season right now. Can I use demerara sugar instead of icing sugar to top? That's what I use for creme brulee.

Anna said...

Nilmandra - yeah, I should think that'd work fine. I'm always a bit cautious of creme brulee toppings, but I can't see any reason why you'd have a problem ^__^.