The sun is shining and another supplier visit is on the cards. This time it’s to Willow Creek Olive Estate in the Nuy Valley to celebrate all things olive! After a tour of the olive groves and a tasting of the oils and olives, Neill prepares a delicious olive-based dinner for the family.
Recipe 1: Mushroom Ravioli, olive oil mousseline, cep jus
INGREDIENTS
- RAVIOLI
- 550g pasta flour
- 6 egg yolks
- 4 eggs
- Pinch crushed sea salt
- 20 saffron stems
- Drizzle olive oil
RAVIOLI FILLING:
- 1kg Cooked chopped mushrooms
- 2 Chicken breast
- 1 Dessert spoon Cream cheese
- 80ml Cream
- Handful Parsley – chopped
- Splash Truffle oil
- Baby Gems leave wilted
OLIVE OIL MOUSSELINE:
- 200ml Olive Oil
- 3 x 5-min boiled eggs
CEP SAUCE
- Dried Porchini mushrooms soaked in water
- 200ml Fresh cream
- Salt and Pepper
- Splash Truffle oil
- Dash Cognac
METHOD
PRE-PREP:
CEP SAUCE:
Place soaked mushrooms into medium size saucepan over a medium heat
Simmer for 15min
Add 200ml fresh cream
Season with salt
Blend together adding truffle oil
Pass through sieve
Add Cognac to sauce
Set aside till needed
PASTA:
Place flour in large mixing bowl
Add sea salt
Drizzle olive oil into egg mixture and whisk
Steep saffron in hot water for 2 min
Add water to whisked eggs
Pour eggs into flour
Mix together till a firm, smooth ball is formed
Remove from bowl and knead for 5-10min
Cover with cling film and set to rest in fridge for 3hours
FILLING:
Place cold cooked mushrooms in a large bowl with chopped parsley
In a blender, combine raw chicken with cream till smooth,
Add in to cooked mushroom mixture, stir together, add truffle oil
Roll mixture into 60g balls
Set in fridge till required
FINISHING:
MOUSSELINE:
Take boiled eggs,
Place in blender,
Start blending, while slowly adding olive oil till emulsified (thick consistency)
RAVIOLI:
Remove pasta from fridge
Unwrap and place on floured surface
Roll pasta out, using a pasta machine till lowest setting is reached
Cut with a pastry cutter
Lay on a floured surface, cover with double layer of cling film till ready to use
Assembling the Ravioli:
Remove mushroom mixture from fridge
Egg wash the pasta disc with a pastry brush
Place mushroom ball in the center of the egg wish pasta disc
Cover with a second pasta disc
Gently enclosing the mushroom mixture by sealing the edges, avoiding any air pockets
Set aside on floured surface once competed
Ready for blanching
To blache ravioli;
Set water to boil on high heat in a large pot
Prepare another bowl of ice water to refresh ravioli after blanching
Add ravioli to boiling water carefully
Cook for 1min
Remove with slotted spoon
Place into ice water to stop cooking process
BABY GEM:
Warm up a medium size sauce pan,
Wilt baby gem lettuce and drain
SERVING:
Once ready to serve;
Place ravioli back into boiling water for 4min,
Remove from water with a slotted spoon,
Ready to plate
In another pan, gently warm the mushroom sauce up.
Place baby gem into plate,
Top with moussaline
Add ravioli to plate
Finish off with a dot of moussaline and mushroom sauce
Serve immediately.
Recipe 2: 90 minute beef fillet, braised oxtail, baked potato and baby spinach
INGREDIENTS
BEEF:
- 1 Whole beef fillet
- Handful Course salt
- 1 Tablespoon Mascarpone
- 15 Baby potatoes
- 1 Head garlic (cut in half)
- Bunch Thyme
- 500g Baby spinach
OXTAIL:
- 4kg Oxtail
- 3 Peeled and quartered red onions
- 1 Head garlic (cut in half)
- Large bunch thyme
- 2L Chicken Stock
- Salt
- Pepper
- Olive Oil
- Handful Parsley
PRE-PREP:
BEEF:
Season board with course salt
Roll beef into salt till coated
Roll and wrap fillet tightly with cling film
Leave to rest In fridge till needed
Remove from fridge and unwrap
Set oven to 90 degrees
Place fillets on oven tray
Roast for 90min at 90 degrees
Remove and allow to rest
OXTAIL:
Heat olive oil up in a large pot over a medium heat
Season oxtail with salt and pepper
Brown oxtail in pot, remove once browned
Add onion and garlic to pot and allow to cook off 4-5min
Add oxtail back into pot with fresh thyme
Cover with hot stock
Simmer over a low heat for 3 hours (stirring occasionally)
Remove from heat once meat is soft and tender
POTATOES:
Place potatoes into a medium sauce pan
Season and cover with water
Cook till soft
Remove from stove, drain and set aside.
FINISHING:
Heat up a non-stick griddle pan
Place beef fillets in pan
Sear till charred marking appear
Remove and allow to rest before serving
Before serving potatoes;
Place potatoes in medium size non-stick pan
Roast with garlic and thyme
Remove from pan once warmed through
Add to oxtail ready to serve
Finishing off the beef;
Take 1 ladle of oxtail braising liquid and heat up in a small sauce pan
Add mascarpone to sauce
Stir to combine
SERVING:
In a large sauce pan, wilt baby spinach over a medium heat
Remove from pan and allow to drain
Place on plate once drained and serve with slices of beef fillet
Finish off with beef sauce
Chop parsley and mix with olive oil
Place on top of oxtail to finish off.
Recipe 3: Orange and olive oil cake, blood oranges and crème fraiche
INGREDIENTS
- 4 whole oranges
- 100ml Willow Creek Blood Orange Olive Oil
- 50ml Willow Creek Directors Reserve
- 4 Whole eggs
- 200g icing sugar
- 200g almond flour
- 1 Teaspoon (5ml) baking powder
- Pinch Salt
Icing sugar, for dusting
- 2 Dessert spoons Crème Fraiche
- Drizzle Blood orange oil
- Dash Whisky
METHOD:
Preheat oven to 175 degrees
Place the oranges into a small saucepan and cover with water
Simmer over a medium heat for about an hour
Remove from heat, allow to cool
Place the oranges into blender and puree
Add eggs and oils whilst blending
Add dry ingredients to blender till incorporated (or mix together in a large bowl)
Pour into round, greased cake tin
Place in oven and bake to 40-45min or till cake has risen and is light brown in colour
Remove from oven when cooked
For the crème fraiche;
Mix blood orange oil together with crème fraiche
Add a splash of whisky and combine
Dust with icing sugar and serve with crème fraiche mixture.
