As we are lucky to still be receiving Italian Blood oranges, and what’s in season together, goes together! It just makes complete sense to pair them with the radicchio. Then lots of good quality olive oil, flaked sea salt, cracked black pepper, fresh herbs & creamy Burrata.
The only thing that could increase the deliciousness of this tart, is to be eating it in Italy but if you put an ep of Stanley Tucci on at the same time, it’s close enough. I know I am late to the party watching his series but I am now obsessed! Love you Stanley.
This recipe makes for a lovely weekend lunch and would pair nicely with a chilled glass of Ciello Bianco Catarratto, a bright and crisp low intervention white wine from Sicily
Radicchio, Blood Orange & Burrata Tart
Prep time, 15minutes
Bake time, 20minutes
Feeds 4 as a starter or 2 as a main
Ingredients Salad
1 head of Rosa Del Veneto Radicchio (alternatively any bitter leave of choice)
1 blood orange (can use normal orange if struggling to find these)
1 small bunch of chives (half a normal pack)
3 stalks of basil
1 large burrata (mozzarella also works perfectly)
Dressing
25ml extra virgin olive oil
1 tbsp honey
1 tspn sea salt
1 tspn cracked black pepper
Reserved blood orange juice from segmenting
Tart
1 packet of Dorset ready rolled puff pastry (or whatever you can get yours hands on)
1 egg (whisked for egg wash)
Method
Pre-heat your oven to 180c/ Gas mark 4. Line a large flat baking tray with baking parchment. Then roll out your pastry and transfer it onto the tray. As opposed to trimming the pastry to fit the size of your tray and wasting unnecessary offcuts, fold the edges of the pastry in to create a border if needed. Then brush generously with egg wash and prick all over with a fork, this will help reduce the rise.
Place the pastry in the oven and bake for 10 minutes, usually you want your puff pastry to rise as much as possible but with this recipe we want to control it, fork the center again and gently push down to flatten (don’t worry that you’re cracking it, it’s meant to) . Then continue to bake for another 10-15 minutes or until evenly golden, lift to check the base is also golden and crisp before removing to cool.
Whilst the pastry is cooling, cut the base of the radicchio, then wash & drain the leaves. Cut the chives into 1inch lengths and pick the basil leaves from the stems. If these are a little droopy, cover in cold water then drain and dry on a clean tea towel.
Segment the blood orange by first cutting the base, so it’s flat to the board then using a sharp knife to remove all the rind & pith. Reserve as much of the juice as possible into a bowl, this is going to add to the dressing later.
To make the dressing, combine the olive oil, blood orange juice, honey, salt & pepper. I like to whizz this in the nutri bullet for 30 seconds as it emulsifies quickly but you can also whisk by hand to dissolve the honey & salt. Take the radicchio and toss with the dressing in a bowl.
Now it’s time to assemble the tart, place the pastry on a board, layer on the radicchio, segmented orange, fresh herbs. Then place the burrata on top, tearing into pieces. Finish with any remaining dressing, an extra drizzle of olive oil & seasoning.
Bringing together the NISTE staple of sourdough rye bread with an amazing array of seasonal veg and Belazu ingredients to create simple yet show stopping light bites, suitable for anytime of the day!
Each recipe makes 2 slices
Soft boiled egg on dill, mustard and pickle yoghurt
Ingredients: 2 slices of rye bread, 2 free range eggs, 1Tsp Belazu wholegrain mustard, 2 Belazu borretane onions, 4 Tbsp of thick yoghurt, 2 sprigs of dill, pinch of flaked sea salt, freshly ground black pepper
Method:
Soft boil your eggs (place into boiling water for 61/2minutes then remove and place straight into cold, for the perfect fudgey centre leave them to cool fully)
Rough chop the onions & half the dill, then add into a bowl with the mustard & yoghurt, combine and season to taste.
Place your 2 slices of rye in the toaster.
Whilst they are toasting slice your egg into quarters.
Top the rye with a generous dollop of the yoghurty mix and arrange the egg in a row.
Sprinkle with sea salt flakes, black pepper & garnish with sprigs of dill.
Top tips - if your dill is looking sad, cover it with cold water and leave for 5 minutes, then drain it off and leave to dry on a clean cloth. Instantly vibrant & bouncy!
You can easily prep both the yoghurt and eggs a day ahead for an even quicker assembly.
Heritage tomatoes, tahini, all the herbs
Ingredients: 2 slices of rye bread, 1 large heritage tomato (or 2 smaller ones!) , 1 Tbsp Belazu Tahini , Small handful of fresh green herbs of your choice, Pinch of flaked sea salt, freshly ground black pepper
Method:
Place your 2 slices of rye in the toaster.
Whilst they are toasting, slice your tomatoes.
Arrange the slices overlapping on your bread, drizzle with tahini, sprinkle with sea salt & a generous grinding of fresh black pepper.
Then top with all the herbs! Personally I love a mix of dill, parsley & chives, but anything goes.
Fresh Strawberry, balsamic, roasted hazelnuts on strained yoghurt
Ingredients: 2 slices of rye bread, 6 British Strawberries, 4 Tbsp strained yoghurt (or thick yoghurt), 2 Tbsp chopped toasted hazelnuts, 1 Tsp Belazu Modena Balsamic vinegar, freshly ground black pepper
Straining yoghurt method: take 1 x 500ml pot of plain yoghurt, combine with ½ Tsp of salt, pour this into a clean muslin or tea towel, then tie into a knot, hang above a bowl in the fridge for 2 hours. Then remove and store in a container. Wash the cloth with cold water thoroughly before putting it in the washing machine.
Method:
Remove your strawbs from the fridge, give them a wash and leave them to come up to room temp! This may sound OTT, but strawberries shouldnt be served cold.
Place your 2 pieces of rye in the toaster.
Whilst these are toasting, cut your strawberries into quarters, leaving the green top on (they are edible!)
Place a generous dollop of yoghurt onto each slice of rye, then smooth with the back of the spoon.
Arrange your strawberry pieces at angles, drizzle with balsamic, a light grinding of black pepper and then finish with chopped toasted hazelnuts.
If like me, your icing repertoire hasn't expanded past a simple American buttercream, cream cheese frosting or chocolate ganache. Then it's time to delve into the world of meringue buttercreams. Unlike American buttercream which simply combines butter + icing sugar, Italian, Swiss & French, add eggs to the mix, using different techniques to create fluffier, more balanced and stable buttercreams.
Swiss meringue uses egg whites and the application of heat through a bain marie to dissolve the sugar and cook the eggs. This recipe requires a little more attention and time than your simple American buttercream but the end result is worth it for the balanced sweetness and marshmallowy, silky texture.
This recipe will top 1 x 20 cm round cake (as seen in the picture below). If you want to top a dozen cupcakes or sandwich your cake then double the recipe.
I N G R E D I E N T S
3 Large egg whites *Keep your egg yolks! These will store in the fridge for upto 3 days or freezer for 6 weeks. Ideal for egg washing pastry or a batch of custard.
200g Caster sugar
125g Unsalted butter (Room Temp)
1/2 tsp Fine salt
F L A V O U R C H O I C E S
You can always build on flavours, add the initial amount then taste your buttercream, If you wan't more spice or a deeper richer colour then gradually add more.
Salted caramel - Add 75g room temp salted caramel
Chocolate - Add 75g room temp melted choc and 1 tbsp sifted cocoa
Nutella - Add 75g
Vanilla - 1 tsp vanilla bean paste
Cinnamon - 2 tsp ground cinnamon
K E Y U T E N S I L S
Heat proof mixing bowl
Electric hand whisk or stand mixer
Whisk
Pan with simmering water
*Sugar thermometer (Ideal but not required)
M E T H O D
Separate your egg whites from the yolks. I do this by using the shell to pass the yolk back and forth as the egg white falls into a bowl. Alternatively you can crack the whole egg gently into a bowl and lift the yolk out with your fingers.It is crucial you do not break the yolk - if any yolk get's into the white, you will need to discard and start again. This is because the fats in the yolk stop the protein structure forming as the whites are whipped. Basically the egg whites want to velcro together but the egg yolk creates a slip and slide so they can't grip each other.
Cook the egg whites and dissolve the sugar. Place the whites and sugar in a heat proof bowl and whisk till combined. Place the bowl over a pan of simmering water, ensuring the bottom of the bowl doesn't touch the water. The steam is the gentle, indirect heat needed. Set a timer for 5minutes and whisk continuously to ensure even cooking. The mix will turn pale and frothy. You can test this by taking a small amount of the mix between your fingers, if it is smooth then remove from the heat, if there are sugar crystals continue heating. If you have a thermometer, you want the mix to reach 160F/21C.
Whip it. Remove the mixture from the heat and transfer to your stand mixer with a whisk attachment (if you have one, otherwise use your electric hand whisk). Whisk on high for 10minutes or until stiff peaks form.The meringue should be thick, glossy and hold pointed peaks when the whisk is lifted
Now the butter. Feel the outside of the mixing bowl and dip your finger into the meringue to check the temperature. You need the mix to be cool before adding the butter. Gradually add the butter 2-3 chunks at a time, only add more once combined.
Flavour time. Now you've got your buttercream the only thing left to do is flavour it! Add the fine salt and initial quantity of chosen flavouring, whip till mixed thoroughly. Taste the mix and adjust to your palette, take into consideration the flavour of cake you are icing, so to compliment and not over power.
T R O U B L E S H O O T I N G
- My buttercream is really stiff - the likely cause is the the egg whites and sugar were heated for too long, causing the sugar to start caramelising. There isn't a fix for this, just next time make sure you reduce the cooking time.
- My buttercream is runny - your mix was too warm when you added the butter, place the buttercream in the fridge for 30mins then try whipping again.
- My buttercream is lumpy - your butter was too cold, you want your butter to be at room temp. If it's too cold but your egg mix is ready, cut it into small pieces and squish between your fingers as you add it to the bowl. Microwave with caution for short 10 seconds blasts...this more often than not, ends up in a liquid puddle, so keep a very close eye and touch.
S T O R A G E
Can be stored in the fridge in an airtight container for up-to 3 days, allow to come up to room temperature, then beat with paddle attachment on high before icing your cake.
