Jimmy Garcia’s pop-up menu
We sent Jimmy Garcia on a special mission to create a pop-up treat for some hard working volunteers.
Starter
Gravlax Salmon, Cured in Gin and Tonic, King Prawns, Avocado Cream, Beetroot, Bread.
Main Course
Turkey and Pancetta Ballotine, stuffed with Chestnut and Cranberry Stuffing, Braised Xmas Cabbage, Potato Fondants, Chestnut Crumb, Parsnip Puree.
Dessert
Chocolate Yule Log served with Toasted Hazelnuts and Black Forest Compote.
Starter
Gravlax Salmon, Cured in Gin and Tonic, King Prawns, Avocado Cream, Beetroot, Bread.
Ingredients
2x 1kg salmon Fillet2 tbsp peppercorns3 tbsp Juniper Berries150g Granulated Sugar150g Maldon Sea Salt or Good Salt1 Cup Chopped Fresh Dill120ml Gin
Method
Place a layer of cling film along the top of a chopping board
Place the peppercorns, juniper berries in a bowl and lightly crush. Then add the sugar, salt and dill to the bowl.
Add the gin and mix well
Place one of the sides of salmon skin side down on the chopping board, and smother the contents of the bowl over it
Place the second side of salmon directly on top, so flesh is on flesh, and wrap tightly in clingfilm until it's sealed
Place in a deep tray in the fridge, and place a heavy weight such as chopping board, or heavy tins on top. This will draw the moisture out the salmon and 'cure' it. This process takes two days.
Drain the liquid from the tray every 12 hours, and flip it round at least once
After two days, clean off all of the salt, dill and sugar with a paper towel, and slice to serve!
Avocado cream
Ingredients
2 avocadosLemon Juice150g Crème FraicheSalt and Pepper
Method
Scoop out the flesh of 2 avocados using a spoon
Place the avocado flesh into a bowl with a squeeze of lemon juice and the crème fraiche
Add a little salt and pepper.
Blend until nice and smooth
Beetroot 3 ways
Ingredients
BeetrootOlive OilLemon JuiceMaldon Salt10 Baby Beetroots (2 per starter)100g White Wine Vinegar35g All Spice35g Peppercorns1 Bay Leaf1 Tsp. Fennel seeds
Method
Cured
Slice a raw beetroot really thin, wafer thin if possible and lay out on a tray
Pour over a drizzle of olive oil, small squeeze of lemon juice, and a sprinkle of Maldon sea salt
Cover with Clingfilm for an hour. The salt, lemon and oil should cook the beetroot to 'al dente'.
Use two per serving.
Roasted
Season a whole raw beetroot and wrap in tin foil, then bake in the oven at 150 degrees for about an hour, or until cooked (pierce with a knife...if it's soft, it's ready!)
Peel the skin off whilst it's still warm (it's much easier that way!), and then cut up in to 1cm cubed squares
Use 3 chunks per starter
Pickled
I use baby beetroot for this...it's a little more expensive, but much prettier on the plate!
Wash the beetroot and place it into boiling water and cook for about 45mins, until almost cooked but still quite firm
Place the vinegar, all spice, peppercorns and bay leaf in to a separate saucepan and boil for ten minutes to allow the flavours to all infuse
Add the boiled beetroot to the vinegar mix, and place in an airtight container/ Kilner Jar for at least 24 hours
Before serving, drain on some kitchen paper, to stop the beetroot from bleeding
Dill and Lemon Oil
Ingredients
100ml Olive OilJuice of 2 lemons1 Bunch Dill Finely Chopped
Method
Heat the Olive Oil and lemon juice in a saucepan over a very low heat, just so you can dip you finger in
Whisk thoroughly until combined
Add the chopped dill whilst it's still warm, and place in an airtight container or kilner jar to cool and infuse
Serve cold and use a small drizzle as a dressing for your starter!
King Prawns
Ingredients
4 King prawnsHandful chopped parsley1 Clove Garlic20g ButterSalt and Pepper to SeasonServe 1 prawn per person
Peel the prawns and marinade with a small drizzle of olive oil, a crushed garlic clove and a handful of chopped parsley and leave in the fridge for at least an hour. Don't season yet!
Get a frying pan, nice and hot, and add a splash of olive oil, and 20g of butter (the oil will stop the butter from burning and taking on a bitter taste). When the butter begins foaming, add the prawns and seasoning, and cook for around 2 1/2 minutes on each side.
Turkey and Pancetta Ballotine, Turkey Jus, Parsnip Puree, Crispy Chicken Skin
Served with braised winter cabbage, honey roast root veg, sprouts w truffle oil and chestnuts.
Turkey and Pancetta Ballotine
Ingredients
2 Turkey Escallops100g Sausage MeatTbsp. Dried CranberriesTbsp. Cooked Chestnuts1 Tbsp. Chopped Fresh Sage9 Slices of Pancetta1/2 Tbsp. Bread Crumbs
Method
To make the stuffing; throw thyme, sage, rosemary, cooked garlic, dried cranberries and chestnuts as well as the bread crumbs in to a bowl, season and mix well
Lay Clingfilm out on the chopping board, and lay out 6 pieces of pancetta, lengthways.
Place turkey escalope on top of that, and then thinly spread the stuffing mix along the length of the escalope
Take care to wrap the pancetta around the escalope, encasing the stuffing mix
Use the Clingfilm to wrap it around, and tighten!
Leave in the fridge to set
Pan fry over a medium heat until the pancetta is crispy, then place in an oven at 200 degrees for 12mins
Parsnip Puree
Ingredients
400g Parsnips200ml Milk1 Bunch ThymeSalt and Pepper
Makes: Enough for 6
Method
Peel the parsnips and remove the centre core. Chop in to small pieces (I like to add a drop of vanilla essence, but up to you!)
Place all the ingredients into a saucepan and simmer on a medium heat for twenty minutes until the parsnips are cooked through
Remove the bunch of thyme and place the parsnips in to a separate mixing bowl
Slowly add the milk (about 100ml) and blend thoroughly until you get a smooth, quite thick puree
Crispy Chicken Skin
This is very trendy at the moment in the chef world, and is delicious! If you ask your butcher for some chicken skin, they should oblige!
Method
Try to scrape the fat and excess flesh and skin from the pieces of skin
Roll out some baking paper on a baking tray, and lay the skin out flat
Bake in the oven for at least 7hrs at 120 degrees, until really crispy
Crush in to small pieces and there you have it!
Sprinkle on the plate to garnish
Turkey Jus
Ingredients
1kg Turkey Bones and Trimmings500g Carrots2 Sticks Celery2 Large Onions cut in half, skin on1 Bunch Thyme1 Bay Leaf1 Glass White WineTbsp. Cranberry Sauce
Method
Roast all the turkey bones/carcasses at 200 degrees for around 45minutes
Whilst they're roasting, place a large stock pot on a high heat and add a splash of veg oil. Place the onions flesh side down in the pan and allow to get golden brown.
Roughly chop the carrots and celery (without peeling) and allow to brown also. (This will release all of the flavour for the sauce.)
Once all of the vegetables have a golden colour, add the turkey bones. Don't worry about bits catching at the bottom of the pan this'll be the tasty bit for the sauce!
Add a glass of wine and scrape all of the bits from the bottom of the pan off with a spatula, and give a stir.
Add 1 litre of water, and the remaining ingredients
Heat to a simmer and then turn the heat down. Allow to reduce and thicken for at least 3hrs
Strain all the liquid and you should have yourself a serious gravy!
Dessert
Chocolate Log with Berry Coulis and Toasted Hazelnuts
Yule Log
Ingredients
4 Eggs120g Caster Sugar80g Self Raising Flour60g Cocoa Powder
For the filling
250ml Double Cream250ml Dark Chocolate (70%)
Method
Whisk eggs and sugar with electric whisk, until pale
Sieve in the cocoa powder and flour, and carefully fold (don't let the air out!)
Pour in to a lined tin, and bake for 10mins at 200 degrees
Once cooked, invert the cake on to well-iced baking paper. Try to roll up the sponge using the paper, and leave to cool.
Whilst it's cooling, get on the ganache. Heat the cream until it's just hot enough to touch
Take off the heat and add the chocolate and stir until melted, allow it to cool to room temp then put in the fridge (if you want to pipe on), or spread along with a palette knife
Unroll the Swiss Roll, and spread the marshmallow. Re-roll and pipe on the ganache.
Dust with icing sugar
Toasted hazelnuts
Ingredients
100g hazelnuts
Peel the hazelnuts and place on a baking tray in the oven at 180 degrees for 20 minutes or until golden brown
Remove from the oven and allow to cool, and then crush with a pestle and mortar
There you have it, a hazelnut crumb!
Berry Coulis
Ingredients
200g frozen berries50g icing sugar70ml water
Method
Place all of the ingredients in a saucepan, and simmer over a medium heat for 40mins
Blend using a stick blender
Place a sieve over a container and press the puree through using the back of a spoon
This will give you a smooth puree, and eliminate any annoying seeds!
Allow to cool and serve a drizzle cold with your log!