Pavlova

                                                                               Receta en Español

Pavlova is the quintessencial dessest of Australia.

It is named after the russian ballerina Anna Pavlova, who was touring Australia and New Zealand in 1926. Both countries attribute themselfs the invention of this dessert.

Australians tell that Bert Sachse , chef at Esplanade Hotel at Perth , was the one who devised this dessert. Nevertheless, we can find a similar recipe in a cookbook entitled Rangiora Mothers' Union who was published in 1933.   

There is even a recipe that appeared in a New Zealand's magazine in 1929.

The important part of this dessert is the meringue, it resembles a ballerina's tutu.

On top of the meringue it is usually added whipped cream and fruits. I will add strawberries and tangerines, but you can use the fruit that you like the most.
The meringue should be brilliat and white to resemble the ballerinas' tutu.

Ingredients:

For meringue:

• 4 egg whites at room temperature.
• 1 cup of powdered sugar (200 grams). I used normal sugar grinded with a food processor.
• 1 teaspoon white vinegar.
• 1 teaspoon vanilla.
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch. (maizena).
• 1 pinch of salt.
• 1 teaspoon cream of tartar.

For the filling:

• 400 ml whipping cream with 35.1 % or more fat.
• 50 g powdered sugar.
• strawberries and tangerines.

Preparation of meringue:

1. Take a big bowl , clean and dry. It should not have traces of fat or water to achieve a good meringue.

2. Eggs should be at room temperature and not too fresh. Separate the egg whites from the yolks . Keep egg whites in the cleaned bowl.

3. With the help of an electric mixer, whip the egg whites until they become white, then add cream of tartar. This would provide a firmer  consistency and you will get a softer and creamier meringue. 

4. keep on whipping until egg whites doesn't fall from the bowl when you turn it down.

                                                

5. Now you can start adding sugar, step by step. Don't stop whipping the whites.

6. Once there's only a tablespoon left to add, we mix it with corn starch and add together to the whites. Keep on whipping.

7. Now meringue turns bright, we stop whipping, add vinager and vanilla , then stirr with a spatula. (Corn starch and vinager make meringue more stable and does not crumble when we cook it in the oven).

8. Draw a circle of 20 cm diameter in a baking paper, this circle will be the size of pavlova, we can take a pan to draw this circle.

9. Turn paper down to prevent pavlova to touch the pencil drawing. (You can still see the circle) Place this paper on top of an oven tray, sprinkle some flour over it.

10. Spread meringue over the paper following the circle to have a rounded pavlova. On top of the pavlova leave a little gap to place the filling after cooking.

11. Preheat oven at 175 ºC, place the tray in the middle of the oven . Cook in oven for 1 hour and a half at 100 ºC  until pavlova changes a little its colour, it turns a little toasted. This way it will be crispy on the outer side and creamy on the inner side.

12. Let pavlova cool in the oven. Leave the door slightly open. You can use a spoon as I did.   See picture:

     I left it cool overnight.

 13. The following day take out pavlova, move it very carefully because it brakes easily.

Preparation of filling:

14. This filling should be placed on top of pavlova just ten minutes before comsuption, the reason is that meringue turns little by little softer once it has some cream on top. 

15. Prepare whipped cream.

16. Place the whipped cream  on top of the pavlova, then add strawberries and tangerines on top of the whipped cream.

This  is the result :

My comments to the Recipe:

I found this is a stylish dessert , it is also fresh and delicate. 

It has a delicious taste , crispy on the outer side and creamy on the inner side. 

Here you have a link to my favourite cooking tools where you can find my spices grinder:  

Favourite cooking tools

Australia

Whipped cream

                                                                               Receta en Español

Here I show you how to make whipped cream, and several tricks to get it right:

• It is very important the fat. You should use a cream of 35% or more . The more fat the cream has, the best consistency will have once whipped.
• Another important thing is the temperature of the cream, bowl and whisk. They should be very cold. Some hours before making whipped cream put everything into the fridge. While whipping the cream it es advisable to put the bowl over another bowl that has water and ice inside.
• Shake well the container of the cream before pouring it into the bowl, the fat should not be left into the container. 

Now it is time to whip , by hand or using a mixer or beater. 

Once you see that the cream starts to get a little thick, we start adding sugar little by little , keeping whipping.

You can taste it to adjust the quantity of sugar.

Once you see cream is whipped, it has the appearance of the picture. 

Don't whip it more time because it could turn into butter.

This are the ingredients :

1 liter of cream should have 150 - 250 grams of sugar. It depends on how sweet you like it!.

I did it with:

250 ml cream

50 g sugar

Here you have a link to my favourite cooking tools where you can find my spices grinder:  

Favourite cooking tools

Australian meat pie

Meat pie is a traditional dish in Autralia , it is widely cooked for celebrations:

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon olive oil.
• 1 chopped onion.
• 500 grams beef or veal minced meat.
• 1 tablespoon corn flour.
• 1 teaspoon beef stock.
• ¾ cup water 
• ¾ cup Barbecue Sauce.
• 2 tablespoon Worcestershire Sauce.
• 1 teaspoon Vegemite.
• 2 sheets frozen shortcrust pastry thawed at room temperature.
• 1 egg beaten.
• A pinch of salt.

Method:

1. Heat oil in a frying pan and sautée onion.
2. Add minced meat and fry until the meat is done, salt to taste.
3. Mix water and corn flour in a bowl, stirr well.
4. Pour the dissolved flour in the pan with the meat. Add all the sauces, vegemite and beef stock.
5. Bring it to the boil, then reduce the heat to low and cook for 10 minutes. Let cool.
6. Preheat oven at 180 ºC.
7. Prepare the baking tray , spreading oil.
8. Line the base and sides of the baking tray with one sheet of shortcrust pastry.
9. Fill with the mixture of minced meat . Brush brims with water.

                 9. Cover with the other sheet of shortcrust pastry, use a fork to seal the borders.

                10. Brush the upper side with egg.

                11. Cook in oven for 20-25 minutes until pastry is golden.

And you have it!:

I found this recipe here: http://australianfood.about.com/od/beeflamb/r/AussieMeatPie.htm

Where you can find the ingredients in Madrid:

Worcestershire and Vegemite are the more difficult ones to find.

I bought Worcestershire Sauce at 'Sabores del Mundo' en Gomez Ulla 10,metro Manuel Becerra, I have also found it at Gourmet section of Corte Inglés.

Vegemite can also be bought at 'Sabores del Mundo' or  at 'Australianz shop' Costanilla de los desamparados 10, metro Antón Martín.

My comments to the Recipe:

I didn't know the taste of Worcester Sauce nor Vegemite.
Eaten alone, vegemite can be bitter, but in this recipe the mixture of all the ingredients is a perfect combination, it is a perfect match to the meat.

Australia

Barbecue Sauce

                                                                               Receta en Español

I present today a basic recipe to accompany meat,rice, chips...
This sauce enhances meats' taste.
It comes from Karlos Arguiñano.

Ingredients:

• 2 cloves of garlic.
• 1 onion.
• 850 grams pear tomato.
• 1 tablespoon honey.
• 1 tablespoon corn starch.
• 2 tablespoon vinegar.
• olive oil.
• Salt.
• hot chili pepper if you want it spicy.
• oregano.

Method:

1. Chop garlic and onion. Sautée until golden.
2. Add chopped and pealed tomatos,scorn starch, honey,vinegar,chilly,oregano and salt.
3. Mix well, put it on medium heat for 20-25 minutes until tomato is soft.
4. Pass the mix through a blender.

Here you have a link to my favourite cooking tools where you can find my spices grinder:  

Favourite cooking tools

Nuts Kadaif

                                                                               Receta en Español

This recipe shows the great influence from  arabic cuisine in the Albanian gastronomy, this dessert is also cooked in Algeria,Armenia, Turkey....

Ingredients:

• 500 g Kataifi.
• 500 g unsalted butter.
• 800 grams sugar.
• 1 liter water.
• 1 teaspoon vanilla or vanilla sugar.
• half a cup of cold water.
• a dash of lemon juice.
• 350 grams chopped nuts.

Method:

1. Spread Kataifi on a dish , it is necessary to let it dry, then turn it to dry on the other side, it takes 2 hours drying each side.
2. Spread Kataifi on a baking dish, pour melted butter over the Kataifi. 

3- Preheat oven at 200 ºC. Cook for 25 minutes until it gets golden. Then let it cool.

4- It can be done with a single layer or two layers. If you want two layers use half of Kataifi for  each layer, then do the same explained in point 2 for each layer (you should sprinkle chopped nuts over de first layer), bring it to oven as in point 3.

For Syrup:

5. Take a pan, combine sugar, water, vanilla and a dash of lemon, bring it to a boil. Stir until sugar is well dissolved. It should take 30 minutes. Then turn off the heat and pour the cold water.
6. Once Kataifi is cold, pour Syrup over it. Sprinkle chopped nuts and let it cool at least 1 hour to let the syrup dry. The more you wait the more delicious it will be. Then cut in pieces and serve.

You have it!:

Where to buy Kataifi in Madrid

You can buy Kataifi near Madrid mosque, at Antonio Calvo street , I bought it at 'El Hogar'.

My comments to the recipe:

Kataifi was very long and I decided to do two layers, butter provides a marvellous taste, syrup moisturizes the inner layer so it has a different texture to the outer layer and the taste is intense.
The next day the taste is better because it has absorbed the syrup.

Here you have a link to my favourite cooking tools where you can find my spices grinder:  

Favourite cooking tools

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  Albania

Tava Elbasani (Lamb with yogurt)

                                                                               Receta en Español

Elbasani is a city placed in the center of Albania, this recipe comes from that city.

Ingredients: 4 Serves

• 900 g de lamb in pieces.
• 2 cups of water to boil the lamb.
• 2  tablespoons butter.
• 2  tablespoons flour.
• 3     eggs.
• 500 grams greek yogurt.
• 1 teaspoon ground pepper.
• Salt.
• oil.

Method:

1. Salt lamb to taste.
2. Pour a little oil in a great pot. Over medium heat cook lamb both sides, the pot should not be crowded ,cook a few pieces at the same time.
3. Then fill the pot with water and add all the roasted lamb pieces and cook over medium heat for 1 hour.
4. Meanwhile melt butter in a pan over medium heat, add flour and stir to mix well. Once the mixture begins to turn brown , put aside and let cool.

1. Preheat oven at 175 ºC.
2. Beat eggs in a bowl , add yogurt, pepper and butter sauce, salt to taste.
3. Place lamb in a baking dish. Pour the yogurt mixture over the lamb. Cook in oven for 45 minutes and serve immidiately.

This is the result:


Tava Elbasani

My comments to the Recipe:

This is a nice way to eat lamb, it is a new flavour that makes lamb softer.

Here you have a link to my favourite cooking tools where you can find my spices grinder:  

Favourite cooking tools

Albania

Greek style Salad

                                                                               Receta en Español

The influence of Greece is enormous in Albania. Here we have an example of this, a salad very similar to the most popular salad in Greece.

Ingredients:

• 1-2 sliced tomatos.
• 1 sliced cucumber.
• 1 small onion in small pieces.
• 1 sliced green pepper.
• Olive oil.
• Feta cheese chunks.
• A few olives.
• Salt.

Method:

1. Mix all the ingredients in a bowl, season with salt and oil.

My comments to the recipe:

It is extremely easy and the taste is very good thanks to feta cheese.

Here you have a link to my favourite cooking tools where you can find my spices grinder:  

Favourite cooking tools

Albania