Festive flavours

1. Beetroot tortellini

By Clint Carabott

Serves four

You need

For the pasta dough
75g beetroot, blended
50g flour 00
1 egg
Salt
5g olive oil

For the pasta filling
75g local red prawns
10g onion
5g basil
5g mint
5ml raspberry vinaigrette

For the accompaniment
150g cassava
100g pak choy
10g garlic
10g ginger

For the saffron froth
Prawn shells
10g carrots
10g onion
5g basil
5g mint

Method
For the pasta, place the flour, salt, olive oil and blend while adding the egg and beetroot juice together. Take the pasta dough out and work it out with your hands and leave to rest on the side.

For the filling peel the prawns (keep the shells for the sauce) and blend them all. Cook the onion together with the basil and mint. Then, when the onion has cooled down, mix them all together and add the raspberry vinaigrette.

Roll out the pasta and cut 10cm rounds. Fill and close.

For the sauce, cook the prawn shells for five minutes in the oven and sweat all the ingredients in a pot except for the saffron. When the prawns are ready, add some water and boil for 30 minutes. When ready pass the sauce through a fine conical strainer. Add the saffron, simmer for another 10 minutes and set aside.

For the accompaniments cook the pak choy with some garlic. Cook the cassava with some garlic as well.

Boil the tortellini and assemble. Place the sauce on top.

2. Indonesian beef randang

By Sundajana I Dewa Made Junifa

Serves four

You need
600g beef rump
150g red chillies
150g shallot
100g garlic
50g galangal
30g ginger
150g lemon grass
50g kaffir lime
1tbs turmeric powder
1 tbs sugar
100g dried coconut
1ltr coconut milk
Salt to taste

Method
Blend all the ingredients together except for the beef, dry coconut and coconut milk. Then sauté all the ingredients. Add the beef and finally the dry coconut and coconut milk.

Season with salt and sugar and simmer for 30 minutes. When the beef is cooked and tender remove the beef and reduce the sauce by simmering it for four hours.

3. Aubergine stuffed with lentil curry

By Tarcisio Rapa

Serves four

For the lentils you need
150g puy green lentils
150g chana dhal
3tsp ground cumin
1tsp ground nutmeg
2tsp ground coriander
1tsp ground turmeric
1tsp ground ginger
2tbsp chopped fresh coriander
2tbsp chopped fresh mint
4 fresh tomatoes, diced
2 finely chopped onions
4 garlic cloves chopped
1tbsp tomato puree
400ml coconut milk
Salt and pepper
1tbsp demerara sugar
4 kaffir lime leaves
Water

For the yogurt raita
300ml plain natural yogurt
1tsp chopped fresh coriander
1tsp chopped fresh mint
1pc chopped spring onion
1 fresh lime juice and zest
1tsp sugar
2 medium sized aubergines
2tbsp grated dried coconut

Method
Soak the lentils overnight. Heat up some oil in a pan, add the chopped onions and garlic and cook until light brown in colour. Add all the dried spices and tomato puree and kaffir lime and stir well. Add the lentils without the water. Stir again and add the coconut milk and the chopped tomatoes. Season with salt and pepper. Add the demerara sugar and leave to cook on low heat. Add the chopped herbs. If you see the curry getting dry and the lentils are still not cooked, just start adding water bit by bit until lentils are cooked. When cooked, the lentil curry should be of a thick consistency.

Meanwhile, wash and cut the aubergines in half, lengthwise. Remove the seed part of the aubergine. Boil the aubergines in water with salt for five minutes and then pour in cold water to stop them from cooking.

To make the yogurt raita, mix the yogurt with the mint, coriander, lime juice and zest, spring onion and sugar.

Preheat the oven to 180˚C, place the aubergines on a baking tray, stuff them with the lentil curry, sprinkle them with the dried coconut and some olive oil on top. Place in the oven and bake for about 30 minutes.

Serve the stuffed aubergine with the raita and some cooked basmati rice on the side.

4. Dark chocolate fondant with a raspberry French macaroon

By Stephen Camilleri

You need

For the fondant
50g good quality dark chocolate
50g unsalted butter
20g caster sugar
13g good quality cocoa
60g eggs
27g plain flour
3g baking powder

For the raspberry macaroon
2 large eggs
60g ground pure almonds
40g icing sugar
20g caster sugar
Raspberry food colouring

For the raspberry ganache
50g double cream
20g raspberry puree
100g white chocolate

Method
To make the fondant, melt the chocolate, butter, sugar and cocoa over a bain-marie. Whisk in the eggs then fold in the sifted baking powder and flour. Pour in ovenproof dishes and bake at 175˚C just before serving.

To make the ganache, melt the white chocolate. Heat the cream and puree. Then fold the two together and leave it to set at room temperature.

For the macaroon, separate the egg whites. Form a stiff meringue with the whites and the caster sugar. Fold in gently the almonds and icing sugar. Finally add the colour. Pipe the mix on a silicone sheet and let it rest for about 30 minutes before baking for 13 minutes at 150˚C.

To finish, place the fondant in the oven for seven to eight minutes. Meanwhile finish the macaroon by piping the ganache generously in the middle. Place fresh raspberries all round and cover with the top half. Top with a small scoop of raspberry sorbet and sugar garnish.