robinbloke's birthday meal

[karohemd]

So on Saturday I finally managed to cook the three course meal I had promised as a birthday present. I guess we're living too busy lives. So here we go:

Robin's Birthday Menu
by karohemd

  

Prawn Risotto
Tiger Prawns cooked in garlic and pimentón on a base of Arborio risotto, finished with truffle oil
•••
Pan-fried Duck Breast
red wine reduction, potato dauphinoise, rocket salad
•••
Dark Chocolate Mousse
mixed berries




The colour of the prawns should be a bright red but no matter what I did, I couldn't change it. The tungsten bulb over the hob was still on and that screwed up the colour balance


I took the photo, served the first two plates and then realised I had forgotten the reduction, d'oh and I didn't really want to faff around with the light again. So imagine a dark, rich sauce drizzled over and around the meat. At least the colour balance is right in this one.


If anyone has any tips how to make scoops of chocolate mousse not looking like turds, I'd appreciate the advice...

Comments

[nikkita422.livejournal.com]

It looks absolutely delicious, other than the turd aspect. :)

I chose my cooking helper poorly for last night's sunday dinner. so, there are no photos of my arroz con pollo. I went to take a shower with instructions left to stir it every 5 minutes. My helper had a Nintendo DS in his hands. I should have taken it with me to the restroom. He wouldn't have burned it, if I had. But then, not only did he burn it. He stirred the burned mess from the bottom into the non-burned goodness on top. ARGH! Never again. From now on, I shower before I start to cook.

[karohemd.livejournal.com]

Thanks!

Oh dear! Never let anyone do your cooking, is my motto. Especially not someone who's easily distracted.
I had a few timing issues and didn't prepare the potato dish in time so between slicing the potatoes I had to stir the risotto. It turned out well in the end, though.

[nikkita422.livejournal.com]

I figured someone who had been a short order cook in the past would at least know how to stir, how/when to turn down the flame, not to stir burned food in with good food.

I was wrong.

[feanelwa.livejournal.com]

It's the difference between "know how" and "realise that they ought to". I think this is a direct analogue of people who stand in the middle of supermarket aisles with their trolleys pointing across the aisle waving their arms around - they have some spacial awareness, it just hasn't occurred to them to use it in supermarkets.

[nikkita422.livejournal.com]

LOL! You get cool points for making me laugh out loud at work. ;)

[bateleur.livejournal.com]

Yum!

[karohemd.livejournal.com]

It was! And judging how Robin and Jeni almost licked their plates clean, they liked it, too. Mission accomplished. :o)

[her-welshness.livejournal.com]

Wow - that looks absolutely beautiful! So when are you applying for Masterchef then? ; )

[karohemd.livejournal.com]

Thanks!
Don't start. I could never be a professional chef. I'll quite happily cook stuff like this now and then but a professional kitchen would kill me on the first day.

[tooth-fairy.livejournal.com]

It was super scrummy

thanks Ozzy :)

[karohemd.livejournal.com]

You picked the right time to pick up robinbloke ;o)

[arken-thell.livejournal.com]

That Duck looks fantastic

[karohemd.livejournal.com]

It was. Not as fatty as some I've had. Some fat rendered during cooking (which I took skimmed off before making the sauce) but not that much. That also made the skin really crispy. The breasts were a bit unevenly cooked, though so some parts were well done while the thicker parts were the way I intended.

[feanelwa.livejournal.com]

Make it into little round towers, and smooth the edges off with a knife. The main problem is that it's brown and turd-shaped, and unless you change one of those things, it will still look like a turd.

[karohemd.livejournal.com]

Not sure if it'll hold a cylindrical shape but that's an idea.
Unfortunately, Robin didn't have any Martini glasses, that would have been ideal (like in the icon).

[briggsy.livejournal.com]

Ummm, serve in individual glass ramekins? Dunno if you can make individual mousses in dishes and then turn them out without sticking issues though, which is obviously desired when you're serving with berries.

[karohemd.livejournal.com]

*nods* If I'd had any suitable ones, I'd have used them. Robin had some GÜ ones but they wouldn't have worked well in photos.
You can fill it in separate dishes before it's set but then need to serve them in the container, as turning out won't work with this sort of mousse, it'll just stick to the sides.
Smooth cocktail glasses (see above) are the best for this sort of thing.

[briggsy.livejournal.com]

Yeah the Gu stuff is great, but the dishes are too small ;)

The cocktail (martini) glass sounds ace though.

[ikkleruby.livejournal.com]

tee hee- the turdy looking-ness of the mousse is a bit ick- but it still looks yum!

absolutely gorgeous......i am drooling as i type....

[karohemd.livejournal.com]

Hehehe, thanks.