Recipes
Super Scrumptious Polo Picnics
What better way to enjoy a great polo match than with a delicious picnic for family and friends. Stephanie Harper, polo player and chef extraordinaire at White Rose Polo Club, has come up with a few 'must haves' for your picnic hamper this season.
Lobster and Roast Salmon Crusty Club Cob
Sicilian Smoked Partridge Pate
Plum Tomato Tarte Tatin with Parmesan Pastry
Well Hung Fillet of Beef Stuffed with Spiced Mushrooms
Moist Little Lemon and Almond Friands
Chewy Raspberry and White Chocolate Buns
Lobster and Roast Salmon Crusty Club Cob
Ingredients
l large bread cob
Garlic butter
l jar of good basil pesto
l large lettuce, all the green leaves removed, discard the centre
2 large firm tomatoes
l tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
2 cooked tails from two x 2lb lobsters
8 large thick slices of roast smoked salmon
Freshly ground black pepper
Sea salt
l dessert spoon of mayo or your favourite dressing
Lemon juice
Method
1). Cut the lid off the cob, roughly 5 centimetres in diameter. Remove all the bread from the inside of the cob, so you have a sturdy shell.
2). With the back of a dessert spoon, spread the garlic butter all over the inside of the cob and then on the underneath side of the lid.
3). Put 3 or 4 lettuce leaves in the bottom of the cob, right up to the sides. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
4). Slice each lobster tail into four - lenghtways and lay half of them on top of the lettuce with a thin coating of pesto on each piece.
5). Next lay 4 slices of salmon on top of the lobster and sprinkle with black pepper and a little lemon juice and press down firmly.
6). Then add another layer of lettuce leaves and tomato slices and sprinkle half of the thyme leaves on top and more salt and pepper.
7). Add the rest of the losbster coated in pesto and the salmon, again sprinkle with pepper and lemon juice and the rest of the thyme leaves.
8). Finally add the remainder of the lettuce leaves rubbed with mayo or dressing and press down firmly.
9). Place the lid on top and press down again.
10). Wrap the cob in foil and place on a flat board or plate.
11). Place a flat plate or bread board on top of the cob and weigh down with a 2lb. weight or 3 tins of fizzy drink.
12). Leave in the fridge to press overnight.
13). Place on a round wooden board, cut into wedges with an electric knife, this keeps the cob neat.
14). Transport to the picnic in a cool box, ready sliced.
15). Pull out a wedge and watch your friends enjoy.
16). This sandwich has a real WOW factor.
Ingredients
l large Thermos food flask
2lb. well hung Top side of beef. Cut into one inch chunks.
3 tablespoons of olive oil.
l large onion, roughly chopped.
l red and l yellow pepper, cut into one inch chunks.
l tablespoon of plain flour.
a bottle of good Argentine red wine.
4 cloves of garlic, finely chopped.
2 sprigs of fresh thyme
half teaspoon of smoked chipotle chillies.
6 slices of smoked bacon
2 tablespoons of roasted red pepper pesto
2 beef stock cubes.
Method
1). Heat the oil in a large flame proof casserole.
2). Cook the bacon until crisp and set aside. Sear the chunks of beef and set aside.
3). Next sear the peppers and onions and set aside
4). Return everything to the casserole and chop the bacon and add that too. Mix everything together and add the flour, stirring to soak up the juices.
5). Gradually poor in the wine to cover the meat, stirring all the time... Drink the rest of the wine.
6). Add the garlic, herbs and beef stock cubes and season with salt and pepper to taste., then add the roasted pepper pesto and the chillies.
7). Give it all a good stir.
8). Put the lid on and simmer gently for one hour.
9). Test the meat and if it is not quite tender, cook a little longer , until perfect.
10). Pour into your Thermos and take to the picnic.
11). Serve in rustic bowls with crusty bread.
Sicilian Smoked Partridge Pate
Ingredients
l lb. of your favourite chicken liver pate, bought or home-made.
3 brace of smoked partridge breasts - roughly chopped.
l tablespoon of your favourite red pesto
4 sundried tomatoes - finely chopped.
6 Italian black olives - chopped
Freshly ground black pepper.
Method
1). Put the pate in a large bowl and soften with a fork.
2). Add the pesto and sundried tomatoes and olives.
3). Taste and add more pesto if necessary.
4). Add a grind of black pepper
5). Gently fold in the partridge.
6). Pile into a rustic bowl and pop into your cool box.
7). Serve with Ciabatta or black pepper crackers.
Ingredients
l lb chunky white crab meat.
3 large spring onions - chopped.
2 cloves of garlic - finely chopped.
2 teaspoons of good quality mild curry powder.
2 teaspoons of chopped fresh parsley.
Juice of one lime
l pack of filo pastry (8 sheets)
Melted butter.
Method
1). Melt a good knob of butter in a shallow pan and add the spring onions.
2). Cook gently for 5 minutes and add the garlic and curry powder and cook for a further 5 minutes. Do not brown.
3). Check the crab meat for any bits of shell, being careful not to break the chunks
4). Add the parsley and the lime juice and stir in the onion mixture - carefullyl.
5). Lay a sheet of filo pastry on a board and brush with melted butter.
6). Then lay another piece on top and brush with melted butter again. Repeat until you have 4 sheets of pastry.
7). Put half the crab filling along the longest edge of filo in an even line, and roll the edge of the pastry around the filling.
8). Keep rolling to the other end.
9). Brush with melted butter
10). Repeat with the remaining sheets and crab filling
11). Place the strudels on a baking sheet and slice half way through - into one and a half inch slices on the diagonal.
12). Bake at 200c. gas 6 for fifteen to twenty minutes, until golden brown.
13). Slice all the way through and serve warm OR cool and wrap up and put in a cool box for your picnic.
Plum Tomato Tarte Tatin with Parmesan Pastry
Ingredients
l x lb baby plum tomatoes
Good honey, Manuka if possible.
l tablespoon of breadcrumbs
Black pepper
250 gr. of puff pastry
piece of fresh parmesan
Extra virgin olive oil.
Sea salt
Method
1). Heat a tarte tatin pan on high, pop in the tomatoes and sprinkle on 2 tablespoons of olive oil, a good pinch of salt, black pepper and one tablespoon of honey.Then add a tablespoon of breadcrumbs.
2). Turn the heat down to medium and leave.
3). Roll out the puff pastry - quite thin, and grate some parmesan over the pastry.
4). Fold one third of the pastry into the centre and then the other half over the cheeseless pastry.
5). Roll out the pastry to the size of the tarte tatin pan.
6). Turn the tomatoes off the heat and put the puff circle on top of the tomatoes.
7). Ease the pastry down the sides so all the tomatoes are encasedBrush to top with beaten egg, Bake in the oven at 200c. Gas 6. for fifteen to twenty minutes, until puffed and golden
8). Put a plate over the top of the pan and turn the whole thing upside down so the tarte drops onto the plate. - Pastry side down.
9). Sprinkle with a few basil and mint leaves - if desired.
10). Eat warm or wrap up and pop into your picnic basket.
Well Hung Fillet of Beef Stuffed with Spiced Mushrooms
Ingredients
45 gr. of pine nuts
2 x tablespoon of olive oil
l large onion - finely chopped
4 garlic cloves - finely chopped
2 teaspoons of ground corriander
1 and a half tea spoons of ground cardamon
1 teaspoon of ground cumin
3 teaspoons of paprika
1/4 teaspoon of salt
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
Freshly ground black pepper
75 gr. raisins
250 gr. chestnut mushrooms - chopped
1 & 1/2 kilos of well hung fillet of beef - in one whole fillet, trimmed of fat.
2 tablespoons of black pepper corns - coarsley crushed
4 tablespoon of freshly chopped parsley.
Method
1). Brown the pine nuts in a dry frying pan for 30 seconds.
2). Heat l tablespoon of oil in a large heavy frying pan - over medium heat.
3). Add the onion and cook until soft but not brown.
4). Stir in the garlic, corriander, cardomen, cummin, 2 teaspoons of the paprika and 3/4 tsp. salt , the cayenne and plenty of freshly ground pepper.
5). Continue cooking for two minutes.
6). Then stir in the mushrooms and the raisins.
7). Cook the mixture - stirring frequently for a further fifteen minutes.
8). Stir in the pine nuts and allow the stuffing to cool for thirty minutes.
9). Pre heat the oven to 220c. Gas 7.
10). Insert a long thin bladed carving knife through the centre of the fillet and make a hole through to the other end.
11). Withdraw the knife and insert a well scrubbed sharpening steel into the slit. Gently rotate the steel and work up and down and side to side, until you have created a hole l - 2 inches wide.
12). With your fingers carefully push the cooled stuffing into the fillet until the hole is completely and compactly filled.
13). Tie the stuffed fillet at l" intervals with string.
14). Season the meat with the remaining salt and coat it evenly with the crushed pepper corns.
15). Heat the remaining oil in a large heavy roasting tin and lightly brown the fillet all over in the hot oil
16). Put the roasting pan into the oven and cook the fillet for thirty minutes. This will be medium/rare.
17). Cool the fillet for l hour then cover it loosely with foil and chill overnight or at least four hours.
18). Before packing the fillet for your picnic remove the string and sprinkle with the parsley and remaining paprika.
19). Wrap the meat in foil and pop into your cool box.
20). You will need a sharp knife to slice the meat.
Moist Little Lemon and Almond Friands
Ingredients
l80gr. butter
6 large egg whites
75gr. plain flour
2l0 gr. icing sugar
l25 gr. ground almonds
l tsp. lemon essence / oil
Method
1). Pre heat two baking sheets at 200c. Gas 6.
2). Melt the butter in a saucepan over a low heat.
3). Grease the inside of each hole of a muffin tin with the melted butter and leave the rest of the butter to cool.
4). In a large bowl whisk the egg whites until frothy - but not at the soft peak stage.
5). Sift the flour and icing sugar over the egg whites and sprinkle the almonds on top.
6). Add the lemon essence and pour into the cooled butter. Mix carefully until the batter is completely smooth.
7). Spoon into the muffin tins and cook on the baking sheets for l3 to l5 minutes. They should be light golden and springy to the touch.
Chewy Raspberry and White Chocolate Buns
Ingredients
l90 gr. butter
l50 gr. white chocolate
l jar of seedless raspberry jam
80gr. raspberries - fresh or frozen.
2l0 gr. golden castor sugar
3 large eggs - beaten
225 gr. s.r. flour - sieved.
Method
1). Pre heat oven to l80c. gas 4.
2). Very gently warm the butter and chocolate until melted and stir until smooth.
3). Add the jam, and off the heat stir until melted.
4). Add the sugar and the eggs - beat well.
5). Then stir in the sieved flour and beat well.
6). Gently stir in the raspberries and spoon into bun cases - about 3/4 full.
7). Cook the buns on a baking sheet for l5 to 20 minutes - BUT keep checking, gently opening and closing the oven door when you check.
8). The Buns should be only just firm on the top.
9). Cool on a wire wrack
