Cornucopia Cooks is closed until Monday 5th March.

Chocolate Mousse

This should really be called “Tish’s Chocolate Mousse” as it is my mums recipe that has been made in our family since the early 1970′s. Although my mum does not make this weekly any more, my sister (who has taken the recipe to Australia), manages to produce it at least monthly. 
This recipe is really versatile in as much as you can make a purely “adult” mousse or a yummy “family” mousse.
I have put the basic recipe below, with suggestions of how to adapt the recipe to suit mood and circumstances! 

enough for 6
180g dark chocolate
6 large eggs (works best if eggs are very fresh and at room temperature)
2 Tbs strong coffee

1. Melt the chocolate in a bain Marie.
2. Separate the eggs.
3. Whisk the egg yolks until a bit lighter in colour, gently stir in the cooled coffee.
4. In a separate bowl whisk the egg whites until they hold a soft peak.
5. Stir the melted, cool chocolate into the egg yolks and coffee.
6. Add 1 scoop of the whisked egg white to the egg yolk  mixture and gently fold in with a metal spoon.
7. Add the remainder of the egg whites to the yolk mixture and carefully fold in, with the metal spoon.
8. This is the mousse which now needs to be chilled for a couple of hours before eating – you can scoop into 6 ramekins, teacups or 1 bowl. Cover and place in fridge.

Although you can make this mousse the day before it is best made and eaten on the same day. It can be kept for up to 3 days after making.

• To make a more adult mousse use very dark chocolate (72%), you can also up the amount of chocolate used. This will make a slightly denser mousse, but far more satisfying for serious chocoholics!
• For a mousse suitable for younger persons, add a milkier chocolate.
• If you want to add other flavours, orange zest works well, substitute brandy for half of the coffee, a small amount of ground cardamom creates a sophisticated mousse, as does a little finely chopped chili (only if using dark mousse – try a tiny bit of grated lime zest with the chili!)

Spring menu suggestion one

Sorrel soup with crispy pancetta

Rack of lamb with a rosemary jus, glazed with mustard hollandaise
Seasonal Vegetables and roast potatoes

Rhubarb meringue pie served with Jersey double cream

*English cheese board

Spring menu suggestion two

Asparagus with a sage hollandaise

Paella with chicken, seafood and chorizo (or you choose)
Young leaf and shoot salad 

Warm polenta, lemon and poppy seed cake served with lemon ice-cream 

Spring menu suggestion three

Pan fried sea bas served with a saffron sauce and topped with crispy leeks

Seared duck breast with orange, lime, lemon, star anise and szechuan pepper
Creamed polenta and seasonal  veg

Dark chocolate mousse served with ginger shortbread

*French cheese board

* items suggestion which can be added at an additional cost.
The cost of the menu starts at £27.00 per person, this includes nibbles, table water and coffee.
(Items like beef Wellington will cost more)
Feel free to add additional courses – some suggestions
You bring your own soft and alcoholic drinks.
Corkage is not charged!
The menu is a suggestion, if you would like to change any course please let me know.
For more information contact Sandy

Menu for Thursday, 9th February, 2011:

• A small cup of something delicious !
• Steak and kidney pie, served with celeriac and potato mash, fresh seasonal vegetables
• Chocolate mousse with ginger shortbread
• Coffee / tea with something chocolatey

Dining club info.

Dear Sandy,
Just to say, thanks for delicious food and lovely convivial evening.
There are so many friendly and interesting people living in Eynsham!
Look forward to when we next come.
Mike and Margherita (January 26th 2012)

Monday 6th February 2012

• Hone your cooking skills, expand your repertoire –  join one of the great cooking classes  at Cornucopia Cooks. There are 2 places left for: Gluten free cooking on Saturday 17th March, and Malaysian dishes explored on Friday 23rd of March. 
• This weeks dining club is fully booked, if you fancy joining one of the evenings, there are still places left for the  “veggie” dining club on Thursday March 15th and  dining club on Thursday, March 29th.
• Cornucopia Cooks kitchen will be closed from Friday 10th February until Monday 5th of March. Stock up on ready meals to cover this period. Remember there is also a great choice of dishes in the freezer.

Cooking this week:

Seville Orange Marmalade
approx 7 or 8 500ml jars 

1kg Seville oranges
2 litres water approx
2kg sugar
Juice of 3 lemons

To ensure your marmalade sets well, it is important to take the time to soak the fruit as detailed below. Soaking of the fruit and pips helps release the pectin in the fruit. Pectin is the setting agent. Seville oranges are high in pectin, adding lemon juice, which is very high in pectin, is a bit of a belt and braces step. 
Do not be tempted to double this recipe. Rather make two batches. After many years of making preserves in large quantities, I have found that setting is much more successful if made in smaller quantities.

1. Give your oranges a good clean (scrub if necessary)
2. Cut in half and squeeze. Place the juice in a preserving pan (non aluminium) which will be large enough for all the ingredients.
3. Collect the pips and place in a small bowl, cover them with water, cover and set aside.
4. Slice the peel (including any flesh) into slices, thin or thick, depending on your preference. Try to make sure that however you cut the peel, the thickness is consistent.
5. Place the sliced peel into the preserving pan and cover with water. Cover pan.
6. The next day, place the water that the pips were soaking in into the preserving pan. It may be a little jelly like – this is pectin. Tie  the pips firmly in some muslim. Add this to the preserving pan.
7. Ensure the peel is covered with water and bring to a gentle simmer. Simmer until the peel is soft when squashed between your fingers. It should be as soft as you like the peel in your marmalade. As soon as sugar is added the peel will not soften any further.
8. When the peel is soft, strain off the liquid and measure. You need 2 litres of liquid in total. If you have less, top it up with water. If you have more, gently simmer the liquid until you have 2 litres.
9. In your preserving pan you now want the peel, sugar, 2 litres of liquid, juice from the lemons and squeezed out liquid from the pips in muslim. Squeeze out as much as you can.
10. Bring this to the boil and boil until setting point is achieved. If any white froth collects, skim it off.
11. Bottle.

Some preserves benefit from keeping. marmalade is ready for your toast the next day. Enjoy.

If you fancy adding ginger add some chopped fresh ginger when you boil the peel with water. If you fancy adding alcohol, add this once setting point has been achieved. Stir it in, let it  it steam a bit before bottling - obviously don’t add too much as this will affect the setting.

We are in the middle of the Seville orange season and marmalade makers up and down the country are buying their Sevilles to embark on the task of making a years supply of this delicious preserve.

"Seville oranges" picture courtesy of Martin Golsby

Oranges originated in China and were brought to Europe via the Arabs and the spice trade .
All oranges were originally sour, like the Seville orange.

The word orange, narayam is Dravidian Indian and originated about3000 years ago. Narayam means “perfume within”.
The Arabs then took the word from the Persians and it became narandj, which was then softened by the Italians to arancia.
Orange in France became a key growing area and they called the fruit orange (pronounced orraanj).

In Europe the Seville orange is grown mainly for the English marmalade market, although bitter oranges are used in many sauces in Italy and other countries.

When using Seville oranges or other bitter oranges are used in cooking the distinctive taste is orangey and tangy, a depth of flavour not attained by using sweet oranges.

Jane Grigson, Delia, Hugh Fearnley Whittingstall and the Clarke’s from Moro all use Seville oranges in delicious savoury and/or sweet recipes.

Jane Grigson uses them in her Duck a l’orange. I have tried this and it absolutely transforms the dish as the bitterness works really well with the fattiness of the duck. ( If you ever see kumquats, try using them with duck ).

If you are making a sauce with orange, try substituting some of the sweet orange juice with Seville orange juice. It really adds another dimension.

Seville oranges freeze really well. I freeze them whole and then defrost as needed, whether just for juice or for using the whole fruit.

Seville orange marmalade recipe

Menu for Thursday, 26th January, 2011:

• A small cup of something delicious !
• Pan fried chicken breast on a puy lentil and fungi ragout, mashed sweet potato and potato, seasonal vegetables
• Plum and apple with a hazelnut crumble with custard
• Coffee / tea with something chocolatey

Dining club info.

Monday 16th January 2012