Don't steal my basil pot
I HAVE just returned from the splendid wedding in the depths of Shropshire of that wild hunting man Rory Knight Bruce to the enchanting grotto-builder Belinda Eade. A perfect September day, a fascinating church, St Chad's in Shrewsbury, rather Russian in formation, I thought, a very ecu- menical service where the Catholic priest upset everyone (nearly) in his address by calling a spade a shovel. Good stuff. Lovely reception and crazy dancing till dawn. I was accompanied by our beloved Christopher Howse, who has sadly left us for the Sunday Telegraph and who will be greatly missed by us all; a perfect walker for me but never- theless I am shattered by all these gaieties.
I trust you all have enormous quantities of basil sprouting from your window boxes or gardens after all this good weather, for here is the most delicious form of puréed potatoes I have ever had, I got it from Suzie Booth, whose husband is the intoner of 'This is the Jazz Programme'. Three ounces of basil is an awful lot of basil leaves but you can now buy bunches of French basil for about £1 at my favourite stall in Tatchbrook Street market, run by Fred and Caroline Foster.
Pureed basil potatoes
2 lbs potatoes (Maris Piper, Belle de Fonte- nay, Binges or King Edward)
3 oz basil leaves Ilz pint single cream 114 pint olive oil Salt and pepper
Boil the potatoes in their skins until just cooked. Simmering rather than wild boiling is best to avoid bursting skins. Turn out into the sink, then peel as soon as manage- able. Purée through a mouli into a warmed pot or casserole. Add the cream, slightly heated. Keep the potatoes hot over a saucepan of boiling water. Place the basil leaves and the olive oil in a blender or pro- cessor and whizz into a green sludge. Beat the sludge into the potatoes and season with good salt and a lavish amount of fresh ground black pepper. This produces a won- derful mound of pale-green potatoes with a scent of heaven. Excellent with pale-pink lamb, red beef, fish or practically anything.
Raymond Blanc has produced another great book, Cooking for Friends (Headline £25.00). I have chosen a nice humble (as
possible) receipt from it, using leftovers.
Meat loaf souffle with tomato coulis 11 oz leftover cooked meat (veal, pork, lamb
or beef), roughly chopped
3/4 oz finely chopped parsley
8 tarragon leaves, finely chopped 2 garlic cloves, peeled, crushed and puréed 4 egg yolks 7 fluid oz milk 7 egg whites Salt and fresh ground pepper 1 teaspoon lemon juice Butter for greasing
Butter four soufflé dishes 4 in. diameter x 23'4 in. high. Preheat oven to 375F, 190C, Gas 5. Mince the meat for 30 seconds in a processor. Place in a bowl with the parsley, tarragon, garlic, egg yolks and milk. Season with salt and pepper, mix thoroughly with a spatula, check seasoning. Whisk the egg whites in a bowl until forming soft peaks, add the lemon juice and a pinch of salt and carry on whisking until firm peaks are achieved. Take one third of the egg whites and combine thoroughly with the meat mix- ture. Carefully fold in the remainder of the, whites. Adjust seasoning. Pour the mixture into the soufflé dishes, place them in a roasting tin, add enough hot water to come one third up the height of the dishes. Bring the water to the boil on top of the stove, then place into the preheated oven, on a lower rather than a higher shelf, and cook for 40-45 minutes. Run a knife along the inside of the dishes, shake sideways to loosen and turn out on to a large, warm charger. Pour the tomato sauce over and around the souffles. Sprinkle with the pars- ley and serve. Great with the potatoes above, I reckon. The tomato sauce, which can be made the day before and reheated, goes thus: In a casserole, sweat a small chopped onion in a tablespoon of olive oil for three minutes, add a crushed garlic clove and 11 oz seeded and chopped tomatoes, 4-5, chopped tarragon leaves and a sprig or thyme. Cover and sweat for 5 minutes. Uncover, add two heaped tablespoons of tomato purée and 7 fluid oz of water. Sim- mer for 30 minutes, season with salt and pepper, pass through a sieve and reserve for use.
Jennifer Paterson
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