From Episode 173: Lauren's Menu

Oysters with Beluga Caviar

Serves 4

Ingredients:
 
Crushed ice
24 fresh live oysters, scrubbed well, shucked and left on the half shell
1 ounce/30 g Beluga caviar

Method:

Cover a serving platter with 1/2 inch/1.3 cm of crushed ice. Arrange the oysters atop the ice. Spoon the caviar atop the oysters and serve immediately.

Caramelized Wing of Skate with White Asparagus, Capers and Lemon Juice

Serves 4

Ingredients:

2 bunches white asparagus (about 2 pounds/900 g total), woody portion removed
Four 6-ounce/170-g filets of boned skate wing
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
All purpose flour, for dusting
3 tablespoons/45 ml olive oil
4 ounces/113 g butter
1/3 cup/80 ml fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons/20 g drained capers
1 1/2 tablespoons/5 g grated lemon peel
2 tablespoons/5 g finely chopped fresh flat leaf parsley
Dried parsley leaves, for garnish

Method:

Bring a large pot of water to a boil over a high heat. Add the asparagus and cook for 2 minutes or until crisp-tender. Remove the asparagus from the boiling water and place the asparagus on a large plate to cool. Heat 1 1/2 tablespoons/20 ml of oil in a large nonstick sauté pan over medium to high heat.

Sprinkle the skate filets with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Cover the skate filets in the flour to coat lightly. Place two skate filets in the pan and cook for about 2 minutes per side or until golden brown and just cooked through.

Using a long metal spatula, remove the skate filets from the pan and place them on a warm platter. Repeat with the remaining 1 1/2 tablespoons/20 ml of oil and skate filets. Return the pan to the heat and add the butter. Cook the butter for 1 minute or until it melts and becomes golden brown.

Add the asparagus to the pan and cook for 2 minutes, tossing to coat with the butter. Season with salt and pepper. Stir in the lemon juice, capers, lemon zest and finely chopped parsley. Simmer for 2 minutes or until the sauce reduces slightly and the flavors blend.

Divide the asparagus among 4 plates. Top with the skate filets and drizzle the sauce over the skate filets. Garnish with the dried parsley leaves and serve.

Individual Strawberry Cheesecakes with Aged Balsamic Vinegar

Serves 4

Ingredients:

For the crust:

5 1/2 ounces/155 g digestive cookies or biscotti
4 tablespoons/55 g melted unsalted butter

For the filling:

Two 8-ounce/226-g packages cream cheese, room temperature
1 cup/235 g cottage cheese, strained
½ cup/160 ml sweetened condensed milk
1/4 cup/50 g granulated sugar
1 large egg yolk
1/4 cup/55 ml water
1 teaspoon/less than 5 g unflavored gelatin
8 fresh strawberries, hulled, finely chopped

For the topping:

1/3 cup/75 ml water
¼ cup/50 g granulated sugar
1 tablespoon/15 ml fresh lemon juice
12 ounces/350 g fresh strawberries, hulled and quartered
2 teaspoons/10 ml 10- to 20-year aged balsamic vinegar

Method:

To prepare the crust:

Line the bottoms and sides of four 4-inch/10-cm-diameter round or heart-shaped springform pans (each pan should hold 1 1/4 cups/280 ml) with parchment paper. Finely grind the cookies in a food processor. Alternatively, the cookies can be finely crushed with a rolling pin. 

Blend the butter into the crumbs to form a moist sandy texture. Press the crumb mixture evenly over the bottom (not the sides) of the prepared pans.
Refrigerate the crusts while preparing the filling. For crusts that are more crisp, place the pans on a baking sheet and bake the crusts at 350°F/180°C for 18 minutes or until they are pale golden brown, then cool completely before filling.

To prepare the filling:

Blend the cream cheese in a food processor until smooth and creamy, scraping down the sides and bottom of the mixing bowl occasionally to ensure that no lumps remain. Add the cottage cheese and continue to blend until smooth and creamy.

Add the sweetened condensed milk, sugar and egg yolk and blend well. Set aside. Place the water in a small saucepan. Sprinkle the gelatin over the water and let stand for 5 minutes or until the gelatin softens.  Stir the gelatin mixture over a medium heat for about 1½ minutes or until the gelatin dissolves. 
 
With the food processor running, slowly pour the hot melted gelatin mixture through the feed tube and into the cream cheese mixture in a thin stream. Continue to process to ensure the gelatin is very well blended. Transfer the cream cheese mixture to a bowl and stir in the strawberries. Spoon the cream cheese mixture into the prepared pans, dividing equally.

Refrigerate for at least 3 hours or until the cheesecakes are cold and set. Unlock and remove the pan sides and the parchment paper from the cheesecakes. Remove the cheesecakes from pan bottoms and transfer to individual serving plates. You can use a small knife to smooth the sides of the cheesecakes, if necessary.

To prepare the topping:

Place a medium saucepan over a medium to high heat.  Add the water, sugar and lemon juice and simmer gently for 2 minutes or until the sugar is dissolved and the mixture is syrupy. Add the strawberries and remove from heat.

Gently stir the mixture, allowing the strawberry mixture to cool. The strawberries will soften slightly and flavor the syrup as it cools. Spoon the strawberry mixture over and around the individual cheesecakes. Drizzle the balsamic vinegar over the cheesecakes and serve.