Fantasy Veggie Dinner Guest - LOIE FULLER

Loie Fuller was an American actress who became famous for her modern dance interpretations, incorporating silk costumes and revolutionary lighting techniques.
In the 1890s, she found recognition in Paris and performed regularly at Folies Bergère.

Here is a beautiful film (Pathe 1905) of her in action.

Her dancing at Folies Bergère was discussed in this amazing book I had for my birthday this year.

I don't know of any existing menu for Folies Bergère, but the book contains one for the other famous French cabaret club, Le Chat Noir.

This one calls for classic French recipes, (tweaked to make them vegetarian). Each serves 2. 

Tonight, Zelda and Loie will be eating these items from the menu:
Soupe a l'Oignon
Gruyere Sandwich
Omelette aux Fine Herbes
Pomme de Terre Frites

Soupe a l'Oignon - French Onion Soup

3 large onions
1tbsp olive oil
3 garlic cloves
1tsp sugar
2tsp fresh thyme chopped + 2 whole sprigs to garnish
1tbsp plain flour
1½ litres vegetable stock
dash of white wine
2 slices French bread
50g gruyere cheese, grated

Peel 2 of the garlic cloves. Finely chop with the thyme.

Peel and finely slice the onions.

Heat the oil in a large pan and add the onions.
Cook over a very low heat for about 10 minutes (until soft).

Stir in the chopped thyme, chopped onions and sugar. 

Continue to cook (for as low and long as possible) until golden.
Sprinkle in the flour and cook, stirring, for a minute or so. Then add the wine and the stock.
Bring to the boil. (If any scum comes to the surface, skim it off.)

Reduce the heat to very low again and simmer gently for about 45 minutes.
Toast the bread on both sides under the grill. 

Rub the toasted bread with the remaining peeled garlic clove.

Ladle the soup into heat-proof bowls.
Float a piece of toast in each bowl and divide the grated cheese between each piece.
Grill for 2-3 minutes until the cheese has melted.
Serve with the remaining thyme.

Gruyere Sandwich - see Croque Monsieur

Omelette aux Fines Herbes

6 free range eggs
100g butter
½tsp chopped chives
½tsp fresh flat-leaf parsley
½tsp chopped chervil
salt and black pepper
additional chopped chives to garnish

Mix the chopped herbs together.
Break 3 eggs into a bowl and beat with a fork. Add half of the chopped herbs and season well.

Heat half of the butter in a pan until it froths.

Pour in the egg mixture.
As it starts to set, draw the outsides to the centre and allow the raw egg to move to the edges. 

Cook for about half a minute more so that the underneath is golden. Allow the top to stay creamy.

Tilt the pan and roll the omelette into a cigar shape and onto a plate.
Garnish with more chopped chives.

Repeat for the second omelette.

Pommes de Terre Frites

4 large potatoes 

lots of oil – I used sunflower oil 

Peel the potatoes and slice into chunky chips.
Leave in a bowl of cold water for about ten minutes. 

Drain and dry well. 

Heat the oil in a deep pan.
When very hot, add the chips in two batches.

Stir a little if needed to allow all to fry freely for about 6 minutes.
Remove, using a slotted metal spoon and allow to cool.

When ready to eat, reheat the oil and cook for another 5 minutes.

Place on absorbent paper to remove any of the remaining oil.

Serve sprinkled with salt. 

Serve with a cheeky little bottle of French wine and some appropriate music:

Fantasy Veggie Dinner Guests - NIGEL AND BRIAN CLOUGH

Two guests this time: a father and son - Brian and Nigel
Clough.

 Anyone who knows Zelda knows that she has very little interest in football. Yet, it is impossible to be near Nottingham and not respect these two. 

Brian (especially these days) is not necessarily everyone's 'cup of tea', but he spoke his mind and came up with some of the greatest quotes ever: 

Zelda's favourite is: They say Rome wasn't built in a day, but I wasn't on that particular job.

By chance, I happened to be at Derby station in 2009 when

Nigel Clough arrived by train from Burton on Trent to take control of his father's old club. It didn't work out but I have followed his career ever since. He did his best work back at Burton Albion, resigning this year in a magnanimous gesture to save the club money in the current crisis.

According to All About Beer Magazine, "Admirers of British beer know that Burton on Trent is one of England’s great brewing towns. Its breweries - Ind Coope, Bass, Worthington’s, Allsopp - developed India Pale Ale, Britain’s leading export beer in the 19th century". 

It is only fitting, therefore, that a meal for these two should be a working class classic (a veggie version of Fish and Chips) made with the drink they would recognise.

BEER-BATTERED HALLOUMI

1 pack halloumi
50g plain flour
50g cornflour
1tsp baking powder
1tsp turmeric
100ml beer 
sunflower oil for frying

Combine dry ingredients.

Pour in the beer, a bit at a time, and combine to make a lump-free batter.

Cut halloumi into slices and coat them in the batter.

Heat oil and fry (in batches if needed).

Cool on kitchen paper. Replace in batter and fry again.

Serve (of course) with thick chips. 

VEGETABLE ROSTI WITH FRIED EGGS

This is a lovely spicy dish which is high in flavour and low in naughtiness. It is like a potato rosti but healthier. The other benefit of using these vegetables instead of potatoes, is that you don't need to go through the process of removing the moisture before you can cook them. Spray oil also means that they do not become greasy. 

Makes 6 (serves 3 - 4)

2 carrots, peeled
2 parsnips, peeled
1 onion, peeled
1 courgette
2tsp rose harissa paste 

6 eggs
salt and black pepper
spray oil

Grate all the vegetables into a bowl using a box grater.
Season and mix together well.
Stir in the harissa paste. (This will make it very spicy as well as binding.) 

Spray a pan and heat.
Fry in batches over a low heat. The lower the heat and the longer you fry for, the more robust they will be. 

Turn very carefully at intervals. 

Place on a plate to keep warm. 

Fry the eggs.

Top each one with an egg.

Fantasy Veggie Dinner Guest - MR COLLINS

Let's be honest, everybody loves Mr Darcy. But I remember paying a small fortune in a Bath tea room for 'Tea with Mr Darcy' and he didn't even turn up! 

I think it might be more fun to have Mr Collins over. If you know your "P and P" you will recognise this description:

Mr. Collins was not a sensible man . . . A fortunate chance had recommended him to Lady Catherine de Bourgh when the living of Hunsford was vacant; and the respect which he felt for her high rank and his veneration for her as his patroness, mingling with a very good opinion of himself, of his authority as a clergyman, and his rights as a rector, made him altogether a mixture of pride and obsequiousness, self-importance and humility.

He has been portrayed brilliantly by Tom Hollander:

and David Bamber:

So let's have 'Tea with Mr Collins' and enjoy his eccentric company...

Menu

Cheese Scones
Coronation Chicken Sandwiches
Cheese and Cucumber Sandwiches

    served with crisps

Mini Rhubarb Crumbles
Coconut Buns

Cheese Scones with Cheddar and Onion Chutney

First make the scones

Makes 6-8 

200g self raising flour
pinch of salt
40g butter, cut into small pieces
50g cheddar cheese, grated
125ml milk

Mix flour and salt. Add the butter and mix in with fingertips until it resembles bread crumbs.
Stir through 40g of the cheese.

Add the milk a little at a time, stirring then lightly kneading to make a dough.
Roll out a lightly floured surface until about 3cm thick.
Cut into rounds (I used a juice glass as a guide).
Place onto a greased baking tray and brush with a little more milk and the rest of the cheese.

Cook in oven at 220˚C/ 425˚F/ Gas 7 for about 10 minutes until risen and golden.
Allow to cool.

When cold, cut in half.

Spread with butter and fill with cheddar cheese slices and onion chutney. 

Coronation 'Chicken' Sandwiches

For the Coronation 'Chicken'

6tbsp mayonnaise
3tsp curry powder
3tbsp sultanas
150g quorn chicken style pieces
1tbsp mango chutney
1tsp olive oil

Defrost the quorn pieces and then cook gently in the oil until soft.

Remove from the heat and, when cool, chop into smaller, irregular size pieces.

In a large bowl, mix the curry powder with the mayonnaise and add the sultanas.

Then add all the other ingredients. Season and mix well.

Then make the sandwiches.

For the bread, I used Soda Bread

Slice and fill with the coronation mixture

Cheese and Cucumber Sandwiches

This is a very traditional part of the 'Regency tea'. I thought, though, that I would modernise it a little by including some lovely cream cheese as well.

Cut crusts off the bread. (Keep for breadcrumbs)

Spread with a fine layer of butter.

Then add a thicker layer of cream cheese.

Cut fine cucumber slices and place on top with a little pepper.

Cut into quarters.

Mini Rhubarb Crumbles

300g rhubarb
50g caster sugar
1tbsp light brown sugar
spritz of fresh orange juice
½tsp cinnamon
50g plain flour
50g oats
1tsp baking powder
50g butter
60g brown sugar

Makes 4

Trim rhubarb and strip off any stringy bits
Cut into 1cm pieces and place in the individual dishes.
Sprinkle over caster sugar, soft brown sugar, cinnamon and spritz of orange juice. 

Sift flour and baking powder into a bowl.
Add butter and rub in until mixture resembles breadcrumbs.
Mix in the sugar and oats. 

Spoon crumble on top of rhubarb.

Bake for about 20 minutes at 200˚C/ 390˚F/ Gas 6.

Serve with custard or cream. 

Coconut Buns 

50g self raising flour
25g desiccated coconut
50g butter, softened
50g caster sugar
1 egg, beaten
12 glace cherries

Mix the flour and coconut.

Cream the butter and sugar together until pale and fluffy.
Add the beaten egg, a little at a time, mixing well.
Fold in half the flour mixture. Then fold in the other half.

(Mixture should drop from the spoon so add a couple of teaspoons of milk if needed.)
Place 8 bun cases in a tray and share the mixture between them. Place a glace cherry in each one.

Cook in oven at 190˚C/ 375˚F/ Gas 5 for about 15 minutes.
Place on cooling rack.
Later sprinkle with a bit more coconut and top with another cherry half, using some liquid sugar to stick if necessary.