best works with flower flavoured tea e.g. 'montagne de jade' from Mariage frêres
6Verbena leaves
or 3 verbena tea bags
1 glassSake
or white wine
500mlAlmond milk
Maple syrup
Vanilla powder
Olive oil
Fleur de sel
Salt
Ground black pepper
Overview
Share
A refined menu with sweet and sour flavours, rich in delicate spices and herbs with a Japanese touch (I love using tea leaves in my dishes), it can be enjoyed all year around
Prepare verbena infused almond milk: Pre-eat oven to hot air (fan) 170C. In a saucepan pour 500ml almond milk. Add 12 dried verbena leaves (or 3 verbena tea bags). When the milk is just warm (do not boil) switch off heat and let infuse for 8 minutes
Prepare egg mixture: In a small mixing bowl, whisk together 3 eggs, 3 TBSP maple syrup and ½ tsp vanilla powder for 1 min
Combine milk and eggs mixtures: Pour slowly the verbena almond milk over the whisked eggs in the mixing bowl using a sieve to remove the verbena leaves. Whisk and pour in 3 ramekins
Bake flans: Place the ramekins in an oven-safe dish filled with water half way up the sides of the ramekins. Bake in oven for 35 minutes. Let cool and serve at room temperature or refrigerated
2
Done
5' preparation + 15' cooking
Spicy carrot & herb soup with kale chips
Prepare the carrot soup base: In a large pan of boiling water add 6 peeled carrots cut in small chunks (2cm), 1tsp cumin and some salt. Cook for 15 minutes over medium heat
3
Done
5' preparation + 10' cooking
Duck breast with green tea & sake pears
Cook pears: Cut 3 pears in quarters, remove seeds but keep skin. Cut each quarter in 2 slices. In a non-stick skillet over medium heat melt 1 TBSP olive oil, add the pear slices and a small glass of sake (or white wine). Rub 1 TBSP green tea leaves between your hands, sprinkle over the pears. Let cook gently for 10-12 minutes. Add more sake or wine if needed, there should be about 1 large TBSP of sauce remaining
4
Done
10' preparation + 10' cooking
Spicy carrot & herb soup, kale chips
Add flavouring and mix soup: Add to the pan 1 glass of fresh orange juice, 6 coriander sprigs and 6 flat parsley sprigs (keep 6 parsley leaves for decoration). Mix the soup with hand blender until you get a homogenous consistency (add more orange juice if too thick). Add ground black pepper to taste, keep warm until serving
Bake kale chips: Pre-heat oven to hot air (fan) 160C. Remove the leaves from 1 thick stem kale head, dry leaves well in a kitchen towel. Cut leaves with your scissors into bite size pieces. Put the kale pieces in a mixing bowl, add 1 TBSP olive oil and toss gently until all leaves are coated with oil. Lay kale in a single layer on a baking tray covered with parchment paper and sprinkle with salt. Bake in the oven until crispy, about 10 minutes
5
Done
15' preparation
Duck breast with green tea & sake pears
Cook duck breasts: Slash 2 duck breasts fat in parallel cuts. In a warm non-stick skillet place the duck breasts, fat facing skillet. Let the fat melt for 10 minutes over medium heat. Turn around and cook further for another 5 minutes (the meat should remain pink inside)
6
Done
Spicy carrot & herb soup, kale chips
To serve: pour the carrot soup in individual glass bowls, place each glass bowl on a small plate, add 2 parsley leaves for decoration and place kale chips on the plate around the glass bowls
7
Done
Duck breast with green tea & sake pears
To serve: Place on each plate thin slices of duck breast, add pears slices in star shape, cut parsley leaves with scissors over the dish. Pour the sauce from the pears on the meat. Add fleur de sel and ground black pepper on the meat
