Staple2

Plum and vanilla cake  TOPPING ninety grams (3/4 cup) plain (all-purpose) flour hundred grams unsalted butter, chopped into small pieces ninety grams (1/3 cup) caster (superfine) sugar CAKE hundred and eighty grams unsalted butter, softened two hundred and fifty grams (1 cup) caster (superfine) sugar three eggs, lightly beaten one teaspoon vanilla extract one hundred and eighty five grams (1 1/2 cups) plain (all-purpose) flour two teaspoons baking powder five hundred grams fresh plums, halved and seeded  one/ Preheat the over to 180 celsius. two/To make the topping, place the flour butter and sugar in a bowl and rub with your fingertips until crumbly. I prefer to do do this in a food processor!  three/ To make the cake, cream the butter (melt it a bit in the microwave) and sugar together in a bowl until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Mix in the vanilla extract. Sift the flour and baking powder in the bowl and fold into the mixture. Spread into a 24cm greased or non-stick springform cake tin. four/ Top with the halved plums with the cut side up. Sprinkle with the topping and bake for one hour, or until a skewer inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean.  five/ Remove from the oven and allow to cool in the tin for ten minutes.  Serves ten to twelve
Jun 4

Plum and vanilla cake 


TOPPING

ninety grams (3/4 cup) plain (all-purpose) flour

hundred grams unsalted butter, chopped into small pieces

ninety grams (1/3 cup) caster (superfine) sugar

CAKE

hundred and eighty grams unsalted butter, softened

two hundred and fifty grams (1 cup) caster (superfine) sugar

three eggs, lightly beaten

one teaspoon vanilla extract

one hundred and eighty five grams (1 1/2 cups) plain (all-purpose) flour

two teaspoons baking powder

five hundred grams fresh plums, halved and seeded

 

one/ Preheat the over to 180 celsius.

two/To make the topping, place the flour butter and sugar in a bowl and rub with your fingertips until crumbly. I prefer to do do this in a food processor! 

three/ To make the cake, cream the butter (melt it a bit in the microwave) and sugar together in a bowl until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Mix in the vanilla extract. Sift the flour and baking powder in the bowl and fold into the mixture. Spread into a 24cm greased or non-stick springform cake tin.

four/ Top with the halved plums with the cut side up. Sprinkle with the topping and bake for one hour, or until a skewer inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean. 

five/ Remove from the oven and allow to cool in the tin for ten minutes. 

Serves ten to twelve

Pan-fried fish with bok choy and lime butter four thick white fish fillets one tablespoon light flavoured oil two heads bok choy, halved lime butter (see recipe below)   one/ Season the fish with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. Heat the oil in a large non-stick frying pan over medium-high heat until hot. Add the fish and cook for two minutes on each side or until the fish is cooked, turning just once. two/ Blanch the bok choy in a large saucepan of lightly salted boiling water for two to three minutes until bright green and tender. Drain well. three/ Serve dressed with the lime butter on top of the fish. Serves four.   Lime butter  fifty grams unsalted butter, softened zest of half a lime one tablespoon lime juice half a teaspoon sea salt  one/ In a mixing boil, whisk together all the ingredients. Not all the lime juice will mix in with the butter, this is fine. 
Jun 15

Pan-fried fish with bok choy and lime butter



four thick white fish fillets

one tablespoon light flavoured oil

two heads bok choy, halved

lime butter (see recipe below) 

 

one/ Season the fish with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. Heat the oil in a large non-stick frying pan over medium-high heat until hot. Add the fish and cook for two minutes on each side or until the fish is cooked, turning just once.

two/ Blanch the bok choy in a large saucepan of lightly salted boiling water for two to three minutes until bright green and tender. Drain well.

three/ Serve dressed with the lime butter on top of the fish.

Serves four. 

 

Lime butter
 

fifty grams unsalted butter, softened

zest of half a lime

one tablespoon lime juice

half a teaspoon sea salt
 

one/ In a mixing boil, whisk together all the ingredients. Not all the lime juice will mix in with the butter, this is fine.