Lemongrass panna cotta & spicy orange caramel

Yes, yes, I know, it's been a very long time. But good things come to those who wait or, better, to those who know how to make them themselves. So here's the way to make an absolutely superb dessert with no effort whatsoever.

Lemongrass panna cotta for 8
200ml double cream
200ml coconut milk
200ml milk
50g palm sugar (replace with brown)
50g white sugar
2 lemongrass stalks
6g gelatin

Spicy orange caramel
200g brown sugar
200ml water
1 organic orange, cut in half
2 - 3 thai chilis

Mix cream, coconut milk and milk in a pan. Tip in the two types of sugar. Bruise the lemongrass stalks with the back of a knife (a heavy pestle does a great job too). Add to the pan and simmer gently until the sugars disolve. Turn off heat, cover and let infuse for 30 min.

Soften the gelatin in cold water and drain. Add to the cream mixture (it should be warm, not hot), mix and strain everything to get rid of any unesthetic bits.

Pour in 8 tiny bowls or glasses. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours.

Meanwhile, you can get busy with preparing the spicy caramel. Mix water and sugar in a pot. Add the halved orange (skin on) and simmer on low heat until the liquid reaches a syrupy consistency - about 30 min.

Chop the chilis in fairly large chunks. Bring some water to a boil and drop the chili chunks inside. Let boil for 2 minutes, then drain the water. Add the chilis to the caramel.

To serve, briefly plunge the panna cotta bowls in hot water and invert over a dessert plate. Spoon some caramel around.

Happy spring!


Recipe adapted from Cuisiner comme un chef.

This recipe makes 0.08kilos of pure goodness.

Don't miss: special appearance at the culinary event Fourchet Vedet!

In the last post I was revealing my secret recipe for ginger & mustard Japanese dressing. I guess it's time for you to learn why do I cherish this dressing so much.

It's simply because it played an important part in me winning the Fourchet Vedet cooking contest two years ago. The winning dish was lamb sushi and miso aubergines paired with a zingy little watercress salad (with this amazing dressing on top). Don't even wonder if lamb sushi does exist - it doesn't, or at least didn't exist until I had the idea of making it.

Why invent this dubious dish then? Because the aim of the contest was to cook a creative, tasty & beautiful Asian-inspired dish in less than 1 hour, using 4 mandatory ingredients and adding a maximum number of other three ingredients. Needless to say I wished for salmon and all I got was lamb.


The next year the theme was Turkey and lamb was again on the menu. I asked for my friend's Călin help this time and we served the lamb sliced in between crispy brick pastry with quince jelly and a pistachio sauce. We won again.

But that was it. I couldn't stand seeing lamb again. In preparation for the contest we must have cooked about 10 kilos of lamb, in any imaginable and unimaginable way, experimenting with countless flavours and cooking methods. I wanted to make a deal with the organizers: they give up the lamb and I give up participating & winning their contest.

Someone must have read the frustration in my eyes. Apart from the lamb, I really enjoyed their contest and I wanted to be part of the fun. And the organizers had a great idea: to put me in the jury! I finally get to say: "dzee aciditee of dze wine combines verrry well with dze euh... dze earrrthiness of dzees mushroom"...

So if you want to see me doing my French accent or if you wonder what will replace lamb this year, come see the show this Saturday, starting at 2 p.m. The cooking contest is part of a bigger event involving tasting of dishes from around the world and it's free. It will also rain on Saturday, so there's nothing better you could do.

Address & other infos on the site of the event.


Contest photos by my faithful and patient photographer Lucian.

Wasabi beef & plums salad

Though it sounds fancy like everything else on this blog, this is a salad very simple to make. But as you might expect it's a very special one too. The big secret lays in the dressing: an explosion of sweet, salty and spicy of which you can never have enough. Or at least I can't.


Wasabi beef & plums salad for two
2 x 150g beef steaks
1 tsp wasabi paste
1 tbsp olive oil
1 bag mixed salad leaves
4 plums
1 small red onion
bunch of radishes
sesame seeds

Ginger & mustard dressing
1 tbsp grated ginger
1 tbsp grainy mustard
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp rice vinegar (or lime juice)
1 tbsp mirin (or 1 tsp brown sugar)
2-3 tbsp olive oil
salt & pepper

Season the beef steaks with salt & pepper. Spread the wasabi on the steaks and marinate in the fridge for 30 minutes at least. They will change in color but wouldn't you if you were covered in burning wasabi?

Slice the onion and radishes. Pit the plums and cut in eights. Toss with the salad leaves.

Heat a frying pan over a medium-high heat. Sear the beef on both sides. You will need to adapt the cooking time depending on the thickness of the cut, but usually 3 minutes on each side is enough.

Leave the meat to rest for 5 minutes. Cut in thin ribbons and arrange on the salad.

Put all the dressing ingredients in a jar, replace the lid and give it a good shake. Pour over the salad. Sprinkle sesame seeds on top or go for gomasio.


Combine with rice for a very satisfying & healthy lunch.

This recipe makes 0.30kilos of pure goodness.

Chorizo & smoked almonds cake

When people ask why I stopped posting I always tell them that we moved and we are still fixing/arranging/changing things in the new house. Though for a period it was true (the stuff you desperately need is always at the bottom of the last box - like your favorite knife) almost a month has passed since we've settled and know in which drawer most things are.

But I'm never short of new excuses: good recipes need time in the making. Sometimes they need 3 times, sometimes 7. Like this cake.

I first read about it on David Lebovitz's blog who adapted a recipe from Chocolate & Zucchini by Clotilde Dusoulier. I suspect many people already have a version of their own of this cake so here's my take on it. Instead of pistachios I used smoked almonds which add a deep, earthier flavour, and I added juicy chunks of spinach (nettles would work amazingly too). There are many variations still to be tried, like replacing sesame with poppy seeds or chorizo with prosciutto or adding cheese or olives and what not!


Chorizo & smoked almonds cake
1 1/4 cup flour
1 tbsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 tsp chili powder
1/2 cup plain yogurt
3 eggs
1 tbsp olive oil
100g spicy chorizo
50g dried tomatoes in oil
100g smoked almonds
2 handfuls fresh spinach or 1 cooked
2 tbsp sesame seeds

Preheat your oven at 180 degrees.

Mix flour, baking powder, salt and chili powder.

In another bowl beat the eggs, then add the yogurt and olive oil.

Fold the dry flour mixture into the eggs without overmixing.

Now dice the chorizo and tomatoes. If using fresh spinach, throw it for a minute in boiling water until it softens. Squeeze the excess water.

Gently incorporate the chorizo, tomatoes, spinach and smoked almonds into your dough.

Butter a cake tray. Scatter half of the sesame seeds in the tray, making sure you put some on the edges as well.

Pour the dough, level it and cover with the rest of sesame seeds.

Bake for 40 minutes, until golden but still moist.

You can keep the cake in a plastic bag for a few days but it won't last for so long, I'm sure.


This recipe makes 0.75kilos of pure goodness.

Coconut milk mussels

There's nothing more Belgian than digging hands first in a bowl full of fresh juicy mussels. Shamefully I never cooked mussels the Belgian way. Since I first made coconut milk mussels everybody was hooked and it became the superquick dish that never fails with guests. Including guests who never eat seafood. Or coconut milk.


Coconut milk mussels for 4
2 kilos cleaned fresh mussels
1 tbsp oil
2 shallots
3 cloves garlic
thumbsized piece of ginger
thumbsized piece of galangal (optional)
2 - 4 thai chilis
1 tbsp ground turmeric (optional)
4 stalks lemongrass
2 tomatoes
2 tbsp fish sauce (or soy sauce)
juice from 2 limes
4 kaffir lime leaves, cut in very fine strips
handful of chopped herbs (coriander, thai basil)
400 ml coconut milk

Cut the shallots, garlic, chilis, ginger and galangal in large pieces. Whizz them in a food processor until you obtain a paste.

Take the largest pot you own and make sure it has a lid that fits snuggly.

In a little oil fry the paste until it starts to smell very nicely. Pour over the coconut milk. Add the turmeric if using.

Bruise the lemongrass stalks with the back of a knife, cut in two and throw in the sauce. Simmer for 5 minutes.

Peel the tomatoes, cut in dices and add them to the pot.

When the tomatoes are soft, add the mussels. Turn the heat on maximum, cover with the lid and wait 3 minutes without lifting the lid.

Check if the majority of mussels have opened. If not, replace the lid for another 2 minutes. Discard any mussels left unopened after this time.

Take away from heat and fish out the lemongrass stalks. Gently stir in the fish sauce, lime juice and the herbs. Sprinkle with kaffir lime leaves. You can add more chili - we always do.

Distribute the mussels between 4 bowls, ladle the coconut sauce on top and serve with fluffy thai rice.

This recipe makes 0.5kilos/person of pure goodness.

Mojito mousse

After a birthday party where the main attraction were a few liters of mojito and after a friend's request to start cooking with tequila, the idea of a cocktail mousse came only too naturally. The base is a lime mousse in which you add the liquor of your choice: rum, cachaca, tequila or vodka and call it mojito, caipirinha, margarita or caipiroshka, respectively.

If you're not into having drinks with your dessert, you can leave out the alcohol and enjoy the mousse as it is: refreshingly delicious.


Mojito mousse for 8
1 tbsp gelatin
2/3 cup lime juice (~ 6 - 7 limes)
3/4 cup brown sugar
5 eggs, separated
2 - 3 tbsp white rum
1 cup whipping cream, chilled
2 handfuls fresh mint leaves
lime slices to decorate

Soften the gelatin in a little warm water.

In a small pan, whisk the egg yolks until smooth. Add the lime juice and 1/2 cup brown sugar and stir over a low heat until the mixture becomes like heavy cream in consistency (might take between 5 - 10 minutes). The mixture might curdle at the beginning, but don't let that intimidate you - it will come nicely together.

When you reached the right consistency, take away from heat and stir in the gelatin. Add the liquor and mix. Pour the mixture into a metalic bowl and let it float in a basin of cold water to reach room temperature.

Finely chop the mint leaves and add them to the mixture once it has cooled down.

Now beat the egg whites until soft peaks form.

Whip the cream until soft, add the remaining 1/4 cup of brown sugar and whip again until stiff.

Gently fold the egg whites into the cream. Add the lime mixture, one third at a time, stiring gently.

Pour the mousse into serving glasses, cover with cling film and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. To serve, decorate with mint leaves, lime slices or lime zest.

This recipe makes 0.2kilos/person of pure goodness.

Beef with chocolate sauce & peach purée

You're not a proper chocoholic until you put chocolate in a savory dish. Though I'm far from being utterly crazy about chocolate, I happen to have the odd craving now and then. This is the dish that came up when I craved chocolate AND a steak at the same time.

Beef with chocolate sauce for 2
2 beef steaks
2 knobs of butter
50g bacon
1 shallot
2 garlic cloves
2 cups red wine
1 cup unsalted beef broth
2 tsp whole peppercorns
a few sprigs of thyme
2 laurel leaves
2 tbsp dark chocolate broken in small bits
cocoa powder to decorate

Heat the butter in a casserole on a medium heat until it foams. Brown the bacon. Remove it from the pot and set aside.

Finely cut the shallot and garlic cloves. Put the shallot and garlic in the casserole and cook until soft.

Pour over the red wine and add the thyme, laurel leaves and whole peppercorns. Take the bacon and place back in the pot. Lower the heat and let simmer until the liquid has almost dissapeared.

Add the unsalted beef broth and reduce again. When ready, pass the sauce through a fine sieve to get rid of all the bits and pieces.

You should now have a few spoonfuls of concentrated and flagrant sauce.

With the sauce well away from heat, drop in the chocolate bits and stir well to dissolve. The sauce will become rich, dark and glossy. Give it a taste - depending on the chocolate you used, you might need to add a teaspoon of honey or brown sugar.

Now it's time to prepare the beef steaks. Pat dry and season on both sides. Heat the second knob of butter in a skillet and sear the steaks to your liking. Let rest for a few minutes while you reheat the chocolate sauce. Do it on the lowest heat and watch closely not to burn the chocolate.

Slice the steaks, arrange on plates and pour over the chocolate sauce. Sprinkle some cocoa on top and serve.


The chocolate sauce also matches wonderfully with lamb or venison, so get creative and experiment. You can also make a larger quantity of sauce and freeze it until the next special occasion (just add the chocolate afterwards).

Sweet potato & peach purée for 2
2 orange sweet potatoes
2 fresh peaches
know of butter
bit of salt

Bring some salted water to a boil. Plunge the peaches in for a few seconds and then cool in a bowl of cold water. Now the skins will easily come off. Peel, stone and cut in quarters.

Peel the sweet potatoes and cut in dices. Boil for 5 minutes, then add the peach quarters. Continue boiling until you can easily pierce the sweet potatoes with a fork.

Using a food processor, blend the sweet potatoes and peaches to a smooth purée. Stir in the butter and abandon yourself to the new taste.

This recipe makes 0.4kilos/person of pure goodness.