Meade's Menu

A HOT STARTER FOR THEN AND NOW
One of the first fancy hot snacks or starters I ever tasted was the classic chicken vol au vent. This old time French favourite of diced up cooked chicken fillet in a creamy sauce served in a crisp puff pastry case had usually some sliced mushrooms mixed in with it and even some herbs, garlic or bacon bits too.
You will see these days the full array of quality ranging from the reheated frozen budget nibbles at the supermarket all the way up to a five star de luxe version in the swanky hotels. Just about every second banqueting menu will have it on as a sure fire popular choice though it’s not so coeliac friendly.
It will be always a lottery as to how much chicken, mushroom or sauce you get as carefree chefs dollop spoons of the mix on starter plates to be whisked off to a couple of hundred hungry guests. I often had a pool of thick gloopy sauce and just a couple of bits of chicken which is often the case with these types of dishes at functions.
If you have it in a restaurant however the chances are the ratios will be more in your favour. I prefer to make square or rectangular cases so as to avoid waste of pastry trimmings and to fill the cases properly with the filling just coated in the sauce and then spoon a little more sauce around the base so the presentation is enhanced.

NOT ALWAYS DONE IN SIXTY SECONDS
I first saw proper minute steaks cooked on a French ferry cruise when the chef had a pile of thinly cut steaks stacked beside a hot grill and as you selected your main course from the menu, if it was the steak you picked he would pluck a raw one from the top with his tongs, sprinkle it with salt and slap it on the flaming grill. He would then flip it over and by the time you reached his station he had it on a plate handing it to you for you to add your own accompaniments from the hot food self service counter.
It was literally under a minute cooking, maybe only thirty seconds in fact and still very rare but delicious as my first real taste of well underdone beef. These days I see packs of budget priced minute steaks in all the supermarkets but most of the time these steaks are actually quite tough and you have to go through a few packets to see that the colour and grain are looking just right to be tender. They are not all cut from the same joint that is for sure.
I purposely picked another random one from this one lately just to prove my point and it was like leather more in need of braising than a quick fry in the pan so I ended up stewing it for an hour. So with barbeque season approaching they are ideal for that but do be careful when you pick from this meaty lottery or better again get your local craft butcher to cut them from a mature strip loin or rump of beef. That way you will be guaranteed melt in the mouth tenderness and flavour.

BREADTAKING BRIOCHE
I remember the first time I tasted brioche visiting Paris on a school trip and thinking now this is something that could be eaten all day. It is one of the more decadent breads originating in Middle Ages Normandy where they had plenty of butter and eggs to develop richer recipes and they are famous there for their round shaped brioches.
I prefer the loaf shaped ones that can be sliced and for French toast. Around France you will find all sorts of other styles. The word itself comes from their verb brier meaning to work the dough.
The recipes you will find are pretty standard with flour, eggs, butter, sugar, salt and the all important yeast for which I used dried. I have seen many over complicated versions with twenty or more steps but I like to keep it simple by just sticking to the basics. You can make it with a mixing bowl, food processor or just by hand in a bowl which is what I do.
Time is the secret ingredient, making sure you get a good rise out of the dough so do be patient. Let it cool down fully after cooking and it keep well for a few days and in the fridge or freezer it will keep even longer.

CHOUX IN FOR EASTER CHOCOLATE
With the price of all things in the good chocolate world rising rapidly there are alternatives to getting that sweet hit at Easter or anytime without having to go full on with the dark stuff. So many dessert items only need a dash of chocolate to make them special and complete.
Chocolate éclairs are one of my favourites ever since I first tasted a real proper one in Paris at twelve years of age. Then when you actually learn to make them they turn out to be a miracle of chemistry with the resulting delicacy being one of the true great sweet treats for special occasions.
The idea of just boiling some water, sugar and butter, adding some flour then beaten eggs and cooking them until dry and crispy is pure genius. They can be any shape at all but do stick to the specific ingredients measurements you are to use and of course there are hundreds of them online to pick from.
They will have excellent how to tutorial videos as well online. You just do not deviate from recipes in baking either and I also like to stick to the plain whipped airy cream inside as I find those modern dense sweet fillings just to heavy especially when already there is a rich, dark and sugary chocolate coating over the top.

SPICE UP YOUR EASTER EGGS
It only when you travel to North Africa that you see how rich and vibrant the various cuisines are. We are now used to the tastes of their exotic dishes from couscous to harissa with the all the influences of Arab, French and native foods coming together to make dishes that simply take your taste buds off on a magic culinary carpet. I noticed on a few breakfast menus here now that shakshouka or shakshuka is making more of an appearance and it’s something when done nicely is a sure fiery way to get your day off to a spicy start.
. It’s an easy enough concept with eggs being poached in a concentrated tomato sauce made with onions, garlic, bell peppers and plenty of spices like chilli, cumin and paprika to liven it up, then finished off with some chopped parsley or coriander. Some other items like potatoes and sausages can give it a bit more substance. It’s a distant relation to the French ratatouille and other vegetable stews from around the Mediterranean. The word itself translates as ‘mixture’ in Arabic and the dish exists right across North Africa and the Middle East.
There are a variety of styles and it’s also eaten at any time of the day. Like all stews the vegetables are given a light frying to release the flavours, chopped tomatoes and spices are added and then it’s a slow cooking until everything is soft and the sauce is thickened. Check the seasoning of course, then depending on the size of your pan you make a few wells with a spoon, crack the whole eggs into them and cover the dish. Let the eggs steam under the lid on a low heat until they are cooked to the degree you like. It can also be finished in the oven or under a grill.