Happy Father's Day

 -
-

IF the old saying holds true "the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach” then this weekend is the best way to pamper and show all dads and father figures that they are truly worth it, loved and appreciated. What better way to do this than with a super sumptuous meal served up in grand splendour. Here are some delicious dishes to build your father’s day meal around, happy father’s day to all you deserving dads.

Grilled lobster with Caribbean herb butter

4 frozen lobster tails

8 cloves garlic, minced

Olive oil

For the butter:

8 ozs butter (one cup), softened

1 cup fresh local herbs, tarragon, dill, chadon beni or cilantro and a few blades of chive

2 cloves garlic

1 tsp lime zest

1 tsp salt

Finely chop herbs, Add butter and mix well.

Mound onto a piece of plastic wrap, form into a 2-inch wide log, wrap and refrigerate or freeze.)

For frozen tails:

Thaw thoroughly, snip backs to open shell a little.

Cut into flesh and remove small vein that runs through back of tail.

Season with garlic and olive oil, sprinkle with salt.

Heat grill or grill pan, add a little olive oil.

Place tails flesh side down and grill for about 4 minutes per side.

Remove and serve with butter.

Serves 4

Conchs fritters

To prepare lambie/conchs

* Wash in lots of water, squeeze the juice of one lime onto it, cover in water. Place lambie on chopping board.

* Remove skin by cutting off with a knife or tearing it away from the body of the lambie, this is an easy process.

* You want to remove all the dark and orange coloured skin.

* Place into more cool water with lime juice.

* Cut into three-inch pieces and pound until the flesh is about ¼-inch to 1/8-inch thick.

* Now chop finely and use in your favourite recipe.

1 lb conchs, cleaned and finely chopped

1 tsp minced garlic

½ tsp salt

1 cup flour

1 tsp baking powder

1 hot pepper, seeded and chopped

½ cup chopped chives

1 small onion finely chopped

2 tbs Spanish thyme

salt to taste

½ cup milk (more if needed)

Coconut oil to fry

Place lambie into a food processor and process to a very fine texture, or chop very finely.

Combine with the garlic, add flour, baking powder, hot pepper, chives, onion and thyme.

Add enough milk to make a soft batter like dough.

Heat oil, drop by spoonful’s and fry until golden brown and puffed.

Makes 15 to 20

Toasted coconut sponge cake

1 cup finely shredded fresh coconut

1 cup unsalted butter

1 cup granulated sugar

4 large eggs

2⅓ cups cake flour

2 tsp baking powder

½ tsp cinnamon

1 tbs grated orange zest

½ tsp orange extract or vanilla

¼ cup fresh orange juice

Preheat oven to 325F

Line, grease and flour the base and sides of a 9-inch cake tin.

Spread coconut onto a baking tray and lightly toast for about 5 minutes, just until coconut is dry and just beginning to turn colour, do not brown coconut.

Crumble lightly with your fingers.

Cream butter until light, add sugar one tablespoon at a time beating well until sugar is dissolved and mixture is fluffy.

Sift flour with baking powder.

Add eggs one at a time beating well between additions.

Combine orange juice, orange zest and orange extract or vanilla.

Combine coconut with flour mixture.

Fold in flour alternately with juice in three additions, beginning and ending with flour.

Spoon batter into prepared tin, bake for about 50 minutes until a wooden pick inserted through the centre comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack for 6 minutes.

Turn out of tin, remove lining paper and cool on cake rack.

Makes 1, 9-inch cake

Pumpkin and spice cheesecake with spiked pineapple

Crust

2 cups digestive cookie crumbs

4 tbs sugar

1 tsp ground cinnamon

⅓ cup butter, melted

Filling

1 lb peeled pumpkin

1½ lbs cream cheese, room temp.

1 ⅓ cup granulated sugar

4 tbs flour

1 tsp ground cinnamon

½ tsp powdered ginger

¼ tsp each ground nutmeg, clove and allspice

1 tsp vanilla or grated tonka

5 eggs

1 cup sour cream or full fat yoghurt

Preheat oven to 325F

Make the crust by combining crumbs with sugar, cinnamon and melted butter, press into the bottom and partly up the sides of a 9- or 1- inch spring-form pan.

Bake for 5 minutes and remove.

Cut pumpkin into quarters and roast at 400 F for about 20 minutes until very tender. Remove, cool, peel and puree flesh.

Beat cream cheese in a large mixing bowl until smooth.

Add sugar, flour and spices. Add eggs one at a time, beating until well combined and mixture is smooth.

Add vanilla. Stir in pureed cooled pumpkin, fold in sour cream.

Pour over crust, wrap the bottom of the pan in aluminium foil, and place in a water bath.

Bake for 50- 60 minutes. Turn the oven off, leave the baked cheesecake in the oven until the oven cools, with the door ajar.

Run a knife around the rim of the pan to loosen cheesecake, cool completely before removing from pan.

To serve: spoon on spiked pineapple

Chill for 4 to 6 hours before serving.

Serves 12 to 15

Spiked pineapple

1 4-lb pineapple

2 tbs aromatic bitters

½ cup brown sugar

2 tsp fresh lime juice

1 stick cinnamon

⅓ cup water

⅓ cup golden rum

Peel, core and cut pineapple into chunks, blitz in the food processor to chop into smaller chunks.

Place all ingredients into a medium-sized saucepan, bring to a boil, then simmer for about 20 minutes until mixture is thick and most of the water has evaporated. Add rum and stir. Chill.

Spoon onto cheesecake and serve.

Comments

"Happy Father’s Day"

More in this section