Steak with Green Peppercorn Butter

An absolute classic and the prefect dish to serve during the weekend. Always make sure to purchase the best meat you can find and afford.

English

Serves 2

Ingredients
2 beef steaks, cut of your choice, about 150g per portion
50g butter
1 garlic clove
1 tablespoon green peppercorns
250g green beans
1 sprig rosemary
5 roseval potatoes
6 tablespoons olive oil
salt and pepper

Method
Preheat the oven to 200° C. Top and tail the beans. Cut the potatoes into 4 or 6 wedges, depending on their size. Place them in a roasting tray with 3 tablespoons olive oil, the leaves from the stripped rosemary sprig, salt and pepper. Place a pot of water on to boil for the beans.

Place the potatoes in the oven for 20-30 minutes.

Cook the beans in the boiling water for 5-6 minutes, drain off and season with salt and pepper. Add 1 tablespoon olive oil and keep them warm.

Heat a grill pan over high heat. Drizzle the steaks with 2 tablespoons olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Grill the steaks for 1½ - 2 minutes on each side. Remove from the pan and set aside to rest.

Add the butter, green peppercorns and the finely chopped garlic clove to the pan. Fry gently for 1 minute.

Divide the potatoes between 2 plates. Lay the green beans next to the potatoes and slice the steaks. Lay the steaks on top of the beans and spoon over the peppercorn butter.

Nederlands

voor 2 personen

Ingrediënten
2 biefstukjes a keus a 150g per stuk
50g boter
1 knoflook teentje
1 eetlepel groene peperkorrels
250g sperzieboontjes
1 takje rozemarijn
5 roseval aardappelen
6 eetlepels olijfolie
zout en peper

Bereiding
Verwarm de oven voor op 200°.  Snijd de puntjes van de boontjes eraf. Snijd de aardappels over de lengte in vieren. Leg ze in een ovenschaaltje met 2 eetlepels olijfolie  en de naaldjes van 1 takje rozemarijn. Zet een pannetje water op voor de boontjes.

Zet de aardappels in de oven voor 20 tot 30 minuten. Kook de boontjes voor 5 tot 6 minuten, giet het water af, maak op smaak met zout en peper en houd ze warm met een beetje olijfolie.

Verhit een grilpan op hoog vuur. Wrijf de biefstukjes in met olijfolie en bestrooi met zout en peper.

Gril de biefstukjes voor 2 minuten aan elke kant. Zet opzij

Voeg de boter, groene peperkorrels en het fijngesneden knoflookteentje toe aan de grilpan en bak lichtjes voor 1 minuut.

Verdeel de aardappeltjes over 2 borden. Leg op elk bord een biefstukje en sperzieboontjes. Lepel de peperkorrelboter over het vlees.


Toasted Sandwich

We're all about using up what we have right now. What better way than to use up left over pieces of cheese than by grating it and making a toasted sandwich.

Grate the cheese by hand of if you have a lot lying around, grate it in a food processor.

Take whatever bread you have lying around. Spread the slices with butter and top with a generous amount of the grated cheese and a sprinkling of spring onions. You of course could use whatever you have at home, ham, tomato, rocket leaves, etc.

Close the sandwich, spread a thin layer of butter on top and place under a panini grill or a good not-stick frying pan set over a medium heat. Grill of fry until golden brown and crispy.

Our favourite way to serve the toasted sandwich is with a dollop of mayonnaise and a drizzle of spicy sririacha. Yum!


Easy Cinnamon Buns

Cinnamon buns are everywhere at the moment. It takes time and patience to make your own which is definitely worth. However, we're all often short of time. If you want a quick fix but haven't go the time, try these easy cinnamon buns with ingredients available at any store.

Makes 12 buns

Ingredients
240 g can ready-made croissant dough
50g unsalted butter, softened
2 tsp cinnamon
6 tbsp soft dark brown sugar

Method
Heat oven to 170C. Line a 20cm cake tin with a square of baking paper so the corners stick up (this will help you to lift the buns out).

Unroll the croissant dough from the can and lay it out on your work surface. Cut it into three sections along the dotted lines, but don’t cut the diagonal line. Spread over half of the butter.

Mix the cinnamon and sugar together. Using one square of dough at a time, sprinkle over 2-3 tsp of the sugar and roll up the dough. When you have three rolls, cut each one in half and then each half in two. Arrange the rolls in the tin – they will rise and spread a little. Stick the end bits in among fatter pieces from the centre of the rolls so they cook evenly. Bake for 15-18 minutess or until the buns are risen and cooked through.

Meanwhile, heat the remaining sugar-cinnamon mix with the remaining butter until you have a thick caramel (don’t worry if some of the butter separates out, it will soak into the dough). If it's too grainy, add a little boiling water from the kettle to the it down and smooth it out.When the buns are cooked, brush over the caramel. Leave to cool a little, then eat warm.


Madeleines

Matcha (green tea) Madeleines

Makes about 12

Ingredients
100g caster sugar
100g flour
1 egg
Lemon zest and juice of ½ lemon
¾ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon matcha powder
100g butter and some extra for greasing the tin

Method
1 Preheat oven to 200 C˚. Melt the butter in a small pan and grease the baking tin. Sprinkle lightly with some flour, shaking off the excess. Mix the dry ingredients together.
2 Whisk the eggs and sugar in a bowl until light and fluffy. Fold the dry ingredients carefully carefully through the beaten eggs followed by the melted butter. Let stand for 15 minutes.
3 Fill each mold in the Madeleine baking tin ¾ full with the batter. Bake in the oven for 8-9 minutes or until cooked through. Leave them to cool for 1 minute in the tin and then gently remove. Put them on a rack to cool and sprinkle with icing sugar.


Grilled White Asparagus with Smoked Salmon and Tarragon Sauce

It's a week until Easter and you're still probably wondering what to make? We always think of asparagus, but because of the extended cold snap this year, we'll have to be patient a little longer. Hopefully you'll be able to get your hands on some white gold, the first of the season's Dutch white asparagus just in time.

Serves 4

 

Ingredients
24 white asparagus
400g sliced smoked salmon
1 bunch tarragon
250 ml tub cream
2 shallots
200 g butter
200 ml white wine
6 tablespoons olive oil
salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method
1
Peel the white asparagus and cut off a 1 cm piece from the tough stalk end. Finely chop the shallots. Place the asparagus in a pan with cold water and salt, place the asparagus peelings on top and bring to the boil. Boil for 1 minute, turn off the heat and allow the asparagus to stand in the hot water for about 2 minutes.

2
Heat a pan with 3 tablespoons olive oil over medium heat and sweat the shallots for 5 minutes. Add 200 ml white wine and simmer until reduced by three-quarters. Add the tub of cream and simmer until reduced by half.

3
Remove the asparagus from the water and discard the peelings. Dry the asparagus on a clean tea towel. Drizzle over 3 tablespoons olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Heat a grill pan over medium heat and grill the asparagus until golden brown.

4
Strain the sauce to remove the shallot and return to the pan over a low heat. Cut the butter into pieces and whisk into the sauce. Pick the tarragon leaves off the stalks and chop finely.

5
Divide the grilled asparagus between 4 plates and lay the smoked salmon on top. Stir the tarragon through the sauce and spoon over the asparagus.


Blood Orange Marmalade

This is a recipe we have adapted from Delia Smith.

Makes about 6 x 350 ml jars

Ingredients
900 g blood oranges
1 lemon
1.8 kg granulated sugar

Method
Begin by measuring 2.25 litres water into a preserving pan, then cut the lemon and oranges in half and squeeze the juice out of them. Add the juice to the water and place the pips and any bits of pith that cling to the squeezer on a square of muslin.

Now cut the orange peel into quarters with a sharp knife, and then cut each quarter into thinnish shreds. As you cut, add the shreds to the water and any pips or spare pith you come across should go on to the muslin. The pith contains a lot of pectin so don't discard any and don't worry about any pith and skin that clings to the shreds – it all gets dissolved in the boiling.

Now tie the pips and pith up loosely in the muslin to form a little bag, and tie this on to the handle of the pan so that the bag is suspended in the water. Then bring the liquid up to simmering point and simmer gently, uncovered, for 2 hours or until the peel is completely soft (test a piece carefully by pressing it between your finger and thumb).

Meanwhile, chill a couple of saucers in the freezer.

Next, remove the bag of pips and leave it to cool on a saucer. Then pour the sugar into the pan and stir it now and then over a low heat, until all the crystals have dissolved (check this carefully, it's important). Now increase the heat to very high and squeeze the bag of pips over the pan to extract all of the sticky, jelly-like substance that contains the pectin. As you squeeze you'll see it ooze out. You can do this by placing the bag between two saucers or using your hands. Then stir or whisk it into the rest.

As soon as the mixture reaches a really fast boil, start timing. Then after 15 minutes spoon a little of the marmalade on to one of the cold saucers from the freezer and let it cool back in the fridge. You can tell – when it has cooled – if you have a 'set' by pushing the mixture with your little finger: if it has a really crinkly skin, it is set. If not, continue to boil the marmalade and give it the same test at about 10-minute intervals until it does set.

After that remove the pan from the heat (if there's a lot of scum, most of it can be dispersed by stirring in half a teaspoon of butter, and the rest can be spooned off). Leave the marmalade to settle for 20 minutes.

In the meantime, the jars should be washed, dried and heated in a moderate oven for 5 minutes. Pour the marmalade, with the aid of a funnel or a ladle, into the jars and seal while still hot.

Label when cold and store in a dry, cool, dark place.

We, the Amsterdam Flavours chefs, hope you enjoy this recipe as much as we do. If you have any questions on how to prepare it or just want to send us your feedback, you can reach us here Contact Amsterdam Flavours


All Butter Croissants

There is nothing better than warm, butter, flakey croissants straight from the oven. Making them yourself takes a little practice, but the results are SO worth it. Serve with farmhouse butter, good jam and a cup of coffee. Heaven!

Ingredients
625g strong white flour, plus extra for rolling out
12 g salt
75 g sugar
40 g fresh yeast
500g butter, chilled
1 egg, beaten

Method
The day before you want to bake the croissants, place the flour, sugar, salt and yeast in the bowl of a mixer fitted with a dough hook, or a large mixing bowl. Pour in 350-400ml cold water and mix until it comes together as a soft dough.

Turn out the dough onto a lightly floured work surface and knead for a good 8-10 minutes, or until the dough feels smooth, stretchy and elastic. Return to the bowl and set aside to rest.

Sandwich the chilled butter between two sheets of greaseproof paper and roll out to a 30x20cm rectangle, about 1cm thick. Chill in the fridge until needed.

Turn the dough out again onto a lightly floured work surface. Roll it into a rectangle 60x30cm. Peel the greaseproof paper from the butter and place the butter centrally on top of the pastry rectangle. Fold one edge of the pastry over the butter to half-cover it, then do the same with the other edge of the pastry so that the butter is covered. Fold the rectangle in half lengthways, then give it a quarter-turn and roll out again to a rectangle measuring 60x30cm.

Repeat the folding, turning and rolling process, as before, three more times (do not roll out the pastry the final time you fold and turn it). Wrap the pastry in cling film and chill in the fridge overnight.
When the pastry has rested, roll it out to a thickness of 0.5cm. Cut the pastry into two 50x20cm strips, then cut each strip into triangles about 10cm wide at the base.

With the narrow point of one of the pastry triangles facing away from you, use your fingertips to stretch the two points of the triangle nearest to you out sideways so that they bow a little. Roll the pastry over itself, curling it into a traditional crescent shape, so that the furthest point of the triangle ends up curled over the top of the croissant. Repeat the process with the remaining pastry triangles to create about 20 croissants.

Place the croissants onto baking trays lined with silicone paper or baking parchment. Brush them all over with the beaten egg, then set aside to prove for 30-45 minutes. (The croissants can be frozen at this point, if desired.)

Preheat the oven to 190C/170C Fan. Bake the croissants for 20-25 minutes, or until risen and golden-brown. Serve warm with jam and butter.

We, the Amsterdam Flavours chefs, hope you enjoy this recipe as much as we do. If you have any questions on how to prepare it or just want to send us your feedback, you can reach us here Contact Amsterdam Flavours


Chocolate Mousse

There are certain recipes one needs to have in their repertoire and a good chocolate mousse is one of them. Here is our recipe that we have been making for years.

Serves 4

Ingredients
175 g dark chocolate (minimum 50% cocoa solids), chopped
60 ml strong black coffee
4 eggs, separated
15 g butter
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract or 15 ml liqueur of your choice
45 g castor sugar

Method
Heat the chocolate in the coffee over a low heat, stirring until the chocolate has melted. Simmer until slightly thickened but still falling easily from the spoon. Remove from the heat and beat in the egg yolks, one by one, in to the hot mixture so that they thicken slightly. Beat in the butter and vanilla or liqueur. Let the mixture cool until just warm.

Whip the egg whites to stiff peaks. Add the sugar and continue whisking for 30 seconds to make a light meringue. Fold into the warm chocolate mixture. Pour into pots or glasses and chill in the refrigerator for at least a couple of hours. Serve lightly dusted with cocoa powder of with whipped cream.

We, the Amsterdam Flavours chefs, hope you enjoy this recipe as much as we do. If you have any questions on how to prepare it or just want to send us your feedback, you can reach us here Contact Amsterdam Flavours

 


Crepes Suzette

Today, February the 17th is International pancake day. While we love the traditional pancakes with a little cinnamon-sugar and lemon and American pancakes, we felt that we wanted to make it a little more indulgent. So here is an absolute classis which everyone should have in their repertoire.

Serves 4-6 

Ingredients
100g flour
1 egg + 1 egg yolk
about 300 ml milk
pinch of salt
1 tablespoon oil
butter for frying

Suzette Sauce
75 g butter
150g sugar
2 lemons
2 oranges
3 tablespoons Grand Marnier or orange liqueur, or to taste

Method
Mix the egg and egg yolk with the flour, oil and a pinch of salt and add part of the milk. Whisk until you have a thick mixture and add as much of the remaining milk as needed. (This can also be done in the food processor.) The batter should be the consistency of cream.

Allow the batter to rest for ± 30 minutes. Cook the crepes in a crepe pan or frying pan and allow to cool on a wire rack.

Grate the zest of the 1 lemon and 1 orange and squeeze the juice from all. Place the sugar in a pan and caramelise over a medium heat until an amber colour. Carefully add the citrus juices and cook over a low heat until the sugar dissolves. Mix in the butter, grated zests and Grand Marnier or orange liqueur. If you dare, flambé the liqueur before adding, but please be very careful!

To serve, fold the crepes into quarters and reheat briefly in the sauce. Serve with scoops of vanilla ice cream.

We, the Amsterdam Flavours chefs, hope you enjoy this recipe as much as we do. If you have any questions on how to prepare it or just want to send us your feedback, you can reach us here Contact Amsterdam Flavours


Valentine's Shortbread Hearts

We've already given you a recipe for shortbread, but here's a twist turn turn them into Valentine's heart cookies.

Ingredients
250 g flour
75 g castor sugar
150 g unsalted butter
pinch of salt

Method
Preheat the oven to 170° C.

Place the flour, sugar, butter and a pinch of salt in the bowl of a food processor. Blend until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs and starts binding together.

Remove the dough from the food processor and knead lightly until the mixture comes together. Roll the pastry out thinly cut into hearts with a pastry cutter. Place onto a baking tray lined with baking paper and prick with a fork to prevent them rising too much.

Bake for about 15-20 minutes until pale golden. Remove from the oven and sprinkle with castor sugar. Allow to cool completely. Decorate with pink icing) or any color of your choice. You can either make your own or use store bought.

Shortbread keeps well for a couple weeks if stored in an airtight container. But if you're as greedy as we are, it will probably only last a couple of days!

If you don't have a food processor, shortbread and also be made by hand.

We, the Amsterdam Flavours chefs, hope you enjoy this recipe as much as we do. If you have any questions on how to prepare it or just want to send us your feedback, you can reach us here Contact Amsterdam Flavours