Prepare sabayon / zabaglione. So quick, so easy.
Add a mashed simmered plantain (not to be confused with banana) that you have spiced with a sachet of cinnamon sticks, whole cloves, nutmeg, allspice and a bay leaf.
First soak the filled sachet bag in elderberry liqueur. Add the marinating liquid and the sachet bag to the simmering plantain pot. Let the plantain simmer about 20 minutes in just a little water on low heat. Stir occasionally. Remove from heat and cool. When fork mashable, whiz the plantain in a food processor until puréed. Add just a little half and half cream – maybe a teaspoon.
Stir the plantain purée into the room temperature sabayon. Pour into stemmed martini glasses. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate. It can rest, refrigerated, for a day or be served right away.
Top with an elderberry marinated Medjool date from your refrigerator jar. So sweet, a good contrast to the spicy dessert. Stand a plantain cracker in the glass just when ready to eat.
Check out my recipe for plantain crackers and coconut panna cotta.
If you have miniature sugar cube tongs the size of espresso spoons, this is an opportunity to dress the table, arranging the tongs on a small taster plate, for taking the small Medjool date off the sabayon.
You can make a spicy plantain panna cotta as well as sabayon. My mild panna cotta is delicious made many ways. Spritz with Bacardi Lime just before serving. For regular panna cotta just replace the coconut cream with half and half plain cream.
Create a balanced menu that cross-reflects supporting flavours in the meal.
You can make a variation by folding whipped Chantilly cream with the same spices and refrigerate until serving.
Medjool date syrup cream filled bird’s nest pavlova
To four cups of very stiff sweet, whipped cream, carefully fold in two cups of my date syrup. You want the whipped cream stiff.
Pile the date syrup high in a fresh bird’s nest pavlova centre. Leave the pavlova on its parchment paper covered baking sheet. Tent and refrigerate overnight.
Using a long thin wetted serrated knife, split the set, filled pavlova in half and half again and creating equal wedges. Serve on a glass see-through pie serving plate on a doily. For a special occasion, add a stuffed marinated date on the side. You could stuff the date with a homemade candied walnut from your pantry jar.
Dates are good for you.
Basil honey pesto chicken satay
Prepare fresh basil honey pesto and lime juice. Spritz a little extra fresh-squeezed lime after pulsing. (You could substitute my marinated Medjool date syrup for the honey).
Add a tiny bit of coarse Dijon mustard. Sprinkle Atlantic sea salt flakes just when ready to serve.
Crush a few homemade candied hazelnuts from your pantry jar and scatter over the pesto.
This pesto can also be served as a dip on your charcuterie board. It’s wonderful with marinated grilled chicken satay. Marinate the chicken pieces in my special mild jalapeño Mazola Corn Oil for just a few minutes on an oiled grill. Turn only once; the chicken cooks quickly on medium high heat. (Soak the skewers in corn oil to prevent burning.)
Paint the grilled chicken with the pesto when ready to eat. Serve on the skewers.
A delicious side is my old long ago “salad on the run” recipe.
© Lady Ralston’s Canadian Contessa Kitchen gets Saucy ~ Sauces, Aolies, Dressings, Drizzles, Drops, and Puddles
The working title for Carolyne’s Gourmet Recipes cookbook is From Lady Ralston’s Kitchen: A Canadian Contessa Cooks. This kitchen-friendly doyenne has been honoured and referred to as the grande dame of executive real estate in her market area during her 35-year career. She taught gourmet cooking in the mid-70s and wrote a weekly newspaper cooking column, long before gourmet was popular as it is today. Her ebook, Gourmet Cooking – at Home with Carolyne is available here for $5.99 US. Email Carolyne. Scroll down to the comments at each recipe column. Carolyne often adds complimentary “From Lady Ralston’s Kitchen” additional recipes in the Recipes for Realtors Comments section at REM.
