Table magic Corina Contini
Conjure up a baked Alaska for a spectacular end to a special dinner, writes
My “wee” brother John Mark was a real Paul Daniels wannabe. He’s really my big brother but when you have four older brothers you need some identifying features, and he’s the youngest of them. My mother was at the peak of her French fancy phase when Jean Marc was born but her son, who inherited my father’s practical Cockenzie touch, insisted on a name change.
Today is the last day of the Edinburgh International Magic Festival and cooking, for those in the know, is a bit of a magic trick. There are times that a good cook can conjure up a minor miracle from a few scant ingredients that are in the fridge or larder. I couldn’t live without a fabulous bottle of extra virgin olive oil, some garlic, lemons, fresh chillies and a few fresh herbs. Armed with these tricks, along with the correct amount of alchemy that happens with a pinch of salt and a grind of black pepper, the humblest dish can be magically transformed. Keep it simple and even Houdini will be impressed.
Now, for a lover of magic like John Mark, there is no more fitting dessert than a baked Alaska, and I make one once a year as a treat for his birthday. Ice cream that goes into an oven and comes out perfectly cold despite the furnace that’s kept it company for the last five mins? Extraordinary. JM, I owe you one for this year, because I think you’re magic. n
Fresh crab and watermelon salad
We have variations of this salad both at Cannonball Restaurant and Contini George Street. It’s also delicious with some warm, toasted, thick, crunchy bread and you can serve it like a loose pâté instead of as a salad. Very moreish.
Serves two 120g freshly prepared crab meat 60g crème fraîche pinch of cayenne pepper squeeze of lemon juice 50g watermelon, seeds removed, cut into cubes 8 baby gem lettuce leaves 2 radishes, trimmed and sliced scattering of baby herbs and edible flowers seasoning
1 Wash the baby gem leaves and radishes, then dry and split between two plates.
2 Mix the crème fraîche, cayenne, lemon juice and seasoning in a bowl. Fold the crab into the mixture, check the seasoning, and add more lemon or cayenne if required.
3 Spoon the crab onto the salad and finish with the watermelon and the baby herbs. Enjoy straight away.
Chilli BBQ chicken
I love this dish at this time of the year. If you are cooking on the barbecue you may want to cut the chicken into pieces, marinade and then grill, as sometimes this can be safer than trying to cook a whole chicken.
Serves four 3 green chillies, seeds removed and finely chopped 2 cloves of garlic, peeled 1 whole unwaxed lemon or 2 preserved lemons, pips removed 4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, plus more to drizzle a generous pinch of salt large handful of fresh parsley, leaves only large handful of fresh coriander, leaves only 1.5kg/3lb 3oz free-range or organic chicken
Spatchcock the chicken, which involves removing the backbone, or just cut into pieces. Trim any excess fat and the tops of the legs.
Lay the chicken, skin side up, onto a roasting tray. Using the palm of your hand, press the chicken down at either side of the wings to flatten it out.
3 Cut the lemon in half and remove any pips, then place it along with the chillies, garlic, herbs, olive oil, and salt into a blender or food processor until smooth.
4 Pour this mixture over the chicken and gently rub in. Leave to marinade for at least an hour.
5 Sprinkle some more salt over the chicken and a generous drizzle of extra virgin olive oil. Roast at 220C/ Gas Mark 7 for 15 minutes, then lower the oven to 180C/gas Mark 4 and cook for another 40 minutes or so until you can remove the leg of the chicken from the carcass easily.
6 If you have the barbecue set up, the chicken can be left to marinade for about 2 to 3 hours and then roasted outside until carbony, crispy and really delicious.
Baked Alaska
This is a truly magic dessert both in its dramatic appearance when it arrives at the dinner table and its deliciously indulgent taste. And you don’t need to wait for a birthday to enjoy it.
Serves four to six 1 sponge 20cm in diameter 250ml vanilla ice cream 300g berries of your choice, washed and dried (and extra to decorate) 3 large egg whites weighed
double the weight (of the egg whites) of caster sugar pinch of salt edible flowers (to decorate)
1 Preheat the oven to 220C/gas Mark 7 and make sure you set the tray in the oven so the baked Alaska will fit without scraping across the top.
2 Place the sponge on a baking tray and scoop the ice cream on top. Scatter the berries over the ice cream and place this baking tray in the freezer.
3 Choose a spotless bowl and beat the egg whites with salt until stiff. Very slowly add the sugar, a dessert spoon at a time, to the eggs while you are still beating them.
4 When all the sugar has been added the egg should be stiff like soft meringue.
5 Remove the tray with the ice cream from the freezer and then cover the whole sponge, berries and ice cream in the meringue. Make sure there are no gaps as the meringue acts as insulation and stops the ice cream from melting.
6 Sprinkle with a little extra sugar and bake in the oven for 5 minutes until the meringue is toasted.
7 Serve quickly on a cake stand decorated with berries and flowers.