MATCHA GREEN TEA, ROSEMARY & VANILLA SLICE
MAKES 8 PIECES / PREPARATION 40 MINUTES PLUS COOLING TIME / COOKING 20 MINUTES
2 sheets butter puff pastry, 30cm x 30cm 7 free-range eggs, size 7 (you will need 6 yolks plus 1 separate yolk and 1 white (keep the remaining egg whites for another use)) 750ml full fat milk
2 teaspoons Heilala vanilla paste 3 teaspoons matcha green tea powder 5 sprigs rosemary, about 10cm in length 60g Edmonds custard powder or cornflour 150g caster sugar
50g butter, chilled, diced
1 tablespoon glucose (optional: it will
make the icing extra glossy) 200g icing sugar
1 teaspoon Heilala vanilla essence
Heat the oven to 180℃. Cut one pastry square into three equal rectangles. Beat 1 egg yolk until smooth and use to brush each piece of pastry. Stack all three rectangles on top of each other in alignment. Repeat for the other pastry square. You will have two rectangles of three layers each. Bake for 20 minutes until puffed and dark golden on top. Turn the oven off and flip the pastry rectangles upside down to cool with the door ajar.
Heat the milk with the vanilla paste and matcha green tea powder until steaming, then remove from heat. Add the rosemary and allow to steep for 4-5 minutes, then discard the rosemary sprigs.
Put 6 egg yolks, the custard powder and caster sugar in a large stainless bowl. Beat with an electric beater until pale and creamy. Add a quarter of the warm milk to the whipped egg yolks and combine thoroughly. Pour this mixture back into the pot of warmed milk. Return the pot to a medium heat and bring to a simmer while beating continuously. Once thick lava-like bubbles begin to emerge, continue beating for 1 minute then remove from heat. Add the butter and beat vigorously until it is fully incorporated. Cover with plastic wrap to prevent skin and allow to cool.
Put 1 egg white, the glucose (if using) and the vanilla essence into a separate large bowl. Beat with an electric beater until foamy, then gradually add the icing sugar while beating continuously to form a bright white, glossy icing. Cover with plastic wrap until ready to use. Remove the cooled pastry rectangles from the oven and cut into quarters using a bread knife, pressing gently to avoid crushing the pastry. Put the custard into a piping bag with a fine tip and pipe custard into all the recesses and pockets in the pastry. Glaze each square with the icing.
GIVE THESE A GO… Vanilla extract
Using a sharp knife, split 6 vanilla pods lengthwise down the centre. Place into a clean, small jar twice as large as the vanilla when it is bunched together. Pour a premium spirit over the vanilla (vodka, rum or bourbon) until vanilla pods are fully submerged. Seal the jar securely and shake until your shoulder tires, then shake a little more. Store in a cool, dark cupboard. After one week it will have developed flavour. After 6 months the iconic golden hues will develop, if using a clear spirit. The longer it matures the more pronounced it will be.
Vanilla hollandaise
Melt 500g salted butter in a medium-sized pot until it begins to simmer. Remove from heat to separate and clarify. Once the butter has separated, carefully pour off the clarified butter into a jug and discard any white milk solids at the bottom. Place 5 fresh, free-range egg yolks into a stainless-steel bowl and add 1½ tablespoons white wine vinegar and a teaspoon each of vanilla paste and vanilla essence with 2 tablespoons of cold water. Bring a pot of water to a boil and remove from heat. Place the bowl over hot water and whisk continuously until eggs are pale, doubled in size and showing whisk marks (as thick as Wattie’s tomato sauce). Remove from heat. Place the bowl on a damp tea towel to secure and, while whisking, slowly drizzle in the warm clarified butter. Adjust at the end with a tablespoon of warm water if it appears too thick. Season lightly with salt. Ideal for eggs, poultry, fish and especially grilled corn.
Vanilla-cured salmon
Ask your fishmonger for the top third of a skinless salmon fillet, approximately 700g. In a bowl, mix together 100g brown sugar, 75g coarse rock salt, 2 teaspoons vanilla essence and ½ cup chopped fresh dill. Sprinkle the base of a rimmed plate with one-third of the salt cure. Lay the salmon on top and generously pack around the remaining cure on all sides. Cover with baking paper and place an additional plate on top. Put in the fridge overnight. Be sure that the plate is deep enough as it will produce approximately 150ml of liquid during curing. After 8-10 hours remove from fridge, gently wash away the cure with cold water and pat dry thoroughly. The salmon is now ready to be sliced thinly for salads or antipasto, or for smoking or low cooking on the barbecue.
In the world of food, there really is no story that is more bittersweet than vanilla. Exotic, enticing, elusive and expensive, it’s a relative of the orchid that only flowers for one single day each year. Vanilla is a love affair, with its aroma evoking so many childhood memories of cakes and sweets. That is, to me, the tragedy of this love affair, as vanilla can be much more than just a baking ingredient.