Dazzling company: Recipes

Pistachio Macaroons

Makes about 40

150g icing sugar

120g unsalted, shelled, pistachio nuts

pinch of salt

2 large egg whites

50g caster sugar

For the filling:

60g unsalted shelled pistachio nuts

200g icing sugar

pinch of salt

100g unsalted butter, softened

Line two baking trays with non-stick baking parchment. Place the pistachios, salt and icing sugar in a food processor and pulverize to a fine dust. Whisk the egg whites until they hold soft peaks. Add the caster sugar and continue to whisk until thick and glossy. Fold in the nut mixture. Spoon the meringue mixture into a large piping bag with a plain 0.5cm nozzle and pipe 2.5cm rounds onto the baking sheets. Bang the baking sheets on the work surface to settle and flatten the rounds slightly, and leave to rest for 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 140ºC. Place the trays in the oven and bake for 10-12 minutes. The meringues should be hard and well risen, but not brown. Allow to cool on the trays.

To make the filling. Pulverize the nuts, salt, and sugar to a dust as before. Add the butter and beat to a thick buttercream. Spoon the cream into a piping bag and neatly pipe blobs onto the flat sides of half the macaroons. Sandwich the halves together.

On the menu as we join LA ladies who lunch: light dishes and sparkling accessories

Crab and Papaya Salad

Serves 4

1 ripe papaya

1/2 medium cucumber

juice of 2 limes

1 tbs olive oil

1 tsp sugar

1 fresh red chilli. de-seeded and finely chopped

2.5cm-piece of fresh ginger, peeled and finely grated

salt and black pepper

2 spring onions, trimmed and sliced into thin rounds

2 stems of mint, leaves removed and chopped

400g cooked fresh crabmeat

2 baby gem lettuce

2 endive

lime wedges to serve

Halve the papaya and scoop out the seeds. Peel off the skin and chop the flesh into 1cm cubes. Peel the cucumber, slice lengthways into quarters, and cut away the seeded part. Dice to 1cm cubes. Place the lime juice, oil, sugar, chilli and ginger into a large bowl and stir to combine. Season with salt and pepper. Add the diced papaya and cucumber, spring onions, mint and crabmeat, and gently toss the ingredients together. Spoon tablespoons of the salad into the leaves of lettuce and endive. Serve with lime wedges.

Vanilla Poached Pears

8 peaches, ripe but firm

1/2 an unwaxed lemon, sliced

500ml dry white wine

500ml water

180g caster sugar

1 vanilla pod, halved lengthways

Remove the stalks and score a small shallow cross in the base of each peach with a sharp knife. Put the wine, water, sugar and vanilla into a wide pan in which the peaches will fit in a single layer. Place on a medium heat and bring to a simmer, stirring occasionally, until the sugar has dissolved. Add the peaches and poach gently for 20 minutes, turning them occasionally to ensure even cooking. Carefully lift the peaches onto a plate with a slotted spoon, and when cool enough to handle, gently peel away their skins. Remove the lemon slices from the syrup and discard. Remove the vanilla pod, scrape out the seeds with a knife, and whisk them back into the liquid. Boil the poaching liquid fiercely to reduce it to a syrup thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Allow to cool. Place the peaches in a serving bowl and pour the syrup over them. Serve with cream.

Chicken Paillard

For 2

1 clove garlic

1 tbs olive oil

2 skinless chicken breasts

salt and pepper

salad leaves, to serve

1 lemon, to serve

Crush the garlic with a little salt under the flat of a knife and mix with the olive oil. Place 1 tsp of the oil mixture onto a piece of greaseproof paper, and spread out to roughly the shape of the meat. Place a chicken breast on top, spread with another teaspoon of oil, and finally a second piece of paper. Pound and flatten the breast within its paper sandwich, using a rolling pin, until it is approximately the diameter of a small dinner plate. Carefully peel off the paper and season the chicken. Heat a non-stick pan over a high heat and cook the chicken for only two minutes each side. Serve with lightly dressed salad leaves and half a lemon.

Negronis

For each Negroni:
30ml gin

30ml sweet vermouth

30ml Campari

orange slice

ice cubes

Combine the gin, vermouth and Campari in a mixing glass or cocktail shaker and stir well. Pour into a tumbler and add a slice of orange and ice cubes

Salmon Tacos

Serves 4

500g fresh salmon fillets

Spice rub:

1 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp dried Mexican oregano

1 tsp salt

1 tsp chilli powder

Salsa:

2 avocados, ripe but firm

1 small red onion, finely chopped

250g tomatoes, quartered, seeds removed and chopped to 1cm pieces

juice of 2 limes

1 fresh red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped

generous handful of fresh coriander leaves, chopped

salt and black pepper

8 corn tortillas

1 baby gem lettuce, shredded

200ml sour cream

Combine the ingredients for the spice rub and sprinkle over both sides of the salmon fillets. Rub in evenly and leave at room temperature. Halve the avocados, remove the stones and, using a spoon, scoop the flesh from the skins in one piece. Dice into 1cm cubes and place in a bowl. Add the remaining salsa ingredients and combine gently, so as not to make the salsa into a mush. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Grill the salmon for approximately 3 minutes on each side, until just cooked. Remove to a plate and keep warm while you heat the corn tortillas. Flake the fish into large chunks with a fork. Assemble the tacos by placing a handful of shredded lettuce on a tortilla, followed by the salmon, salsa, and sour cream. Serve immediately

Asparagus and Lemon Linguine

Serves 4

400g asparagus

200g linguine

juice of two lemons and the zest of one

100ml olive oil

100g freshly grated Parmesan

salt and black pepper

1 large clove garlic, crushed under the back of a knife with 1/2 tsp salt

2 tbs chopped fresh basil

Trim the asparagus spears, paring away any woody parts at the ends. Push them through a bean slicer to make long slender strands. Cook the linguine in plenty of boiling salted water. Estimate the cooking time for al dente pasta according to the packet instructions, and throw in the asparagus for the last two minutes only. Drain well. Put the lemon juice and zest, half the olive oil, and the Parmesan into a small bowl, and beat together until thick and creamy. Season with salt and black pepper. Heat the rest of the oil over a medium heat in a large heavy pan and cook the garlic for about half a minute, without allowing it to brown. Add the linguine and asparagus and toss thoroughly in the oil for a couple of minutes until heated through. Add the Parmesan mixture and toss well to combine. Stir in the chopped basil and serve immediately.