Bisque-in-the-pot

The Bisque-in-the-pot is one of Divine Cherry's wishes come true for it contains everything that's good in the world: bisque de homard, seafood, wine, pastry, and a pot! However, while it may be one of Divine Cherry's wishes, it is also one of Celestial Dragon's dreams come true.
One day, Celestial Dragon and Divine Cherry were wondering what to have for dinner. They were tired of the usual dishes like caviar, Kobe beef or cabbage soup. Especially of cabbage soup; and especially Celestial Dragon. In fact, he was so tired of it that he vowed never to have cabbage soup again. Naturally, he was wrong. Be that as it may, the two of them were looking out of the window when suddenly an old friend showed up: Small Perfect Cloud. It had been gone for a while, chasing after the green rainbows and yellow rains of dreams yet to come. Now, however, it had returned. And it had brought with it a friend. It was a small, small thing. It looked very much like a dragonfly. So much so that one could have thought that it actually was a dragonfly. In fact, it was a dragonfly -- albeit a special one. For it was a magic dragonfly that, in another story, called itself Tinkerbell and covered children with dust, much to their parents' dismay. This time, Tinkerfly or Dragonbell (it is as yet undecided about its own name), upon seeing Divine Cherry's and Celestial Dragon's pensive and morose faces, decided to grant them a wish. And so it was that they both wished for the ideal supper: Divine Cherry wished, very wisely, for a fulfilment of her wish, while Celestial Dragon, perhaps the more puerile of the pair, wished for the fulfilment of a dream. And so it was that they both knew that that evening, instead of cabbage soup, they'd have Bisque-in-the-pot.

Bisque-in-the-pot  For 2 people

- 250g of bisque de homard (leftover or canned)
- 250g fish stock
- bouquet garni 
- 1 tea spoon of tomato purée
- 1/2 glass of white wine
- 12 small scallops, cleaned
- 8 large prawns, cleaned
- half pack of puff pastry
- 20 g of melted butter or 1 egg for egg wash
- black seeds for decoration

Boil  the fish stock, with the bouquet garni, the tea spoon of tomato purée and the glass of wine. Let it reduce for 5-10 minutes. Add the bisque and simmer for 10 minutes, then remove the bouquet garni. In the meanwhile, put in each ovenproof pot 6 scallops and 4 prawns. From the puff pastry cut two circles, 1 cm larger than the pots. When the bisque gets the right density (it depends on your taste, really), cool it down a bit and then pour it over the fish. Run a wet finger over the edge of the pastry circle and seal the pot. Brush the surface with some melted butter  (or egg wash) and sprinkle a few black seeds for decoration.
Cook in the preheated oven (200°C) for 17 minutes. Serve hot.

Note: My bisque was very dense. You should regulate the proportion of bisque/stock depending on the initial density of your bisque.

Bisque-in-the-pot  Dosi per due persone

- 250 g (circa) bisque de de homard (zuppa di astice) avanzata
- 250 ml brodo di pesce
- 1 cucchiaino di concentrato di pomodoro
- bouquet garni (odori misti chiusi in un sacchettino di tela)
- mezzo bicchiere di vino bianco
- 12 canestrelli puliti
- 8 mazzancolle pulite
- mezzo rotolo di pasta sfoglia
- 20 g burro fuso o 1 uovo per spennellare
- semi di sesamo neri per decorare (facoltativi)

In una pentola versare il brodo di pesce, aggiungere un cucchiaino di concentrato di pomodoro, il vino e il bouquet garni. Far bollire e ridurre, aggiungere a questo punto la bisque. Cuocere a fuoco medio fino ad ottenere una consistenza zupposa non troppo liquida. Nel frattempo, dal rotolo di pasta sfoglia ricavare due cerchi di un centimentro piu' grandi delle cocottes. Mettere da parte i cerchi di pasta coperti con pellicola.
Preparare le due cocotte: mettere in ognuna 6 piccoli canestrelli e 4 mazzancolle, coprire con la bisque tiepida, tendosi un centrimetro sotto il bordo della coccotte. Con un dito umido d'acqua bagnare i bordi dei cerchi di pasta sfoglia e farli aderire alle ciotoline come un coperchio. Spennellare con un po' d'uovo o burro fuso, spargere qualche semino nero e infornare per 17 minuti in forno gia' caldo a 200 gradi.

Note: la mia bisque era molto densa per cui l'ho diluita con il brodo e fatta riaddensare un poco. Regolatevi per le quantita' di brodo/bisque a seconda della densita' della vostra.


Enjoy,
And Spread the Mess!

Sweet Potato and Chestnut Soup - Zuppa di Castagne e Patata Dolce

Winter still walks among us. You can see him whichever way you look. You'll spot him hiding in a dark corner, all stiff and icy, like a fairytale beggar. You'll see his long, white beard hanging down to the floor, brushing the concrete walls and freezing the tiny particles of water that were crying off it. Winter is in the air: he flies with the witches, and while they pour but laughter and scorn on the land, he drops hail and snow. Boreas, that old bagpipe, still likes to accompany him and lets him ride on his back like a great beast of cold and air. Celestial Dragon admires Winter. He's always regarded him as a beautiful buffoon. Unpleasant, certainly, but strikingly beautiful in its own way. Celestial Dragon has always loved the glistening and sparkling of thin ice on the roads, the diamond-like ice crystals that coagulate in the clouds, the infinite multitudes of shapes the snow flakes assume - all perfect in their unique symmetries, and the vital steam that comes out of your mouth when you breath, reminding you every instant that is your breath you're seeing, your vital force, your life. Winter has always had a penchant for pensiveness and meditation. In fact, if you asked him, he'd tell you that his favourite holiday destination is Tibet.
But Divine Cherry would have none of this. Divine Cherry needs warmth and sun. She needs for her cherry cheeks to flush in the morning heat. That is why she has always tolerated, but deep down disliked Winter. Lately, however, her adamant position has softened a bit (to Celestial Dragon's delight). And so it was that one day, instead of arming herself with fire and pitchfork, Divine Cherry armed herself with soup and spoon. It was her most successful crusade yet: Celestial Dragon melted away as though he were a popsicle basking in sunlight. Divine Cherry was as happy as can be. The only problem now was the mopping up.


Sweet potato and chestnut soup

-2 sweet potatoes
-300g of chestnuts
-half an onion
-half a glass of milk
-olive oil (extra virgin, what else?)
-salt & pepper

Carve a cross in the chestnuts with a small knife and boil them for 20-30mins in unsalted water. As they have to be soft, check thoroughly before taking them out (in case they're not ready yet, add more boiling water and let it boil a while longer). When they're ready, peel them one by one, making sure to remove the "inner skin" as well. Cut the onion and sauté it in a pan with the olive oil. Add the peeled sweet potatoes cut in cubes. Add the chestnuts and let it all absorb the flavour for a couple of minutes. Cover everything with boiling water (or, preferably, stock) without pouring in too much. Bring to boil. When they're done, blend everything until it becomes creamy. Add the salt and dilute with the warm milk (add as mush as you like). Sprinkle with pepper and serve warm.

Zuppa di castagne e patata dolce


- 2 patate dolci arancioni (credo siano diverse dalle patate americane che si trovano da noi, in alternativa potete usare un pezzo di zucca)
- 300 g di castagne
- mezza cipolla
- mezzo bicchiere di latte
- olio evo, sale e pepe

Incidere la buccia delle castagne con un coltellino ben affilato e farle bollire per 20-30 min in acqua. Le castagne devono risultare morbide, quindi per verificare la cottura affondare il coltello nella polpa attraverso il taglietto sulla buccia. Scolarle poche alla volta e sbucciarle, rimuovendo anche la pellicina interna.
Tritare la cipolla e farla apassire nella pentola con un filo d'olio. Aggiungere le patate dolci sbucciate e tagliate a tocchetti, aggiungere le castagne e far insaporire it tutto per qualche minuto. Coprire le verdure con acqua bollente (o brodo), in modo che le verdure siano appena sommerse. Portare a cottura. Con il frullatore ad immersione rendere il tutto a crema, salare e diluire con mezzo bicchiere di latte caldo (o anche di piu' a seconda dei gusti). Servire con una buona spolverata di pepe.


Enjoy,
And Spread the Mess