Lemon Mousse Cake with Meringue Truffles - Jan Steele

This entry for The Egg Award 2014 is by Jan Steele, Wiltshire based artist and boutique truffle maker.


Artistically she works between her studios in Surrey and Wiltshire (By appointment only). She also produces homemade Belgian Chocolates from her own recipes, using natural ingredients and without preservatives, additives or extra sugar whilst catering for any dietary requirements, Including dairy and gluten free. 

You can find her at Wiltshire Farmers Markets in Bradford on Avon, Chippenham, Devises, Trowbridge, Warminster and Sailsbury.

Her Lemon Mousse Cake with Meringue Truffles was made using fresh local Wiltshire eggs from Westcroft Free Range Eggs. A family run business, they are a leading independent force in egg packing and distribution in the South West. Due to their many years of experience they are able to ensure they provide a reliable and quality service to all their customers. They specialise in offering a free daily delivery service for all their orders, large or small.

Ingredients:




7 Locally sourced free range eggs - 6 whole and 1 extra white (keep extra yolk for scrambled egg).

330g/10oz Caster Sugar.

Grated rind of 1 Lemon and juice of half a lemon.

TRUFFLEicious Homemade Belgian Choc Truffles.

Method: 

Line a 23 x 30cm Swiss Roll Tin with baking paper, clipping the corners to make a stand up collar.

Pre-heat oven to Gas 4 180c 350F.

Line a 23 x 30cm Swiss Roll Tin with baking paper, clipping the corners to make a stand up collar.

Separate the eggs into 2 different bowls.

Beat the yolks over a pan of simmering water with half the caster sugar and lemon rind until the mixture is thick and creamy. Remove from heat. Slowly beat in the lemon juice.

Beat the whites in the separate bowl adding the rest of the sugar a little at a time until stiff.

Carefully fold 2 tbsps of the whites into the yolks to loosen the mixture, gently fold in the rest of the whites.

Quickly and carefully pour mixture into prepared tin lightly level the top with a spatula.

Bake in a pre-heated oven. Gas 4 180c 350F until lightly golden on top and mixture does not wobble.

Leave to cool and cover with a clean tea towel leave to stand until completely cold.

Lightly dust a sheet of baking paper with icing sugar, and invert the cooked cake onto the paper.

Remove tin and peel away the paper, fill with TRUFFLEicious homemade Lemon Meringue Belgian Truffles and flip into a roll from the long sides.

Lightly dust with icing sugar and serve with fresh seasonal fruit and extra truffles.






You can enter your favourite recipe using fresh local eggs and help to support your local fresh egg producer by clicking on this link!

The Egg Award 2014 - Prizes

This year The Egg Award Prizes are bigger and better than ever...so there's no reason not to enter by clicking this link...





sousvidetools.com    



Prizes this year will include 2 Polyscience Smoking Guns donated by sousvidetools.com who are the UK's leading supplier of sous vide and vacuum packing equipment. They will be presented to the runners up in the Professional Category.

Based in the North West of England they are a family run business that distributes all over the UK, Ireland and Europe to aspirational chefs and foodies who enjoy cooking, who strive for consistency and accuracy whilst always looking to further refine their cooking skills.





At sousvidetools.com their portfolio of products offers everything you would need for sous vide cooking commercially or domestically, from sous vide water baths, thermal circulators, vacuum sealers, vacuum packing machines and vacuum pouches.

All of this makes sousvidetools.com perfectly placed to find a solution to sous vide cooking or vacuum packing requirements. If you’d like to know more about their equipment and services and how they support aspiring talented chefs, please get in touch.












I.O.Shen Mastergrade Knives






Great news for chefs entering this year as I.O.Shen Knifes Mastergrade Knives are putting up as a prize for the top Professional Recipe, the choice of any knife in their prestigious range! I.O.Shen Knives have just been voted top choice in Take Stock Magazine and it's no surprise as  after their launch in 2004,they are now established as a firm favourite with chefs and budding amateurs alike.

With some wonderful testimonials and amazing Press and TV coverage – you are sure to find the right knife for the job. We were once hailed in one of the Sunday tabloids for being “The Luke Skywalker light sabre of chef’s knives”.

In 2007, I.O.Shen won the converted Excellence in Housewares Award (equivalent to an industry Oscar!) and we were finalists again in 2011.

The range was voted for by a panel of experts who recognised that the combination of an amazing cutting edge, a uniquely designed handle and astonishing price points could only mean that I.O.Shen was a force to be reckoned with!

Mason Cash





Home Cooks this year will be competing for prizes that include 3 Mason Cash mixing bowls and 3 of their new range of Hen's Nests. Mason Cash have been producing beautiful, functional, iconic kitchenware for over 200 years. 

Famed for classic kitchenware designs such as the Mason Cash mixing bowl and pudding basins, the products and brand have endured the test of time and have become design icons. In fact, some designs have barely altered for over a hundred years.







Mason Cash are committed to upholding their fine tradition of producing the highest quality products that combine functional benefits with beautiful aesthetics, giving each consumer an ever-lasting experience. it is no wonder that Mason Cash is, and always has been the choice of the home cook and baker.

Every item within the Mason Cash range has been specifically designed and developed with the modern day requirements and expectations of consumers in mind.  Whilst many of the Mason Cash items have retained their original English classic design features, a number of products have been developed innovative or contemporary twists incorporating additional functions, colours or patterns to progressing modern interpretations of an original design. 










Armadillo Central 




Another addition to our growing list of prizes is this Fine Art print by Jennifer Copley-May, 'Gull On A Boat'.


The print has been donated by Armadillo Central who publish original writing alongside fine art and photography and will be presented to the top Home Cook.

They are independent publishers of new fiction, poetry and non-fiction, showcasing the best writing alongside original and limited edition art and photography, most of which is exclusive to them.  They ship worldwide.  Prices convert to local currency as you purchase.  



To keep up to date with latest news, special offers, new products and other events join their mailing list.

Jennifer Copley-May's Gull On Boat is one of Armadillo Central's most popular prints and comes in two sizes. Bearing in mind that last year's Egg Awards prize was sent to Spain - to 2 Michelin Star chef Dani Garcia no less - they're keeping it simple and offering the A4 version, easy to post and frame.

This is no ordinary seagull - it was captured in paint in Brighton by Jennifer Copley-May and is reproduced here as a high quality Giclée print on Hahnemühle Fine Art paper, professionally printed using archival inks.

Armadillo Central

This year The Egg Award Prizes are bigger and better than ever...so there's no reason not to enter by clicking this link...


Armadillo Central 




Another addition to our growing list of prizes is this Fine Art print by Jennifer Copley-May, 'Gull On A Boat'.


The print has been donated by Armadillo Central who publish original writing alongside fine art and photography and will be presented to the top Home Cook.

They are independent publishers of new fiction, poetry and non-fiction, showcasing the best writing alongside original and limited edition art and photography, most of which is exclusive to them.  They ship worldwide.  Prices convert to local currency as you purchase.  



To keep up to date with latest news, special offers, new products and other events join their mailing list.

Jennifer Copley-May's Gull On Boat is one of Armadillo Central's most popular prints and comes in two sizes. Bearing in mind that last year's Egg Awards prize was sent to Spain - to 2 Michelin Star chef Dani Garcia no less - they're keeping it simple and offering the A4 version, easy to post and frame.

This is no ordinary seagull - it was captured in paint in Brighton by Jennifer Copley-May and is reproduced here as a high quality Giclée print on Hahnemühle Fine Art paper, professionally printed using archival inks.

Mason Cash

This year The Egg Award Prizes are bigger and better than ever...so there's no reason not to enter by clicking this link...


Mason Cash





Home Cooks this year will be competing for prizes that include 3 Mason Cash mixing bowls and 3 of their new range of Hen's Nests. Mason Cash have been producing beautiful, functional, iconic kitchenware for over 200 years. 

Famed for classic kitchenware designs such as the Mason Cash mixing bowl and pudding basins, the products and brand have endured the test of time and have become design icons. In fact, some designs have barely altered for over a hundred years.







Mason Cash are committed to upholding their fine tradition of producing the highest quality products that combine functional benefits with beautiful aesthetics, giving each consumer an ever-lasting experience. it is no wonder that Mason Cash is, and always has been the choice of the home cook and baker.

Every item within the Mason Cash range has been specifically designed and developed with the modern day requirements and expectations of consumers in mind.  Whilst many of the Mason Cash items have retained their original English classic design features, a number of products have been developed innovative or contemporary twists incorporating additional functions, colours or patterns to progressing modern interpretations of an original design. 

I.O.Shen Mastergrade Knives

This year The Egg Award Prizes are bigger and better than ever...so there's no reason not to enter by clicking this link...

I.O.Shen Mastergrade Knives






Great news for chefs entering this year as I.O.Shen Knifes Mastergrade Knives are putting up as a prize for the top Professional Recipe, the choice of any knife in their prestigious range! I.O.Shen Knives have just been voted top choice in Take Stock Magazine and it's no surprise as  after their launch in 2004,they are now established as a firm favourite with chefs and budding amateurs alike.

With some wonderful testimonials and amazing Press and TV coverage – you are sure to find the right knife for the job. We were once hailed in one of the Sunday tabloids for being “The Luke Skywalker light sabre of chef’s knives”.

In 2007, I.O.Shen won the converted Excellence in Housewares Award (equivalent to an industry Oscar!) and we were finalists again in 2011.

The range was voted for by a panel of experts who recognised that the combination of an amazing cutting edge, a uniquely designed handle and astonishing price points could only mean that I.O.Shen was a force to be reckoned with!

sousvidetools.com

This year The Egg Award Prizes are bigger and better than ever...so there's no reason not to enter by clicking this link...



sousvidetools.com    



Prizes this year will include 2 Polyscience Smoking Guns donated by sousvidetools.com who are the UK's leading supplier of sous vide and vacuum packing equipment. They will be presented to the runners up in the Professional Category.

Based in the North West of England they are a family run business that distributes all over the UK, Ireland and Europe to aspirational chefs and foodies who enjoy cooking, who strive for consistency and accuracy whilst always looking to further refine their cooking skills.





At sousvidetools.com their portfolio of products offers everything you would need for sous vide cooking commercially or domestically, from sous vide water baths, thermal circulators, vacuum sealers, vacuum packing machines and vacuum pouches.

All of this makes sousvidetools.com perfectly placed to find a solution to sous vide cooking or vacuum packing requirements. If you’d like to know more about their equipment and services and how they support aspiring talented chefs, please get in touch.

Alec Tomasso - Egg Award Judge

The Egg Award is pleased to welcome back Alec Tomasso to the judging panel. Since last year the former Master Chef contestant has finally taken the plunge and given up his engineering career, and having parted ways with The Cheese Kitchen after a brief but successful time, he now looks after his twin daughters, and has newly set up a private catering service The Weeping Chef whilst still managing to spend time in Michelin kitchens.

He's pieced together a mobile kitchen equipped as well as any pro kitchen which neatly fits under a blue gazebo, where he's able to produce a wide range of beautiful and delicious dishes, from the best quality hand crafted burgers and relishes to speciality spit roasts. From well planned three course meals to multiple course tasting menus everything is possible, you only have to ask! 

An Alec Tomasso Recipe

Courgette Fettuccini and Home Smoked Salmon

INGREDIENTS:

Salmon fillet
Fresh courgette
Vegetable stock
Capers
Lemon
Wood for smoking “Sawdust”

Place your salmon fillet in a hot smoker with 1tsp of your wood of choice, for this I use oak (if you don’t have one you can use a steamer, find out how to do it without ruining the steamer) Smoke on a medium-low heat, after 20min your salmon should easily flake, if not cook a little longer.

Chop 1tsp of capers, when you think they are finely chopped, chop them as much again, gather in a ball, place on kitchen towel, and squeeze out remaining moisture.

With a mandolin or a potato peeler slice the courgette into ribbons, heat 500ml of veg stock, lightly poach the courgette in the hot stock, it needs to keep some texture, and will barely acquire some translucency.

In a hot pan squeeze some lemon juice and caramelize, make sure it doesn’t burn, pour the veg stock in a bit at the time to make a jus.

Arrange the courgette fettuccine in a bowl or plate, flake your salmon on top, sprinkle with caper dust, drizzle with the lemon jus.

Hugh McGivern - Egg Award judge

Hugh McGivern

Egg Award 2014 judge Hugh McGivern is a seasoned chef with 30 years international experience catering to an eclectic mix of people. He spent his early years in Glasgow serving a classic apprenticeship before embarking on the Army, on leaving the Army he ventured to America where he worked as a food manager on the cruise ships.


Returning to the UK he's had stints in Michelin rated restaurants and the original Gastro Pubs settling on a more personal side of cooking as chef to the Chairman of ICI then as Group Executive Chef of Caterplus.
The last 3 years has been an exciting venture in to consulting, teaching chefs in Nigeria and talking at conferences on his work in developing recipes for people with dementia.

Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson

Catering to various VIPs including His Majesty King Abdullah II of Jordan and Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson when he stays in the UK. An advocate of Future Chefs he has undertaken mentoring to students for Springboard and judging at their annual awards ceremony. With his foodie pedigree we're delighted that he's agreed to join The Egg Award judging panel.

A Hugh McGivern Recipe

Seared Loin of Tuna with Zaytoun Olive Oil, Pears & Caviar

INGREDIENTS:

Hugh McGivern in action

Ask your fishmonger to cut a long piece of  loin, similar in size and shape of a pork filet
Zest and juice of 1 unwaxed lemon
50ml Zaytoun olive oil (keep cold)
1tbsp caster sugar
15ml good quality balsamic vinegar
1 Bartlett pear, thinly sliced on a mandolin
Thin slices of Ciabatta
1 plum tomato skinned and concassed
1 Tbspn of caviar
Seasoning


METHOD:

• In a shallow dish, mix 40ml of the olive oil with the lemon juice and zest, add the tuna and coat well. Allow to marinade for about 20 minutes
• Heat a frying pan on the stove and allow to get hot, remove the tuna from the marinade, season well and pat dry. 
• Add a dash of the remaining olive oil to the pan and quickly flash fry the tuna loin, colouring all round.
• Remove from the pan and wrap in 3 layers of cling film and tie the ends tight and place in the fridge
• Lower the heat and add the sugar, balsamic and 1/2 the marinade. Bring to the boil and allow to thicken.
• Remove from the heat and allow to cool
• Brush the slices of Ciabatta with olive oil and toast until golden

ASSEMBLY:

• Place a slice of the toasted Ciabatta on a plate and top with a couple of slices of the razor thin pear
• Remove the tuna from the cling film and slice thinly
• Arrange the tuna on top of the bread and pear. Drizzle with some of the olive oil and balsamic dressing and a sprinkling of the tomato concasse.
• Top with the caviar