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Type |
Romantic Meal |
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Food |
Corsican Prawn Noodles with Caesar Salad Pots de Creme |
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Booze |
Champagne |
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Serves |
Two diners; Arriving 8.00pm |
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Sources |
Adapted from Family Corner magazine, www.thefamilycorner.com |
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Notes |
Uses an electric whisk: you can hand-whisk the cream instead |
Stuff to have or buy:
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Ingredient |
Already have |
To buy |
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Caesar salad (one packet: lettuce plus dressing/parmesan/ croutons kit) |
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Lemon (one) |
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Garlic (one clove) |
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Basil (fresh; 2 leaves) |
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Parsley (fresh; 4 sprigs) |
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Butter (150g/5oz) |
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Single cream (150ml/5fl.oz) |
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Whipped cream (100ml/3½fl.oz) |
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Prawns (fresh and peeled; 225g/8oz) |
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French baguette (one) |
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Dried egg noodles (medium; 175g/6oz) |
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Plastic food wrap (small amount) |
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Lemon juice (fresh; 2 teaspoons) |
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Vanilla extract (½ teaspoon) |
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Plain chocolate (30g/1oz) |
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Sugar (caster/any; 60g/2oz) |
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Egg (one) |
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Champagne (or sparkling white wine, e.g. cava) |
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When?: Timeline minus c.7 hours (e.g. c.1pm)
How long?: Pre-preparation takes about 15 minutes
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Ö |
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1 |
Put champagne/wine in fridge |
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2 |
Separate the yolk from an egg, and beat it slightly with a fork |
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3 |
Measure out 30g (1oz) of plain chocolate, 150ml (5fl.oz) of single cream, 60g (2oz) of sugar, and 15g (½oz) of butter; Find vanilla extract |
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4 |
Get two small bowls (e.g. ramekins) or large wine glasses ready |
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5 |
Place the plain chocolate and single cream in a medium saucepan over a gentle heat |
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6 |
Stir the mixture continuously until the chocolate has melted into the cream (takes 1-2 minutes) |
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7 |
Stir in the sugar and continue stirring and cooking until the mixture just starts to boil (takes 1-2 minutes); Remove saucepan from heat |
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8 |
Stir in the beaten egg yolk and the butter |
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9 |
Stir in ½ teaspoon of vanilla extract |
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10 |
Pour the mixture into the bowls/wine glasses; Cover (e.g. with foodwrap) and place in the fridge to chill |
When?: Timeline minus c.1 hour (e.g. c.7pm)
How long?: Preparation takes about 10 minutes
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Ö |
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1 |
Pour 100ml (3½fl.oz) of whipping cream into a bowl |
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2 |
Whisk with an electric whisk (on slowest setting) until cream stands up in peaks (takes 1-2 minutes) |
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3 |
Cover bowl with food wrap and place in fridge |
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Ö |
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1 |
Get cooking implements ready: |
Chopping board and knife; Large non-stick frying pan or casserole; Stirring spoon; Medium saucepan for noodles; Colander to drain noodles; Teaspoon to measure lemon juice; Garlic press; Scissors for cutting herbs |
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2 |
Get serving implements ready: |
Large serving bowl and spoon for noodles; Large bowl and servers for salad; Bread board and breadknife for baguette; Small bowl for butter |
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3 |
Get eating implements ready: |
Large plates for noodles course; Wine and other glasses; Cutlery |
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4 |
Make sure ingredients are all to hand: |
Noodles; Butter; Garlic; Basil; Prawns; Lemon juice; Parsley; Lemon; Pepper grinder |
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5 |
Get changed for dinner |
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Ö |
Abs |
Rel |
Your |
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8.00 |
0 |
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Compliment
romantic partner on beauty/dress sense/personal hygiene |
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8.01 |
+1 |
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Uncork the
champagne and serve |
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8.05 |
+5 |
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Put 2 pints (1l)
of fresh water to boil in a medium saucepan |
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8.06 |
+6 |
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Put Caesar salad
into serving bowl; Add dressing, parmesan and croutons; Stir well and cover |
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8.08 |
+8 |
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Put French
baguette with breadknife onto breadboard; Put a slice of butter in the butter
bowl |
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8.10 |
+10 |
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Measure out 150g (5oz) of noodles and 90g (3oz) of butter |
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8.12 |
+12 |
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Peel a garlic
clove and place ready in the garlic press |
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8.13 |
+13 |
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Wash two basil
leaves and cut finely with scissors |
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8.15 |
+15 |
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Wash two sprigs of
parsley and cut finely; Wash and set aside two further sprigs of parsley for
garnish |
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8.17 |
+17 |
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Melt the butter
over a low heat in the frying pan |
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8.18 |
+18 |
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Cut the lemon into
six wedges (you only use two) |
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8.19 |
+19 |
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Place the noodles
into the saucepan of boiling water |
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8.20 |
+20 |
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Crush the garlic
and add the basil to the butter; Stir continuously for about half a minute |
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8.21 |
+21 |
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Add the prawns to
the frying pan and stir continuously until the prawns have turned pink |
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8.22 |
+22 |
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Give the noodles a
quick stir to ensure they're not sticking |
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8.26 |
+26 |
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Pour noodles into
the colander and leave to drain |
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8.27 |
+27 |
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Sprinkle 2 teaspoons
of lemon juice over the prawns; Add a grind of pepper; Stir the parsley into
the prawns |
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8.28 |
+28 |
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Put the noodles
into the serving bowl; Pour the prawns and sauce over, and mix thoroughly;
Then serve |
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8.29 |
+29 |
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Serve mixture onto
plates; Add a parsley sprig and lemon wedge to each plate (needs a squeeze of
extra lemon to balance butteriness) |
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8.30 |
+30 |
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Uncover salad;
Slice baguette; Eat |
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When ready for dessert, spoon some whipped cream onto the
bowls of chocolate; Serve |
Not an underwear-flies-off-in-amazement type of romantic meal but tasty, light (sexy and bloaty don't mix), and demonstrates to your beloved that you know one end of a frying pan from the other.
· Use fresh instead of dried noodles: less likely to stick together.
· I could only find pre-cooked prawns: they're already pink, so just make sure they're cooked through for at least five minutes – the timeline should ensure that.
Click here to give your feedback and ideas on this meal guide.
http://www.thinkproof-cooking.com/prawnnoodles.htm
& http://www.timeline-cooking.com/ prawnnoodles.htm April 2004