Hello there food fans!
Welcome back to my recipe blog.
Well, I've had another great week of cooking adventures this week, Firstly, last Thursday I took a trip over to Stafford to check out a place recommended to me by my friend and fellow foodie Stuart Robinson.
Its called "Bean Encounter" .
The idea was to do a review for you lovely people but my phone has lost most of the photo's I took on the night so, unfortunately, I'll have to go over there again to do the place justice. ( such a shame!)
I did have a really good burger there though, and possibly one of the nicest cups of coffee I've ever had! So expect a full review in a couple of weeks.
Last Friday was also a special day for me as I got to help out Andy Stubbs and Donna Church with their "low n' slow" stall at Digbeth Dining club. Andy had made Brisket chilli, his famous Pulled pork as well as a limited number of his awesome smoked beef short ribs and a few racks of smoked pork ribs. Needless to say once the first customer came at about 5.15pm it was non stop all night until Andy sold out at about 8.30!
We also had a special visit from a guy from Texas who had been craving proper BBQ since leaving America to work over here, nothing he had tried in Britain had impressed him that much, until he tried some of Andy's pulled pork and baby-back ribs. He literally could not believe that the flavours of the food were so authentic, even saying to Andy that he could make money in Texas with his BBQ!!! It was great to see Andy get some praise from a genuine American bloke who grew up eating this sort of food. I'm going to be helping out again this Friday so if you're down in Digbeth, come say hello!
This weeks recipe is also a classic American dessert. I've made Key Lime Pie using this recipe since I was at the Bank Bar. If I remember correctly the original recipe came from off the side of a can of condensed milk but over the years I've tinkered with it and made it my own. It's a "no-bake" recipe, ( well, apart from giving the biscuit base a blast in the oven for a few minutes before adding the filling.)
I've always, in the past, stuck with just the biscuit base and the Key lime topping but for the blog I wanted to Jazz it up a bit for you by adding another layer of flavour. I must say that the sweet creamy coconut jelly layer works really well with the zingy lime topping and chocolatey base although when I was making it I didn't know if it was going to work at all! ( you'll see what I mean in the photos for the recipe below.)
but that's the thing about cooking isn't it? you've got to experiment with ingredients and recipes because you never know what you're going to come up with!
If you like an easy life, or you don't like coconut then you can make the pie without the coconut jelly layer, or you could do a meringue topping like a lemon meringue pie, or decorate the top with chocolate curls, whatever! The basic recipe is really easy and satisfying when it's time to serve. the Key lime layer is not over sweet, is lovely and fluffy and light and is full of vitamin c, so its even relatively good for you! ( well apart from the whipped cream and condensed milk!)
So, here we go then!
Key Lime And Coconut Jelly Pie:
part 1: coconut jelly layer:
If you are using the jelly layer then do it first so it has time to set whilst you make the base and the lime layer.Equipment:
Large saucepan.Measuring jug.
Round plastic container, the same size as the spring form tin you're going to use for the rest of the pie, very lightly oiled to aid the release of the jelly when it's set.
Ingredients:
500ml of coconut cream. ( not coconut milk, as this is too thin to set the jelly.)Leaf gelatin sheets x 5.
70g of vanilla sugar, or plain caster sugar.
2 tablespoons of lime juice.
Method:
Break up the gelatin sheets and put them in the measuring jug, cover with cold water and allow to "bloom" ( go soft and,well, jelly-like!)Put the coconut cream and the sugar over a low-medium heat in the saucepan on the stove and gently bring up to just below boiling. ( if it does boil, let it cool for a few minutes before doing the next step.)
Squeeze any excess water from the bloomed gelatin sheets and pop them into the coconut cream, stirring well for about 5 minutes so that the gelatin properly dissolves.
Add the lime juice and stir in, then pour the jelly into the lightly oiled plastic container to set in the fridge. It should take a couple of hours to set.
Part 2:
Biscuit Base:
Equipment:
Carrier bag.Rolling pin.
oven, pre-heated to 120 degrees c/ gas mark 1.
10 inch spring form cake tin.
greaseproof paper.
large mixing bowl.
Ingredients:
350g of Bourbon biscuits, bashed up in the
carrier bag with the rolling pin.
3 good tablespoons of butter.
Method:
line the cake tin bottom with greaseproof paper. The easiest way to do this, I find, is to lay the greaseproof over the spring form bottom then clamp it down using the spring form tin ring.
Soften the butter in your microwave, just for about 30 seconds on medium power.
Put the bashed up biscuits in the mixing bowl and add the softened butter. ( incidentally, I don't like to bash my biscuits up too much, as the different sized pieces add a nice difference in texture to the base.) mix the butter into the biscuits then tip into the lined spring form tin.
Press the biscuit mixture down into the cake tin with the back of a spoon. Try to push it up the sides a little way and smooth it over as best you can.
Pop the base into the oven for about 5 minutes then remove and allow to cool, in the fridge or, preferably, the freezer.
Part 3:
Key lime topping:
Equipment:
Mixing bowl.Balloon whisk.
Lemon juicer. ( I juiced the limes by hand but a juicer is much less effort!)
Ingredients:
8 whole fresh limes.1 pint of double cream.
1 397g tin of condensed milk.
Method:
Juice all 8 limes. to make it easier to get all of the juice stick them in the microwave for 1 minute on full power. you should be able to get about 325ml of juice.In the mixing bowl whip the cream until it is firm and "peaky".
Add the condensed milk to the cream and fold in as gently as you can. ( you want to keep as much of the air you whipped into the cream as possible.) until the mixture is smooth. ( don't be tempted to rush it, as it takes a good 5 minutes of folding to combine the two into a silky smooth mixture.)
Once the cream and condensed milk mixture is combined add the lime juice and, again, mix in slowly and carefully until it is combined.At this stage i like to add a couple of drops of green food colouring. You don't have to if you don't want but I think it makes the pie look more limey.
Let the lime topping sit for a few minutes. You will see that the lime juice will start to thicken the mixture slightly.
So, this is the tricky bit, and also the part where I thought it wasn't going to work...
The idea was to remove the biscuit base from the freezer, turn it upside down on top of the plate with the jelly on it then in one swift movement turn the lot over so the jelly layer fell gracefully from the plate onto the waiting biscuit base....hmmmmm!
The plan nearly worked apart from I wasn't quite quick enough and the jelly kind of flopped onto the base over one side. I tried moving it about so it covered the base evenly but to no avail.
So, I thought, as the coconut jelly was going to be covered by the lime topping, it didn't matter too much what it looked like so I did the best I could and spread the jelly out over the base. (see photo) Not very appetising looking, I'm sure you will agree!Once the jelly layer was (kind of!) covering the base it was just a matter of pouring on the topping.
Now, when you're doing this part you may worry that the topping isn't thick enough and it won't set, but believe me, with enough time the lime juice will work its magic and turn the topping into a gorgeous smooth, light and airy topping that will slice.
Cover the key lime pie with tin foil or cling film, being careful not to let it touch the topping , put the whole thing on a plate to catch any leakage and put it in the fridge for a minimum of 24 hours. ( I know its a long time to wait, but if you try and remove the ring from the tin before that it WILL simply pour out of the sides, ruining all of your hard work.) If you can possibly leave it longer than 24 hours then all the better as the longer you leave it the more it sets.
After the 24 hours remove the pie from the fridge, carefully take off the cling film or tin foil and run a wet knife round the edge of the tin so the pie doesn't pull apart when you release it.
carefully release the clasp on the side of the spring form tin and lift the ring out of the way to reveal your perfectly set, zingy citrussy Key lime pie!
As you can see with mine, the coconut jelly layer turned out fine and it really adds a good balance to the sharp sweet lime layer.
When you have cut the slices out of it that you need put the ring of the tin back on and re-cover with cling film or tin foil before putting back in the fridge.
It will keep in the fridge, covered for around 5 days.
This has always been a firm favourite of mine, and I must say, the addition of the coconut jelly layer really does make it a gorgeous dessert. I've kept the way of making it a secret for a long time, I didn't even tell the other chefs I've worked with over the years how I made Key lime pie, and they've all loved it!
Right then I'm off to try and work out how to get the jelly layer into the pie a bit tidier!
hope you've enjoyed this weeks recipe!
till next time,
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