S2E12 Highlands Dinner

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S2E12 recipes

Springbok Tartare on Grilled Ciabatta with Quail Eggs

Lean, peppery game tartare with sharp condiments, warm toast, and sunny quail eggs.
At a glance
Yield: Serves 2
Prep / Cook / Total: 20 min / 3–4 min / 25 min
Skill level: Intermediate
Equipment: grill pan or toaster, mixing bowls, nonstick pan
Ingredients
  • 5.3 oz (150 g) springbok loin, very cold, finely chopped  (venison)
  • 1 small shallot, finely diced
  • 1 small red chili, finely chopped
  • 1 tsp tarragon mustard
  • 1 tbsp capers, chopped
  • 2 tbsp cornichons, chopped
  • 1 tbsp flat-leaf parsley, chopped
  • Tabasco, to taste
  • 2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 tbsp tomato ketchup
  • 1 hard-boiled egg (10-min boil), grated
  • 2 slices ciabatta, grilled
  • Cold butter, thin slivers
  • Olive oil, for pan
  • 2 quail eggs
  • 3 tbsp (45 ml) mayonnaise
  • 1 tbsp (15 ml) crème fraîche
  • 1 tbsp (15 ml) sriracha
  • Fine salt and black pepper, to taste
Method
  1. Mix tartare: In a bowl, combine springbok, shallot, chili, mustard, capers, cornichons, and parsley. Season with Tabasco, Worcestershire, ketchup, salt, and pepper. Fold in the grated egg.
  2. Toast: Grill or griddle ciabatta; while hot, top with slivers of cold butter.
  3. Quail eggs: Heat a thin film of olive oil over medium. Fry quail eggs sunny-side, 1–2 minutes.
  4. Sauce: Stir mayonnaise, crème fraîche, and sriracha until smooth.
  5. Serve: Spoon tartare alongside buttered toast, top each toast with a quail egg, and serve the spicy crème on the side.
Tips & substitutions
If raw game isn’t available, use high-quality beef tenderloin. Keep meat very cold for clean cuts.
Dietary tags: dairy-free if you skip butter and crème; gluten present in bread
Allergens: egg, dairy, gluten, fish (Worcestershire)
Make-ahead / storage / reheat: Mix tartare just before serving; sauce holds 2 days chilled.
Chef’s note: Chill your knife and board; warmth smears the dice.
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Crab, Grapefruit & Avocado with Almond Foam and Jelly

Sweet crab and creamy avocado lifted by ruby grapefruit vinaigrette, almond milk foam, and soft almond jelly.
At a glance
Yield: Serves 6–8
Prep / Cook / Total: 35–40 min active / 2–3 hr chill / ~2 hr 30 min
Skill level: Advanced (espuma + gelatin)
Equipment: fine sieve, siphon (espuma gun), squeeze bottle
Ingredients
  • 4 ruby grapefruits, segmented and patted dry
  • 1 1/4 cups (300 ml) ruby grapefruit juice, reduced by one-third
  • 2 lb 3 oz (1 kg) white crab meat, picked clean and drained
  • 1 small red chili, finely chopped
  • 4 ripe avocados, diced and dressed with lemon juice
  • Juice of 3 lemons (about 6 tbsp/90 ml)
  • 2/3 cup (150 ml) olive oil, plus more to drizzle
  • 2 cups (500 ml) unsweetened almond milk
  • 3/4 cup + 2 tbsp (200 ml) heavy cream
  • 4 gelatin leaves, soaked and wrung
  • Fine salt and black pepper
  • 2.8 oz (80 g) parsley, chopped
  • 2 tsp curry powder
  • 4 breakfast radishes, paper-thin on a mandoline
  • 1 cup (85 g) toasted flaked almonds
  • Edible flowers, to finish
Method
  1. Vinaigrette: Whisk reduced grapefruit juice with 2/3 cup olive oil to emulsify, season lightly. Bottle.
  2. Almond base: Warm almond milk and cream just to steaming. Off heat, whisk in gelatin until dissolved; season. Strain.
  3. Foam & jelly: Pour half the almond mix into a siphon and chill. Pour the other half into a shallow container; chill to set, then dice as “almond jelly.”
  4. Crab prep: Toss avocado with lemon juice. In a bowl, combine crab, chili, parsley, curry powder, a drizzle of olive oil, salt, and pepper.
  5. Finish: Season grapefruit segments with a touch of oil and pepper. On plates, arrange crab-avocado, grapefruit, and almond jelly; dot with vinaigrette. Charge siphon (1–2 cartridges), shake, and pipe almond foam. Garnish with radish, toasted almonds, and flowers.
Tips & substitutions
No siphon? Whip the almond base with a stick blender to froth and spoon on.
Dietary tags: dairy-free if you omit cream and swap gelatin for agar; gluten-free
Allergens: shellfish, tree nuts, dairy (cream)
Make-ahead / storage / reheat: Jelly holds 2 days; vinaigrette 3 days; assemble to order.
Chef’s note: Keep crab as dry as your humor; excess liquid flattens the plate.
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Line Fish, Roasted Jerusalem Artichokes, Bean–Daikon Salad & Dune Spinach

Pan-roasted fillets topped with grated-egg vinaigrette and a crunchy bean–daikon salad, with nutty artichokes.
At a glance
Yield: Serves 6–8
Prep / Cook / Total: 35–40 min / 35–45 min / ~1 hr 15–25 min
Skill level: Intermediate
Equipment: two skillets, oven tray, fine grater
Ingredients

Egg vinaigrette & salad

  • 1/2 cup (120 ml) olive oil
  • 2 hard-boiled eggs, finely grated
  • 2 shallots, finely diced
  • 2 chilies, finely diced
  • Juice of 1 lemon (2–3 tbsp/30–45 ml), divided
  • Fine salt and pepper
  • 1 small daikon, peeled and finely julienned
  • 1 lb 10 oz (750 g) green beans, halved lengthwise, blanched and shocked
  • 1 cup (140 g) chili cashews, roughly chopped

Artichokes

  • 7 tbsp (100 g) butter + olive oil for pan
  • 1 lb 2 oz (500 g) Jerusalem artichokes, scrubbed, cut bite-size

Fish & greens

  • 4 lb 6 oz (2 kg) line fish fillets, skin on [US: snapper/sea bass/halibut]
  • Olive oil, for searing
  • 7 oz (200 g) dune spinach [US swap: sea beans or baby spinach;
  • Fine salt
Method
  1. Vinaigrette: In a bowl, combine olive oil, grated eggs, shallots, chilies, and half the lemon juice. Season and stir to a loose emulsion.
  2. Artichokes: Heat oven to 350°F (175°C). In two pans, brown artichokes in butter and a little oil; season. Transfer to a tray and roast 25–30 minutes until tender. Toss with remaining lemon juice.
  3. Salad: Fold daikon and blanched beans into the egg vinaigrette; add chopped cashews and toss.
  4. Fish: Heat two slicked pans. Sear fish 4 minutes per side until just opaque; rest on a tray. Wilt dune spinach in the hot pan 30–60 seconds; season.
  5. Plate: Spoon salad onto plates, add roasted artichokes, top with fish and wilted greens. Spoon over pan juices.
Tips & substitutions
Add a spoon of Dijon to the vinaigrette if you want it thicker.
Dietary tags: dairy-free if you brown artichokes in oil only; gluten-free
Allergens: tree nuts (cashews), dairy (butter)
Make-ahead / storage / reheat: Artichokes reheat well; fish to order.
Chef’s note: Don’t over-reduce egg vinaigrette with acid; it will curdle.
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Prune Soufflé

A light, fragrant rise built on a silky pastry-cream base and deep prune purée.
At a glance
Yield: 10 individual 6–8 oz (180–240 ml) ramekins
Prep / Cook / Total: 35–40 min active / 13 min bake / ~55 min plus chilling
Skill level: Advanced
Equipment: stand mixer, saucepan, blender, ramekins
Ingredients

For the molds

  • Soft butter and caster sugar, for brushing and dusting

Crème pâtissière (base; you’ll use ~50 g per soufflé)

  • 3 1/3 cups ( 750 ml ) milk
  • 7  tbsp (94 g) unsalted butter, cold cubes
  • 1 1/4 cups (156 g) all-purpose flour
  • 4 egg yolks

Prune purée (about 25 g per soufflé)

  • 1 2/3 cups (250 g) pitted prunes
  • 1 cup (240 ml) boiling water

Meringue

  • 8 large egg whites (250 g)
  • 2 1/2 cups (500 g) caster/granulated sugar
Method
  1. Prep ramekins: Brush with soft butter in upward strokes; dust with sugar. Chill. Heat oven to 355°F (180°C).
  2. Crème pâtissière: Warm milk in a pot. In a processor, pulse butter and flour to a sandy mix. Whisk into warm milk; cook over medium, whisking, about 10 minutes until thick and smooth. Off heat, whisk in yolks 2–3 minutes. Cool.
  3. Prune purée: Simmer prunes in boiling water 15 minutes. Blend smooth and pass through a sieve; cool.
  4. Meringue: Whip egg whites to soft peaks; stream in sugar to firm, glossy peaks.
  5. Base mix: For each soufflé, combine roughly 3 tbsp (50 g) pastry cream with 1 1/2 tbsp (25 g) prune purée. Whisk in half the meringue portion to loosen, then gently fold in the remainder to keep volume.
  6. Fill & bake: Spoon into chilled ramekins, level with a palette knife, run thumb around the rim to create a “top hat.” Bake 13 minutes until risen with a slight wobble. Serve immediately.
Tips & substitutions
Flavor swaps work (apricot, chocolate). For extra lift, dust rims again after chilling.
Dietary tags: vegetarian
Allergens: dairy, egg, gluten
Make-ahead / storage / reheat: Pastry cream and prune purée keep 2 days chilled. Bake à la minute.
Chef’s note: Sugar the walls generously; it’s the ladder your soufflé climbs.
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