Mothering Sunday

The In-Laws came over on Saturday night to celebrate Mothering Sunday.

We had Asparagus with Pancetta as a starter; Roast Beef, Yorkshire Pudding, Carrots, Beans, Roast Potatoes, Roast Parsnips and gravy as the main and Profiteroles filled with Chantilly Cream and topped with hot chocolate sauce as a dessert.

Recipes are below. The Profiteroles are by Gordon Ramsey, the Asparagus was from a Channel 4 website but I used Taleggio not Parmesan. I served a french Merlot and an Australian Sancerre with the food. Followed by coffee.

Asparagus wrapped in pancetta with parmesan and
butter recipe
Ingredients
30 stems of asparagus
15 slices of pancetta ham
120g of cheese of your choice
Method: How to make asparagus wrapped in pancetta
1. Boil asparagus for 1 minute then put in cold pot of water. When cold wrap 2 stems of asparagus
with a small amount of cheese in a slice of pancetta ham.
2. Place in oven for 10 minutes before serving. Serve 3 bundles on each plate.

Profiteroles with hot chocolate sauce recipe
Makes 30 profiteroles
Ingredients
Choux pastry
125ml milk
200ml water
150g plain flour
1 tsp golden caster sugar
? tsp salt
100g unsalted butter
4 medium eggs, lightly beaten
Chantilly cream
1 ? a vanilla pod, split
300ml whipping cream
1-2 tbsp icing sugar
Chocolate sauce
200g good quality dark chocolate (70% cocoa solids)
30g unsalted butter
3 tbsp clear honey
125ml full fat milk
Method: How to make profiteroles with hot chocolate sauce
1. Preheat the oven to 200oCIGas 6. Sift the flour and salt into a bowl. Place the milk, cold water, salt,
sugar into a pan and set over a low heat. Once the sugar and salt has dissolved add the butter. Once
the butter has melted, bring to a rolling boil. Turn off the heat then tip in the flour and beat vigorously
with a wooden spoon. As soon as the mixture starts to come away from the side of the pan, stop
beating and tip onto a plate to cool.
2. Return the mixture to the pan, then gradually beat in the eggs, a little at a time, mixing well
between each addition, until you have a smooth paste. (Alternatively, transfer the mix to an electric
mixer and gradually add the eggs while the mixer is running on a low setting).
3. Line a baking sheet with greaseproof paper. Spoon the choux pastry into a piping bag fitted with a
large plain nozzle (about 1.5cm in diameter). Pipe a small blob of the pastry mix under each corner of
the greaseproof to keep the paper in place. Now pipe about 20 walnut-sized balls onto the baking
sheet, spaced well apart. Level the peaked tops with the tip of a wet finger then bake for 18-20
minutes until well risen and golden brown.
4. Remove from the oven and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before filling.
5. For the Chantilly cream scrape the seeds from the vanilla pod into a large mixing bowl. Add the
cream, and icing sugar then whisk together until the consistency of a soft meringue with floppy peaks.
Spoon the cream into a clean piping bag, fitted with a small plain nozzle. Pierce the base of a choux
bun with the tip of the nozzle and pipe in the cream. Repeat with the remaining choux buns.
6. For the chocolate sauce, break the chocolate into small pieces in a heatproof bowl. Place the bowl
over a pan of simmering water and heat. Add the butter and honey stirring from time to time, until the
chocolate begins to melt. Gradually whisk in the milk until you have a smooth sauce and warm
through. Serve the cream-filled profiteroles with the hot chocolate sauce drizzled over.