James Martin Lemon Posset Food

LEMON POSSET WITH SUGARED-ALMOND SHORTBREAD

Steps:

• Make the posset first. Put the cream in a big saucepan with the sugar and gently heat, stirring, until the sugar has melted. Bring to a simmer and bubble for 1 min. Turn off the heat and stir in the lemon zest and juice. Divide between pots or bowls, cool to room temperature, then carefully cover and chill for at least 3 hrs, or up to 24 hrs.
• To make the shortbread, heat oven to 160C/140C fan/gas 3. Whizz the butter and flour together in a food processor until no lumps of butter remain (or rub together with your fingertips). Tip into a bowl and stir in the sugar, ground rice and almonds. Line the base of a roughly 22cm square tin with baking parchment. Tip in the mixture and press it down firmly, making it as flat as you can. Dredge with more sugar and bake for 25-30 mins until pale golden. Cool in the tin.
• Cut the shortbread into shards and serve with the possets and little spoons.

LEMON POSSET WITH LEMON SHORTBREAD

Steps:

• For the posset, place the double cream and the sugar into a large pan over a low heat and bring to the boil slowly. Boil for three minutes, then remove from the heat and allow to cool.
• Add the lemon juice and zest and whisk well.
• Pour the lemon cream mixture into six large serving glasses and refrigerate for three hours.
• Preheat the oven to 180C/355F/Gas 4.
• For the shortbread, sift the icing sugar, flour and cornflour together into a bowl and add the ground almonds.
• Transfer the flour mixture to a food processor. Add the butter and pulse until there are no visible lumps of butter.
• Add the almond essence. Pulse again, then turn the mixture out onto a lightly floured surface and bring together to form a smooth dough.
• Grease a muffin tray with butter.
• Divide the dough up and roll into small balls. Place the balls into the muffin cups, flattening the tops slightly with your fingers. The dough should come about one third of the way up the side of each muffin cup to give a nice proportion to the finished biscuit.
• Transfer to the oven and bake the shortbreads for 8-12 minutes, until they are a light golden colour.
• Remove from the oven, allow to cool slightly, then, using your thumb, make a small indentation into the top of each biscuit.
• Let the shortbreads cool for a few minutes, then turn the mould over and tap the shortbreads out. (Be gentle, as the biscuits are fragile while they are still warm.)
• When all the shortbreads are baked and cooled, dust the tops with icing sugar. Fill the indentations in the biscuits with lemon curd.
• To serve, place the lemon possets onto plates with a shortbread alongside. Sprinkle a little lemon zest on top, if you want.

PRESERVED LEMONS

Steps:

• Sterilize two 1.5-liter canning jars and two 1-liter canning jars with clamp-top lids (we used Fido brand) by boiling them and their rubber seals in water 10 minutes. Remove with tongs, and let cool.
• Cut stem end off each of 24 to 30 lemons. Make 5 or 6 slits (a little less than 1/2 inch deep) down the length of each lemon with a sharp paring knife, cutting to within 1/2 inch of bottom of lemon but not all the way through. Press top of lemon with your palm to flatten and cause slits to splay open. Gather and save any juices that accumulate on cutting board. Pack as much salt as possible (about 1 tablespoon) into each slit.
• Place about 1/2 cup salt in each 1.5-liter jar, and pour in a little lemon juice. Working with 1 jar at a time, add 1 lemon, and flatten as much as possible. Sprinkle in a little more salt, add another lemon and repeat process, adding more juice every so often. Repeat until you reach top of jar (each jar should take 12 to 15 lemons). Seal jars, and refrigerate 20 days, shaking and rotating once a day, before giving as a gift. Most but not all of the salt will dissolve.
• For remaining lemons, trim stem end of each lemon and cut in half lengthwise; cut each half into 8 pieces. For every 2 cups of lemon pieces, toss with 1/2 cup salt in a bowl. Fill two 1-liter jars with lemon mixture, pressing down as many lemon pieces as possible and causing them to exude some of their juice. Seal jars, and refrigerate at least 10 days, shaking and rotating once a day, before giving as gifts.

PRESERVED LEMONS

Steps:

• Scrub 3 to 5 organic lemons, enough to fit snugly in a medium jar with a tight-fitting lid (have 2 to 4 more ready on the side). Slice each lemon from the top to within 1/2 inch of the bottom, almost cutting them into quarters but leaving them attached at one end. Rub kosher salt over the cut surfaces, then reshape the fruit. Cover the bottom of the jar with more kosher salt. Fit all the cut lemons in, breaking them apart if necessary. Sprinkle salt on each layer.
• Press the lemons down to release their juices. Add to the jar the peppercorns and bay leaves, then squeeze the additional lemons into the jar until juice covers everything.
• Close the jar and let ripen at cool room temperature, shaking the jar every day for 3 to 4 weeks, or until the rinds are tender to the bite. Then store it in the refrigerator.
• To use, remove a piece of lemon and rinse it. (Add more fresh lemons to the brine as you use them up.) The minced rind is added at the very end of cooking or used raw; the pulp can be added to a simmering pot.

GORDON RAMSAY'S LEMON POSSET

Steps:

• Pour the cream into a small saucepan and add the sugar. Slowly bring to the boil, stirring constantly to dissolve the sugar. Once it comes to the boil, let the cream bubble for a further 3 minutes, stirring all the time.
• Remove the pan from the heat and pour in the juice of 1 lemon, stirring the mixture thoroughly as you do so. It should start to thicken instantly. Taste the mixture and add a little more lemon juice if it's not tart enough. The posset should be sweet, tangy and creamy.
• Allow to cool for about 5 minutes, then pour into individual glasses. Cover with cling film and chill in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours or overnight. If the possets are very firm, take them out of the refrigerator 15 minutes before serving to soften. Serve with dessert biscuits, langues de chats or almond biscuits.

LEMON POSSET WITH BERRIES

Steps:

• Combine cream, sugar, and zest in medium sized heavy saucepan and bring to a boil. Continue to boil for 10-12 minutes, stirring frequently making sure a sugar has dissolved. If mixture begins to boil over, remove momentarily from heat.
• Remove from heat, add lemon juice and allow to cool, a skin will form on top. Strain mixture through a fine mesh sieve, discarding zest. Carefully pour evenly into 8 small espresso sized cups.
• Place cups on a small baking sheet and refrigerate uncovered for 2-3 hours. Plastic wrap may be used to cover after 3 hours. Garnish with berries before serving.

GORDON RAMSEY LEMON POSSET

Steps:

• Pour the cream into a small saucepan and add the sugar. Slowly bring to the boil, stirring constantly to dissolve the sugar. Once it comes to the boil, let the cream bubble for a further 3 minutes, stirring all the time.
• Remove the pan from the heat and pour in the juice of 1 lemon, stirring the mixture thoroughly as you do so. It should start to thicken instantly. Taste the mixture and add a little more lemon juice if it's not tart enough. The posset should be sweet, tangy and creamy.
• Allow to cool for about 5 minutes, then pour into individual glasses. Cover with cling film and chill in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours or overnight. If the possets are very firm, take them out of the refrigerator 15 minutes before serving to soften. Serve with dessert biscuits, langues de chats or almond biscuits.

LEMON POSSET

Steps:

• 1. Put the double cream in a large pan with the sugar. Bring slowly to the boil and simmer for 3 minutes. Take it off the heat, add the lemon juice and zest and whisk well.
• 2. Pour into 6 ramekins and refrigerate for 2-3 hours. Sprinkle with the pared lemon zest before serving with shortbread.

LEMON POSSET BY MARY BERRY

Steps:

• Zest and juice three lemons
• Pour 600ml double cream into a large saucepan and add 3/4 of the lemon zest and 150g caster sugar
• Bring to the boil stirring continuously then simmer for 3 minutes
• Remove from the heat and allow to cool slightly then whisk in the lemon juice
• Transfer to a glass jug and pour into serving dishes
• Cover with clingfilm and refrigerate for 4 hours (or overnight)
• When you're ready to serve - sprinkle over the remaining lemon zest and a couple of lemon thyme leaves if you're feeling fancy!
• Serve with shortbread biscuits

VEAL SHANKS WITH PRESERVED LEMON

Steps:

• Combine lemons, 1 teaspoon salt and sugar in a small saute pan. Cover with 2 cups water and simmer over medium heat until soft, about 15 minutes. Set aside.
• Cook the bacon in a large, heavy bottom saucepan over medium-low heat until golden, about 5 to 10 minutes. Remove and set aside. Increase the heat to medium high, add the shanks and sear until golden brown, about 5 minutes per side. Remove and set aside.
• Add the onion and garlic. Lower the heat to medium and cook until the onions are translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the wine, increase the heat to high and simmer until reduced to 1/2 cup, about 5 minutes. Add the chicken broth, lemons, carrots, turnips, thyme, 1/2 teaspoon salt and pepper. Return the shanks and bacon to the pan. Cover partly and simmer gently until the meat falls off the bone, about 2 hours.
• Divide the shanks among 4 plates. Ladle the sauce over each shank. Garnish with parsley and serve immediately. Serve with root vegetable puree (recipe below).