Lee Baileys Pasta With Golden Caviar Food

BLACK BEANS

Steps:

• For the beans: Place the beans in a bowl or pot, cover with cold water and allow to soak overnight. Drain and rinse before proceeding. (Alternatively, add the beans to a medium pot and cover with hot water. Bring to a boil, and then boil for 2 minutes. Turn off the heat, cover the pot and allow the beans to sit for 1 hour. Drain the beans and rinse them with cold water before proceeding.)
• In a medium pot, add the soaked beans, chicken broth, 2 cups water, the garlic, onions and green, red and yellow bell peppers. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer for 1 1/2 hours. Then add the chile powder, cumin and salt and stir. Cover and continue simmering until the liquid level is to your liking, about another hour. Taste for seasoning and add more of what it needs.
• For the fixins: Serve in a bowl with sour cream, cilantro, lime wedges and diced bell peppers on the side.

BEST EVER CHOCOLATE BROWNIES RECIPE

Steps:

• Cut 185g unsalted butter into small cubes and tip into a medium bowl. Break 185g dark chocolate into small pieces and drop into the bowl.
• Fill a small saucepan about a quarter full with hot water, then sit the bowl on top so it rests on the rim of the pan, not touching the water. Put over a low heat until the butter and chocolate have melted, stirring occasionally to mix them.
• Remove the bowl from the pan. Alternatively, cover the bowl loosely with cling film and put in the microwave for 2 minutes on High. Leave the melted mixture to cool to room temperature.
• While you wait for the chocolate to cool, position a shelf in the middle of your oven and turn the oven on to 180C/160C fan/gas 4.
• Using a shallow 20cm square tin, cut out a square of non-stick baking parchment to line the base. Tip 85g plain flour and 40g cocoa powder into a sieve held over a medium bowl. Tap and shake the sieve so they run through together and you get rid of any lumps.
• Chop 50g white chocolate and 50g milk chocolate into chunks on a board.
• Break 3 large eggs into a large bowl and tip in 275g golden caster sugar. With an electric mixer on maximum speed, whisk the eggs and sugar. They will look thick and creamy, like a milk shake. This can take 3-8 minutes, depending on how powerful your mixer is. You'll know it's ready when the mixture becomes really pale and about double its original volume. Another check is to turn off the mixer, lift out the beaters and wiggle them from side to side. If the mixture that runs off the beaters leaves a trail on the surface of the mixture in the bowl for a second or two, you're there.
• Pour the cooled chocolate mixture over the eggy mousse, then gently fold together with a rubber spatula. Plunge the spatula in at one side, take it underneath and bring it up the opposite side and in again at the middle. Continue going under and over in a figure of eight, moving the bowl round after each folding so you can get at it from all sides, until the two mixtures are one and the colour is a mottled dark brown. The idea is to marry them without knocking out the air, so be as gentle and slow as you like.
• Hold the sieve over the bowl of eggy chocolate mixture and resift the cocoa and flour mixture, shaking the sieve from side to side, to cover the top evenly.
• Gently fold in this powder using the same figure of eight action as before. The mixture will look dry and dusty at first, and a bit unpromising, but if you keep going very gently and patiently, it will end up looking gungy and fudgy. Stop just before you feel you should, as you don't want to overdo this mixing.
• Finally, stir in the white and milk chocolate chunks until they're dotted throughout.
• Pour the mixture into the prepared tin, scraping every bit out of the bowl with the spatula. Gently ease the mixture into the corners of the tin and paddle the spatula from side to side across the top to level it.
• Put in the oven and set your timer for 25 mins. When the buzzer goes, open the oven, pull the shelf out a bit and gently shake the tin. If the brownie wobbles in the middle, it's not quite done, so slide it back in and bake for another 5 minutes until the top has a shiny, papery crust and the sides are just beginning to come away from the tin. Take out of the oven.
• Leave the whole thing in the tin until completely cold, then, if you're using the brownie tin, lift up the protruding rim slightly and slide the uncut brownie out on its base. If you're using a normal tin, lift out the brownie with the foil. Cut into quarters, then cut each quarter into four squares and finally into triangles.
• They'll keep in an airtight container for a good two weeks and in the freezer for up to a month.

LEE BAILEY'S PASTA WITH GOLDEN CAVIAR

Steps:

• Combine the crème fraîche, Calvados and bay leaves in a large saucepan and whisk until blended. Heat to boiling over medium heat. Reduce heat to very low and keep warm, stirring occasionally while cooking the pasta.
• Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add 3 tablespoons of the butter and all of the pasta. Cook until the pasta is just done, still firm to the teeth, 3 to 5 minutes. Drain and keep warm.
• Whisk the egg yolk and the remaining 5 tablespoons butter in a large serving bowl until blended. Add the hot pasta and toss gently to coat the strands. Discard the bay leaves and pour the crème fraîche mixture over the pasta. Add about 3/4 of the caviar and toss gently until mixed. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve at once on warm plates, topping each portion with a heaping spoonful of the remaining caviar.

OYSTER VELOUTé WITH BLACK CAVIAR

Steps:

• In a saucepan, melt the butter and soften the shallots but do not brown. Blend in the flour and cook over low heat, stirring often, for 10 minutes. (The roux should be smooth and golden.) In another saucepan, combine and warm the stocks. Gradually add stocks to the roux, stirring constantly, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 20 minutes, skimming off any scum that forms on the top. Add the salt.
• Strain oysters and reserve their liquor. Purée oysters in a food processor or blender and add them with their liquor to the soup. Simmer, partly covered, for 5 minutes, then add cayenne. Strain through a fine sieve, pressing hard with a spoon. (Soup may be prepared ahead to this point.)
• About 5 or 10 minutes before serving, reheat the soup. Whisk yolks and cream together. Slowly whisk in a cup of the hot soup, then stir the cream mixture back into the soup. Stir constantly over low heat, until soup thickens slightly. Bring almost to the boil and remove from heat. Add lemon juice and taste for seasonings. Ladle into serving bowls and top each with about a teaspoon of caviar.

LEMONADE SOUFFLE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter an 8-cup soufflé dish. Beat the egg yolks and sugar until pale yellow. Stir in the lemonade concentrate. Set aside.
• Beat the egg whites with the salt until soft peaks form. Fold 1/3 of the whites into the yolk mixture. Gently fold in the rest, being careful not to deflate the mixture. Turn into the prepared dish.
• Bake on the center rack for 20 to 25 minutes, until the top is a rich, golden brown. Dust with confectioners' sugar. Serve immediately.

SPAGHETTI WITH CAVIAR AND CREAM

Steps:

• Cook spaghetti until al dente; drain.
• Toss with 2 tblsps butter.
• Melt remaining 4 tblsps butter in large skillet over medium heat.
• Add shallots and stir 3 minutes.
• Add cream and vodka and bring to boil.
• Boil until thickened to sauce consistency, stirring occasionally, about 8 minutes.
• Add spaghetti and toss until heated through.
• Season.
• Divide among plates; sprinkle with chives and top with caviar.
• Serve immediately.