For your enjoyment…

Do you feel the same as I do on weekends on or special holidays, or when you have guests over? I’d like to cook something very special, not the usual fare. Then I’m either spoiled for choice or I can’t think of anything at all. If even intensively searching the internet turns out to be fruitless or leafing through piles of cookbooks doesn’t turn up any solution, try our Recipe of the Month!

From the chefs of the Schick Restaurants in Vienna, every month there is a new, seasonal recipe from Austrian-Spanish or Viennese cuisine for you to prepare and enjoy at home! If you don’t want to have to prepare the recipe yourself, you can order the finished dish in comfort at the corresponding Schick Restaurant and indulge all around…

in June 2014 – recipe by Roman Rothmayer – new chef of the Restaurant “Das Schick”:

Elder blossoms³
as Crème Catalane, leche frita and gazpacho . strawberries

Ingredients:

Crème Catalane:
1/4 l milk
1/4 l cream
zests from 1/4 lemon and 1/4 orange
4 egg yolks
70 g elder blossom syrup (homemade or store-bought)
1 dash of bourbon vanilla
20 g corn starch

Leche frita (6 servings):
500 ml milk
3 strips of lemon peel
1/4 stick of cinnamon
50–100 g elder blossom syrup
4 tbsp. corn starch
2 tbsp. flour
3 large egg yolks
sunflower oil for frying
2 eggs (for breading)
6–8 tbsp. breadcrumbs
ground cinnamon

Gazpacho:
100 ml sparkling wine
100 ml mineral water
50 ml elder blossom syrup
1–2 gelatin leaves

6 strawberries
juice from 2 lemons
20 g marzipan (for setting)

Preparation:

Leche frita: Bring milk, together with lemon peel, cinnamon stick and elder blossom syrup to a boil while stirring. Remove from the stove, cover and allow to sit for 20 minutes. Add corn starch and flour to a bowl and fold in egg yolks using a wooden spoon. Fold in a bit of milk until the mixture is smooth. Pour the remaining hot milk into the bowl through a strainer, then place everything back into the pot. Heat egg cream at low heat, stirring constantly so that the liquid thickens evenly. Simmer for several minutes until a thick pudding is formed, one that loosens itself from the pot. Stir vigorously with a spoon so that no lumps form. Pour the pudding into a small, flat mold and spread it smoothly into a square approximately 20 cm per side and 1 cm thick. Allow to cool, then refrigerate.

Pour oil approximately 1 cm high into a pan and heat to a high temperature. Slice the pudding into 8 or 12 squares.

Beat eggs in a plate. Dip the pudding squares into the egg using a spatula, flip over, then turn in breadcrumbs. Fry the breaded pudding slices in oil for several minutes until golden brown, every now and then scooping hot oil on the top side using a spoon. Allow to drip dry on a paper towel. Sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar prior to serving. Serve hot or cold.

Crème Catalane: Bring milk and cream, together with lemon peel and syrup, to a boil. Allow to steep for 20 minutes, then strain. Stir the egg yolks together with corn starch, using 1–2 tablespoons of corn starch to stir until smooth if necessary. Bring the milk to a boil once again. Stir in the egg yolk and corn starch mixture. On reduced heat, bring to a creamy consistency (like pudding), then pour into small porcelain molds or glasses and allow to cool. Sprinkle with brown or granulated sugar prior to serving, and caramelize using a small gas burner.

Gazpacho: Bring sparkling wine together with mineral water and syrup to a boil. Soak gelatin in cold water, stir into the mixture, then allow to cool. Prior to serving, stir by hand or mix using a handheld blender, then pour into small glasses.

Wash strawberries and remove leaves and stems. Marinate strawberries with a dash of powdered sugar and a splash of lemon juice.

Place bowls or glasses with the gazpacho and crème catalane with marzipan on a plate – so they don’t slip – and arrange with the strawberries and fried elder blossoms, as desired, like in our photo, for example.

We wish you much success!