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Susan Jung

Coming up with a novel menu for a dinner party can be a challenge during this busy social season, but inspiration is at hand in former corporate chef Liz Seaton's new book Gingers - The Dinner Party. The Hong Kong-based founder of the  Gingers catering company  suggests the following menu based on recipes from her new book.

Vichyssoise with lobster and crispy leeks (far right)

Cooked prawns or chicken can be substituted for the lobster. The soup can also be served on its own.

For the soup:

50 grams butter

1 onion, finely chopped

4 leeks, whites only, rinsed and sliced

500 grams potatoes, peeled and diced

1.5 litres chicken or vegetable stock

180ml cream

Salt

For the garnish:

Oil, for deep-frying

2 leeks, rinsed and cut lengthwise into thin strips

2 medium lobster tails

Melt the butter in a large pan. Add the onion, potatoes, leeks and a ? teaspoon of salt and saute over a low heat for four minutes - do not let it brown. Increase the heat to medium and stir in the stock. Cook for 10 minutes until the potatoes are tender. Put into a food processor and blend until smooth. Sieve the soup  then add half the cream. Let the mixture cool to room temperature before chilling overnight.

To make the garnish, heat oil in a pan. Dry the thin strips of leeks  then deep-fry until  they are golden brown.  Drain on paper towels and sprinkle with ? teaspoon of salt.

Bring a large pan of water to the boil, add ? teaspoon of salt and  the lobster tails. Simmer for 15 minutes then drain and cool. Remove the lobster meat from the shells and cut into pieces. To serve, add the remaining cream to the soup. Ladle into bowls and garnish with the lobster and crispy leeks. Serves eight.

Fillet of veal on gorgonzola polenta with red onion jam and red wine reduction (right)

For the red onion jam:

15ml olive oil

2 large red onions, peeled and thinly sliced

15ml red wine vinegar

15 grams brown sugar

For the veal:

15ml olive oil

15ml melted butter

2 fillets of veal, approximately 1kg each

Salt and freshly ground pepper

For the polenta:

1 litre chicken stock

250 grams instant polenta

50 grams unsalted butter

100 grams gorgonzola, rind removed and cut  into chunks

Freshly ground pepper

For the red wine reduction:

100 grams sugar

500ml red wine

To make the onion jam, heat the olive oil in a pan, add the onions and cook over a low heat until soft and tender. Turn the heat to high, add the vinegar and sugar and cook for another five to eight minutes. Remove from the heat and let the mixture cool.

Pre-heat the oven to 200 degrees Celsius. Heat the  oil and butter in a non-stick skillet. Season the veal with salt and pepper and sear  for about three minutes on each side. Transfer to the oven and cook for 10 minutes. Remove  and let the veal rest for five to seven minutes.

While the veal is cooking, make the polenta. Heat the chicken stock in a deep pan and when it boils, gradually whisk in the polenta. Reduce the heat to low and cook for approximately three minutes until the mixture thickens. Stir in the butter and gorgonzola.

To make the red wine reduction, place the sugar in a heavy saucepan. Over a medium heat, melt the sugar and cook until it is golden brown. Remove the pan from the flame and slowly  add the red wine.  Place the pan back on the heat and simmer until it thickens slightly.

To serve, spoon some polenta onto a plate. Slice the veal into thick pieces and arrange on top of the polenta. Add a spoonful of the onion jam, then drizzle with the red wine reduction. Serves eight.

Ginger meringues with star anise cream (main picture)

Seaton says the ginger meringues can be made in advance and kept in an airtight container for up to two weeks. As with all recipes using whipped egg whites, the mixing bowl and implements must be grease-free, or the whites won't whip up well.

For the meringues:

4 egg whites

115 grams caster sugar

115 grams icing sugar, sieved

1 tbsp ground ginger powder

For the star anise cream:

50 grams star anise

100 grams sugar

150ml chilled cream

Icing sugar, to dust

Pre-heat the oven to 110 degrees Celsius. Using an electric mixer, whisk the egg whites in a clean, dry bowl. When the whites are frothy, start adding the caster sugar a little at a time. Whip until stiff. Mix the ground ginger with the icing sugar. In three additions, fold the icing sugar into the whipped egg whites,   trying to maintain as much volume as possible. Do not over-mix.

Using two dessertspoons, scoop small ovals of the meringue mixture  onto a baking sheet lined with greaseproof paper. You should have at least 16

meringues. Bake for one hour, or until they are firm

and dry to the touch but still slightly soft in the centre. Remove from the oven, cool completely and store in an airtight  container.

To make the star anise cream, place the star anise and sugar in a pan and cover with 100ml water. Stir to dissolve the sugar then boil until reduced to 25ml. Strain the mixture then let it cool. Whip the cream until soft peaks appear then stir in the anise-flavoured sugar syrup and continue to whip until stiff.

To assemble, sandwich two meringues together with a spoonful of the whipped cream. Sprinkle with icing sugar and serve immediately.

STYLING  Liz Seaton



Dinner is served