Recipes

Gandolfi lovers, have you heard of the 'Café Gandolfi Cookbook' lovingly created by our own Seumas MacInnes? If not, you're in for a treat, keep an eye on this page for recipes from the cookbook - if you'd like them all it is also is available to purchase in our Shop page.

 

Clementine and Chocolate Torte

 

Makes 12 slices

 

Ingredients

 

TORTE:

 

375g clementine pulp

 

225g caster sugar

 

225g ground almonds

 

6 large eggs

 

1 teaspoon baking powder

 

CHOCOLATE GLAZE:

 

225g chocolate (70% cocoa)

 

175g unsalted butter

 

40g golden syrup

 

1.5 tablespoons water

 

 Method 

 

Pre-heat the oven to 175 – 180oC and grease a 27cm pan well by lining the base with silicone/baking parchment paper.

 

Put everything into a bowl and stir well. Then, pour or scrape the mixture into the pan and bake for about 35 minutes. The top should be golden brown and will spring back when pressed.

 

Leave to cool in the tin then run a thin knife around the edge of the cake and turn it out. I find it easier to cover the top of the cake with cling film before turning it out as it is quite sticky.

 

To make the clementine pulp, you will need about 450g of fresh clementines. Put the fruit in a pan, leave the skins on and cover with cold water. Bring to the boil, then turn down to a very gentle simmer and cook with the lid on for 60 – 75 minutes. Drain into a colander and allow to cool. 

 

Split open the fruit with your hand and pick out any pips. Blitz in a food processor to a puree. Weigh out into 375g amounts and freeze in zip-lock plastic bags.

 

Cover with chocolate glaze. To make the glaze, put all the ingredients into a plastic bowl and microwave on medium for 2 minutes. Stir well until it is very glossy and quite fluid.

 

Leave to cool to 30oC before pouring about half over the top of the cake. Spread with a palette knife. The rest of the glaze can be kept in the fridge and re-melted in the microwave or just eaten whole with a spoon…

 

Sometimes we serve the cake unglazed and dredged with icing sugar. 

 

 

 

Sweet Potato and Bean Patties 

 

Serves 4

 

Ingredients

 

250g sweet potatoes - cubed

1 red onion – diced

1 cup coriander – chopped

1 tin kidney beans

1 tin cannelinni beans

2 teaspoons chilli jam

Salt and pepper

1/3 cup chick pea flour

 

Method

 

Pre-heat oven to 180oc. 

 

Microwave the sweet potato on high for 6 mins until tender.

 

Meanwhile, drain the tinned beans. Squash and bash them in a bowl, but not to a pulp.

 

Combine with everything else, cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

 

When the mix is easy to handle (if it feels too wet, add a little more flour) shape into balls, and gently press down to form a cake shape.

 

Pre-heat the frying pan with 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil and seal the patties until crisp on both sides. Place on lightly oiled baking tray and warmed through in the oven. 

 

Chickpea Daal

 

Serves 4

 

Ingredients

 

1 large onion, finely chopped

 

2 cloves garlic – crushed

 

1 tablespoon oil

 

2 cans chickpeas – don’t drain

 

2 tablespoons tomato puree

 

2 beef tomatoes cut into 6

 

1 teaspoon cayenne

 

1 teaspoon turmeric

 

1 teaspoon dried mint

 

2 teaspoons coriander

 

3 teaspoons cumin

 

2 teaspoons ground ginger

 

1 teaspoon cinnamon

 

1 tablespoon sugar

 

½ teaspoon garam masala

 

100g baby spinach

 

 

Method

 

Sauté onions until soft, add garlic and continue to cook for 5 minutes. Add all the spices, sugar and tomato puree and simmer for a further 5 minutes.

 

Cut the tomatoes into six and add them and the chickpeas, with their brine, and cook gently for 20 minutes on the stove. Check the seasoning and fold in the baby spinach.

 

Serve with yoghurt, if desired. An added twist is to squeeze half a lemon over the daal. 

Arbroath Smokies

 

Serves 4

 

Ingredients

 

2 smokies

 

1 beef tomato

 

Parmesan cheese

 

150ml double cream

 

150ml tomato and basil sauce (see below for recipe)

 

Method

 

Pre-heat the oven to 180oC.

 

Take the flesh of the smokies and place in a bowl. The fresher they are, the easier this is to do.

 

Slice the beef tomato into quarters and place one slice in each of the ramekins. Now divide the fish and tomato sauce between each dish. Finish off with the cream.

 

Top with grated parmesan and cook in the oven for 15 minutes, serve with bread and salad.

 

 

Tomato and Basil Sauce

 

Ingredients

 

2 onions finely chopped

 

125ml olive oil

 

2 cloves garlic - crushed

 

2 400g tins tomato

 

1 tablespoon fresh basil chopped

 

Salt and pepper

 

½ teaspoon sugar

 

Method

 

Sauté onions in olive oil for 20 minutes. They should be sweet and starting to colour. Now add the remaining ingredients, except the basil.

 

Allow the sauce to thicken and all the flavours to come together. Gently simmer for 30-40 minutes until thickened.

 

Add the basil, then puree with a hand blender or liquidiser.