Burnt Goat’s Curd Cheese with Apple Purée and Salted Caramel by Jean-Didier Gouges

A vegetarian recipe from recently-appointed Head Chef Jean-Didier Gouges at The Petersham in Richmond. This dish is a winning combination of flavours.

Skill Level: 3 (1 simple to 5 being complex and challenging)

Serves 4
Ingredients:

• 150g soft matured goat’s cheese, sliced into 12 pieces
• 3 green apples, cut into spheres with a melon baller
• 2 black figs, sliced into 6 pieces
• 1 handful black olives, pitted sourdough bread cut into cubes
• Chopped rosemary
• Dill
• Edible flowers, optional

For the salted caramel:

• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon of golden syrup
• 100ml double cream
• 15g butter
• 1 tablespoon water

1. For the black olive powder, wash the black olives and pre-heat the oven to 120 degrees centigrade. Place them on parchment paper on a baking tray and cook in the oven for approximately 40 minutes until hard and dry. Once cool, use a blender to blitz the dry olives into a fine powder and set aside.

2. To create the salted caramel, place the brown sugar, golden syrup and water into a small pan and simmer. When melted, add the butter and double cream with a pinch of sea salt. Fold everything together until smooth before putting aside.

3. Cut the remaining apple from the core into small pieces and sprinkle with sugar. Cook in a pan until soft, then blitz together in a blender to make a purée.

4. Mix the sourdough bread cubes with olive oil, chopped rosemary and salt and pepper and toast in a pan until the oil is soaked up and the cubes are crunchy like croutons.

5. Preheat the grill. Remove the goat’s cheese from the fridge and dust with a little icing sugar. When the grill is hot enough, place the cheese underneath it and heat until it is has browned a warm golden colour.

6. Remove the apple balls from the lemon water. Plate the burnt cheese, apple balls, fig pieces, a handful of croutons and the dill together with the edible flowers, if you are using them. Dot the apple purée and salted caramel either side of the cheese to taste.

Alternatively, dine at The Petersham Restaurant with the Luxury Restaurant Club and enjoy champagne for your dining party. See details here.

The Petersham Restaurant, Nightgale Lane, Richmond TW10 6UZ

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