As it's Valentine's Day we thought we'd dig out cookery school chef Alex Mackay's Coeur à la Crème recipe, a perfect pudding to complete a romantic Valentine's Day meal. Coeur à la crème in English literally means cream heart and that's exactly what this dish is, a creamy indulgent pudding that goes great with a side of fruit coulis.
INGREDIENTS:
- 460g fromage frais
- 100g crème fraîche
- 100g caster sugar
- 1 lemon, juice only
- 350g raspberries
- 100 ml water & 3 tbsp sugar
- 150g mixed redcurrants and small strawberries
METHOD:
1. Line 4 small, perforated heart moulds with four pieces of dampened muslin cloth, leaving plenty overlapping around the sides.
2. Whisk the fromage frais (discarding any separated liquid) together with the crème fraîche, sugar and lemon juice.
3. Spoon the cheese mixture into the muslin lined heart moulds. Tap the moulds gently against the table to knock out any air bubbles. Leave to drain for around four hours, or overnight.
4. For the raspberry coulis, place 150g raspberries in a saucepan with the sugar and water. Dissolve the sugar over a gentle heat and simmer for 2 minutes, before transferring to an electric blender.Puree the mixture, and strain through a fine sieve into a bowl. Toss in the remaining raspberries, redcurrants and strawberries.
5. Remove the cheese hearts from their moulds and arrange in the centre of four dessert plates. Spoon the berries and raspberry coulis around and serve straight away.
Recipe courtesy of Alex Mackay
