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Desert Island Dishes

6 Aug 08

Radio Northampton, Drivetime, Desert Island Dishes.

Presenters Richard Savage and Annabel Amos run this feature at the end of their show every weekday, where celebrities, members of the public and even the occasional tea expert are invited to dream up their favourite dish.

This is what Andrew chose:

A traditional summer barbeque

Main course

Scotch Steak with pepper
Butchers Sausages
Salad – fresh Isle of Wight tomatoes, crisp lettuce, feta cheese, balsamic vinegar, black pepper, fresh basil, olives, peppers. 

Boiled new potatoes with fresh mint from the garden and plenty of creamy yellow Guernsey butter 

To drink

Alsace red – enough to match the steak but still crisp and refreshing on a warm summer’s day. 

Pudding

Home made White Chocolate and Green Tea ice cream with vanilla and Bancha (see recipe below) 

And finally

A cup of Darjeeling tea to sip in the afternoon sun… maybe with a second bowl of ice cream. I would choose one or maybe two depending on the weather and how fresh I was feeling – perhaps a 2008 first flush Badamtam to start with to cleanse my palate after the steak and ice cream, then a little later a richer, mellower, classic DJ with plenty of muscatel character such as a mid-season Castleton, with a drop of milk to sip and read the paper. 

What other people chose

Ben Fogle (TV presenter) chose Cottage Pie with melted cheese followed by Rhubarb Crumble. To drink, he decided on 2 bottles of a crisp Chablis.

Amanda Lamb (TV presenter) chose a Mozarella, tomato and basil salad followed by roast chicken with roast potatoes and peas. She also wanted several drinks - gin and tonic to start with, followed by a chilled glass of Sancerre, and then a Mojito.

Kenny Logan (ex-Rugby player) chose a Scotch steak with mashed potato, peas, gravy and French mustard. For pud he chose Sticky Toffee Pudding with ice cream, and to drink a Cloudy Bay Sauvignon Blanc. 

White Chocolate and Green Tea Ice Cream

  • 8 oz high quality white chocolate, broken up
  • 2 cups single cream
  • 1 cup double cream
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 5 large egg yolks, at room temperature
  • 3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
  • 2 tablespoons Japanese Bancha (green tea), ground up.

  1. Place the white chocolate pieces in a large heatproof bowl. Set aside.
  2. Combine the light cream, heavy cream, and vanilla extract in a medium-size saucepan. Over medium heat, bring the mixture just to a boil, stirring constantly. Remove from the heat and set aside.
  3. In a large bowl, whisk the yolks until well blended. In a small bowl, blend the brown sugar with the tea until there are no green streaks, then whisk the sugar mixture into the egg yolks, blending well.
  4. Add 1/4 cup of the hot cream mixture to the egg mixture, whisking vigorously. Add another 1/4 cup and whisk again. Carefully pour this mixture back into the saucepan, mix well, and cook over medium heat until the custard is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, about 75 degrees Celsius. Do not boil, or the custard will curdle.
  5. Remove the custard from the heat and strain through a fine-mesh strainer into the bowl of chopped white chocolate. Stir until the chocolate is completely melted, then let the custard cool at room temperature for 15 minutes.
  6. Cover the custard and chill in the refrigerator for 6 hours or overnight. Freeze in an ice cream machine according to the manufacturer's instructions. Transfer the ice cream to an airtight container and place in the freezer until firm, at least 8 hours. Remove from the freezer 20 minutes before serving.