Happy Christmas

Exactly one year ago, when I got back from work sat on my bed with a hot cup of tea and switched on my lappy. All I wanted was to relax and not hear the word food at all!.

What actually happened was that I had to step by step guide a friend trough "Skype" making the famous Portuguese dish "Sericaia"  back then alien to me!. Of-course told a white lie and said I knew how to make it! (Mr Chef could not let his friend down).  Ended  up in disaster,  but the taste was pretty good!.

So let me share this typical Portuguese recipe!

Ingredients;

• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/3 cup all-purpose flour (sifted, then measured)
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup whole milk
• Zest of 1/2 lemon, removed in strips with a vegetable peeler
• 1/2 stick cinnamon
• 4 large eggs, separated
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

Method; 

Preheat oven to 350° F (135°C, Gas Mark 1). In small, heavy, non-reactive saucepan, combine 1/4 cup sugar with flour and salt, then whisk in milk. Drop in lemon zest and cinnamon stick. Set pan over moderate heat and cook, stirring constantly, until mixture just boils and forms stiff batter, 5 to 7 minutes.

Remove pan from heat and whisk in egg yolks. Set mixture aside to cool, whisking occasionally, 15 minutes.

In large bowl using electric mixer, beat egg whites until fluffy and texture of thick sea foam. Gradually beat in remaining 1/4 cup sugar, then continue beating until soft peaks form.

Remove lemon zest and cinnamon stick from cooled egg yolk mixture and discard. Gently fold 1/3 of beaten whites into yolk mixture. Scoop mixture onto remaining beaten whites and fold in gently but thoroughly until no streaks remain.

Mound batter in un-greased 9-inch ceramic or glass pie pan. Sift ground cinnamon over batter, covering completely. Place pan on baking sheet. Bake on middle oven rack until centre is set and cracks have formed on surface, about 30 minutes. Remove from oven and cool to room temperature.

Tips;

• Sericaia will fall slightly — this is to be expected Cut into wedges to serve.
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• Sericaia will keep, loosely covered, at room temperature up to 2 days.
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• Avoid over-beating the egg whites,Once you've added the sugar, beat them to the soft-peak stage.
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• When the beater is lifted, the whites should form peaks, then slowly flop over. You want them to flow from the bowl, rather than slide out in one Styrofoam-like lump."