Ritz chef John Williams - Christmas dinner starters

Available for over a year

So each day we are going to give you a Michelin star recipe and tip to making the perfect Christmas dinner today is starters. There is no one better qualified then John Williams, he's the executive Chef at The Ritz London and Chairman of Royal Academy of Culinary Arts and he's a sand-dancer! At the age of 19 John passed by the Ritz and thought to himself "I want to cook there" fast forward a few years and not only does he cook there but he heads up a team of 65 other chefs and classes Prince Charles as one of his regulars. IDEAS FOR A STARTER SMOKED SALMON BLINIS INGREDIENTS 125 g strong flour 125g buckwheat flour 15g yeast ½ pt. Milk (warm) ¼ pt. Sour cream 3 no eggs 1 tsp salt METHOD Mix warm milk and yeast together Stir yolks into cream and add to milk mixture Pour milk mixture onto flour and salt and stir to a thick batter Cover and leave in warm place for 1 hour Whisk egg whites and fold into batter mixture Cover again and leave in warm place for another hour Brush pans with melted butter and put on medium heat Pour a ladle full batter into each pan Turn over blinis when underside is brown and take off heat when both sides are brown Serve with Caviar and a Sour Cream or with Prawns and a Cocktail Sauce CONSOMME OF WILD MUSHROOMS INGREDIENTS 1kg Mixed wild mushrooms 500g Button mushrooms 100g Dried Cepes 200g Shallots 3 ltr Vegetable Stock Garlic head Seasoning 9 Egg whites 1 Bouquet garni 600g Ravioli paste 150g Cepes finely diced 50g Butter 50g Shallots diced 50g Chives chopped 50g Chervil chopped 20g Garlic chopped METHOD:- Clean and trim the wild mushrooms and cut ½ into fine slices and julienne as according to the mushroom type Mince the remainder of the wild mushrooms, button mushrooms and dried cepes Mix the minced mushrooms with chopped shallots, head of garlic, bouquet garni and egg white until totally mixed Place this mixture in a tall pan, pour on the vegetable stock, mix again and bring to the boil so a crust is formed. Allow to cook for a further 30 minutes Pass through a muslin and reserve Sauté cepes along with the shallots and garlic then flavour with chives and chervil Spoon into ravioli paste and make 3 tortellini per portion. Poach in boiling salted water Place the raw sliced mushrooms into a cup along with the cooked tortellini and pour on seasoned consommé flavoured with chives and chervil. VELOUTE OF JERUSALEM ARTICHOKE WITH WILD MUSHROOM, TRUFFLE TORTE INGREDIENTS 2 kg Jerusalem artichoke 200g Onions 1 Thyme 1 clove Garlic 250 ml White wine 3 ltr Vegetable stock/Chicken stock 200ml Double Cream METHOD Sweat off the onions with the thyme and artichokes. Add the white wine and then reduce, then pour in the stock and then add the cream. Sweat down the chopped mushrooms add double cream and reduce to consistency, add chopped truffle and thyme mould into a ball then chill Place torte into the oven and cook till golden brown Place in a blender and then puree till smooth OXTAIL CONSOMME, TRUFFLE RAVIOLI INGREDIENTS 1kg Oxtail 250g Onion 25g Carrot 25g Celery 25g Celeriac 25g Mushrooms 1 Bay leaf 5 Garlic gloves 1 sprig Thyme 1tbsp Tomato puree 4l Veal or beef stock 500ml Port 750ml Red wine 75g Butter 75g Flour Egg white PASTA 200g Pasta flour 2 Egg yolks 1 Whole eggs 10ml Olive oil 1tsp Salt 25ml Saffron water