Guests gathered at the BSH Home of Innovation for a morning of autumn cooking inspiration …
On Saturday September 20, THE GLOSS welcomed readers to the BSH Home of Innovation, Ballymount in Dublin 12 for a very special event, In The Autumn Kitchen, a seasonal cooking demonstration hosted by Kitty Coles, Food Editor at THE GLOSS and Eleanor Martin, Culinary and Showroom Manager at BSH.
In the impressive showroom – where the latest appliances from Bosch, Siemens and NEFF are on display – guests enjoyed tea, coffee and a delicious light breakfast of scones and pastries prepared by the BSH team, before settling in for the demonstration with Kitty and Eleanor.
What’s fashionable in the food world this year? Kitty focused on key ingredients that are everywhere right now: hot honey, miso and brown butter. The menu was typical of Kitty’s fuss-free, accessible and stylish way of cooking and serving, which readers know and love from her monthly food column in THE GLOSS and newsletter.
First was roast squash with hot honey and mozzarella – this starter coudn’t be easier. Kitty began by making the hot honey, adding sliced chillies to olive oil in a small saucepan, before adding honey and vinegar and a pinch of salt, and setting it aside to cool.
She then halved a butternut squash and scooped out the seeds, lightly crushing garlic cloves into the hollowed-out centres, pouring enough oil to cover the garlic – Kitty’s top tip for gently confiting the garlic as it cooks, so the garlic will roast in the same time as the squash. This method of cooking will result in perfectly cooked squash to use in salads or blitz into a soup for cold autumn days. Minimal effort, maximum impact.
Kitty explained how hot honey can be used on everything from pizza, to salty meats, cheese, even drizzled over roast potatoes or tossed into a salad. But do remember that the whole point of adding honey or spice to dishes is to “ensure the balance of flavours”, said Kitty, citing the classic marriage of salt, fat, acid, heat.
For the main course, she moved onto a miso roast salmon, and kale sesame salad with fennel and orange. Kitty loves using miso in dishes, a salty paste made from fermented soy beans. The beauty of this dressing recipe – made from miso paste, honey, soy sauce, rice vinegar, ginger, garlic and sesame oil – is that it can be used as a marinade for meat, fish or with salad.
When it came to pop the marinated salmon into the oven to roast, Eleanor explained cooking using a meat probe thermometer which is standard in some NEFF ovens. Plug one end into the inside of the oven and the other into the food you are cooking, set the desired temperature and as your meat or fish reaches the correct temperature, the oven will automatically switch off. “This tool is particularly useful around Christmas time when you are cooking turkey or ham,” said Eleanor.
The salmon was set to 53 degrees, allowing Kitty and Eleanor to get on with their preparation for the salad and dessert while the NEFF Collection oven worked its magic, switching itself off after 15 minutes once the salmon was cooked through. Eleanor explained that the NEFF oven also has a steam function, a roast function with steam to add humidity, or a dry cook function in dry heat. “The steam function enhances flavour without having to add fat, which is why it’s one of my favourite functions,” Eleanor explained.
Kitty shared some tips for home cooks: “If you’re going to buy one thing now – buy a small Victorinox serrated knife,” she said. “It’s under €10, and it’s the one item I continuously gift to friends and family. They may be disappointed when they first open it, but they always text me within a month to say how fantastic it is and that they love it.” One to keep in mind for a stocking stuffer …
Dessert was a chocolate and brown butter crémeux tart, which Kitty was keen to stress shouldn’t intimidate amateur cooks. “I think a lot of people will see the word crémeux and immediately think it’s something far too cheffy to attempt at home,” she explained to guests. “In reality, it’s just a silky chocolate custard and couldn’t be easier.” She showed how to serve this two ways – plated on its own with a dollop of crème fraiche and a glug of good quality olive oil (the contrast of serving olive oil on sweet desserts is another current trend) or layered into tart bases which she had baked earlier in the NEFF oven, topped with a grating of white chocolate. “If you don’t fancy making pastry, I have been known to reach for a pre-made tart case – no judgements here. It means you can pull together something that looks very impressive in about 20 minutes.”
When it comes to styling the table for an autumn lunch or supper, it’s all about changing the palette from the pretty shades of summer to something more grounded and earthy. Inspiration was provided by a table set with a coffee-coloured fluted tableware and a fun pumpkin serving dish from Primark Home, and small black Le Creuset cocottes from Kildare Village. The cotton and linen mix tablecloth and napkins came from Meadows & Byrne, with pretty French glasses from Avoca. Faded pink hydrangea and skimmia in tin Dijon mustard pots give the table a casual vibe. The finishing touch – a hand-painted menu.
There you have it. A fast and fashionable menu for autumn entertaining that’s bound to impress guests and leave you time to enjoy your reward. Save Kitty’s recipes below and sign up for THE GLOSS Table monthly newsletter to get them straight to your inbox!
Roast Butternut Squash with Hot Honey and Mozzarella
Roast Miso Salmon and Winter Sesame Salad
Chocolate and Brown Butter Crémeux Tart
To learn more about the entire Bosch, Siemens and NEFF range, book a consultation with the expert team at the BSH Home of Innovation to find the right appliance for you. You can also book in for a cooking or baking demonstration for free: sign up here.
Click into the gallery to see the guests who attended.
Photographer: Conor Healy, Picture It Photography
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