My first fine dining experience when I moved to Edmonton almost ten years ago was at the Red Ox Inn. My parents were in town for a visit and my mom, the original foodie in the family, had been recommended the little ten table affair. I hadn't had any exposure to contemporary food in the city and was keen to dive in. That first meal was a goodie. Good enough to have me return a number of times in a few short years. Eventually I got swept away by the burgeoning food scene invading Edmonton and nearly forgot about it. Nearly. One always finds their way back to the scene of the crime and I managed to do just that.
Ruedi and I had an early meal there a few weeks ago and realized we had waited too long. Ruedi indulged in a pork belly appetizer with a parsnip puree, while I ate a modern caesar salad with garlic aioli and brioche croutons. As beef lovers, we both chose sirloin as our main, but were provided a deliciously prepared rib eye instead, cooked medium at the recommendation of the chef, which ensured the marbling didn't render the meat too chewy. But the celebrity of the evening was a delicate lime posset which we shared, served with a coconut chantilly cream and a dusting of pistachios.
Posset is an egg-free custard and likely the easiest dessert you will ever make. It's light, generally perfect and was paired at Red Ox with what I believe was a coconut flavored (extract? ground? milk?) whipping cream. I tried making my own version at home and was mighty pleased with the results. This is a nice, light treat following any meal, particularly a heavy dish.
Serves 4
Adapted from:http://www.epicurious.com
Ingredients
Posset
- 500 ml whipping cream
- 50 ml fresh lime juice (keep the skin for zest)
- 2/3 cup berry sugar
Coconut Chantilly Cream
- 250 ml whipping cream
- 2 T icing sugar (approximate-add by the teaspoon to suit your tastes)
- 2 T coconut milk (the thick white goop at the top of the tin)
- Pistachios
- Lime zest
Method
To make the posset, heat the whipping cream on medium heat and add the sugar, whisking until dissolved. Bring to a boil and then simmer for three minutes. Remove the mixture from the heat and add the lime juice, stirring vigorously. Transfer the cream mixture into about 4 individual serving dishes. Refrigerate for 3 hours or overnight.
In a bowl combine the 250ml of whipping cream, coconut milk and icing sugar. With an electric beater or standing mixer, whip the cream until it forms stiff peaks. Spoon heapfuls of the cream on top of the posset dishes and top with a few pistachios and lime zest.
