Sesame roasted salmon with red pepper honey

Today we did some recipes of Swedish chef Jonas Dahlbom.

First make the red pepper honey:

• 2 sweet red (bell) peppers, chopped
  
• 3 tbsp honey
• 1 fresh chilli, whole or seeded
  
• 1 onion, chopped
• white wine vinegar
• salt
  

Put all ingredients except the vinegar in a pan and let simmer for at least an hour or as long as it takes for everything to be thoroughly cooked. Then remove the chilli if you don't like to much spicyness. Then mix in a blender or with a hand-held mixer and sieve if necessary. Season to taste with the vinegar and the salt. Keep warm.

Now the salmon:

• 100-125 g salmon fillet per person
• olive oil
• 3 dl dark beef stock
• 1 tbsp honey
• 1 tsp sesame oil
• 1 tsp balsamic vinegar
• black and white sesame seeds (or Furikake, see picture)

Boil dowen the stock, honey, sesame oil and vinegar to a syrupy consistency. Heat a pan or griddle with some olive oil. Sear the salmon on both sides, brush with the syrupy sauce and roll through the sesame seeds (or furikake). Serve immediately with teh pepper honey on the side. We had this with noodles, mushroom ceviche (recipe tomorrow) and braised small leeks.

Meanwhile, for skating we go to Serpentine Road.

Socca

Cheap streetfood from the Provence. We used Indian chickpea flour ("Gram"), which is widely available in stores.

• 250 g chickpea flour
• 5 dl water
• 3 tbsp olive oil + 1 tbsp for the baking tray
• 1 tsp salt
• rosemary or other herbs (optional).
  

Mix the flour and the water to a smooth batter. Let stand for a couple of hours and remove the foam which may have appeared.

Heat the oven - with an oven tray or wide, shallow pan in it - to a very high temperature (240-250 degrees).

Mix the olive oil and the salt through the batter and add the herbs. Remove the hot oven tray from the oven. Grease it with the remaining olive oil and pour in the batter to a 3 mm depth. Put the whole thing back in the very hot oven and bake until the top starts to brown. Remove the 'socca', cut into pieces and serve immediately, just plain or with accompaniments of your choosing. We had caramelized onions, sun-dried tomatoes, marinated artichokes, pickled cheese, some dry sausage and a lush salad wit our 'socca'.

Meanwhile, we inaugurated our new candleholder "Tenochtitlan" from Driade.

Pasta with oysters, pancetta and leeks

A recipe from the Pacific Heights Bar and Grill, a now defunct restaurant in San Francisco. We made this on the perfect frozen oysters which were delivered to our door by the Fish Society. You can of course use fresh oysters, but personally I would consider it a wate eating the any other way than raw. Readers in the US c an consider using fresh ready-shucked oysters, as available in some West- and East coast supermarkets.

I also head some seaweed tagliatelle (see picture), which went very nice with the sea-breezy taste of the sauce.

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 150 g pancetta, diced
• 2 leeks, thinly sliced
• 1 clove garlic, pressed
• 1 tsp fresh thyme
• 2 tsp lemon juice
• 1 tsp grated lemon zest
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• 12 - 18 oysters (liquor reserved)
  
• 200 ml thick cream
• salt and pepper to taste
• chopped parsley
• 250 g pasta (fettucine, tagliattelle, etc.)

Heat the oil in a saucepan. Sauté the pancetta until slightly crisp, add the leeks and sauté for a couple more minutes, until slightly wilted. Add garlic, lemon juice and zest, thyme and white wine and simmer until most of the wine has evaporated. Add oyster liquor and cream and reduce further until nice and saucy. MEANWHILE BOIL THE PASTA IN PLENTY WATER! Add the oysters to the sauce and let them slowly cook for some minutes (not boil!). Season to taste and decorate with chopped parsley.

Serve the oysters sauce over the pasta on heated plates.

Meanwhile, if there are no oysters in the house, cheer up with the Perry Bible Fellowship.

Crêpes Suzette

When I was a child crêpes suzette was one of the first fancy puddings (i.e. desserts) I had. I think it was Omi, my maternal grandmother who had been living in France, who made them. Anyhow, Yesterday Signe and I purloined the following recipe from Delia Smith.

First prepare the crêpes (this can be done in advance).

Batter:

• grated zest of one orange
• 1 tbsp caster sugar
• 110g plain flour, sifted
• pinch of salt
• 2 eggs
• 2 dl milk
• 75 ml water
• 50g butter

Sift the flour and salt into a large mixing bowl. Make a well in the centre of the flour and break the eggs into it. Whisk the eggs gradually incorporating the flour as you do so.

Next slowly add the milk and water mixture, continue whisking until you have a nice smooth batter, with the consistency of thin cream.

Now melt the butter in a pan. Spoon 2 tbsp of it into the batter and whisk it in. Save the rest to grease the pan between pancakes.

Get the pan properly hot, then turn the heat down to medium and do a test pancake to see how much batter you need. 25 ml should be about right for an 18cm pan as these crêpes need to be quite thin. Go find a ladle of roughly that size, you should be able to pour the batter into the hot pan in one go. As soon as the batter hits the pan, tip it around with your other hand to get it evenly coated with batter. It should take just half a minute or so to cook until golden on one side. Flip it over - the other side will need a few seconds only - then simply slide it out of the pan onto a plate. If the pancakes look a little bit ragged in the pan, no matter because they are going to be folded anyway. You should end up with 16 crêpes. Stack the pancakes as you make them. All this can be done up to a day ahead.

Now prepare the sauce.

• 150ml freshly squeezed orange juice
  
• grated zest of 1 orange
• juice of 1 lemon
• grated rind of 1 lemon
• 1 tbsp caster sugar
• 3 tbsp Grand Marnier + a little extra for flambing
  
• 50g/2oz unsalted butter
  

For the sauce, mix all the ingredients - with the exception of the butter - in a bowl. At the same time warm the plates on which the crêpes are going to be served. Now melt the butter in the widest frying pan you can find, pour in the sauce and allow it to heat very gently. Then place the first crêpe in the sauce in the pan, let it heat through before folding it in half and then in half again to make a triangle. Slide it to the edge of the pan, tilt the pan slightly so the sauce runs back into the centre, then add the next crêpe. Continue like this until they're all re-heated, folded and well soaked with the sauce.

Flame and serve. Heat a ladle filled with Grand Marnier over a gas flame, then set light to it. Carry the flaming ladle to the table over the pan and pour the flames over the crêpes before serving them on warmed plates.

Canapés

Today we had a party. We made the following canapés:

- bread rounds with gravad lax and dill/mustard sauce
- 'snack cups' with red cabbage and smoked venison
- organic Swedish meatballs with Scanian mustard
- toast with reindeer paté and cranberry sauce
- mini-chorizos cooked in wine
- spoons with lentils and tuna salad
- raw vegetables with sun-dried tomato dip and blue-cheese dip

Some of the recipes have already been published in this blog. Others will follow in due course.

Farro and bean minestrone

Today we made this hearty Italian winter dish from The Silver Spoon, which Sara gave me under the Christmas tree.

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 onion, chopped,
• 1 stick celery, chopped
• 1 clove garlic, chopped
  
• 1/2 cup white wine
• 1 litre stock (vegetable, chicken, veal)
  
• 3 tomatoes (tinned)
• 5 sage leaves
• 150 g dried white beans (haricots or cannelini) soaked overnight, drained
  
• 200 farro (perlato) soaked overnight, drained
• Italian sausages (optional)
  

Heat the olive oil in a large, heavy-bottomed pan. Fry the onion, celery, carrot and garlic until soft. Add the white wine and simmer until almost evaporated. Add the stock, the tomatoes, the beans and teh sage leaves and simmer until the beans are done (appr. 1 hour, depending on how old your beans are). Transfer to a blender and bledn until smooth (this can also be done in the pan with a hand held blender. Add the soaked 'farro' and simmer for another 2o minutes. I added some nice "Napoli Italian Pork Sausages", which I first gently fired and then let simmer with the soup for the last ten minutes or so.

Just before serving taste the soup and add salt, pepper or other condiments to perfect the seasoning.

Meanwhile we can look for salvaged goods at Lassco.

Spiced Red Cabbage

• 1 red cabbage, finely sliced
• 1 onion, finely sliced
• 1 clove garlic, pressed
• 1 or 2 apples, grated
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp ground cumin
• 1/2 tsp ground cloves
• 12 juniper berries, ground
• 4-5 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1/2 cup chicken stock
• 1/2 cup white wine
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 5 tbsp wine vinegar

Heat the oil in a large, heavy-bottomed casserole. Add the onions, garlic, apple and spices. Fry gently until soft. Add all the other ingredients (the liquids and the cabbage). Simmer for at least 45 minutes or until the cabbage has acquired your desired consistency and the flavours have integrated. Serve as a side dish with game, beef or wintry dishes.

Thai Falafel

You could call this 'vegetarian fishcakes', but I think Thai Falafel is more appropriate.

• 400 g dried butter beans (or tinned butter beans)
  
• 1 onion, very finely chopped
• 3 cloves garlic
• 2 tbsp oil
• 2 tbsp (red) thai chili paste
• 1 tsp lime zest
• 1 spring onion or a bunch of chives, finely chopped
  
• handful of coriander, chopped
• lime juice aand fish sauce to taste
• flour
  
• thai chilli sauce
• fresh salad leaves (iceberg or romaine)
  

Soak the beans overnight and remove the skins. Boil the beans until soft (appr. 45 minutes, depending on the age of your beans). Omit this step when using tinned beans. Drain the beans and mash with a fork or an appropriate electric tool.

Heat the oil in a frying pan, fry the onion for 5 minutes, add the crushed garlic, fry for 2 more minutes, add the chilli paste and fry for another minute. Add this mixture to the bean mash, blend and add the lime zest and the fresh herbs. Let cool season to taste with lime juice and fish sauce. All this can be done one or two days ahead.

Form the mush into falafels, fischcakes or any other shape you fancy, roll in flour and shallow-fry in hot oil. Serve with salad leaves and thai chilli sauce.

Meanwhile we have seen two films, The Merchant of Venice (with Al Pacino as Shylock) and Man on the Moon (Jim Carrey as Andy Kaufman), and we saw the Degas, Toulouse-Lautrec, Sickert exhibition at Tate Britain.

Squid with eggplant

Originally a recipe from Alistair Hendy, but as it didn't work well for me, I adapted it somewhat.

• 500g prepared squid, bodies cut in rings
  
• juice and grated zest of 1 lime
• 1 tbsp brown sugar
• 1 tbsp fish sauce (nuoc mam, nam pla)
• 3 cloves garlic, crushed
  
• 1 tsp chilli flakes or sambal oelek
• cornflour
• 12 small asian eggplants, halved or quartered
  
• piece of fresh ginger, sliced
• oil for frying
• sweet soy sauce (Kecap manis)
• salad leaves
• crushed peanuts, toasted in a dry pan
  

Prepare a marinade of the lime, zest, sugar, garlic, fish sauce and chilli flakes. Marinate the squid for 1/2 hour. Remove and dry the squid. Put the eggplant and ginger in the same marinade for 15 minutes.

Heat a tbsp of oil in a wok and stir-fry eggplant and ginger until almost done. Add the soy sauce about half way. Remove and keep warm.

Dust the squid with cornflour. Clean the wok, or take another one. Add a shallow pool of oil and deep-fry the squid in small batches, just 30-40 seconds per batch will turn them nice and golden. Drain on kitchen paper.

To serve, divide the eggplants among the paltes, top with the crispy squid and sprinkle some crushed some crushed peanuts over it. Serve some salad leaves on the side.

Meanwhile I have been looking at the designs of Bathsheba Grossmann, have a look!

Scrambled eggs with smoked oysters

I still have some laverbread, see also this earlier post, so I'll add it to the scrambled eggs (which just as well can be made without). For the angels on horseback I'll use some fresh Irish smoked oysters from Fish out of water.

• 1 tbsp butter
• 3 eggs
• 2 tbsp milk
• pepper, thyme to taste
• 4 tbsp laverbread
• toasted bread
  
• smoked oysters
• chopped chives
  

Heat a (non-stick) pan over a moderate flame. Melt the butter, but do not let it take colour. Meanwhile beat the eggs with the milk and the seasoning. Add the egg and stir with a wooden spoon so the egg thickens, but doesn't set. When the thickening is well under way add the laverbread and continue stirring. Serve when the eggs have attained your desired consistency. Remove form the stove. Top with the oysters and let them rest in the scrambled eggs for half a minute or so to make them take on some of the warmth of the eggs. Serve on toasted bread and top with chopped chives.

Meanwhile I tasted a rather awful ale, Innis & Gunn oak aged beer. I do not know whether it's the oak that did it, but It's not recommended by Henxara.

Tartare of Tuna and lentil salad

A very tasty recipe of Martine Gingras. I intended to make it with organic salmon, but I just happened to stumble upon some line-caught tuna (i.e. dolphin-friendly and not previously frozen), so tuna it was to be.

First prepare the lentils:

• 1 tbsp butter
• 1/2 tbsp olive oil
• 2 shallots, minced
• 1 1/2 cup Puy lentils
• 1 1/2 cup vegetable stock
• 1/2 tbsp tarragon
• pepper and salt to taste
• 2 tbsp good mayonaise

Saute the shallots in the butter and olive oil until golden. Add the lentils, the tarragon and the stock. Cover and simmer for 25-30 minuets until the lentils are tender. Drain off excess liquid (if necessary) and let stand to cool. (All this can be done a day in advance).

In the meantime, prepare the tuna tartare. Simply mix the following ingredients and let tehm get used to eachother for an hour or so.

• 1 egg yolk
• 1 tbsp chopped capers
• 1 shallot, minced very fine
• juice of not more than half a lemon (Martine suggests a whole lemon, but that would be far too much)
• 1 tsp Dijon mustard
• 3 large basil leaves, finely sliced
• 300 g very fresh tuna, finely diced
• dash of olive oil
• pepper and salt to taste

Now assemble the dish in two layers. You could do this with a large cookie-cutter ring, or in a deep plate which you turn over later on. The idea is that you press the tuna a bit into the lentils, a bit in the same way the sushi-chef presses his fish into the sushi rice when preparing a nigiri.

Meanwhile, I attended my first meeting of SlowFood London.

Rice with Prawns "Lecturama"

This decidedly odd recipe was an all-time favourite when we were at University. We found it in a cookbook of "one-pan dishes" from a mail-order publishing house called "Lecturama", hence the name. As far as I know the cookbook is still in the kitchen of that house on the campus. At the time we used to make it with fresh or frozen cod. Given the poor sustainability of present-day cod fisheries we lately made it with prawns, which actually proved to be better!

Don't be surprised or scared by what follows. It looks and sounds more complicated than it is and it really tastes wonderful.

• butter
  
• 250 grams rice
• 400 grams shelled prawns (frozen or fresh)
• seasoning
• 2 onions
• 1 tin of tomatoes (crushed or chopped)
• 4-5 fresh tomatoes, sliced
  
• 3-4 cloves garlic, pressed
  
• 1/2 cup raisins, soaked
• 1/2 cup green olives, roughly chopped or sliced
• 2 dl mayonaise
• 1/4 cup cream
• 2 tbsp curry powder
• 1 cup grated cheese (Gouda, Cheddar)
• 2 tbsp breadcrumbs
  

Preparation:

1. Cook the rice
2. Slice the onions and fry them until golden
3. Sauter the garlic, add the tinned tomatoes and cook it to a saucy consistency
4. Mix the mayonaise wit5h the cream and the curry powder
5. Mix the grated cheese with the breadcrumbs
6. Butter a sufficiently large, shallow, but not too shallow fireproof dish
7. Preheat the oven to 200 degrees

All this can be done in advance. Now start assembling the dish layer-by-layer.

First fill the bottom of the dish with the rice and spread the prawns on top of the rice. Season the prawns. Layer the sauteed onions on top of the prawns. Cover with the tomato sauce and the sliced fresh tomatoes. Sprinkle the olives and raisins on top. Now cover again, with the mayonaise/cream/curry mixture. A spatula comes in handy at this time. Finally top with the cheese/breadcrumbs mix. Put the whole thing in the oven for 20-25 minutes or until golden on top and bubbly inside.

Meanwhile, as the dish is cooking, you can take a closer look at the Duchy Originals. I am particularly partial to their ales.

Signe's Oeufs en Cocotte

Signe's contribution to the New Year's firts breakfast. This recipe is for 4, multiply as necessary.

• 4 ramekins
• 2 tbsp butter
• 50 g smoked salmon or good quality ham
  
• 4 fresh eggs
• 4 tbsp cream or creme fraiche
• 4 tbsp cheese, grated
• chives (optional)
• salt and peppar

Butter the ramekins. Put a small slice of salmon or ham in each of them. Break an egg into each ramekin, preferably leaving the yolk intact. Top with cream, cheese, (chives) and salt and peppar to taste. Bake for 10-12 minutes (not longer!) in a 175 degree oven. Serve immediately.

Meanwhile you can spend the rest of the day at Bocketts Farm.

Caramelized shallots

• 4 dozen shallots
• 2-3 tablespoons butter or olive oil
• 3 tablespoons brown or muscovado sugar
  
• 2 cups stock or water
• 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

Bring water to boil, add shallots. As soon as the water comes back to a boil, drain shallots and rinse under cold water. Peel shallots, but leave layers somewhat attached at root end.
Heat butter or olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat, add shallots and saute until they begin to brown evenly (about 10 to 15 minutes). Add sugar and stock and mix well. Raise heat to medium high and cook, stirring frequently, but carefuly, until the onions are tender and the liquid is almost evaporated (about 10 minutes).

Add balsamic vinegar and stir to mix with all the shallots. Continue cooking u liquid is reduced to a syrupy consistency.

Meanwhile, we had some wonderful seafood delivered to our door by the Fish Society, a highly-recommended on-line fish retailer.