Salmon Trout with Champagne Sauce

Ingredients

1 salmon trout, approximately 2-1/4 lb, with head, cleaned
1-3/4 cups champagne or good-quality sparkling dry white wine
1 cup fish stock
1 sprig fresh tarragon
1 sprig fresh dill
5 green peppercorns
sea salt
1-1/4 cups heavy cream
salmon eggs and sprigs of dill to garnish

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 375°F.
2. Place the fish in a fish kettle or a large flameproof casserole. Pour the champagne or sparkling wine and fish stock over and add the herbs, peppercorns and sea salt. Cover closely with buttered parchment paper, then bring just to a boil over a low heat.
3. Transfer to the oven and cook for 20 minutes or until the flesh flakes easily.
4. Carefully transfer the fish to a warmed plate, cover and keep warm.
5. Boil the champagne liquid until reduced by about three-quarters. Strain the liquid and reheat, stirring in the cream. Simmer until thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Season.
6. Carefully remove the fillets from the fish, discard the skin and place on 4 warmed plates. Spoon a very little of the sauce over the fish and spoon the rest around it. Scatter the salmon eggs over the fish and lay the sprigs of dill on the sauce.

Makes 4 servings.

Source: The Complete Fish & Shellfish Cookbook

Advertisements

Poppyseed Cheesecake

Ingredients

Base

100 g bulghur
1 tablespoon clear honey
25 g butter

Filling

4 tablespoons double cream
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
100 g ground black poppyseeds
250 g thick honey
1 tablespoon brandy
5 eggs, separated
750 g Mizithra, Ricotta, or low-fat soft cheese
50 g flour

Topping

100 g ground black poppyseeds
2 tablespoons brown sugar
50 g butter
1 tablespoon brandy
1 tablespoon cornstarch

Method

1. Line the base of a 23-cm springform or loose-bottomed tin with greaseproof paper, and grease the sides.
2. Rinse the bulghur in water, squeezing it to remove excess moisture. Put it into a saucepan with the rest of the ingredients. Add 4 tablespoons water and bring to a boil, stirring until all the liquid has been absorbed.
3. Spread the mixture evenly over the base of the tin and allow to cool while you make the filling.
4. Put the double cream, cinnamon, poppyseeds and honey into a saucepan. Bring to the boil, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens.
5. Add the brandy and remove from the heat. Allow to cool.
6. When it is cold, beat in the egg yolks, flour and cheese. Whisk the egg whites until stiff, then fold them into the mixture. Turn the mixture into the tin and bake it in a preheated moderate oven (180°C/350°F) for 45 minutes.
7. Increase the heat to hot oven (220°C/425°F), and bake for 10 minutes or until the cake is firm in the centre.
8. Remove the cake from the oven and let it cool at room temperature while you prepare the topping.
9. Combine the topping ingredients and stir them over a low heat until the butter melts and the mixture thickens.
10. Pour mixture over the cake, then return the cake to the oven and bake for 10 minutes.
11. Remove from oven, cool and chill before serving.

Makes 10 to 12 servings.

Source: Cheesecakes

Seafood Laksa

Ingredients

5 oz dried rice vermicelli
3 cups coconut cream–do not shake the can
3 cups fish stock
1-1/2 lb shrimp, peeled and deveined
6-1/2 oz Japanese kamboko
8 oz scallops
3-1/2 oz deep-fried tofu, halved
2 tablespoons fish sauce
1 tablespoon grated palm sugar or brown sugar
1 cup bean sprouts
1/2 cup vietnamese or regular mint
1/4 cup fried red asian shallots

Paste

2 teaspoons shrimp paste
6 large, dried red chilies
2 lemongrass stalks, white part only, sliced
1 tablespoon chopped fresh galangal or ginger
8 red asian shallots, sliced
1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
4 candlenuts or macadamia nuts, roughly chopped

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 350ºF.
2. Wrap the shrimp paste in foil and roast for 5 minutes.
3. Soak the chilies in boiling water for 15 minutes. Roughly chop the chilies and place into a mortar and pestle with the remaining paste ingredients. Pound to form a smooth paste.
4. Soak the rice vermicelli in boiling water for 5 minutes or until tender. Drain well and set aside.
5. Spoon the thick coconut cream from the top of the can and fry with the paste in a wok until the oil from the coconut starts to separate from the paste and the mixture is fragrant.
6. Add the fish stock and the remaining coconut cream. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat and stir in the seafood and tofu, cooking for 5 minutes or until tender.
7. Season with the fish sauce and palm sugar.
8. Divide the noodles between 4 serving bowls, ladle on some of the soup and serve topped with the bean sprouts, mint and fried shallots.

Makes 4 servings.

Source: Food Style – Noodles

Chinese-style Steamed Three Kinds of Egg

Ingredients

3 salted ducks’ eggs (咸蛋)
3 preserved ducks’ eggs (皮蛋)
3 fresh eggs (beaten)
3 tbsps water
1 tbsp oil

Method

1. Poach the salted ducks’ eggs until done. Shell and dice coarsely.
2. Shell and dice the preserved ducks’ eggs.
3. Mix well the beaten eggs with water and oil. Add the diced salted ducks’ eggs and preserved ducks’ eggs and mix well. Pour the mixture into a lightly greased dish. Steam over high heat for 15 minutes.
4. Cool and cut into slices before serving.

Source: Delicacies by Gigi Wong

Corn Tortillas with Avocado and Eggs

Ingredients

cooking spray
4 (6-inch) corn tortillas
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 medium red bell pepper (finely diced)
1/2 cup diced red onion
1 medium tomato (diced)
2 ounces fat-free cream cheese (cut into pieces)
2 large eggs
2 large egg whites
1 medium avocado (halved, pitted, mashed with a fork)
1/4 cup chopped, fresh cilantro (optional)
2 teaspoons chopped pickled jalapeños (drained)

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. Lightly spray the foil with cooking spray.
2. Arrange the tortillas in a single layer on the baking sheet. Lightly spray the tortillas with cooking spray. Bake for 6 to 7 minutes on each side, or until golden brown.
3. In a medium nonstick saucepan, heat the oil over medium-high heat, swirling to coat the bottom. Cook the bell pepper and onion for 5 to 7 minutes, or until the bell pepper is tender and the onion is soft, stirring occasionally.
4. Cook the tomato for 2 to 3 minutes, or until it releases its liquid.
5. Stir in the cream cheese. Cook the vegetable mixture for 2 to 3 minutes, or until the cream cheese has melted.
6. Remove from the heat. Transfer the bell pepper mixture to a small bowl.
7. In a separate small bowl, whisk together the eggs and egg whites with a fork.
8. Wipe the pan with paper towels. Lightly spray the pan with cooking spray. Cook the egg mixture over medium-high heat, or until the eggs are scrambled, stirring constantly. Remove from the heat.
9. Spread the avocado over each tortilla. Top with the vegetable mixture and scrambled eggs. Garnish with the cilantro and jalapeños.

Makes 4 servings.

Source: American Heart Association