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

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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

Oven-cooked Beef Pot Roast

Ingredients

one 4-pound boneless beef chuck roast
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 yellow onions, chopped
12 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
1 cup dry red wine
4 cups reduced-sodium beef broth, or as needed
4 large sprigs of fresh thyme
1 sprig of fresh rosemary
1-1/2 pounds fingerling potatoes, halved lengthwise
12 ounces cherry tomatoes (preferably assorted colors)
3/4 cup pitted green olives

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 350ºF.
2. Pat the beef dry with paper towels. Season with salt and pepper.
3. Heat a large Dutch oven (at least 6 quarts) over medium-high heat. Add the olive oil, then add the beef and cook, turning occasionally, for about 12 minutes, or until browned on all sides. Transfer the beef to a bowl.
4. Reduce the heat to medium, add the onions to the pot, and cook, stirring occasionally and scraping up the brown bits on the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon,for about 5 minutes, or until the onions are tender.
5. Stir in the garlic and cook for about 1 minute, or until fragrant.
6. Stir in the wine, bring to a boil, and boil for 1 minute.
7. Stir in the broth, thyme, and rosemary.
8. Return the beef to the pot and scatter the potatoes, tomatoes, and olives around it. You should have enough liquid to cover all but about the top 1 inch of the beef. Add broth or water if needed. Bring to a simmer over high heat, cover tightly. T
9. Move the pot to the oven. Bake for about 2 hours and 30 minutes, turning the beef over after the first 1-1/2 hours, or until it is just tender. Uncover and continue baking for about 30 minutes, or until the beef is fork-tender.
10. Remove from oven and set aside to rest for 30 minutes.
11. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the beef, vegetables, and olives to a platter. Gently pull the beef into large chunks along its natural separations. Cover the beef, vegetables, and olives with aluminum foil to keep warm.
12. Skim off the fat that has risen to the surface of the cooking liquid and remove and discard the herb stems. Bring the liquid to a boil and boil for about 20 minutes, or until slightly reduced.
13. Return the beef, vegetables, and olives to the pot and simmer for about 5 minutes, or just until reheated.
14. Divide the beef, vegetables, and olives among six dinner plates. Spoon a few tablespoons of the cooking liquid over each serving. Pour the remaining cooking liquid into a sauceboat. Serve hot, with the cooking liquid on the side.

Makes 6 servings.

Source: Curtis Stone What’s for Dinner?

Vegan Tacos with Lentil, Mango and Avocado

Ingredients

1 cup black (beluga) lentils
8 corn tortillas, warmed
2 cups baby spinach
1/4 cup roasted pumpkin seeds

Guacamole

l avocado
juice of 1/2 lime
1 cup diced mango
1 plum (Roma) tomato, seeded and diced
1/4 cup finely diced red onion
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
2 tsp minced chipotle chili pepper in adobo sauce
1/4 tsp salt

Method

1. In medium-sized saucepan, place lentils and 3 cups. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, covered, until tender, about 20 minutes.
2. To make guacamole, in bowl, place flesh of 1/2 avocado and lime juice and mash together. Finely chop remaining avocado. Add chopped avocado, mango, tomato, red onion, cilantro, chipotle chili pepper, and salt to bowl with mashed avocado and stir everything together.
3. To serve, place spinach on tortillas and top with lentils, guacamole, and pumpkin seeds.

Makes 4 servings.

Source: Alive magazine