Salmon en Croute

I was thinking what I could make and saw this rather retro dish on The Good Food Show cooked by the master Michelle Roux so I thought I would give it a go.

It's a lovely and easy Dinner Party dish, although mine looked more like a hot water bottle than a fish!

It is actually Salmon with Spinach and Salmon Mouse wrapped in Puff Pastry, Got to say was delicious  and the Salmon was perfectly cooked.

I took two sheets of ready made puff pastry and rolled them out, Placed one of the sheets in a Roasting tin, A flat baking tin would have been better but I haven't got one! and put a large piece of Salmon skin side down on one of the sheets and cut around in roughly the shape of a headless Fish, Tin wasn't big enough to fit the head!

I had cut off a small piece from the Salmon earlier and skinned a small slice a couple of inches across and put it into the food processor with a little cream a drop of Fish stock and blitzed to a Mousse seasoned and using a knife spread over the Salmon.

I had already cooked some Spinach which I had drained and put this on  top of the Mousse, then after brushing the bottom layer edges of Pastry with Egg wash placed the other sheet of Pastry on top.

Scored and cut out a decorative Fish made from the leftover Pastry, but I could have done a better job, brushed the top with Egg wash and placed in the oven at 200c for 30 minutes

Whilst this was cooking a got a small pan scorching hot and added a glass of Noilly Pratt and let it reduce, then added some Fish Stock and finally some Cream and let it reduce. Finished the sauce with fresh chopped Dill and Parsley and a knob of Butter, Yummy and perfect with the fish.

It was to die for, really easy and the Salmon was perfect, I was worried it would overcook but it didn't you have absolutely got to try this I am sure you will enjoy.

Poulet a L'estragon

 I have been reading Elizabeth David recently , how inspirational! To think she wrote in the 1950's and 1960's a time in post war Britain when Olive Oil, Aubergines, even Courgettes were unheard of. She was very much a pioneer in bringing the colours tastes and aromas of the Mediterranean to our table.

Such an endearing character , a National Treasure. Her writing is beautifully crafted , there is a Waugh, Woodhouse style to it which is wonderfully nostalgic and a pleasure to read.

I was very keen to attempt Poulet a L'estaragon, as Elizabeth David puts it "Tarragon has quite a remarkable affinity with Chicken" beautifully put and so true

Taking a plumb Roasting Bird I made a stuffing for the cavity of Garlic a handful of fresh Tarragon chopped and mixed it into about 100gm of Butter added some salt and Pepper and put in the cavity along with a hot stabbed whole Lemon.

Generously covered the bird with Olive Oil and Seasoned well. Put the bird into a preheated Oven at 200c on its side, after twenty minutes baste and flip to the other side after a further 20 minutes put the bird Breast side up for another 25 minutes.

After the hour and five minutes take the bird out of the oven and add a ladle of flamed Brandy over the whole Bird and return to the oven for five minutes.

Take the bird out and tip it up to let all that Tarragon butter run into the juices in the tray and set the bird to one side covered in tin foil to let it rest.

Spoon off any excess fat and add a wine glass or so of fresh Cream, and stir, I then tipped into another pan and reduced, added a splash of Madeira and some fresh Tarragon.

The result is sumptuous it lifts a basic Roast Chicken into a dish of Escoffier proportions. I was surprised how good it was, definitely in my top ten favourite dishes.

Prawn & Pea Risotto

 I based this on Jamie Oliver's Recipe but I substituted the vegetable stock for a Prawn shell stock which has gigantic flavour, of course with a Vegetable stock you have a white risotto which looks pretty but lacks the full seafood flavour.

I bought some fresh Tiger Prawns from the market, shelled them and put the shells and heads in a pot to which I added Water and a Bay Leaf to make the stock. Simply bring them to a boil for ten minutes add a little tomato puree some Salt and Pepper and then take off the heat and blitz with your hand blender. Sieve the Stock into another Pot and bring back to the Boil and reduce slightly.

I added some Olive Oil to a hot skillet and added a Clove of chopped Garlic and a finely chopped Onion and let cook stirring all the time, Then added the Risotto rice and cooked for a minute or so until they were slightly translucent added a glass of Noilly Prat turned the heat down to a high simmer until the rice was almost screaming and added a ladle at a time of stock, making sure each ladle had properly absorbed into the rice, in all this takes around 15 minutes.

I had reserved a couple of Prawns with heads and Shell to garnish the dish I put them into the simmering stock to cook gently.

For the Peas cooked for a couple of minutes in Chicken Stock and Butter then mashed half of them and added the cooked and mushed Peas at the end of cooking along with some chopped Mint and Parsley, Jamie used Basil, and the juice of one Lemon and the peeled Prawns all only takes a minute or so and served.

A really flavoursome dish, I had a chilled bottle of Chablis with this and some crusty Bread

Chicken & Mushroom Pie

Next to Fish & Chips, Pies are about as British as you can get. Chicken & Mushroom Pie has always been a childhood favourite and to be honest I usually use leftover Roast chicken but I thought as I had a couple of Chicken breasts I would use them instead. Good as they were I would have to say it would be better with some leftover roast Chicken as well!

I marinated the Chicken Breasts in some Lemon olive Oil Black pepper and a sprig of Thyme and a crushed clove of Garlic for an hour or two.

Then in a hot skillet with a little Olive Oil fried off the chunks of Chicken Breast with a chopped clove of Garlic, after a few minutes added some Button mushrooms, Portobello Mushrooms would be better, just didn't have any, after 3 or 4 minutes added some plain Flour and gave a good stir. Then added a splash of White Wine and some Chicken Stock that I had added some dried Mushrooms too earlier.

Using a slotted spoon I took out the Chicken and Mushrooms and put them in a Cazuelas as I don't have a proper Pie Dish, added some milk to the pan and increased the heat and let it reduce, seasoned well and added a sprig of Thyme and some fresh Parsley.

When it comes to puff pastry who can really be bothered making it from scratch... I used a frozen ready made Puff Pastry rolled it out pretty thin, so it would be crispy, cut out the odd Leaf for decoration, and after adding the reduced sauce to the meat, put some egg and Milk wash over the pastry and around the rim of the dish, cut some holes in the Pastry to let the steam escape and crimped the edges of the pastry around the lid as best I could.

Put the whole thing in a preheated Oven at 200c for 30 minutes. I have to say it wasn't half bad, could be improved, I think a bit of Spinach in the Pie would be nice. The thing about Pies there are no rules put whatever you fancy in the Pie, But do make one once in a while, They are the ultimate comfort food on a cold day!!

Roast Vegetables with Balsamic

I was watching The Good Food Show on television and saw an interesting recipe for a roasted Vegetable Tart Tartin, excellent I shall make that for a healthy Supper, use up all those vegetables I hadn't used from Sunday Lunch, Then I realised I hadn't any puff pastry and lets face it life is simply to short to be bothered making it, so I decided to just have the roasted Vegetables and rather glad I did!

I cut in half a Fennel bulb, A beef Tomato,  and a Red Onion, chopped into pieces a courgette and Aubergine, and Carrots Threw them into a roasting Tin and gave a generous glug of quality Olive Oil and a splash or two of Balsamic mixed them together with my hands

Sprinkled with Salt flakes quite generously Black Pepper and fresh Thyme

Put the whole lot into a preheated oven at 200c for an hour.... Do you know they were truly excellent, really enjoyed with some Crusty bread and a bottle of Red !!

Drinks Party Canapes

 Nearly every Christmas in the week coming up to Christmas Eve I love to throw a drinks party and have twenty or so friends over to get into the Christmas spirit.

Along with the usual suspects of Mince Pies, Christmas cake I make a selection of Canapes in Croustades. This year I had some lovely Foie Gras which I put a touch of Marmalade in the bottom of the Croustade and topped with the Foie Gras

They were delicious, I also had the smallest tin of Beluga Caviar, so just enough for these Smoked Salmon with a Lemon Creme Fraiche

And to stretch it out baby Cherry Tomatoes cut into Quarters with a Cream Cheese topped with a drop of Basil Oil. I just love these one bite little gems, so easy and yet perfect with gallons of Champagne.

We all had a ball, and I have decided to do a lot more drinks parties throughout the year.

Navarin d'Agneau

I can't believe its been months since I posted! Well two reasons really firstly I have been making a lot of my favourites which I have already posted and secondly the light has been to dark over Winter to take a photograph. I will endeavour to do better.

Navarin d'Agneau or Lamb with Spring vegetables is a classic French farmhouse dish celebrating in a way the delicious vegetables in season. It truly couldn't be easier.

I used neck of Lamb on the bone,not a fashionable cut but superb in this dish you could use shoulder but give neck a try. Start by browning seasoned meat in Olive Oil, do it in batches in a large casserole dish,  set the browned meat aside and add two chopped Onions and two cloves of crushed Garlic stirring all the time,  takes around five minutes to soften.

Add Carrots chopped into large chunks some fresh thyme and there or four bay leaves,  add the meat back to the pot and add water,  you could add white wine first if you wanted to or substitute the water for stock,  but I think the simplicity of the dish is it's charm.

Bring to the boil and place the lid on the pot and place in a preheated oven at 160c for two hours.

After two hours bring a pan of salted water to the boil and add Green Beans and Peas and cook for four or five minutes.

Take the lamb out the oven skim off any fat on the surface and drain the peas and Beans and add to your casserole.

There you have it, I served with Cannellini beans but you could use new Potatoes, I also made a homemade Mint sauce not French at all but my friends enjoyed.