Bookish Delights - Smoked Ocean Trout & Horseradish Tart

I am a member of a Bookclub made up of a group of literary minded mates who decided we would use our love of books and enjoyment of each other's company as an excuse to discover new things to read. It is also a great way to guarantee that we get together every couple of months. We also happen to be avid food lovers and good cooks, so Bookclub has also become a place to share great food. Even if the book turns out to be a dud, you know that the catering is going to be impeccable!

We found that often we were inspired by the books we were reading, cooking food related to the themes or settings. Sometimes, it is easy to come up with something relevant to the subject - other times, it is more of a challenge. Our latest book falls into the latter category. Our current Bookclub book is the magnificent Burial Rites, by Hannah Kent, telling the story of an accused murderess awaiting execution, set in harsh rural Iceland in 1830. The book actually talks quite a lot about the food that they ate back then - preserved whale blubber anyone?

There were also references to eating dried and preserved fish, which gave me the idea of what I would cook for today's Bookclub. Smoking fish is a very old preservation technique, and also happens to be delicious, so I made that the centrepiece of my dish. Even better was the fact that I happened to have some smoked ocean trout in the fridge (which I love having with poached eggs for a special weekend breakfast treat). I created this very simple to put together tart, with fresh herbs fro the garden, a silky cream cheese filling and the gorgeous bite of horseradish. You could use smoked salmon in place of the trout if you preferred.

I'm sure that folks in rural Iceland probably wouldn't be eating something so pretty and delicate looking - but the cheese, fish and herbs take some of the elements of what they would have eaten and make them fresh and modern. Enjoy!

Smoked Ocean Trout & Horseradish Tart

You will need: 1 sheet pre-rolled puff pastry, 100g smoked ocean trout cut into strips, 1 cup cream cheese, 1 tablespoon horseradish cream, 1 tablespoon chopped parsley, 1 tablespoon chopped chives, 2 teaspoons washed and drained capers, 1/2 small red onion sliced very thinly, salt & pepper.

Method: Preheat the oven to 200C.

Cut the pastry sheet in half. Lay one half on a baking tray lined with baking paper. With the other half, cut a border about 2cm thick the whole way around. When you remove the pastry in the middle and you will be left with a rectangular frame shape. Lay the frame on top of the pastry on the tray, press down gently. Use a fork to prick the middle of the pastry only, not the "frame". I gently score the frame with a knife on the edges for presentation - you can do this if you like.

Bake the pastry in the oven for 10-15 minutes or until lightly golden. As it cooks, you will see the middle puff up - don't panic - you will press it down later when you add the topping of the tart. Once the tart is cooked, allow to cool completely before adding the filling.

Mix together the cream cheese, horseradish, half of the parsley, half of the chives and half of the capers. Season generously with salt and pepper.

Gently push down the pastry that has puffed up in the centre of the tart. If it is particularly puffy, you can also gently lift it out completely - it will still leave a layer of crispy pastry on the base.

Spread the cream cheese mixture over the tart base. Layer the finely sliced red onion and then arrange the strips of ocean trout on the top. Sprinkle over the remaining parsley, chives and capers. Add some cracked pepper and a little salt and serve.

Eat this tart cold or at room temperature.

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A Rainyday Sunday Lunch

Last Sunday we had friends over for lunch and I thought I'd share what was on the menu. Inspired by a pumpkin and beetroot salad I had the night we dined at Smolt in Hobart, I did my own take on this, but with the addition of sliced crispy skinned duck breast. I had two Burrawong Gaian duck breasts in the freezer which I wanted to use - and this was just the right amount for a starter for four. If you find Burrawong duck or chicken for sale where you are, grab it. They are brilliant quality and are also the only producer of meat chickens and ducks in Australia to be certified as True Free Range by Humane Choice.

I roasted some fresh beetroot and pumpkin (in separate pans, or the beetroot will stain everything), added some roasted sweet onion, mixed salad leaves and thinly sliced duck breast, which was cooked gently, skin down in a pan to gently render the fat and crisp the skin. I then transferred the duck to a moderate oven for 10 minutes or so to finish cooking, and rested the meat thoroughly before slicing. A few months ago I bought a bottle of locally made blackberry vinegar when we were down in Canberra, so this was the basis for the dressing. I also added some fruity extra virgin olive oil, wild bush honey from Tasmania, garlic, a little salt and pepper and a pinch of cayenne. The berry vinegar worked a treat with the rich duck meat. The salad was delicious served with freshly baked bread and good butter.

Using duck breast in a salad is a great way to serve duck if you are unsure about cooking this game meat. Cooking the whole bird can be a bit tricky - but mastering the duck breast is a whole lot easier. It also works out to be quite economical if you use it the way I did.  Two smallish duck breasts are more than enough to serve four adults as an entrée. Whatever you serve with it, a dressing or sauce with a bit of acidity works best with this, or any other game meat for that matter. It cuts through the richness and highlights the natural sweetness of the meat.

Duck, Pumpkin & Beetroot Salad 

With Blackberry Vinegar and Honey Dressing

 

It was cold and raining outside, so for the main course I went for ultra comfort food - pork belly, creamy mash and parmesan roasted zucchini and beans, served with a rich horseradish gravy. To cook the pork, I rubbed it with salt, fennel seed, some crushed native lemon myrtle and pepper berries and laid it on a bed of roughly chopped onion, celery, garlic and Granny Smith apples. Once the meat was cooked and resting on a plate, I used a spoon to smash up the now very soft apples and onions left in the pan to form what I decided to call "apple smash". Presto! Your own chunky apple sauce and you didn't have to do a thing.

 

 

Pork Belly -

Served with Parmesan Baked Zucchini, Green Beans, Garlic Mash,
Horseradish Gravy and "Apple Smash"

A roast is a really good low maintenance option when you are having lunch or dinner guests. I've yet to find a meat eater who doesn't love  a roast dinner and vegetarians are easily accommodated too, if you choose the best seasonal vegetables to roast. To make things a bit more interesting, I try to serve a sauce or accompaniment that is a little bit different - like doing polenta instead of potatoes, or tossing the roasted veges in a dressing and some fresh herbs to make a tasty vegetable salad. It's a good idea to check out the greengrocer and see what vegetables are in season where you are and base your menu around those. It's a great excuse to try a vegetable you haven't had before or maybe take an old favourite and serve it in a different way.

I didn't serve a dessert on this occasion, as I felt that the dishes were pretty substantial. It ended up being a good call, as we were all more than satisfied after the main course. I had enough leftover pork to use the next day for a super fast Monday night dinner. I chopped the pork up into smaller pieces and added it to rice, spring onions, peas, mushrooms and a quickly made chopped up omelette to make pork fried rice. Delicious and ready in 10 minutes. Gotta love leftovers!

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Today's Catch - Sensational Salmon.

Hi everyone - We are back from New Zealand and so impressed by the fantastic food that we ate while we were. You know how much I love seafood and I have to say it was pretty much a seafood - fest! I have been told that seafood that comes from colder water has a better flavour - don't know if that is actually true - but the best seafood I have eaten this year has been from the waters around Scotland and New Zealand. There could be something in it? I am preparing a run down of my favourite NZ food experiences to share with you all, so stay tuned for that. Is it wrong that most of the photos I took when I was away were of food?

So, staying on the seafood theme, today's recipe uses fresh salmon fillets, with clean flavours and an elegant presentation that would suit a dinner party. I took the salmon fillets, fresh herbs, a handful of gorgeous green pistachio nuts and a pink grapefruit from the fruit bowl to create this tasty dish that is a breeze to make and a delight to eat. I used quite large fillets, but you could use small ones and have this as a lovely light entree. Just remember to reduce the cooking time if you choose the mini option.

I love citrus with seafood, and the pink grapefruit gives just the perfect balance of sweetness and tartness, as well as that lovely blush of colour. You don't even need a complicated dressing for this salad - I just used a drizzle of good extra virgin olive oil and a touch of salt and pepper. The juice from the grapefruit and the oil is all that is needed. For the accompaniment, I used a tangy continental yoghurt as the base for a creamy sauce that has a little kick of horseradish to compliment the richness of the salmon. This sauce also works well with simply grilled chicken or other seafood, so give it a try. My recipe today serves two.

Pistachio and Poppyseed Crusted Salmon

with Parsley and Grapefruit Salad

And Horseradish Yoghurt sauce.

You will need:
For the salmon - 2 salmon fillets, 1 large egg, 2 teaspoons water, 2 tablespoons plain flour, 1/3 teaspoon cayenne pepper, 1 cup breadcrumbs, 1 tablespoon pistachio nuts (unsalted and unshelled), salt and pepper, vegetable oil for shallow frying.

For the salad - 1 cup continental parsley leaves, 1/3 spanish (red) onion finely sliced, 2 tablespoons finely sliced red pepper/capsicum, Flesh of 1 pink grapefruit - be sure to remove all of the white pith. a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, salt and pepper.

For the sauce - 1/2 cup natural yoghurt (I use the thick continental kind), 1 tablespoon mayonnaise, 1 tablespoon horseradish cream.

Method: First pin bone the salmon fillets, being sure that you remove all of the bones. Bones in your fish is a particularly bad look! A pair of tweezers is best for this.

Whisk together the eggs and water. Set aside. In a bowl or old plastic bag, combine the flour, cayenne and a few generous pinches of salt. Set aside.

In a food processor (or mortar and pestle), crush the pistachio nuts until they are quite fine. Combine these with the breadcrumbs and poppyseeds and a generous seasoning of salt and pepper.

Dust the salmon with the seasoned flour, then the egg mix, then the crumb mixture. Put them in the fridge for about 10 minutes.

To make the salad, just gently combine the ingredients and season with salt and pepper.

To make the sauce, combine all ingredients and mix well.

To cook the fish, heat a pan with a shallow layer of oil and cook each side until golden. This will not take long because of the natural oils in the nuts. Transfer to fish to a baking tray and cook in a moderate oven for 5-8 minutes depending on the size of the fillets.

Allow the fish to rest for a few minutes before slicing diagonally for presentation. Serve the fish with the salad and a spoonful of sauce.

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Very Vegetarian

It was my intention this week to post pics of the housewarming lunch that we held last Saturday, however once the food was on the table I completely forgot to take photos of it before it was demolished. Sorry guys - you will have to close your eyes and imagine what it looked like! We enjoyed a starter of antipasto, along with italian style pork meatballs with a spicy tomato dipping sauce, a selection of cheeses and wonderful olive bread from Bourke Street Bakery. For mains, there was a selection of garlicky leg of lamb cooked over coals, stir fried garlic and chilli prawns, greek sausages, chicken, fetta and spinach sausages, grilled asparagus, tomato, basil and bocconcini salad, 2 vegetarian tarts - mint, pea and fetta and wild mushroom and a roasted pumpkin, rocket and pomegranate salad served with a pomegranate balsamic dressing. Our guests seemed to really enjoy it (special mention must be made of my lovely finacee's spectacular lamb - cooked over coals and so succulent and tender) but as always I over catered - we lived off the leftovers for breakfast, lunch and dinner for 2 days!

Today I thought I would share what we had for dinner last night. A nice vegetarian dish that is cheap and easy to make - zucchini and chickpea fritters. You can serve them as a main or a starter - or grab some nice rolls and turn the fritters into vege burgers. The accompaniment is a creamy horseradish and mint sauce which is a lovely tangy, creamy contrast to the nutty flavour of the fritters. The addition of mint gives a lovely fresh note to this dish. You could easily add other vegetables or herbs to the fritters - I think that grated carrot or some finely chopped spinach would work well. Make sure that you don't scrimp on the seasoning of the fritter mixture - plenty of salt and pepper please. Chick peas and other legumes can be a bit bland if you don't give them a boost with some seasoning. Salt and pepper will help bring out their natural flavour. These fritters are best eaten soon after making and are not suitable to freeze. My recipe will make about 12 large fritters.

Zucchini and Chickpea Fritters with horseradish and mint sauce

You will need:
For the fritters: 1 x 400g tin chick peas rinsed well and drained, 2 medium sized zucchini grated, 1 tablespoon grated parmesan, 1 tablespoon chopped parsley, 1/2 tablespoon finely chopped mint, 2 eggs, 1 cup milk, 1 1/4 cups self raising flour, a couple of pinches of cayenne pepper, salt and pepper.

For the sauce: 1 cup sour cream, 1 dessert spoon horseradish cream (buy this in the mustard/condiment section of the supermarket), 1 dessert spoon finely chopped mint, salt and pepper.

Method: Whisk together the eggs, milk, cayenne and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Gradually add the flour, to form a smooth batter. You may use more or less flour depending on the size of the eggs - the mixture should be the consistency of pancake batter.

Mash the chickpeas. You can also use a food processor for this, but don't make the mixture too smooth - you want some texture there.

Fold in the zucchini, parmesan, parsley and mint into the batter. Season generously and allow the mixture to stand for 10-15 minutes.

To make the sauce, combine the sauce ingredients and mix well.

Heat a frypan and add some vegetable oil. Spoon the fritter mixture onto the pan and cook until golden. I make these fritters a bit larger than say, corn fritters. I used a couple of spoonfuls of mixture each and they come out the size of a hamburger patty. You can of course make them smaller if you like. Drain them on paper towels and serve right away with the sauce.

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