Pasta with green asparagus and smoked salmon

Pasta with green asparagus and smoked salmon
 
Author:
Makes: 4 portions
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
 
Ingredients
Sauce
  • 25 gr butter
  • 1 red onion
  • 1 clove of garlic
  • 25 gr flour
  • 500 gr cold milk
  • 1 tspn lemon juice
  • ½ tspn nutmeg
Pasta
  • 4 eggs
  • 250 gr pasta
  • 750 gr green asparagus
  • 200 gr smoked salmon
  • 1 tbspn pine nuts
  • 8 cherry tomatoes
  • 1 tbspn Parmesan cheese
Instructions
  1. Melt the butter in the pan. Dice the red onion and garlic and fry off in the butter until soft.
  2. Add the flour and stir to a thick paste. Cook the roux for a minute.
  3. Stir in the cold milk to make a white sauce that will thicken when the milk warms up.
  4. Season to taste with the lemon juice, nutmeg, salt and pepper.
  5. Allow to simmer for a couple of minutes while you cook the pasta in plenty of boiling water with some salt until almost cooked. Drain the pasta and stir into the sauce. Keep warm.
  6. Meanwhile, boil the eggs in plenty of boiling water for 8 minutes. Refresh briefly under cold running water and peel.
  7. Toast the pine nuts in a dry pan until coloured.
  8. Remove the wooden end from the green asparagus. Brush with some oil and grill until hot and half cooked.
  9. Position the asparagus on the plate. Spoon the pasta and white sauce on top. Garnish with the cooked egg, toasted pine nuts, smoked salmon and cherry tomatoes.
Stuff to know
Green asparagus don’t need to be peeled. Just remove the wooden end.
The white sauce is a classic béchamel sauce.
If desired, add some dill.
Substitute the smoked salmon with a grilled salmon fillet or grilled ham.

 

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Seabass with broccoli and tomato sauce

Seabass with broccoli and tomato sauce
 
Author:
Makes: 4 portions
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
 
Ingredients
  • 6 large tomatoes
  • 1 onion
  • 4 cloves of garlic
  • 2 bay leafs
  • 6 sprigs of thyme
  • 50 ml olive oil
  • 4 fillets of sea bass
  • 1 tspn thyme
  • 600 gr new potatoes
  • 1 broccoli
  • 100 gr samphire
  • 80 gr roasted red pepper
Instructions
  1. Preheat the oven to 200 °C.
  2. Quarter the tomatoes. Peel the onion and cut into wedges. Chop the garlic. Transfer tomatoes, onion, garlic, bay leaf and thyme to a roasting tray and sprinkle with salt, pepper and olive oil. Roast in the oven for 25 min or until the tomatoes are roasted and starting to char.
  3. Remove the bay leaf and thyme. Puree the sauce with a stick blender. Pass to a sieve into a clean pan and set aside for later.
  4. Score the skin of the sea bass fillets, season to taste with thyme, salt and pepper and set aside for later.
  5. Quarter the potatoes and boil in salted boiling water until cooked. Drain and set aside for later.
  6. Boil the broccoli florets in salted boiling water until cooked. Drain and set aside for later.
  7. Cut the roasted red pepper in strips.
  8. Heat some oil in a frying pan and cook the potatoes until warm again and golden brown. Season to taste.
  9. Mean while, cook the seas bass fillets in some oil and butter skin side down. When the skin is crispy, turn them over, lower the heat and allow them to gently cook through.
  10. In some butter, reheat the broccoli, samphire and roasted red pepper so they warm though. Season to taste.
  11. Reheat the tomato sauce.
  12. Place the vegetables in the centre of the plate. Place the fish on top and spoon the sauce around. Serve the potatoes separately.
Stuff to know
Cook the fish skin side down first and present it skin side up.
Replace the sea bass by salmon.

 

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Salmon with a warm niçois salad

Salmon with a warm niçois salad
 
Author:
Makes: 4 portions
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
 
Ingredients
  • 2 eggs
  • 600 gr new potatoes
  • 440 gr green beans
  • 3 tbspn olive oil
  • 1 tbspn white wine vinegar
  • 1 tspn mustard
  • 1 tspn honey
  • 4 salmon fillets
  • ½ tspn rosemary
  • 50 gr olives
  • 4 tomatoes
  • 1 red onion
  • 4 tspn pesto
  • 40 gr hazelnuts
Instructions
  1. Bring water to the boil, boil the eggs for 9 minutes, cool under running water, peel and set aside for later.
  2. Quarter the potatoes. Cook in salted boiling water until just cooked. Drain and set aside for later.
  3. Top and tail the green beans. Cook in salted boiling water until just cooked. Drain and set aside for later.
  4. Mix the olive oil, white wine vinegar, mustard, honey and salt and pepper to taste to a dressing. Set aside for later.
  5. Quarter the tomatoes and cut the olives in half. Roast the hazelnuts in a dry pan until they smell nice. Set aside for later.
  6. Cut the red onion in semi-circles. Sweat off in some oil until soft.
  7. Meanwhile, season the salmon fillets and cook skin side down in a hot pan.
  8. Add the potatoes and rosemary to the onions and cook until warm and golden.
  9. Turn the salmon over when the skin is crispy, lower the heat and finish cooking.
  10. Add the tomatoes, green beans and olives to the potatoes and warm through. Stir in the dressing to taste.
  11. Place the cooked potatoes on the plate. Place the salmon on top, skin side up. Garnish the plate with some pesto, half an boiled egg and the toasted hazelnuts.
Stuff to know
This quantity will feed 4 people.
Replace salmon by tuna.
Add some little gem to the dish.

 

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Fish en papillotte

Fish en papillotte
 
Author:
Makes: 4 portions
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
 
Ingredients
  • 30 ml olive oil
  • 1 onion
  • 1 clove of garlic
  • 1 green bell pepper
  • 1 red bell pepper
  • 4 tomatoes
  • 1 tbspn oregano
  • 4 fish fillets
  • 115 gr feta cheese
  • 200 ml white wine
  • 1 lemon
Instructions
  1. Preheat the oven to 180 ºC and place a baking tray in the oven.
  2. Slice finely the onion. Chop the garlic. Cut the green and red bell pepper in matchsticks. Chop the tomatoes.
  3. Sweat the onion and garlic off in some oil until soft.
  4. Remove from the heat and add the green and red bell pepper and the tomatoes.
  5. Season with the oregano and salt and pepper to taste.
  6. Cut a large circle out of baking paper or tin foil. Fold it in half. Place a quarter of the vegetable filling left of the fold and place the fish fillet on top. Season the fish to taste.
  7. Crumble a quarter of the feta cheese on top.
  8. Fold the baking paper to create an airtight parcel, Just before closing the parcel, pour a quarter of the whine wine in the parcel. Make another three parcels.
  9. Place the parcels on the preheated tray in the oven for 20 min or until the fish is cooked and the parcels have puffed up.
  10. Transfer to a plate, garnish with a slice of lemon, serve with a potato and vegetable dish of your choice and open the parcels only at the table.
Stuff to know
Do not overcook the fish.
Choose a fish of your liking: salmon, trout, haddock, plaice, etc.
It is important that the vegetables are cut in thin strips or they won’t cook through in the oven.
Make sure the parcels are really airtight or they won’t puff up.
Add some olives or sundried tomatoes.
The name en papillotte is French for in a bag.

 

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Mussels marinières

Mussels marinières
 
Author:
Makes: 4 portions
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
 
Ingredients
  • 2 kg mussels
  • 1 onion2
  • 3 carrot
  • 5 sticks of celery
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 tspn thyme
  • 1 leek
  • 200 ml white wine
  • 30 gr butter
  • 2 tbspn fresh parsley
Instructions
  1. Wash the mussels in cold running water. Remove any that are open or damaged. Remove as well the beard. Scrub each mussel individually, trying to remove as much of the stringy bits clinging to outside as possible.
  2. Dice the onion. Peel and dice the carrot and celery. Cut the leek in semi-circles. Chop the parsley.
  3. Melt the butter in a large pan and sweat the vegetables until soft.
  4. Add the white wine, thyme and bay leaf and bring to a simmer. Season to taste.
  5. Add the mussels. Cover the pan with a lid and cook the mussels for a couple of minutes, shaking the pan a few times.
  6. When the mussels are cooked, they will be open. Discard any that are closed. Remove them from the pan with a slotted spoon and transfer to a warm plate.
  7. Add the fresh parsley to the sauce and check for seasoning. Remove the bay leaf.
  8. Serve the mussels in their shell with the cooking liquid as a sauce, reduce it first if it seems too thin. Serve with chips.
Stuff to know
Do not overcook the mussels, they do not take long to cook.
If any mussels are open, tap them gently against the counter and discard any mussels that don't close up within a few minutes.
Add some tomato puree, red wine and orange juice for a Spanish version.
Add some chopped fennel, red bell pepper and noily prat for a Provençal version.

 

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Mackerel with Mediterranean vegetables and Lyonaise potatoes

Mackerel with Mediterranean vegetables and Lyonaise potatoes
 
Author:
Makes: 4 portions
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
 
Ingredients
  • 2 courgette
  • 1 red pepper
  • 1 green pepper
  • 1 yellow pepper
  • ½ aubergine
  • 1 red onion
  • 4 cloves garlic
  • 4 mackerel fillets
  • 300ml olive oil
  • 4 potatoes
  • 1 white onion
  • 30 gr butter
  • 2 tbspn pesto
Instructions
  1. For the roasted vegetables: dice the courgette, bell peppers, aubergine and red onion. Toss the chopped vegetables and crushed garlic in a little olive oil and season. Place in hot oven to roast and get good colour taking care not to singe.
  2. For the Lynonnaise potatoes: cook the potatoes in boiling water until just cooked and drain in colander. Slice and store until needed. Finely slice the onion.
  3. Filet the mackerel and store the filets in the fridge until needed.
  4. When ready to serve, heat some olive oil in non-stick thick bottomed pan and add potatoes turning occasionally for 6 – 8 minutes until cooked. After 3 minutes add finely sliced onion and keep turning potatoes taking care not to colour the onions too much adding the butter just prior to serving
  5. For the mackerel fillets: heat a non-stick pan with a little olive oil. Flour the mackerel and cook skin side down until the skin is crispy, turn and allow to finish cooking.
  6. To finish and assemble dish: place the roasted vegetables and Lyonnaise potatoes in the centre of the plate. Put the Mackerel fillets crossed on the top and drizzle with pesto around the side of the plate.
Stuff to know
Roasting the vegetables brings out their flavour.
Do not overcook the mackerel, it doesn't need much cooking.

 

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Fish pie

Fish pie
 
Author:
Makes: 4 portions
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
 
Ingredients
  • 400 ml milk
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1 tbspn thyme
  • 332 gr white fish
  • 160 gr smoked fish
  • 240 gr green peas
  • 100 gr onion
  • 300 gr carrot
  • 90 gr sweetcorn
  • 10 gr garlic
  • 40 gr butter
  • 40 gr flour
  • 1 kg potatoes
  • 3 eggs
  • 1 lemon
Instructions
  1. To poach the fish, heat the milk with the thyme and leaves until almost boiling.
  2. Add the fish to the milk (in batches if needed) and poach until cooked. Remove the fish from the milk, let it cool somewhat and flake it.
  3. In a different pan, melt the butter. Add all the flour at once and stir together (a roux). Cook on a low heat for a couple of minutes. Add some of the fish-milk to the roux and stir until smooth. Continue adding the milk until you have a smooth sauce. Return to the boil and cook for a couple of minutes to cook out the flour. Season to taste and remove the bay leaves.
  4. Dice onion, garlic and carrots and stir fry in some oil until cooked.
  5. Peel and dice the potatoes. Cook in salted boiling water for 15 min or until tender. Drain and mash with some milk, butter and seasoning
  6. Cook the eggs in boiling water for 10 min.
  7. Preheat the oven to 180 °C and grease an ovenproof dish. Mix the cooked onion, garlic, carrot and the sweet corn with the green peas through the sauce. Spread the sauce and vegetables in the dish. Spread the flaked fish on top.
  8. Cover the fish with the mashed potato. Place some knobs of butter on top of the mash and bake the fish pie in the oven for 30 min or until golden.
  9. Cook the eggs in boiling water for 10 min. Refresh under cold running water, peel and cut in half.
  10. Serve the fish pie with half a boiled egg, a vegetable of your choice and a slice of lemon.
Stuff to know
It is possible to refrigerate the fish pie after making it and before baking. It will take longer to cook, though.
Ideally, use floury potatoes for the mash.
Add some cooked prawns to the sauce.
You can enrich the mash with some egg yolk to give it a more glossy finish.

 

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Fish curry

Fish curry
 
Author:
Makes: 4 portions
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
 
Ingredients
  • 150 gr onions
  • 30 gr fresh ginger
  • 10 gr gloves of garlic
  • 45 ml oil
  • 200 gr carrots
  • 1 tbspn pataks curry paste
  • 5 gr madras curry powder
  • 20 gr tomato puree
  • 240 gr chopped tomatoes (tin)
  • 2 tbspn ketchup
  • 120 gr coconut milk
  • 400 gr white fish
  • 200 gr spinach
Instructions
  1. Peel and dice onion and garlic. Peel and grate ginger. Wash, peel and dice the carrots.
  2. Sweat onion, ginger, carrots and garlic off in some oil without colouring until translucent.
  3. Add curry paste, madras powder and cook on low heat until fragrant.
  4. Add chopped tomatoes and let the sauce simmer until the vegetables are tender.
  5. When the vegetables are tender, add the coconut milk to the sauce. Check the seasoning and puree the sauce until smooth.
  6. Add the fish and spinach to the sauce and let them cook in the sauce until done. Serve with boiled rice.
Stuff to know
Frying off the curry paste and spices will release their flavour but do not burn them.
Bind the sauce if need be with corn flour mixed with some cold water. Add it to the sauce, which will thicken when boiling.
Ideally, use the pataks cumin coriander mild curry paste for this recipe.
Spice up the dish by adding ground cinnamon, ground cardamom, ground cumin, ground coriander, ground turmeric and/or ground chilli powder to your liking.
Serve with naan bread (click here for the recipe).

 

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