SAUTÉED SALMON & FRESH PEAS – Main Course (Serves 4)
A great vegetable in season right now are peas. This recipe is an easy way to cook fresh fish, while matching the original flavour with the sweetness of the peas.
Ingredients
250ml vegetable stock
300g fresh peas (net weight after they’re cleaned)
400g of fresh salmon filet or diced
Salt & black pepper
50ml of white wine
1 medium white onion
Preparation
1. Start by pouring the olive oil into a medium pan and onto a stove at medium heat. Finely chop the white onion, then place into the pan and let it cook until it starts to get a golden colour
2. We’ll then add the peas. In a small boiling pan, place the stock to a low heat to keep it hot but not boiling. Cook the peas for 5 minutes and pour the vegetable stock in, make sure there’s enough stock to completely cover the garden peas. Add the salt and pepper, put the lid on and cook for 12 minutes
3. While the peas are cooking, let’s get the fresh salmon filet ready. With a sharp knife remove the skin and cut the salmon into small cubes, about 1 inch per side. When the peas are 5 minutes from being ready, add the diced salmon and the white wine. Bring the heat a bit higher and let it cook for 5- 6 minutes, until the wine is completely evaporated
4. Stir very gently so the shape of the salmon doesn’t get ruined. Check if it needs more seasoning and add according to taste. Now the salmon is ready!
Recommended Wine: Verdicchio Di Jesi
ASPARAGUS FRITTERS – Starter (Serves 4)
This dish is delicious and easy to prepare, it can be a lovely option for breakfast/brunch, or a nice Starter for dinner and Sunday lunch. You can serve it with endless options such as poached eggs, smoke salmon or crispy bacon. I’ll leave it to you to find your favourite match.
Ingredients
2 large eggs
500g of fresh asparagus
60g grated mature cheddar cheese or parmesan cheese
2 table spoon of breadcrumbs
1 table spoon of flour
Salt to taste
50g butter
Preparation
1. Begin with preparing the asparagus. The month of May is when asparagus are in full season so you should be able to find some good quality asparagus at a good price. Break the asparagus into 1 inch long pieces, use your hand to do this so you can assess the tenderness of the asparagus. They should be easy to break, but if they start to get hard to break don’t use them
2. Once all the asparagus is prepared, wash them in cold water
3. Place the butter in a medium size frying pan and set to a very low heat, once the butter starts to get hot, add the asparagus and let them cook until they become soft. This will take around 12 minutes. If they start to go too dry just add a bit of water. Once cooked they should be soft and creamy
4. Once the asparagus have cooled down, place them in a large mixing bowl. Add the eggs, grated cheddar, flour, breadcrumbs, salt and pepper. Then mix everything together with a wooden spoon until it’s nice and smooth
5. Place the frying pan back on the stove, pop in a bit of olive oil or butter and get it nice and hot
6. Using a large tablespoon, start to create your fritters.
NB: Whether you prefer bigger ones for breakfast or small ones for a starter is up to you. Place a large scoop of the mix in the frying pan, then adjust it in size and thickness with the help of a spatula or a wooden spoon. Make sure the fritters are cooked both sides by turning them around a few times until you get that lovely golden colour. Once golden, place them in dish covered with kitchen paper to get rid of the excess oil. Once all fritters are ready pick your toppings and you’re ready to serve.
Recommended Wine: Albarino Rias Baixas
CHEESECAKE IN A JAR – Dessert (Serves 4)
This is a great version of cheesecake for the spring/summer months that you can enjoy in the garden and out and about!
Ingredients
For the Base
100g digestive biscuits
65g unsalted butter
2 empty and clean Jars (250ml-300ml capacity)
For the Yogurt Cream
250g Greek yogurt
7g gelatine sheets (you can find them in any supermarket)
35g whole milk
70g fresh double cream
150g fresh strawberry (not too big in size)
30g icing sugar
add a few drops of vanilla extract
For the Coulis
100g fresh strawberry
100g of caster sugar
10g corn flour
Lemon juice
Preparation
1. Begin by putting the gelatine sheet in cold water to get it soft. Prepare the base of the cheesecake by crumbling the digestive biscuits. NB: I usually use the blender as it’s less messy!
2. Melt the butter (use a bain-marie or a microwave). Place the crumbled biscuits in a mixing bowl and slowly pour the melted butter in with the help of a rubber spatula or wooden spoon. Mix well until you get an even mixture. Place it in the bottom of the jars with the help of a spoon. The cheesecake base is now ready, put the jars in the fridge so the mix will not dry out
3. Now for the cream, we will need 2 small mixing bowls, 1 small sauce pan, 1 whisk and a rubber spatula. Pour the milk in the small sauce pan and place on a medium heat until warm (doesn’t have to reach boiling). When it gets warm, add the gelatine sheet, stir well and let it cool
4. In one mixing bowl pour the double cream, vanilla extract and the sugar. Whisk the mix until it becomes creamy and silky. Once the milk has cooled down, add the Greek yogurt and mix until you get a smooth creamy texture. Now you can put the 2 creams together and with a rubber spatula, start to gently mix them together, the yogurt cream is now ready
5. Cut the strawberries in slices (the thickness of a pound coin), then get the jars from the fridge and place the sliced strawberry inside the jars against the glass. Then pour the cream inside the jars, close them and pop them back in the fridge. Your cheesecake is starting to look delicious!
6. Finally, prepare your coulis. For this you’ll need a small sauce pan, 1 strainer and a small bowl. Start by cutting the strawberries into small chunks. Once all the strawberries have been chopped, place them together with the lemon juice, the sugar and the corn flour into the small sauce pan and put on a high heat. It will have to cook for 10 minutes, mixing it occasionally. Once it’s ready, drain it in to the bowl and let it cool
7. Once the coulis is cold, get the jars from the fridge and place it on top of the cream. Our cheesecake is finally ready. It does takes a bit of time to prepare it but after the first mouthful it will be all worth it!
Recommended Wine: Late Harvest Tokaji
Quote of the month
‘Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food.’ – Hippocrates
“I would like to thank Chris and Sara Jones, for helping my family to settle into Cranleigh. Two of the most amazing people I’ve ever met in my life.”
