I wish all the readers of the Cranleigh Magazine happy holidays, in particular the kids to enjoy the summer break! ― Simone Conti
MEDITERRANEAN ROASTED SALMON – Main Course (Serves 4)
Ingredients
4 fresh salmon fillets (around 800-900g)
400g fresh cherry tomato
80g black olives(pitted)
1 stick of oregano
1 small bunch of Parsley
2 cloves of garlic
10g of cappers
1 stick of thyme
100ml white wine (optional)
Salt and black pepper to taste
Olive oil
Preparation
1. Start by preparing the tomatoes. Wash and cut each tomato into 4 parts and place them in a medium size mixing bowl. Once cut, marinate in olive oil, garlic, herbs and salt and pepper. NB: Remember to cut the garlic in two halves and always remove the small stalk inside! Cover the mixing bowl with cling film and let it macerate for 2 hours at room temperature.
2. Once the 2 hours have passed, prepare a medium size baking tray by placing 3/4 of the tomatoes in the base of the tray. Then place the salmon fillets on top of the tomatoes. NB: Remember to salt the salmon fillets! Cover the salmon with the leftover tomatoes, adding the capers, black olives and just a sprinkle of olive oil.
3. Pre heat the oven at 180c or mark 7. Then place the salmon in the oven for 15 minutes. After this it is ready to serve. Alternatively you can add 100ml of white wine to the salmon after 5 minutes of cooking, this will give it a bit more of a punch. But if you small children you may prefer to use the original recipe!
Recommended Wine: Albarino (Spain)
SLOW COOKED CUTTLEFISH WITH GARDEN PEAS – Starter (Serves 4)
I love this dish because it is easy and cheap to prepare. It has a great taste and it is so healthy! It is the perfect starter for a nice lunch on a sunny day.
Ingredients
1 kg clean Cuttlefish
500g fresh or frozen garden peas
1 white onion
500g chopped tomato
1 glass of white wine
1 small bunch of fresh parsley
Salt and pepper to taste
Preparation
1. Finely chop our onion. Then prepare the cuttlefish by first, washing it under cold water to remove any possible impurity. Once clean, cut it in to small stripes. Then cut the tentacles and the head too-these are the tasty parts!
2. Now that the main ingredients are ready we can start cooking. Poor a tbsp of olive oil in a large saucepan and add the finely chopped onion, let it cook in a low heat for 10 minutes (add half glass of water to keep the onion soft). Once most of the water has been absorbed add the cuttlefish cut in small strips.
3. Add salt and pepper while the cuttlefish is cooking it will release some water, so keep it to a low heat until most of the water has evaporated. Add the white wine and then let it cook for further 10 minutes then add the garden peas.
4. Cook for 10 more minutes and add the chopped tomato. Now with the pan still on a low heat, leave it to cook for 30 minutes with the lid on and keep mixing it every 5 minutes. After 30 minutes taste the cuttlefish which should be nice and tender. At this point check if you want to add more salt and pepper. Finally add the chopped parsley just before serving, ideally with a lovely crusty bread.
Remember the secret in this dish is the low heat when we cook, so make sure to keep it low all the time!
Recommended Wine: Vinho Verde (Portugal)
OVEN BAKED STUFFED PEACH – Dessert (Serves 4)
Ingredients
800g of fresh ripe yellow peaches
100g of dark chocolate powder
80g Amaretti biscuits
Preparation
1. Wash the peaches and cut in half. Remove the stones and sort, keeping the best looking half aside from the others which we will use for stuffing. Take a sharp knife, cut the peaches in small cubes and place in a small mixing bowl. NB: You can also use a food mixer if you want a smooth texture.
2. Crumble the amaretti biscuits. If you prefer a fine texture use a food mixer! Or if you prefer more of a texture break up by hand. Add the crumbled amaretti biscuits to the peach cubes and with the help of a fork, mix well until it reaches a nice texture. Add the dark chocolate powder and mix well until our stuffing reaches a nice texture. NB: Remember if you want to make it very creamy use a food mixer.
3. Take the best half peaches that were put aside. and with the help of a spoon, gently make a hole where the stone was, a little larger. We are now ready to stuff our peaches. Using a spoon stuff the peaches into the cavity and place it in a baking tray with the stuffing facing upwards. Pre heat the oven at 180c or mark 7 and once it is hot, cook the peaches for 55 minutes. When cooked serve with a scoop of vanilla ice cream making a lovely contrast between hot and cold. Enjoy!
Recommended Wine: Muscat Blanc (France)
