Classic food is often simplicity, quality and outstanding taste, all served together on a plate.
GRILLED SALMON FILLET
Ingredients
4x 180g salmon fillets (I prefer skinless)
200g fine green beans
200g baby carrots
600g baby new potatoes
60g butter
20ml oil
2 lemons, seedless and each halved through the middle.
10g parsley, chopped Salt and pepper
Preparation
1. Cook the potatoes in salted boiling water for 25 minutes
2. Separately, cook the carrots for 15 minutes and the beans for 10 minutes in salted boiling water
3. When the potatoes and vegetables are cooked, butter well and keep hot
4. At the same time, heat the oil and 20g of butter in a suitable sized skillet
5. Add the Salmon to the skillet and cook for 5 minutes, skin side up
6. Turn and cook for a further 5 minutes
7. Place under a hot grill for a further 10 minutes.
8. Adjust the seasoning
9. Dress the salmon on a large serving dish, with small knobs of butter
10. Place the vegetables on the dish, alternating carrots and beans neatly around it
11. Decorate with lemon and mint
12. Serve the potatoes with the parsley in a separate dish
A.N. My choice of wine for this dish is Sauvignon Blanc from Denbies.
COLD WATERCRESS SOUP
Ingredients
80g butter
80g flour
900ml chicken stock
150ml double cream
200g watercress (florets and leaves only), washed and finely chopped
6 bay leaves
Seasoning
Preparation
1. Melt the butter in a suitable saucepan and add in the flour, whisking until both ingredients are blended
2. Gradually moisten with 800ml of the stock, whisking until boil (this is the soup base)
3. Reduce the heat, add the bay leaves, and let the soup simmer for 20 minutes
4. Stir occasionally so the mixture doesn’t stick to the bottom of the saucepan
5. Place the soup in a bowl after retrieving the bay leaves and let it cool down
6. In a separate saucepan, place the remainder of stock and the watercress (minus 4 florets).
7. Bring to the boil, drain well, and let it cool down
8. When both sauce and cress are cold, mix them together with a wooden spoon. (At this stage, the soup can be liquefied if preferred)
9. Add 120ml of the cream, mix well & correct the seasoning
10. Before serving, add some of the remaining cream to the bowls of soup, making a whirl in the centre and adding in the 4 florets we set aside
11. Accompany with wholemeal bread
A.N. This recipe can be prepared the day before and refrigerated overnight.
RASPBERRIES, LOGANBERRIES, AND ICE CREAM
Ingredients
400g Scottish raspberries and loganberries, washed
40ml Drambuie liquor
60g caster sugar
120g or 4 large balls of Carte D’Or or similar soft scoop vanilla ice cream
4 fan shaped ice cream biscuits
Preparation
1. Place the fruit in a suitable bowl, adding the sugar and liquor & very gently mixing well.
2. Leave to rest for at least 2 hours in a refrigerator
3. Before serving, divide the fruit in 4 suitable dishes; divide the ice cream between each
4. Decorate with the wafer biscuit and one loganberry
BUON APPETITO – Giovanni Fontebasso
