Wednesday 27 January 2016

Stuffed salmon




















I am particularly fond of this recipe, because … well there is  really very little to do, is nice to see and is great food for everybody.
This dish has the “wow” effect that any cook would like to receive: the orange-pink colour of the cooked salmon nicely contrasts with the deep green of the leeks.
You can bring it to table in a nice serving dish and cut a slice for each one.
Please let me know if you enjoyed it as well!

 Ingredients for 4/6 people


2 x 450 grs /2 x 1 lb steaks of fresh salmon (back bone and skin removed)
2 leeks
2 stalks of celery with their leaves
100 grs / 3.5 oz  peeled pistachoes (if possible the unsalted ones)
Grains of pink pepper
2 slices of bread loaf, crust removed
Some parsley
Salt and pepper
2 spoons vegetable oil


Pre-heat your oven 180°/ 350F

Wash the leeks and gently remove the outer green leaves to obtain long stripes then boil them for 4 minutes in hot water.




Drain them in a colander and set them aside.
Wash and drain the other vegetables.









Cut the white part of the leeks into thin slices and cook them with 2 spoons of vegetable oil and a couple of spoons of water for 4-5 minutes until soft.

In a food processor,  roughly cut the celery with the leaves, the parsley, the bread, the pink pepper and the pistachoes.
Add the mixture to the cooked leeks and a small pinch of salt.



Pass a hand on both sides of your salmon pieces and remove any fishbone or scale. Remove the skin if necessary.





Yes the loughing girl half hidden is my daughter, making fun of me!
Line your baking dish with parchment paper, put the first piece of salmon on it (the part of the fish which originally had the skin on the bottom), lightly season with a little salt and pepper, put the stuffing on the fish and cover with the other piece of fish. Also in this case keep the part where the skin was outside.
Put the stripes of boiled green leeks on the fish and close them under it; brush some oil on the leeks and put the baking dish it in the pre-heated oven 180° C  350 °F for 25 minutes.


Take it out from the oven and let it rest for 5 minutes and put it on a serving dish.
Cut into slices and serve


Serve with steamed potatoes or boiled vegetables.


Wine: I would say a cold Chardonnay. But please feel free to suggest any other wine.

Sunday 17 January 2016

Zucchini and puff pastry roses

I haven't posted for nearly a month, I realize, because the few days off I had during the Christmas holidays  were maily spent in Rome. Few recipes will follow in the next days...
But of course I had the pleasure to have family and guests for lunch or dinner during week ends, and this post, and the others which will follow in the future, take inspiration from these festive dishes.
This appetiser, anyway, can be made any time of the year, it is deliciuos with a glass of cold prosecco to welcome your friends before a meal or during a cocktail reception.
You know I like finger food and bite size recipe. 
4 ingredients, very little fuss, and a great appeal.
Puff pastry shoud is better served warm and fragrant, so prepare these roses few hours in advance, keep them refrigerated and put them in the oven half an hour before.


Ingredients for about 20/22 roses

1 square store bought puff pastry about 38X25 cm (15x10 inches)
1 green zucchini (medium) 
150 gr/ 7 oz provolone (mild one) in one piece
1 egg yolk



Preheat your oven 160°C / 320 F

Wash your zucchini an slice it very finely. The thiner the better.









Slice the cheese as well into long, thin  stripes.
 Cut your puff pastry in half (obtaininig 2 long rectangles), and then in small pieces about 4 cm high (1.5 inches) and 12 cm (5 inches) long.


Put 5-6 slices of zucchini on one piece of the puff pastry, and then put some cheese on them.









Roll the pastry around the zucchini and the cheese.




 



 Slightly open the petals.







Close the bottom well.

 The original recipe suggests to put the roses on parchment paper and then in the oven. I prefer to put them in a very small silicone moulds (about  3-4  cm / 1-1.5 inches large) on a oven tray so that they do not collapse when cooking. 

Put them 30 minutes in a convection oven 160°C/ 320 F.


Serve warm with or without the little moulds.