Grilled Salmon with Chilli and Herb Dressing

Thank goodness the rain has moved on.  Here's a summery meal that's uber healthy, has a wow factor but is simplicity itself.  My herb garden has gone slightly bonkers so I have plenty  to use up in this dressing will really bring out the best in the salmon.  It works well on the BBQ too if you put the fish onto a foil tray.  I'll serve it with new potatoes and some asparagus or a salad.  If you don't fancy the spicy dressing try the Lemon Aioli I posted the other day.
Thanks to Olive magazine for the idea.

Ingredients
1 whole side of salmon if feeding a crowd, or individual portions
Olive oil
2 shallots
2 cloves of garlic crushed to a paste
1 large red chilli, finely chopped
1 large bunch of coriander
1 small bunch parsley
Oregano, just a handful of leaves
4tbsp red wine vinegar.

Method
Place the fish on a chopping board and cut it into 8 equal portions.  Reshape the salmon on an oiled shallow baking tray so it looks like a single piece.  Brush with oil and season.
Grill the salmon for 8-10 minutes or until it feels just firm to the touch.  Add all the dressing ingredients together and spoon over the dressing and serve.

Globe Artichokes with Lemon Aioli

I was only 17 and on holiday with a French family in Capbreton when Madame presented the table with her version of this dish.  I was horrified as I hadn't a clue what to do with it! I copied everyone else and I think I got away with it.
Prepping the artichokes is a bit of a faff but I can say that without doubt I will never buy mayonnaise again.  This aioli is amazing and so easy to make.  I used the whisk attachment on my stick blender to do all the hard work - a doddle.  I found the recipe in Olive Summer 14 magazine.

Ingredients

2 lemons, 1 zested and juiced, 1 halved

4 globe artichokes

3 cloves of garlic

2 egg yolks

1 tbsp Dijon mustard

300ml olive or rapeseed oil. 

Method

Bring a large pan of salted water to the boil with the lemon halves. Cut the stalk off the artichokes and trim the base so it is flat.  Then trim the spiky tops of the leaves with scissors.   Drop the artichokes into the water and boil for 35- 40 mins or until a leaf will pull out easily.  Leave to drain well. 

Whilst the artichokes are cooking, crush the garlic to a fine paste and mix it with the egg yolks, mustard and lemon zest.  Beat in the oil a drop at a time and then a dribble at a time until a thick emulsion forms.  If doing this by hand rope in some muscle.  Season and add enough lemon juice to give flavour without it becoming too sloppy.

To eat, pull off the leaves, dip the broken end into the sauce, eat this and discard the rest. When you reach the middle, lift out the central leaves, scrape away the hairy choke and eat the artichoke heart.  OR

Part the leaves of the cooked artichoke and with a teasp scrape out the hairy choke in the centre leaving the base clean.  Serve with the aioli to dip the leaves in. 

Lamb Souvlaki with Lemon and Dill

Classic English summer weather here, it's tipping down!  The golf course is closed, Hubby is home which is weird on a Saturday and the dogs need wellies!  With all this in mind I've opted for a meal that always reminds me of sunshine and holidays in the Greek Islands.  Blimey, I sound like Shirley Valentine. 

Ingredients

2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

1 tsp sea salt

4 tbsp olive oil

Zest and juice 1 lemon

1 tbsp finely chopped fresh dill

700g lean lamb cut into chunks
Pitta or flatbread and lemon wedges, to serve.

Tzatziki

Combine a 250g pot Greek yogurt; ½ a cucumber, peeled, deseeded, then coarsely grated; 1 garlic clove, crushed; 3 tbsp chopped dill; 2 tsp white wine vinegar; a pinch of sugar and some salt in a bowl and mix well. Chill for 1 hour if you have time.
Alternatively try adding chopped mint instead of the dill.

Method

Pound the garlic with sea salt in a pestle and mortar, until the garlic forms a paste. Whisk together the oil, lemon juice, zest, dill and garlic.
Mix in the lamb and combine well. Cover and marinate for at least 2 hrs or overnight in the fridge. If you’re going to use bamboo skewers, soak them in cold water to stop them burning.

If you’ve prepared the lamb the previous day, take it out of the fridge 30 mins before cooking. Thread the meat onto the soaked or metal skewers. Heat the grill to high or have a hot griddle pan or barbecue ready. Cook the skewers for 2-3 mins on each side, basting with the remaining marinade. Heat the pitta or flatbreads briefly, then stuff with the souvlaki and salad.
Add Greek salad or juicy wedges of tomato and Tzatziki if you like. 

Tempura Langoustine or Scampi Supper

Scampi and chips in a basket was a great 70's dish that is definitely worth a whirl so I put in an order yesterday for some lovely plump Scottish langoustines for a fishy Friday supper.  I love Scottish langoustines as they have a sweet, tender flesh. If you can’t find them, ask your fishmonger to stock them or they'll be snapped up by the Spanish and French market. 

Ingredients

15-20 Scottish langoustines

Sunflower oil, for frying

140g plain flour

85g cornflour

250ml sparkling water

Lemon wedges to serve.

For the tartare sauce

6 tbsp mayonnaise

1 gherkin, finely chopped

1 tbsp capers, rinsed and chopped

1 tsp lemon juice

1 tbsp chopped parsley

2 tsp chopped tarragon.

Method

To prepare the langoustines, pull off the head and pincers. Lay the tail flat on a chopping board and use a sharp pair of scissors to cut a line straight down the back of the shell. Carefully peel the langoustine, score down the back, then remove the grit sac.

Heat the oil in a large saucepan or wok.

For the tartare sauce, mix all ingredients in a bowl and season.

Place the flours in a bowl with a good pinch of salt and pepper. Add the sparkling water, and whisk to a smooth batter.

To test if the oil is hot enough, put a drop of batter into the pan – it should crisp and brown within 30 seconds. Dip each langoustine into the batter, then carefully lay it into the oil away from you. Drizzle a little extra batter over each one while they are cooking – this will give you a really crispy coating and some scrumptious scraps of batter to nibble on. 

Cook them in batches, making sure you don’t overcrowd the pan. When golden and floating to the surface, scoop out and drain well on kitchen paper. 

Serve with the tartare sauce and lemon wedges.

Asparagus and Spinach Soup

I'm posting a simple lunch as I'm expecting my lovely mother and sister to drop in for lunch in a while.  Our local asparagus is coming to the end of the season but is still packed with flavour and goodness and makes a really vibrant green soup.  I'm using my soup maker so all I've had to do is chop it up and chuck it in.  Tasty!

Ingredients

25g butter

a little vegetable oil

350g asparagus spears, stalks chopped, woody ends discarded, tips reserved

3 shallots, finely sliced

2 garlic cloves, crushed

2 large handfuls spinach

1 large potato, peeled and diced

700ml vegetable stock (fresh if possible)

olive oil, for drizzling (optional) or a swirl of single cream

crusty bread , to serve.

Method

Heat the butter and oil in a large saucepan until foaming. Fry the asparagus tips for a few mins to soften. Remove and set aside.

Add the shallots, asparagus potato and garlic, and cook for 5-10 mins until softened but still bright. Stir through the spinach, pour over the stock, bring to the boil, then blitz with a hand blender.

Season generously and add hot water to loosen if needed. Ladle into bowls and scatter the asparagus tips over each. Drizzle with olive oil and serve with bread, if you like.

If using a soup maker, use the chop and chuck it in approach and have a nice cup of tea. 

Paprika Chicken

I’m writing the blog on the train today and am so excited as I’m having lunch at the top of the Gherkin.  Supper is on my mind though and we’ll be having this chicken dish, fresh from the freezer and based on a Hairy Bikers recipe that I’ve tweaked a bit to give it a bit more oomph, a technical term for extra paprika.  I think I’ll serve it with crispy potato wedges but it does work well with rice too.

Ingredients

1 large chicken, jointed (or use 2 large chicken legs and 2 breasts, halved)

Salt

2 tbsp. olive oil

1 large knob butter

1 onion, finely chopped

2-3 cloves garlic, finely chopped or squished

2 tbsp. hot paprika

1 tbsp. flour

285ml chicken stock

3 tbsp. chopped parsley, flat or curly

2 red peppers, de-seeded and cut into 1cm/0.5in strips

4 large ripe tomatoes, roughly chopped

250ml sour cream.

Method

Rub the chicken pieces with the salt. Heat the oil and butter in a large heavy-bottomed pan and brown the chicken all over for a few minutes. Remove the chicken from the pan and set to one side.

To the same pan, add the onions and garlic and cook without colour for about five minutes. Add the hot paprika, then the flour, and stir until combined – keep the mixture moving or it might catch and burn.

Add the stock and stir to make the sauce. Return the chicken pieces to the pan, adding a bit more stock if the mixtures seems too dry.

Add half of the chopped parsley and bring to the boil.

Stir in the tomatoes, cover and simmer gently for about 50 minutes- 1 hour.  Add the red pepper strips, reduce the heat and simmer for 10 minutes.

When the chicken is cooked, remove the pan from the heat. Stir in the sour cream and the remaining parsley. Check the seasoning and serve.