Grilled Thai salmon with spring onion crème fraîche

I found this recipe on the back of an instant couscous packet and it's become a firm family favourite.  Sometimes the recipes on the back of packets are surprisingly delicious.  I've substituted massaman curry paste for the red curry paste which is just as good.  The spring onion crème fraîche is very tasty and should also go well with other spicy or Thai curry based dishes.  (serves 2)

Grilled Thai salmon 

with spring onion crème fraîche

2 salmon fillets, skin on
4 tsp Thai red or massaman curry paste
200 ml tub crème fraîche
3 spring onions, finely chopped
1 tsp honey
juice and rind of ½ a lime
small bunch of coriander, finely chopped
salt & pepper to taste
1 lime, cut into wedges, to serve
1 red chilli, sliced thinly, to serve

Make 2 or 3 cuts in the skin side of the salmon fillet.  Rub well with the Thai curry paste.  Refrigerate for 15 minutes to allow the salmon to absorb the curry flavours.  

Make the spring onion crème fraîche by combining all the other ingredients, reserving a little of the coriander and the chopped spring onions for serving.

Cook the salmon under the grill skin side up for about 5 minutes until the skin is dark and crispy and the salmon just cooked, but still slightly pink in the middle.  If the fillets are very thick you might have to turn the salmon over and grill for another 2-3 minutes.  

Serve with the spring onion crème fraîche, a lime wedge, a little chopped fresh coriander, chilli and spring onions sprinkled over the top, couscous and a green salad.

Sri Lankan Watalappan (cardamon infused coconut custard)

Watalappan (pronounced what-a-lup-pun) is a creamy coconut custard with an exotic spicy warmth to it, and was one of the many gastronomic delights I experienced during a trip to wonderful Sri Lanka.  I first tried watalappan at the beautiful old Governor’s Mansion up in the misty tea estates in the central highlands of Sri Lanka and it is a simple and delicious end to a meal, especially after a spicy curry.

Traditional watalappan uses Kitul Jaggery which is a dark brown, hardened block of sugar from the Kitul palm. If you can’t find jaggery you can replace it with a good quality unrefined brown sugar with a high molasses content.  Make sure you use thick coconut milk - preferably from a tin and not the more watery boxed versions.  (serves 4)

 Sri Lankan Watalappan 

(Cardamom Spiced Coconut Custard)

4 eggs
100 g finely grated jaggery or dark brown sugar
3 cardamom pods, crushed
¼ tsp grated nutmeg
1 cinnamon quill
1 tsp vanilla extract
200 ml thick coconut milk
100 g toasted cashew nuts
pinch of salt

Preheat the oven to 150°C.  Grease 4 one cup capacity ramekins (or a pie dish) with a little butter.

Place the jaggery, coconut milk, spices and vanilla in a small saucepan over low heat and stir gently for a few minutes until the sugar has dissolved. Set aside to cool slightly. Put the eggs in a bowl and whisk until pale and creamy. Slowly pour in the coconut milk mixture, whisking to combine. Strain the mixture through a sieve into a jug and pour the mixture into the prepared ramekins or pie dish.

Prepare a water bath (a large, deep oven tray that your pie dish or ramekins fit in easily), and fill with hot water to come about half way up the pie dish or ramekins and put it in the oven.   After 35 minutes sprinkle over some of the cashews.   Bake for another 10 minutes for the ramekins and up to 25 minutes for a pie dish, depending on the depth of the dish. You want the custard to be set, but the middle to still be a little wobbly.

Remove the ramekins from the water bath with tongs and let them cool for about 15 minutes, then cover with cling wrap and chill in the fridge for at least 3 hours, or preferably overnight.  Serve sprinkled with the remaining chopped cashew nuts.

Lizzie's Easy Chutney Chicken

A really quick and easy recipe and a firm family favourite - you can have all the ingredients in the pantry (except for the chicken!) - mix them all together, add the chicken, and cook in the oven for 40 minutes. (serves 4)

Lizzie's Easy Chutney Chicken

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750g chicken (thighs or breasts) salt and pepper

1 packet cream of mushroom soup 2 cloves garlic (chopped)

1 tsp worchestershire sauce 1⁄2 cup mayo (optional)

1 tbsp curry powder 1 cup mango chutney

1 cup tomato based pasta sauce handful of olives (optional)

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Mix all the other ingredients together and pour over the chicken in a casserole dish. Bake in the oven for 40 minutes at about 180 degrees or until the chicken is cooked. Season to taste. Serve with rice or baked polenta (page 76) and a fresh green salad.

Coq au Vin

The original recipe for coq au vin called for a rooster who was well past his crowing days. Although full of flavour, an old bird is rather tough which is why it needs to be cooked in wine and for rather a long time. This is an slightly adapted version of Julia Child’s famous recipe (serves 4).

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​Coq au vin

1/2 cup lardons (or smoked bacon), cut into chunks

2 or more tablespoons olive oil

2 chicken legs, 4 thighs and 2 breasts, skin removed and thoroughly dried

1/4 cup Cognac or Armagnac (or brandy if you can’t find either)

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 bay leaf

1/4 teaspoon dried thyme

20 small white onions, peeled

3 tablespoons flour

2 cups good red wine

About 2 cups chicken stock,

2 garlic cloves, mashed or minced

About 1 tablespoon tomato paste

250g fresh mushrooms, quartered

fresh parsley, chopped

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Sauté the bacon in 2 tbsp oil in a heavy-bottomed casserole until lightly browned, about 2 minutes. Transfer it to a side dish, leaving the drippings in the pan. Add the chicken, being careful not to crowd the pan. (You may need to work in batches). Cook the chicken, turning frequently, until nicely browned on all sides. Carefully pour the Cognac or Armagnac into the pan until it sizzles and starts to evaporate.

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Season the chicken pieces with salt and pepper. Add the bay leaf and thyme to the pan and place the onions around the chicken. Cover and simmer gently, adding a splash of water if you need to, turning the chicken once, for about 10 minutes. Uncover the pan, sprinkle the flour over everything, and turn the chicken and onions so the flour is absorbed by the sauce. Cover and cook, turning once or twice, for 3 to 4 minutes more.

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Remove the pan from the heat and gradually stir and swirl in the wine and enough stock to almost cover the chicken. Add the bacon, garlic and tomato paste to the pan, cover, and gently simmer for about 40 minutes. Test the chicken for doneness (there should be no trace of pink and the juices should run clear when the meat is pierced with a knife). The sauce should be just thick enough to lightly coat the chicken and vegetables. If it is too thin, boil it down rapidly to concentrate; if it is too thick, thin it with spoonfuls of stock. Taste the sauce carefully, and correct the seasoning accordingly. Fry the mushrooms quickly in a little olive oil and butter (add a dash of cognac too if you like) and scatter over the chicken, with some chopped parsley. Serve immediately.

Chocolate, almond and cumquat tart

I saw Maggie Beer make this on one of her Christmas specials and as I’d just bought some South African candied kumquats for Christmas it seemed the perfect time to make it.  I have changed it up a little and used a chocolate pastry base for the tart.  I used my favourite Careme dark chocolate pastry which was just right, but here’s a chocolate shortcrust pastry recipe for those who don't have access to a great pre-made chocolate pastry.  Next time I am going to try to make my own candied cumquats from our cumquat tree.

Almond and cumquat tart

for the pastry :

125g chilled butter, diced
1 cup plain flour
1/3 cup icing sugar
1/4 cup almond meal
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1 egg yolk

for the filling :

120g butter, softened
150g castor sugar
2 eggs
1 egg yolk
1 tbs plain flour
2 tbs sherry
200g ground almonds
1⁄2 cup candied cumquats, chopped
 
for the glaze :

175g dark chocolate (70% cocoa), grated
1⁄2 cup thickened cream
2 tbs sherry
1⁄4 cup candied cumquats to garnish

Place the butter, flour, icing sugar, almond meal and cocoa powder in a food processor and process until it resembles fine breadcrumbs. Add the egg yolk and process until mixture just comes together. Turn onto a lightly floured surface and gently knead with cool hands until it’s almost smooth. Cover with cling wrap and place in the fridge for 30 minutes to rest.

Preheat the oven to 210°C.  Roll out the pastry until 2mm thick on a lightly floured board. Cut it to fit a greased and lined 24cm tart tin.  Blind bake the pastry using baking beans or uncooked rice for 10 to 15 minutes.  Reduce the oven to 180°C.

For the filling, place the butter and sugar in to a mixing bowl and beat until pale and creamy, then add the eggs and yolk one at a time. Add the flour and sherry and mix well. With the motor running slowly add the almond meal and candied cumquats until well combined.  Pour the filling into the tart shell and bake for 15 to 20 minutes until the centre is just cooked. Set aside to cool totally.

For the chocolate glaze, heat the cream until nearly boiling. Put the chocolate in a glass mixing bowl and pour the cream over and leave it for 3 minutes before swirling it around so that the chocolate melts and is well combined. Stir in the sherry and smooth the glaze over the tart with a spatula. Once the glaze as firmed up slightly garnish with the candied cumquats.  Serve with cream.

Candied Cumquats

1 cup orange juice

1 cup caster sugar

1 kg cumquats

Place the orange juice and castor sugar in a large saucepan and stir to dissolve the sugar. Bring to the boil and add the cumquats. Bring back to the boil and simmer until the syrup is thick and the cumquats have collapsed and appear slightly translucent. Remove from the heat and allow to cool.  Bottle in a sterilised jar and keep in the fridge.

Zucchini & haloumi fritters with green goddess dressing

This is an adapted recipe from the very aptly named Delicious website.  These delicious fritters are a meal in themselves, and are so quick to prepare and cook they are perfect for a satisfying supper after a busy day.  Don’t leave out the green goddess dressing - besides having a wonderful name it compliments the fritters beautifully.  Use whichever fresh leafy herbs you have available, and experiment a bit to find the combination you like best.  I use basil, oregano and parsley as I always have them in my herb garden.

Zucchini & haloumi fritters

with green goddess dressing

3 medium zucchini, coarsely grated
100g proscuitto, torn into small pieces
150g haloumi, coarsely grated
1/2 cup self-raising flour
1/4 cup plain flour
2 eggs, lightly beaten
Pinch of dried chilli flakes, to taste
1 tbs extra virgin olive oil

for the green goddess dressing :

2 handfuls fresh leafy herbs (eg basil, oregano, mint, tarragon, dill, parsley)
juice of 1/2 a lemon
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup (140g) thick Greek yoghurt

Mix the grated zucchini, grated haloumi, proscuitto, flour, egg, chilli together well in a bowl. Heat the olive oil in a large non-stick frying pan over medium heat. Using a large spoon, place about 1/4 cup of the zucchini mixture per fritter into pan.  Don’t crowd the pan - work in batches.  Flatten each fritter slightly with a spatula. Cook for 3-4 minutes each side until golden, then drain on a paper towel. Keep warm.


For the dressing, place all ingredients in a food processor, season, and whiz until smooth.

Serve with salad and the green goddess dressing on the side.

Hummingbird cake

This recipe is based on Jamie Oliver’s hummingbird cake (who could resist that name!), but I cut down on the amount of sugar and made my own icing, as I’m not a huge fan of cream cheese icing.  This is basically a posh banana bread in cake form, but the icing and decorating make it a special cake for eating with a cup of Earl Grey in a tropical Sri Lankan garden - or wherever you like!

Hummingbird cake

1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 cup vegetable oil
350 g self-raising flour
1 tsp ground cinnamon
200 g caster sugar
2 very ripe bananas
400 g tin of pineapple chunks (or you can use fresh pineapple)
2 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
50 g pecans

for the icing

1 tub mascarpone
2 tsp honey
juice of half an orange
zest of half an orange
1 cup fresh cream

for the pecan brittle

100 g caster sugar
50 g pecans

Preheat the oven to 175°C (fan forced).  Grease and line two 23cm round cake tins.

Sift the flour and cinnamon into a mixing bowl, then add the sugar and a pinch of salt.  Mash the bananas with a fork in another bowl. Drain the pineapple well and finely chop it and then add to the bananas with the oil, eggs and vanilla extract. Mix well, and then fold into the flour mixture until smooth.

Finely chop the pecans and fold them in, then divide the batter evenly between the two tins. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until risen, golden and the cakes spring back when touched lightly in the centre.  Leave to cool for 10 minutes before transferring to wire racks to cool completely.

To make the pecan brittle, place the caster sugar and a splash of water in a non-stick frying pan on a medium heat. Shake flat and DON’T STIR IT, just swirl the pan occasionally until dissolved and lightly golden.  Add the pecans and a pinch of salt, stir very gently to coat them, and when nicely golden, pour onto a sheet of oiled greaseproof paper to set.

To make the icing, whisk together the mascarpone, honey, orange juice and zest.  Add the cream and whisk until stiff peaks form.  Watch it carefully as you don’t want it to turn grainy.

Place one cake on a cake stand and spread with half the icing. Top with the other cake, spread over the rest of the icing, then grate over some more orange zest (and some lime zest if you like).  Chop up the pecan brittle into small chunks and scatter over the top.  Decorate with a few edible flowers, if you have them.  Nasturtiums and marigolds look pretty.  If you don't eat it straight away, keep it in the fridge.