Hi Everyone,

Hope this week has been a good one for you.  Have you had a chance to try any of the recipes from the blog this week?  I’d love to hear from you if you have.

Today I am bringing you another easy and yet impressive meal from Delicious – Love to Cook.  Such a great book for enthusiastic cooks because the meals are interesting without being difficult to complete.  This lovely layered “pie” calls for hot-smoked salmon which means that you don’t even have to poach or bake a salmon fillet.  The beautifully flavoured salmon is usually found in the deli cabinet of Woolies and is already seasoned and vacuumed packed for ease.  The only thing I couldn’t get this particular week was a block of pastry so I used the frozen sheets and just made them into the correct size.

Hey what a great opportunity to buy another kitchen toy.  I didn’t have a pastry lattice cutter so for a start, I wasn’t sure how it worked but for $9.95 it was well worth giving it a go.

I would say that these are probably not suitable for younger children.  Oh, by the way, I think if you didn’t have sherry you could use a liqueur of your choice.  There was not a lot of chatter while these were consumed.  9.5/10.

Until next week….

From my table to yours with love x

Salmon, Egg & Dill Pie

A super easy and delightful pie that even those who aren't lovers of seafood will like.

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Ingredients Method

Ingredients

  

• 1/2 c basmati or long-grain rice
• 1/3 c thickened cream
• 30 g unsalted butter chopped
• 1 tbsp finely chopped dill
• 1 tbsp finely chopped flat-leafed parsley
• 1 lemon - zest finely grated
• 375 g block frozen puff pastry thawed
• 300 g hot-smoked salmon fillets skin removed, flaked
• 3 eggs, soft-boiled, quartered
• 1 egg extra lightly beaten to brush pastry
• 120 g unsalted butter chopped
• 2 tbsp baby capers rinsed
• 2 tbsp chopped dill

Method

 

1. To make pie filling, coo9k rice in boiling salted water for 8 minutes or until just cooked. Rinse under cold running water, then drain well. Transfer to a bowl with the cream, butter, dill, parsley and lemon zest, Then season with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper and stir to combine.
2. Divide pastry in half and roll out 1 portion to a 25cm x 30cm rectangle. Place on a baking tray lined with baking paper and spread over half the rice mixture. Top with salmon, then soft-boiled egg. Brush pastry edges with water, then spread remaining rice over filling. Roll out remaining pastry to a 25cm x 30 cm rectangle, then cut with a lattice cutter (available at kitchenware shops). Place on top of rice mixture, pressing edges to seal. Alternatively roll out remaining portion of pastry and place over filling, pressing edges to sea. Refrigerate pie for 30 mins.
3. Preheat oven to 180°c. Brush top of pastry with beaten egg, then bake pie for 25-30 minutes until puffed and golden.
4. To make caper butter sauce, melt butter, without stirring, in a frypan over low heat, skimming any foam from surface. Remove from heat and stand for 1 minute or until milk solids sink to bottom. Carefully pour liquid clarified butter into a jug, discarding solids. Stir in capers and dill.
5. Slice pie and serve with the warm caper butter sauce.

Champagne, Strawberry Trifles

Two types of alcohol used here so packs a punch

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Ingredients Method

Ingredients

  

• 450 g strawberries hulled, cut into 1cm pieces
• 50 g caster sugar
• 2 leaves titanium-strength gelatine
• 100 ml champagne or sparkling wine
• 4 savoiardi biscuits each broken into 30 pieces
• 1/4 c dessert wine or sherry
• 1/2 quantity creme patissiere or 350ml store-bought custard, chilled
• 150 ml thickened cream
• 1 tbsp icing sugar
• Amaretti biscuits to serve

Method

 

1. Place 350g strawberries and caster sugar in a heatproof bowl over a saucepan of simmering water and cook gently, stirring occasionally, for 1 hour.
2. Soak gelatine in a small bowl of cold water for 5 minutes.
3. Strain berry mixture, discarding solids. Squeeze excess water from gelatine, add to warm strawberry syrup and stir until dissolved. Stir in Champagne, skimming any foam from the top. Cool slightly, then refrigerate for 15020 minutes until almost set.
4. Dip savoiardi pieces into the dessert wine, then divide among four 1 cup dessert glasses. Divide the remaining 100g berries among glasses, then pour over the strawberry jelly mixture. Refrigerate for 203 hours until jelly is set.
5. Spoon over the creme patissiere, then refrigerate for a further 30 minutes or until set.
6. Meanwhile, whisk cream and icing sugar to soft peaks. Serve trifles topped with cream and crumbled amaretti.