June 08: Fillet steak with smoked applewood mash, red onion tart tatin and herb jus
Ingredients
Fillets
4 8oz/180g fillet steaks
1k Potatoes (deserve or king edwards)
40g butter
80ml double cream
600g smoked applewood cheese (grated)
400g fine french beans (top removed)
300g diced carrots (cooked)
1 bag baby spinach (washed)
500ml good quality stock
2tbls chopped mixed herbs
Tatin
100g sugar
50ml water
50g butter
4x8.10cm muffin tins or tartlet cases
puff pastry
2x red onions (large)
Method
Tart Tatin
In a frying pan cut the red onions in half, colour slightly and place in oven until ¾ of the way cooked, take out and set aside. Roll out pastry to 5mm thickness and cut a circle a little larger than the 1/2 red onion. Prick the bases and chill. Preheat oven to 180 c.
To make the caramel place sugar in a pan, add water and allow to dissolve, boil until the sugar turns a slight caramel colour, take off the heat and add butter whisking until melted, pour into muffin or tart cases, place onion cut side down, then pastry on top, covering the onion. Place in the oven for 10-15 mins or until golden brown.
Smoked Applewood Mash
Quarter potatoes, cover with salted water in a large pan and bring to boil, turn to a simmer. When potatoes are tender (20-25mins) drain off all water and place back in pan heat to dry out a little, shaking them occasionally. Heat the butter and cream together, place potato through potato ricer add butter and cream then smoked applewood cheese to taste, season with salt and pepper.
Fillet Steaks
Season steaks with salt and pepper, place in a hot frying pan and seal on all sides, place on a hot try and place in the oven until cooked to your liking.
Bring stock to the boil and add herbs allow to simmer, so that flavor infuses.
Bring a pan of boiling water to the boil. Plunge French beans in until cooked but still crunchy, then place in a frying pan heat and add a little butter, then spinach, salt and pepper until wilted, mix around a little.
On four warm plates divide mash potato into the centre of the plates, place a bundle of spinach next to the mash, scatter a few French beans and carrots around the plate, place fillet on top the mash, then being careful with tart tatin place on top of the fillet steak or just to the side, drizzle the sauce around and over the fillet.
May 08: Skewered salmon, thai style vegetable salad and crispy seaweed
Ingredients
4 x 100g salmon fillet
2 large red onions
4 large carrots
1 cucumber
1 red pepper
1 packet crispy seaweed
3tpl sweet chilli sauce
3tbl sweet soy sauce
4tbl toasted sesame oil
75g Sugar
1 cinnamon stick
3 large red chillies
600ml rice wine vinegar
1 bunch corriander for garnish
4x5 inch skewers (optional)
Method
To Make Pickled Ginger
Finely slice the ginger, seaweed and chillies, bring the rice wine vinegar to boil and pour over ginger, allow to cool and fridge for 24 hours.
To Make Salad
Finely slice the red onions, carrots, cucumber and pepper, mix in a bowl and fridge until needed.
In a hot frying pan place salmon fillet skinside down, season with salt and pepper, turn heat down a little and cook or 2-3 minutes turn the salmon over and repeat process.
While the salmon is cooking, dress the vegetable salad with sweet chilli sauce and half sesame oil, divide onto the centre of your 4 plates, scatter some seaweed around the outside of the salad and drizzle some sweet soy and seasame oil around.
When the salmon is cooked place a skewer in the middle and place on top of the salad, take a good pinch of pickled ginger and place on top of the salmon and garnish withwith pickled corriander.
Pan fried Pollack with Crushed Potatoes and Ratatouille Confit
Ingredients
Diced red and yellow peppers
Diced courgettes
Diced aubergines
Diced fennel
Rosemary, thyme and basil
Olive oil
Salt & Pepper
Fillets of Pollack
Crushed potatoes
French beans
Balsamic vinegar
Method
Place red, yellow peppers and fennel in a large pan, tie rosemary,thyme and basil in a bunch and add olive oil, season with salt & pepper and heat gently then add diced courgettes and aubergines, cook until soft.
In the meantime boil some potaoes add seasoning and when boiled crush, heat olive oil in frying pan and cook pollack gently on both sides until skin is crispy, cook french beans.
On a warm plate place crushed potatoes in centre adding a few french beans then place pollack on top, spoon peppers etc around the plate and drizzle with balsamic, add some deep fried basil to add even more flavour.
