Tag: dinner

Cured ocean trout

This cured ocean trout recipe is adapted from a recipe from Rick Stein and from a recipe from Maggie Beer.

You must start this recipe at least 1 day early for the curing to take place. Rick Stein’s recipe said 2 days, Maggie Beer says 8 hours.  I did mine the afternoon the day before the dinner.

dill and lemon cured ocean trout

Ingredients:
  • 150 g of sea salt flakes
  • 100 g of caster sugar
  • 1 cup of dill chopped
  • 2 tsp peppercorn, crushed
  • Finely grated zest of 1 lemon and 1 lime
  • 1 to 1.2 kg ocean trout fillet skin-on (which is basically one of the sides of the whole ocean trout)
Method:
  1. Get to your fishmonger or fish market and buy an ocean trout. Have it filleted and if possible bones removed. If the bones are still in, use some tweezers and patience to remove them one at a time.  This video is a “how to” video found online.
    tip – the other half of the ocean trout can be frozen (after being deboned) and used at a later time for a meal.
  2. Combine the ingredients together.
  3. Place a plastic wrap at the bottom of a long dish, coat the skin side part with half of the cure mix, and place on the plastic film. Then spread the rest of the cure mix on the top part. Close tightly the film over the whole fish filet (add more film if required).
  4. Place in the fridge overnight. Turn over in the morning until ready to serve.
  5. When ready to serve open the wrapping and wipe the excess cure from the ocean trout using a paper towel or a clean tea towel.  Some dill will remain on it, it’s OK.
  6. Cut thinly and serve with creme fraiche and wedges of lemon.

 

Meatballs in tomato sauce

Use this recipe of meatballs in tomato sauce as a base for meatballs recipes.  What is important is to bring up the flavours with the meat. This recipe is easy and can be done with children.

Serve it with pasta or rice or a green salad.

Serves 4.

Ingredients
  • 500 g mince meat (beef, you can use a combination or other meats)
  • 3 large garlic cloves, crushed
  • 1/2 onion passed through the food processor (alternatively dice very thinly)
  • 1/2 cup of mozzarella
  • 1 teaspoon of chermoula mix spices (or other meat seasoning spice mix)
  • corn from 2 corns on the cob, boiled and separated.
  • 1 egg (this is to help making it stick together, if you have small eggs, 2 may be better)
  • salt & pepper, oil
  • Passata – about 2 cups
  • 1/2 cup of parmesan or similar
  • about 2/3 cup of plain flour (use corn flour is gluten is an issue)
  • garden herbs: thyme, rosemary or parsley
Method:
  1. In a big bowl, mix together the mince, garlic, spices, onion, mozzarella, corn, egg, and if using some thyme or rosemary.  Add salt and pepper to taste.
  2. Place the flour in a deep plate.
  3. Make balls with the meat the size of a lime then roll in the flour. Set aside until all are prepared.
  4. Heat up 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large frypan, once hot, place the meat balls and slightly flatten them.  Allow to grill on each side (turning once only as they are fragile). Reduce the heat to medium.  Once grilled, add the passata and cover for 10-15 minutes while the meat finishes to cook. If you find the sauce is too thick or too little you can add 1/2 cup of water.
  5. Uncover, add the parmesan and fresh parsley. Serve.

 

Lemon curd addiction!

Lemon curd addiction

Lemons seem to be in full season again at the moment. I must have ten of them laying around either the fruit bowl and the fridge.  The season for lemonade has passed somehow and I have yet to learn to preserve lemons. So for now, one use of the lemons is in lemon curd desserts.

Lemon curd is not hard to make, you need to go slowly but you don’t necessarily need a bain marie to make it, that means it takes 10 minutes maximum!  Also once made, it keep for a few weeks in the fridge!

Lemon curd addiction is easy to catch, except if you do not have much of a sweet tooth. Since lemon curd can be quite overpowering, best is to counter balance the sugar and acidity or have it in small quantities only.

Our biggest family lemon curd addiction: the lemon curd pudding

I have finally shared this one with you. Looking back in my photos, I have many versions of it: family size, individual in ramequin and steamed and turn over versions! Yum.

This has been one of Ambrine’s favourite dessert for a few years now. Lemon curd at the bottom nd cake top over it.  It is rapid to make and is always beautiful.

Check out the recipe and its versions HERE.

ramequin lemon curd pudding

Lemon curd tiramisu

I posted this one some time ago, but it is well worth a reminder. Again use as family size of build in individual dishes!  Recipe HERE.

lemon curd tiramisu

Lemon curd tartlets

What an endless classic. They key here is to have them not too large.   The dough is a short pastry.  Other versions that the one proposed here can be used. You will need to precook them. As my Bonne Maman (the name we gave to my grandma) used to say, we are making “tartes aux cailloux” or pebble pie.

lemon curd tartlets

Lemon and lime tart

This is a little bit more involved and the pastry is a little delicate to make. That said it is well worth it.  The lemon curd cooks in the oven, a  little bit as a sweet quiche. Recipe HERE.

lemon curd

Sunday night diner

Sunday night diner is the wrap up of the weekend and the last step before the start of the new week. It has this homy comfortable feeling. Yes, but…

We, or rather my daughters started a silk rope class on Sunday afternoon.  They love it! I find it great too. By the time we come home it is often after 6 pm , sometimes after 7 pm. So, not willing to cook much at this stage of the day, I devise a quick meal.  One that came back a few times recently is a bean and sausages bake.  Dessert tonight – yes, there is always dessert – was a flan patissier.

The bean and sausage bake

You can rarely do easier and it require strictly no cooking skills.  All you need are cans of beans, tomato sauce and sausages! Pretty simple! Still need the recipe? Click HERE.

sunday evening bake

A flan patissier for dessert

Flans patissiers need to be made in advance preferably as they taste better warm or cold.  I made mine this morning before heading across Scotland Island through bushland on gorgeous little tracks.  Flan patissier are a typical French dessert, it is like a (homemade) baked custard.  Quite nice.

The recipe is HERE.

flan