Gravlax (Cured Salmon) is an exquisite and fragrant method for reacquainting yourself with salmon, essentially fish that has been cured. This makes it a superb choice for elevating a salad, pairing it with rye bread, or even savouring on its own as a sophisticated appetizer. Gravlax (Cured Salmon) is a Scandinavian fisherman’s way of making fatty fish since the Middle Ages. They hid the fish in sand on the beach and let it marinate/ferment for a few days. Nowadays, fermentation is omitted, and the fish can be cured from 12 to a few days. The Dry Marinade This dish is a plan-ahead one because it takes about 24 hours to marinate. I usually do it in 48 hours, changing the side of the fish midway. The longer it marinates, the firmer the meat will become and saltier. It’s alright to stop the marinating after 12 hours; you’ll get a softer-tasting…
Quinoa and Bean Salad is a full-filling side dish for any fish or poultry! Its lovely ruby colour comes from balsamic vinegar and beet juice with a nice crunchy red quinoa, red pepper, arugula and aromatics. Quinoa and bean salad is a great summer side dish. It could also be used the next day with some extra crumbled feta on top for lunch or a picnic. This white bean salad is adaptable and great tasting, whether cold or lukewarm. Ensure the arugula and feta lay on top of the salad, if you bring it around, not to deteriorate them. Reinventing the Bean My husband showed me this type of bean salad… See… I have a thing with beans and lentils… the texture bothers me, and this way, when not cooked and soaking in a broth of some kind, I love them! It’s a whole other ingredient when served this way!…
Coconut Rice & Tropical Salsa for Fish, made of mango, cilantro, red pepper, tomato and scallion with a touch of habanero heat to bring you right under the tropics sun! A decade ago… I was travelling with my now husband and my little black Cocker throughout South America, and we ended up in beautiful Cartagena, Colombia. I believe one of my top places in the world! We loved it there, and after living for a year in Peru, everything seemed so different on the other side of the continent. Starting with the first meal we’ve got… Coconut Rice & Tropical Salsa for Fish! So simple and joyful way of doing fish! Although in Colombia, they make a “sofrito” (a reduction until paste) with the coconut milk first to give it extra taste and a brownish colour, I’ve skipped this step to cook the rice in coconut milk. The coconut flavour…
Blood Orange Salmon with Pistachio Crust is an extra fun and colourful dish. A tangy yet crunchy dose of sun and omega-3. Pistachios are my favourite nuts, simply divine! Plus, they give any dish a nice crunch and colour. As for the side kick to the pistachio; a juicy orange which brings a touch of sun to the dish. I’ve used a blood orange, a special Spanish variety from Valencia which is incredible but any type of orange would do. Salmon with Pistachio Crust is a dinner made in under 30 minutes and contains just 5 ingredients, making it a star dish for any house chef. The Technique The salmon for this particular recipe is cooked solely in the oven with a short broil at the end of cooking to brown up the top and caramelize the sugars from the orange. The orange will lose most of its juice through the salmon…
I’ve decided to say farewell to our old European companions with a traditional dish of theirs; the famous Fish and Chips. More precisely, a Brown Ale Beer Battered Fish and Chips. Since the whole Brexit thing is bitter to most, I wanted to use they own “bitter beer” to make the batter, but could not find any, where I live… sadly. It would have been the perfect Brexit dish. I was surprised to learn in wikipedia, while doing my research for the dish, that this meal was imported to England by Spanish Jews in the 17th century… well the fried fish part. It makes total sense, since the “pescado frito”, floured fried fish, as a long history as a tapa in Spain. For this dish, I’ve used hake fillets, another popular choice is cod or haddock. Another particularity is the mushy pea dip on the side, which is eaten with the fries/chips. A healthy side…
Fish en papillote is such a flavourful and healthy way to eat fish. It’s mainly used to cook those really lean, flaky fishes because it keeps all the humidity that the lean fish would lose by other ways of coccion, like pan frying, simple oven, etc. It’s simply an aromatic vapor that cooks you fish, and when the time come to open those little puffy bags, all that aromatic vapor hits your nose, no better way to start a nice light diner. For this dish, I’ve used a beautiful small soles. This fish really gain from the papillote humidity, simply add some aromatics of your choice; here, I’ve used a bed of bell pepper slices, then topped with tomatoes, olives, thyme and garlic with a touch of olive oil and white wine. You can also make those papillote with aluminium foil, it’s easier to close up hermetically, but be careful… if you use…