Buttery prawns with tomato, olives, capers and a splash of Pernod

Tags

Cape Town, chilli, Clifton Kitchen - Cooking thorugh the seasons, Cucumber, Entertaining, Food Blogs, Food Writing, Kate Abbott, Lifestyle, Parsley, Peppers, Pernod, Photography, Prawns, Radish, recipe, Salads, tomatoes

When it gets closer and closer to spring I start craving bright summery flavours, fresh greens and salads. Last evening although very cold gave way to this lovely dinner which has had everyone calling for the recipe, so here it is.

This is dead easy and utterly delicious. The flavour of the Pernod liquor complements but also mellows the intensity of the tomato and olives, coating the prawns in a heavenly buttery sauce.

Served as soon as it is made, accompanied by pieces of wholesome bread or rice to soak up the sauce.

Serves 4

Ingredients

6 plum tomatoes

20 tiger prawns

70g softened unsalted butter

1 tbsp. finely chopped capers

½ tsp. dried chilli flakes

70g Kalamata olives, stoned

25ml or Pernod

3 garlic cloves, very thinly sliced

2 tbsp. chopped flat-leaf parsley

Sea salt

Method

If you object to tomato skins then by all means skin them; I choose not to do so. Cut the tomatoes into wedges and set aside.

Peel the prawns, keeping the tail segment of the shell on. Cut a shallow slit along the back of each prawn and remove the dark vein using the tip of a small knife.

Place a frying pan over a high heat. When very hot, add 35gm of the butter and sauté the prawns quickly for about 2 minutes, shaking the pan as you go. Add the tomatoes, chilli and olives and cook for another 2 to 3 minutes, until the prawns are nearly cooked through; then add the Pernod. Do this carefully as it may catch fire. Let the alcohol evaporate for a minute then quickly add the remaining butter, the garlic, the parsley and a little salt. Toss for a second or two to enable the juices to come together in a runny sauce.

Serve immediately, with good crispy bread or rice.

Cucumber, radish, peppers and poppy seed salad

Halve the cucumber along its centre and scoop out the seedy core, which is full of water, and will dilute the dressing and make the salad watery.

Serves 4

Ingredients

1 large cucumber

4-6 radishes, sliced

I red pepper finely sliced

2 mild red chillies, thinly sliced

3 tbsp. roughly chopped coriander

60ml white wine vinegar or rice vinegar

125ml sunflower oil

1 1/2 tbsp. poppy seeds

2 tbsp. caster sugar

Salt and black pepper

Method

Gently and quickly toast the poppy seeds in a hot, dry pan for a few seconds; semi cover with a lid during the process to prevent the seeds from popping out of the pan.

Slice off and discard the ends of the cucumber. Slice the cucumber down the middle and remove the seeds. Slice the cucumber so you end up with pieces 1cm thick and about 3 cm long. Slice the radishes.

Mix together all the ingredients in a large bowl. Taste and adjust the amount of sugar and salt if needed. The salad should have a sharp and sweet tang.

I find it best to have all the ingredients for this salad ready and to assemble this salad just before I start cooking the prawns. This prevents the liquid which the cucumber tends to release, from diluting the dressing.

Note

Adding a few capers also adds another lovely flavour dimension to this salad.

It’s the perfect morning to write – A Trio of Recipes

Tags

capers, Carrots, chilli, dressings, eggs, Fries, Frits, Micro greens, pears, puff pastry, Rocket leaf, Salads, smoked salmon, Soy sauce, spinach, Tart, walnut oil

I’m sitting in my kitchen warm and toasty looking out on the garden and the Atlantic Ocean beyond while contemplating the trees and bushes with the last of their autumn colours dropping gracefully to the ground; the leaves seem to have stayed around longer than usual which adds to the rich beauty of the morning as the air seems to dance with wisps of fog in the most magical way.

It’s the perfect morning to write, sitting here sipping on a soothing cup of coffee while my mind flits through the many recipes enjoyed by people past, and who recently stayed at Clifton House, and of their usual departing request to please send the recipe.

Most recently requested recipes are; Poached Egg on a bed of micro greens served with Carrot frits, Chilli spiced Autumn Pear salad, Smoked salmon & Spinach tart.

Poached Egg & Micro greens served with a side order of Carrot Frits

Serves 2

For the eggs

2 large organic eggs

20 g micro leaf rocket

1 tsp. good quality aged balsamic vinegar

1 desert spoon walnut oil

For the carrot frits

500 g carrots cut into fries approximately 1cm thick

1 tbsp. cornflour

A few grindings black pepper

1 tbsp. olive oil

Salt to taste

Heat the oven to 200c

Method

Place the cornflour and black pepper in a plastic bag, add the carrot frits and toss to cover evenly. Remove carrots from bag, place on a baking sheet and gently toss through with olive oil. Spread out in a single layer and bake in the oven for 30-40 minutes until done. To prevent carrots from sticking it is best to turn them halfway through the cooking process. When the carrot frits are cooked, sprinkle with salt.

When the carrot frits are ready, place some micro greens on each plate. Mix together the balsamic vinegar and walnut oil, drizzle over the micro greens and set aside.

Place a small pan on the stove with sufficient water to almost cover the eggs; sprinkle in a little salt, add the eggs and poach gently until cooked to your liking.

Place a poached egg gently on top of the micro greens, season with a few salt flakes and some ground black pepper. Serve with the carrot frits on the side. The frits are delicious to dunk into the egg.

Chilli Spiced Pear Salad

This is nice to serve as a starter or to enjoy as a light lunch.

Serves 4

Ingredients

1 large chilli deseeded and finely chopped

3 tbsp. Groundnut or olive oil

2 tsps. Soy sauce

1 tsp. Castor sugar

1 tsp. white wine vinegar

3 firm but sweet pears cut into medium thin slices

Mixture of salad greens

Salt flakes and ground black pepper

Method

Add the chopped chillies to the oil in a bowl. In a small pan, warm the soy sauce, sugar and vinegar together. Once the sugar has dissolved, whisk it into the olive and chilli mixture. Set aside.

Place some salad greens on each plate, top with some of the sliced pear and drizzle over the dressing, finish with a sprinkle of salt flakes and ground black pepper. Serve.

Smoked Salmon & Spinach tart

Serves 4-6

Equipment

You will need a 25cm loose bottom tart tin, about 4cm deep.

Ingredients

Ready-made puff pastry

Olive oil

1 pack of baby spinach

1 onion finely diced

1 pack of smoked salmon

2 tbsp. capers

1 round of feta

5-6 eggs (large)

120 ml milk

A little salt and a good grinding of black pepper

Method

Heat the oven to 180C

Roll out the ready-made puff pastry and line the tart tin – set aside.

Wash the spinach. Heat a pan and add some oil to the pan followed by the spinach. Cook until the spinach is wilted. Drain and press the spinach to remove all the excess water. Tear into bits and leave to cool

In the same pan drizzle a little more oil and add the onion; Sauté until soft and translucent. Set aside to cool.

Scatter the spinach over the base of the pastry, followed by the onions and then the salmon, torn into strips, then the capers and the feta.

In a bowl mix together the eggs and milk; season with salt and pepper, keep in mind the saltiness of the salmon, feta and capers.

Pour the egg mixture over the ingredients in the tart tin.

Place the tart tin on a tray and set on the middle rack of the oven and bake for about 45 minutes.

Serve with a salad.

Mini Ham & Rocket Omelettes served with Balsamic Fig Jam

Tags

balsamic figs, Balsamic Vinegar, Blogs, Brunch, Cape Town, Chefs, Clifton Kitchen, Cooking thorugh the seasons, Cooks, dinner, Easy Entertaining, Easy Meals, figs, food, Food Writing, Gruyère, Ham, In Season, ingredients, Kate Abbott, Light Lunch, lunch, Omelettes, Photography, recipes, Rocket, salad leaves, Salads, Serrano Ham

The versatile egg once again becomes a platform for a delicious light lunch, brunch or dinner. In this recipe the omelette is used as a wrap, stuffed with beautiful Serrano Ham and peppery salad leaves. It works equally well using chopped cooked prawns in a mild curry dressing. The combinations are up to your imagination. 

 

Serves 4

Ingredients

1 onion finely chopped (about 80g) or finely chopped spring onions white part only

Salt, a pinch

15ml olive oil

10g butter

2 extra-large eggs, gently beaten and lightly seasoned with salt and pepper

8 slices of Serrano Ham or the equivalent

A hand full of peppery salad leaves such as rocket or watercress gently tossed through a dressing of 15 ml of olive oil, a little lemon juice and a grinding of black pepper

4 thin slivers of gruyere cheese (optional)

Balsamic fig jam to serve (optional)

Method

Melt the olive oil and butter in a pan, add the chopped onion, season lightly with some salt and cook gently until softened and golden in colour. Set aside to cool slightly then add the softened onions to the beaten egg mixture.

Heat up the smallest frying pan you have, such as a one egg pan or a blini pan; add a drop or two of olive oil to the pan. Place a thin layer of the omelette mix in the pan and let cook over gentle heat until the egg mixture is almost set about 2 minutes, flip over and cook the other side for about 30 seconds. Remove and place the omelette on some grease proof paper while you continue to cook the rest.

To assemble

Place 2 slices of Serrano ham on one half side of the omelette cover with a thin slice of gruyere cheese and top with the salad leaves. Fold the other half of the omelette over the filling, giving a gentle squeeze to keep it together. Plate and serve with some balsamic fig jam.

Overindulgence eventually gets to all of us

Tags

baguette, Balsamic Vinegar, Brunches, Cape Town, Chefs, Clifton Kitchen, Clifton Kitchen - Cooking thorugh the seasons, Cook Books, Cooks, Easy Meals, feta cheese, Food Photography, Foodblogs, foodwriter, Goats cheese, Goats milk feta cheese, horseradish, ingredients, Kate Abbott, lemons, Lifestyle, limes, Rocket, Salads, Sweet Potatoes, Vegetarian, walnut oil

Overindulgence eventually gets to all of us and my limit has definitely been reached. All the festive season entertaining followed by a 40^th birthday celebration this week-end brought me to seeking something simple and more gentle on the constitution.

For lunch my focus was the lovely organic sweet potatoes that I picked up at the fresh produce market: these I baked in the oven, sliced into rounds and arranged on a plate with some rocket leaves, crumbled over some goat’s cheese feta and dressed with balsamic vinegar, walnut oil and a sprinkle of fresh lemon juice. Served with a zesty wine it was just perfect.

The left over sweet potato made an equally delicious breakfast, this time served on a toasted baguette, spread with horseradish paste followed by sliced sweet potatoes, crumbled feta, balsamic and walnut dressing, a sprinkle of fresh lime juice, seasoned with black pepper and salt flakes. Yummy!

Both of the following make lovely light lunches, brunches or in smaller portions could be served as a starter.

Sweet potato, goat’s cheese & Rocket Salad

Ingredients/Method:

Baked sweet potato slices, crumbled goat’s feta served on rocket leaves, dressed with balsamic and walnut oil, drizzle over fresh lemon juice and season with black pepper and salt flakes. 

A different way

Sweet Potato, Horseradish & Goats cheese Baguette

Ingredients/Method:

On half a toasted baguette, spread some horseradish paste, top with slices of baked sweet potato, crumble over some goats feta and drizzle with balsamic and walnut oil and a sprinkle of fresh lime juice. Season with black pepper and salt flakes.

Tomato & Green Bean Salad served with Basil & Olive oil infusion

Tags

Basil, Black Pepper, Cape Town, Cape Town Food Blogs, Chefs & Cooks, cherry tomatoes, Clifton Kitchen, Cooking Through The Seasons, Food writer, Food Writing, Green Beans, Healthy Meals, Kate Abbott, Lifestyle, Olive oil, Photography, Quick meals, Salads, Seas salt, South African Food Blogs, Tomato and Green bean salad, Vegetarian

With summer comes the wonderful abundance of fresh garden produce. Green beans, cherry tomatoes and beautiful sweet Basil are popped into my garden basket; with these few ingredients I will make a salad that is enormously satisfying. Infusing the basil in the olive oil brings out its wonderful aromatic flavour, and together with the tomatoes provides beautiful summery notes to this gorgeous salad.

The salad may be served as a starter or as a light lunch, the latter served with some nice French baguette and a glass of crisp white wine.

Serves 4 as a starter or 2 as a light lunch

Ingredients

2 cups of fresh green beans

½ cup fresh basil leaves

5 tablespoons good quality extra virgin olive oil

2 cups cherry tomatoes cut into half or into quarters

Flaked sea salt & freshly ground black Pepper – season to taste

Method

Top and Tail the green beans then blanch them in boiling salted water; remove when they have turned bright green and are still slightly crisp (about 4-5 minutes), refresh in cold water. Cut the beans into three or four pieces and set aside.

Gently tear the basil leaves into small pieces; reserve a few leaves to use later as garnish.

Pour the olive oil in a pan, add the torn basil leaves and heat gently for about 1-2 minutes, until the basil begins to sizzle, change colour and crisp up slightly.

Place the chopped cherry tomatoes and cooked green beans in a bowl; pour over the basil infused oil with the gently sizzled basil leaves; season with flaked sea salt and freshly ground pepper. Toss together gently and leave for 15-30 minutes to allow all the flavours to infuse and for the basil infused olive oil to mingle with the tomato juices.

To serve: garnish with a few fresh basil leaves.

Gifts of Pulses & Grains

Tags

Blogging, Books, Cape Town, Cook Books, Festive season, Food Blogs, Food Gifts, Gifts, Grains, Life, News, Photography, Pulses, recipes, Salad dressings, Salads, Travel, Writing

The festive season is as usual a busy time for entertaining. For my friends and family it tends to be a busy time too, so giving them a foodie gift is always a welcome treat. These three lovely salads presented in beautiful dishes are I think lovely gifts that anyone would be happy to receive.

 

Mixed Bean Salad

Ingredients

1 can, (100g) cooked butter beans

1 can, (100g) cooked red kidney bean

1 can, (100g) cooked haricot beans

100 g fresh French beans cut into 2.5cm lengths

6 spring onions chopped

Salt and pepper to taste

Salad dressing, about 4-5 tablespoons

2 tablespoons chopped parsley

Method

Drain the cans of beans and place in a bowl.

Cook the French beans in salted boiling water for about 7 minutes, drain and place in the bowl with the beans. Mix in the onions and the salad dressing. Add salt and pepper to taste. Mix through and sprinkle with parsley

French Dressing

Ingredients

175 ml olive oil

4 tablespoons red wine vinegar

1 tsp. Dijon mustard

1 garlic clove crushed

1 tsp. honey

Salt and pepper

Method

Put all the ingredients in a screw top jar, add seasoning to taste. Shake well to emulsify.

Gift Presentation

Look for beautiful bowls or other interesting suitable containers. Fill the bowls with freshly prepared salads and wrap careful in clear cellophane. Tie with a beautiful bow. Type or write the recipe on to some lovely paper, roll up and attach to the gift.

 

Flageolet Vinaigrette

Ingredients

2 cans, 225g cooked flageolet beans

6 tablespoons French dressing

1 red pepper core and seeds removed, chopped

4 spring onions, chopped

1 tablespoon fresh herbs chopped: mint, parsley and thyme

2 celery sticks, about 18cm long cut into thin slices

Salt and pepper to taste

Method

Drain the beans and place in a bowl. Add the remaining ingredients, the salad dressing, toss thoroughly and season to taste.

Transfer to the dish in which you intend to present your foodie gift.

Gift Presentation as above, together with the recipe.

 

Aduki Bean Salad

 

Ingredients

2 cans, (225g) cooked aduki beans

6 tablespoons Ginger salad dressing

6 spring onions, chopped

4 tomatoes, skinned and chopped

3 celery sticks, about 18cm long, finely sliced

2 tablespoons parsley, finely chopped

Seasoning to taste (take into account the soy sauce in the dressing)

Method

Drain the beans and place in a bowl, add the rest of the ingredients and the salad dressing, toss well and season to taste.

For the ginger dressing.

Ingredients

175 ml olive oil

2 tablespoons soy sauce

2 tablespoons lemon juice

2 garlic cloves finely chopped

3 cm piece ginger peeled and finely chopped

Place all the dressing ingredients in a jar and shake well to emulsify.

Gift presentation: as above together with the recipe.

A Palate of Innovative Dining

Tags

avocado, baby potatoes, Berries, Biscuits, Cape Town, cooking, Cream Yoghurt, Dessert, Entertaining, food and drink, Food Blogs, Lemon Creams, Lemon rind, lemons, recipe, S.A. Food Blogs, Salads

 

Clifton kitchen was booked for Friday and Saturday evening. It was dinner for four on Friday and dinner for six the following evening, nothing unusual about that except for the consideration in the menu planning for a vegetarian guest who eats fish but not eggs.

On the menu were;  rich roasted tomato soup, followed by fish slowly poached in olive oil infused with thyme, black olives, garlic, bay leaf and ginger. The accompaniments were boiled new baby potatoes, a large salad of mixed leaves gently tossed with pears, avocado, onion rings, and toasted walnuts; drizzled with a blue cheese dressing. A loaf of fresh crisp country bread, followed by a lemon cream dessert served with a ginger snap biscuit.

Each course was well received and by the time every one was ready to take their leave of the evening, it was done with requests and a promise to supply the recipe for each of the meals served, with particular emphasis on the lemon cream which I include in this blog.

Lemon Creams

Ingredients

1 ½ cups whipping cream

1 ½ cups thick yoghurt

¾ cup castor sugar

1 tablespoons finely grated lemon rind

80 ml lemon juice

1 tsp. vanilla extract

Method

Place the cream, yoghurt and sugar in a saucepan and heat gently whilst stirring to dissolve the sugar. Cook over low heat for about 5 minutes to remove the ‘rawness’ from the cream, then bring to the boil and remove from heat.

Stir in the lemon rind, lemon juice and vanilla extract. Pour into 6 small ramekins or pretty containers of your choice. Refrigerate for about 4 hours or until set. I usually make them the day before.

Serving options

Top with berries or whipped cream and serve with a biscuit such as ginger, digestive, wafer or tuile biscuit.

Mushroom & Aubergine Galette Served With a Crisp Salad

Tags

Aabergine, Cheese, Chefs, eggs, Entertainment, food and drink, Food Blogs, free range, Galette, Herbs, Lifestyle, Mushroom, organic, Produce, puff pastry, recipe, S.A. Food Blogs, Salads, Spices, Yoghurt

Everyone that I have served this Galette to has requested the recipe. What I like is that I can prep everything ahead of time and when ready to bake, quickly assemble the Galette in a bout 5-10 minutes and pop it into the oven for about 40 minutes, leaving me free to enjoy the company of my guests for most of the evening. As a side dish I toss together some baby gem lettuce, onion, chopped tomato, and sprinkle over some olive oil and splash with some vinegar then season with salt and pepper. It’s a perfect evening meal.

I use frozen puff pastry for this Galette; it is one of my handy stock items, I always have a few rolls in the deep freeze.

Serves 4 as a light meal

Ingredients

Ready-made puff pastry

250 g mixed mushrooms, thickly sliced

350 g Aubergines cut into small dice

2 tablespoons oil

1 onion finely diced

2 cloves of garlic finely chopped

½ tsp. ground cumin

½ tsp. ground cayenne

½ tsp. paprika

1 log soft goats cheese (120gm approximately)

110 g thick Greek yoghurt

50 g Gruyere cheese, coarsely grated

1 tablespoon each fresh thyme, oregano leaves, roughly chopped

Small handful of parsley roughly chopped

2 eggs lightly beaten

Finely grated rind of 1 lemon

30 g butter

2 tablespoons lemon juice

Method

Heat the oven to 180∘C

Roll out pastry on a lightly floured surface, to about 3mm thick and into a round shape of about 30 cm diameter, it does not need to be perfect. Place pastry on an oven tray lined with baking paper and refrigerate for 15-30 minutes to rest.

Heat a large frying pan on the stove and ‘dry fry’ the mushrooms for about 10 minutes, this method adds flavour and evaporates the excess moisture,  cook until lightly golden, season with salt and pepper, sauté for a few more minutes till all the moisture is cooked off. Set aside in a bowl.

Dry fry the aubergines for about 10 minutes, season with salt and pepper add some of the oil and cook for a further 10 minutes; remove and add to the bowl with the mushrooms.

In the same pan add the balance of the oil, add the onions and sauté until translucent and slightly golden, add the garlic and dry spices and cook for a further 5 minutes. Add to the mushrooms and aubergines. Mix in the soft goats’ cheese, yoghurt, herbs, lemon rind, egg and season to taste with salt and pepper. Spread the mixture in an even layer over the pastry, leaving a 3cm border.

Melt the butter, remove from the heat and add the lemon juice. Drizzle over the mixture and sprinkle with the gruyere cheese. Fold in the pastry edges, pleating as you go.

Bake at 180∘C for about 40 minutes, the pastry should be crisp and golden