The
smoothness of Pineau successfully balances the strong flavour of
pepper and paprika. Also the goat cheese slowly melts when in
contact with the hot soup, resulting in a pleasant marriage of
textures. In summer you can serve this dish chilled as a gazpacho
(use in this case fresh goat cheese).
3
red sweet peppers
1 large onion
150 ml white Pineau
1 litre chicken stock (or water)
½ tsp paprika (hot or mild to taste)
some thin slices of fresh or semi-hard goat cheese (2 – 3 per
serving)
salt, pepper
chopped parsley or chive for decoration
Wash,
dry, peel, deseed and dice peppers. Peel and thinly slice onion.
Place onion and Pineau into a saucepan and bring to the boil.
Lower the heat and cook for 4 to 5 minutes until the onion becomes
translucent. Add diced peppers and chicken stock. Salt (lightly,
depending on the bouillon and goat cheese), add pepper and
paprika. Bring to the boil, cover and let cool over a low heat
until pepper is cooked (approx 15 minutes). Blend well in a food
processor, return the mixture in the saucepan and heat gently.
Pour
into a soup tureen or divide between four individual serving
bowls. Place the slices of goat cheese in the middle. Sprinkle
with parsley or chives and serve immediately (salt and peppermill
aside).
SMOKED
SALMON WITH MUSTARD DILL SAUCE
Annette
Kesler, 'Fresh & Healthy, Step-by-Step To Life'
Smoked salmon is an easily managed
starter for special occasions. Just add some simple
accompaniments, such as a sauce and salad to create a glamorous
dish. This tangy mustard dill sauce has the added advantage of
being able to be made in advance. The salad is a delectable
combination of fresh beans, snow peas, rocket and roasted pine
nuts. To add a hot crisp note, round off the dish with the potato
and chive cakes.
COOK’S
NOTES
You’ll
need: grater,
chopping board, cook’s knife, two mixing bowls, frying pan,
lifter, paper towels, saucepan.
*
When you’ve
sampled fairly thickly sliced smoked salmon, you’ll appreciate
the taste and texture compared with the more familiar fine slices.
*
Other salad vegetable options slim green asparagus,
blanched broccoli florets, steamed peas.
*
To blanch
beans
plunge into a saucepan of boiling water,
bring the water back to the boil, and cook the beans for 6 to 7
minutes. Then drain well and refresh under cold water. Beans vary
in size and thickness; fine young beans may only need about 5
minutes cooking time.
*
Wet a few paper towels with cold water, squeeze lightly and
place onto the blanched and refreshed vegetables. This cools them
immediately and sets the colour.
*
Roasting pine
nuts enhances their flavour.
To do this, dry roast without oil in a non-stick frying pan over
moderate heat, turning often, until golden and fragrant.
*
An
alternative to hot potato cakes is a lightly cooked mushroom
salad. Combine sliced white button mushrooms with one or two
exotic mushrooms, and toss together with a dash of lemon juice,
mustard powder, olive oil, a little dried tarragon, sea salt and
milled black pepper. Simmer for a minute, then cool.
*
Potato and chive cakes
In a bowl place 2 large potatoes, peeled and grated
coarsely, 1 large egg, ½ grated onion, 30ml (2 tablespoons)
finely chopped chives. Season with sea salt and milled black
pepper. Mix well with a fork or wooden spoon. Squeeze out the
surplus and shape the mixture into thin rounds. Place the cakes on
a preheated, oiled baking sheet and bake at 180°C until well
crisped on both sides. Reheat if necessary just before serving.
400g smoked salmon, skinned and boned
Mustard dill sauce
2/3
cup Dijon mustard
¼ cup white wine vinegar
¼ cup sour cream
2/3 cup chopped fresh dill
¼ cup sugar
sea salt and freshly milled pepper
2/3 cup olive oil or vegetable oil
Salad
200 g
fine green beans
100 g snow peas
½ red onion, finely sliced
45 ml (3 tbsp) pine nuts, roasted, see Cook’s Notes (optional)
12–16 rocket leaves
15 ml (1 tbsp) olive oil
15 ml (1 tbsp) wine vinegar
(Serves 4)
Mustard dill sauce
Combine the mustard, sugar, vinegar, and cottage cheese in a bowl.
Whisk in the oil. Add the dill, season with salt and pepper, and
chill for at least 30 minutes.
Salad
Blanch and
refresh the beans as described in Cook’s Notes. Steam the snow
peas over boiling water for 1 to 2 minutes. Place the beans and
snow peas in a bowl with the sliced onion, pine nut and
rocket.
Just before serving, mix together the
oil and vinegar, and season with salt and pepper. Gently toss
through the salad.
Cut the salmon into 2cm slices. Arrange
slices of salmon on each plate with a bouquet of salad. Spoon a
little sauce around the salmon. Add one or two hot potato cakes to
each serving.
2
deboned, uncooked cured hams (each weighing about 2 – 2,5 kg)
2
whole onions
8
whole cloves
4
celery sticks
Glaze
125
ml (½ cup) brown sugar
125
ml (½ cup) honey
60
ml (¼ cup) balsamic vinegar
1
ripe pineapple, peeled and sliced
1
jar (150 g) maraschino cherries in syrup
Place
each ham into a saucepan and cover with boiling water. Bring to boil
and remove from the heat. Drain and cover with fresh water. Press 4
cloves into each onion and add one onion to each saucepan with 2
stalks of celery.
Bring
to boil and lower heat. Cover the saucepans and simmer gently for
about 2hours (30 minutes per 500 g). Remove from the heat and allow
to cool in the liquid. Reserve cooking liquid. Using a sharp knife,
remove the skin but leave as much fat as possible. Return the hams
to the saucepans and allow to cool completely covered with the
cooking liquid. When cold, remove and refrigerate in an airtight
container for up to 2 days.
Preheat
the oven to 200ºC. Mix the brown sugar, honey and balsamic vinegar.
Line a baking tray with foil or baking paper and place the meat on
the tray. Using a pastry brush, brush the glaze over the ham and
bake for 30 minutes until golden brown. Remove from the oven, brush
again with glaze.
Place a maraschino cherry on each pineapple slice
and secure each slice with a toothpick to the ham. Tie the meat with
string to prevent the pineapple pieces from falling off. Add some of
the maraschino syrup to the remaining glaze and brush over the
pineapples and the ham. Bake for another 20 – 30 minutes until the
pineapple slices are roasted. Serve hot or at room temperature.
-
CLASSIC CHRISTMAS CAKE
Annette
Kesler
"A
wonderful fruit cake that I have been making for many years now
has a fashionable twist using pineapple. A fruit back in fashion
with a bang, both for the aroma and sweet tropical flavour,
pineapple is marvellous and gives our familiar festive cake a
fresh new look!" says Annette Kesler.
500
g fruitcake mix
50 g candied orange peel
150 g finely sliced glace pineapple
200 g butter
250 g soft brown sugar
5 ml (1 tsp) mixed spice
15 ml (1 tbsp) bicarbonate of soda
250 ml (1 cup) brandy
2 extra-large eggs
125 ml (½ cup) Cointreau (or orange liquor)
125 ml (½ cup) milk
400 ml (1 3/5 cups) cake or all-purpose flour
100 g slivered almonds
whole pecanuts
Preheat the oven to
150ºC. Grease the 24 cm diameter cake pan well and line it with baking
paper or greaseproof paper.
Combine the fruit,
butter, sugar, mixed spice, 7,5 ml (1½ tsp) bicarbonate of soda and
brandy in a large, heavy-based saucepan. Simmer gently over moderate heat
for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon. Cool.
Beat
the eggs until frothy in a large mixing bowl. Add the Cointreau and milk and
whisk with the eggs. Sift
the flour and remaining bicarbonate of soda together into a large mixing
bowl and add the almonds. Add the cooled fruit mixture and the egg
mixture to the flour and nuts and mix through evenly. Pour
the mixture into the prepared cake pan to about three-quarters full.
Decorate it with whole pecanuts. Bake the
cake for 1½ - 1¾ hours.
Test to see if the
cake is done insert a thin metal skewer into the centre of the cake, then
remove it, if the cake is done, it will come out clean with no trace of
stickiness. If ready, remove the cake from the oven, place a plate on top
and cool it on a wire rack for a few minutes. Remove the plate and the
pan, shaking it loose carefully then peel the lining paper off the bottom
of the cake. Sprinkle the cake generously with extra brandy. When
the cake is cool, turn it right side up.
With
Special thanks to
Charlotte
Hunt, Charlotte's Restaurant
Opening soon... 50
Stiemans Street, Braamfontein
+27 (11) 339-1000
Arina
du Plessis and Wilma Howells, 'Entertain'
Novel ideas and recipes for any get together.
Photography by Neville
Lockhart. Published by Human and Rousseau
Françoise Barbin Lecrvisse,
Cooking
with Pineau
© L'Hydre Editions, 2006 46000
Cahors
Printed with the support of the Comite National du Pineau des
Charentes
