Smoked Salmon Nibbles
Ingredients:
140g Smoked Salmon
200g Ricotta
1tbsp capers, rinsed plus extra for garnish
Zest of 1 lime
1tsp lime juice
salt
freshly ground black pepper
1/2tsp horseradish (optional)
100ml cream to adjust texture
Method:
Put all the ingredients in the food processor and whizz until as smooth or chunky as you like. If the mixture seems too thick, add cream until it is a suitable spreading (or piping) consistency. Refrigerate until required.
Serve spread on brown bread or toast or pipe it onto slices of cucumber and serve as canapés. We had this mid-afternoon as canapés with an aperitif to give us an hour or two between that and our main.
First made: 24th December 2013
140g Smoked Salmon
200g Ricotta
1tbsp capers, rinsed plus extra for garnish
Zest of 1 lime
1tsp lime juice
salt
freshly ground black pepper
1/2tsp horseradish (optional)
100ml cream to adjust texture
Method:
Put all the ingredients in the food processor and whizz until as smooth or chunky as you like. If the mixture seems too thick, add cream until it is a suitable spreading (or piping) consistency. Refrigerate until required.
Serve spread on brown bread or toast or pipe it onto slices of cucumber and serve as canapés. We had this mid-afternoon as canapés with an aperitif to give us an hour or two between that and our main.
First made: 24th December 2013
Chicken Liver Pate
Ingredients:
125g butter
1 onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped
250g chicken livers
3tbsp Tawny port
1tsp mustard powder
1tbsp freshly chopped thyme (11/2tsps dried)
Cooking instructions:
Melt 25g of the butter and saute the onions until translucent. Add the garlic and stir into the onions. Add the livers and cook for five minutes or so until just lightly browned. Tip everything into the food processor and whizz until smooth.
Melt the rest of the butter in the pan, scraping up any bits that are left, and pour into the food processor with the mixture. Add the port, mustard powder and thyme and whizz again until smooth.
Spoon the mixture into a serving dish (or individual serving dishes) and chill for at least two hours.
If you can't get Tawny port, Marsala or sherry are just as good!
Serve with toast.
Since chicken livers are nearly always frozen amd nearly always in 1kg bags, I always double this recipe and freeze what I don't need right away.
First made: Christmas 2006, Qatar
125g butter
1 onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped
250g chicken livers
3tbsp Tawny port
1tsp mustard powder
1tbsp freshly chopped thyme (11/2tsps dried)
Cooking instructions:
Melt 25g of the butter and saute the onions until translucent. Add the garlic and stir into the onions. Add the livers and cook for five minutes or so until just lightly browned. Tip everything into the food processor and whizz until smooth.
Melt the rest of the butter in the pan, scraping up any bits that are left, and pour into the food processor with the mixture. Add the port, mustard powder and thyme and whizz again until smooth.
Spoon the mixture into a serving dish (or individual serving dishes) and chill for at least two hours.
If you can't get Tawny port, Marsala or sherry are just as good!
Serve with toast.
Since chicken livers are nearly always frozen amd nearly always in 1kg bags, I always double this recipe and freeze what I don't need right away.
First made: Christmas 2006, Qatar
Mushrooms stuffed with Ricotta and Pesto
Ingredients:
6 Portobello mushrooms, or 12 very large mushroom mushrooms, stalks removed
250g tub of ricotta
2 tbsps pesto
2 garlic cloves, minced
fresh Pecorino or Parmesan
olive oil
Cooking Instructions:
Mix the ricotta, pesto and garlic well.
Brush a shallow oven dish with olive oil until the base is well covered.
Place the mushrooms cap side down and spoon the ricotta mix into the mushrooms - pile it high!
Grate over some pecorino and a grind of black pepper. Drizzle all over with olive oil and cook for 20 minutes at 180C (fan).
Serve with an extra teaspoon of pesto on top.
6 Portobello mushrooms, or 12 very large mushroom mushrooms, stalks removed
250g tub of ricotta
2 tbsps pesto
2 garlic cloves, minced
fresh Pecorino or Parmesan
olive oil
Cooking Instructions:
Mix the ricotta, pesto and garlic well.
Brush a shallow oven dish with olive oil until the base is well covered.
Place the mushrooms cap side down and spoon the ricotta mix into the mushrooms - pile it high!
Grate over some pecorino and a grind of black pepper. Drizzle all over with olive oil and cook for 20 minutes at 180C (fan).
Serve with an extra teaspoon of pesto on top.
Smoked Salmon Pâté
Ingredients:
280g smoked salmon
125g Philadelphia cheese - it would probably be really nice with ricotta - I'll try that the next time
35ml double cream
juice of 1/2 a lemon
pinch sugar
freshly ground black pepper
handful of chopped chives
Instructions:
Chop the salmon up a bit and put everything in the food processor except the chives. Pulse the mixture until you have the consistency you want - it can be as chunky or fine as you like.
Remove from the food processor and mix in the chives.
Serve with brown toast - I buy lovely packaged Italian ones but you could toast brown bread and let it cool on a rack so it doesn't get soggy.
First made: 26th January 2013
280g smoked salmon
125g Philadelphia cheese - it would probably be really nice with ricotta - I'll try that the next time
35ml double cream
juice of 1/2 a lemon
pinch sugar
freshly ground black pepper
handful of chopped chives
Instructions:
Chop the salmon up a bit and put everything in the food processor except the chives. Pulse the mixture until you have the consistency you want - it can be as chunky or fine as you like.
Remove from the food processor and mix in the chives.
Serve with brown toast - I buy lovely packaged Italian ones but you could toast brown bread and let it cool on a rack so it doesn't get soggy.
First made: 26th January 2013