Recetas

carpaccio of sea bass with new potatoes and salsa verde recipe

INGREDIENTS

500g fairly large new potatoes, such as charlotte, scrubbed

1 spanking fresh sea bass (roughly 800g), cleaned and filleted

Freshly squeezed juice of ½ lemon

For the salsa verde:

1 plump garlic clove, peeled

6 anchovy fillets in olive oil, drained

2 tbsp small capers, drained

Finely pared zest of 1 lemon

Freshly squeezed juice of ½ lemon

1 tbsp Dijon mustard

½ tsp sea salt

120ml/4fl oz virgin olive oil

Bunch fresh flat leaf parsley

Small bunch fresh mint leaves

3 - 4 freshly snipped chives

METHOD

How to make carpaccio of sea bass

1. Steam or cook the potatoes in boiling water for 15 - 20 minutes until tender, drain in a colander under cold running water. Leave to cool.

2. To prepare the salsa verde, put the garlic, anchovy fillets, capers, lemon zest and juice, mustard and salt in a pestle and mortar and pound for a couple of minutes to release all the flavours. Stir in the olive oil. Finely chop the parsley and mint. Stir into the mortar (bowl) and set aside.

3. Thinly slice the fish across the fillet using a sharp knife at a slight angle, removing from the skin as you go. Sprinkle with lemon juice. Slice the potatoes thinly and arrange with the sea bass on a platter. Season with salt and pepper. Spoon over the salsa verde, sprinkle with snipped chives and serve.

 Pumpkin soup with fresh mint oil

INGREDIENTS

60ml olive oil
2 medium onions, chopped
5 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
1 tbsp sage
1.25kg pumpkin, peeled and de-seeded
1 carrot, chopped
3 sticks celery, chopped
1 red chilli, finely chopped, seeds and all
Salt and pepper to taste
1/4 teaspoon of allspice, ground
A pinch of cinnamon2 litres water
For the fresh mint oil
3-4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 cloves garlic
A large handful of mint leaves

METHOD

Heat the oil in a heavy-bottomed saucepan and add the onions. Sweat over a medium heat for 5 minutes until the onions have started softening. Add the garlic and sage and cook for a while longer until the onions have started releasing their sugars and the garlic has started filling the kitchen with a lovely smell. At this point add the rest of the aromatic vegetables, the carrots and celery, together with the pumpkin, chilli, cinnamon and allspice. Season generously with a few teaspoons of salt and plenty of freshly ground pepper and throw in a couple of bay leaves (You are essentially making your vegetable stock for the soup as you go). Carry on sweating the vegetables until the pumpkin has started to soften. Pour over the water and bring to simmering point. 

To make the minte oil finely chop the mint leaves together with the garlic. Warm the olive oil to a gentle heat and add the garlic and mint. Simmer very gently for about 10 minutes, until the garlic has turned translucent. Try not to burn the garlic as it turns a very bitter flavour, rather than the sweet, cooked flavour you need. Set aside. This oil will keep in the fridge for at least a week and is delicious drizzled over soups, salads and pretty much anything else. In the Middle-East it is more commonly made with dried mint which lasts a little longer in the fridge.

Simmer the vegetables until they are soft, about 15-20 minutes. Blend with a stick blender to create minimal washing-up and serve drizzled with a little of the mint oil.

Ratatouille

INGREDIENTS

Aubergines, 2 firm ones diced
Onions, 2 peeled and diced
Garlic, 6 cloves peeled and sliced
Olive oil
tomatoes, 5 large ones dunked in boiling water, peeled and chopped
orange, zest of
thyme, 1 small bunch or better still, fresh marjoram
red peppers, 1
yellow peppers, 1
courgettes, 2 medium sliced

METHOD

Heat 2 tbsp of oil in a pan and fry the onions and garlic until soft but not coloured about ten minutes. Add the zest, herbs and tomatoes and simmer whilst you finish with the other vegetables. Meanwhile heat two tablespoons of oil in a large, heavy-bottomed frying pan and add the aubergine. Sprinkle with salt and fry them for 10 minutes until golden. At first it seems they suck up all the oil but they will soon release it again and fry in the oil. Put the aubergine in a colander over a plate and add the remaining oil to the pan. Saute the peppers for 5 minutes. Season and add to the aubergines in the colander. Add the strained juices from the aubergines back to the pan and saute the courgettes until golden. Add all the vegetables to the reduced tomato mix and simmer gently for twenty minutes until the vegetables are soft but not dissolving. Bon appetit.

Saffron-infused leeks

INGREDIENTS

750g leeks
3-4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 fat cloves garlic
450g potatoes
1 bay leaf
A pinch of saffron threads

METHOD

Top and tail the leeks and trim of any tough, outer leaves. Cut down the leek lengthways from the green end to the white. Fan out under running water to clean away all traces of mud. Trim away an inch or two of the green end and then slice what is left. Heat the olive oil in a shallow, wide saucepan and fry the whole garlic cloves until golden brown. Remove and add the leeks to the pan, sauting for 10 minutes until they have softened down. Add the potatoes, bay leaf and saffron and just enough water to cover the potatoes. Simmer gently for another 20 minutes or until the potatoes are tender and the water has evaporated off. Serve on its own or arranged under a fillet of grilled 

A British sort of paella

INGREDIENTS

3tbsp olive oil
2 large onions, finely chopped
4 cloves garlic, crushed
250g paella rice
300g peas
450g courgettes, roughly cubed
A large handful of mint, chopped
1 litre of chicken stock (infused with the saffron if using)
A glass of white wine
2 rabbits or 1 medium-sized chicken, cut into pieces
A pinch of saffron (optional)

METHOD

Heat the oil in a paella pan and when it is hot add the rabbit or chicken pieces. Brown them evenly on all sides, remove and add the onions and brown them over a medium heat for 5 minutes before adding the garlic, courgette and peas. Turn up the heat a little and continue cooking the vegetables for a further 5 minutes so that they begin to brown . Now stir in the rice before adding the chicken stock and white wine. Season well with salt and pepper and return the meat to the pan, excluding the rabbit saddle or the chicken breast pieces. Cook over a low heat for about 15 minutes before adding the rest of the meat. Cook for a further 10 minutes until the rice grains are tender but still with some bite to them. Let it sit for 5 minutes in a warm place to rest before scattering with the chopped mint.

Find many more recipes on the official blog of Thomm: http://www.thomasinamiers.com/recipes/