In Good Taste: Spring in the air
Salmon and potato cakes
The new warmth in the sun these last few days brings with it fresh inspiration when it comes to cooking—a desire to use the last of winter’s bounty before the edible delights of spring begin to appear.
A friend recently mentioned that she craved salad at this stage of the year. Just because the garden doesn’t offer summer’s row of crisp pretty leaves for making salad with, it doesn’t mean we have to go without. Winter salads can be just as exciting, just a bit different when it comes to the choice of ingredients.
The following salad has ingredients that work extremely well together. There is nothing wrong with using the old iceberg lettuce, the leaves washed, dried and roughly torn. To a bowl of this, add two peeled and thinly sliced new-season oranges, two stalks of celery chopped on the diagonal, one red onion finely sliced, and a good handful of walnuts, lightly toasted. Add a light dressing made from orange juice, olive oil, salt and pepper and a drop of Dijon mustard. Whisk together and mix through the salad just before serving.
This works particularly well with the posh fish cakes below. Good enough to serve as a lunch for friends, the cakes make a complete meal when accompanied by the salad and some crusty bread. I can remember when one of London’s most popular restaurants with the English upper crust, The Ivy, served the humble fish cake. Complemented by a sorrel sauce, they were the most popular dish on the menu. The best accompaniment I think, for these little darlings is a good old-fashioned tartare sauce. Make it chunky and serve plenty for everyone...it tends to disappear in a flash.
Salmon and potato cakes
450g smoked salmon (I used Regal)
450g mashed potato (Moonlight are good and dry
for mashing)
4 spring onions, finely sliced
1 heaped teaspoon of horseradish
2 tablespoons of finely chopped parsley
1 egg, lightly beaten
Salt and pepper
Juice of half a lemon
Seasoned flour and 1 tablespoon of sesame seeds
Olive oil and butter for cooking
Mix all ingredients together in a large bowl with a fork. Shape into patties and dust lightly with seasoned flour and sesame seeds. Heat a knob of butter and a little olive oil in a frying pan. When the butter starts to foam, add the fish cakes and cook over a gentle heat until golden brown. Turn and cook on the opposite side, again until golden. You will have to do this in batches, adding more butter and olive oil each time. Serve hot with the salad and sauce passed separately.
Tartare sauce
3/4 cup of good mayonnaise or crème fraiche
1/3 cup of finely chopped parsley and chives
1/3 cup of coarsely chopped gherkins and capers
Salt and pepper
1/2 teaspoon of Dijon mustard
Squeeze of half a lemon
Stir all ingredients together until thoroughly mixed and place into an attractive serving bowl.
Because we still need a bit of stodge (just in case the cold weather returns!) and because the lemon tree is bursting at the seams with fruit, this recipe for a lemony lemon pudding does the trick. Serve with vanilla ice cream and/or softly whipped cream. This is one of those magic puddings with sponge on top and a delicious sticky sauce underneath.
Meyer lemon self-saucing pudding
125g butter, softened (plus a little extra to grease
the pudding bowl
1 cup of caster sugar (half for the batter and half
for the sauce)
1 tablespoon of grated lemon zest
Juice of one lemon
2 eggs
1 cup of flour
1 teaspoon of baking powder
1/3 cup of milk
2 tablespoons of cornflour
Finely grated zest of two lemons, extra
Juice of two lemons, extra
Icing sugar and ice cream to serve
Pre-heat the oven to 180°C. Grease a 1.5 litre pudding bowl with the extra butter. Beat the butter, half a cup of sugar and lemon zest together until pale and creamy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each one. Sift in the flour and baking powder and a pinch of salt. Fold into the batter with the milk and lemon juice, until combined. Spoon into the pudding bowl. Mix the cornflour with remaining half cup of sugar and sift over the batter. In a jug, mix together one cup of boiling water, the extra lemon juice and zest, and mix. Pour gently over the batter without mixing in. Bake in the oven for 50 to 60 minutes, or until golden brown on top and the sponge topping tests cooked. Cool a little, dust with icing sugar and serve with the ice cream. Make sure everyone has some sponge and some sauce.
Fiona Feasey
