Party food - Menu pentru petrecere

This post is not about something recent, the party was back in April, and the pictures were taken then, but since at that time i wasn't yet ready to start this blogging affair, i saved them in a folder. Honestly, i was thinking i'll have the time to re-make some of the food to take new pictures, but until now, i didn't get to do it. Maybe later on, and then i'll edit the post to add the new pics.

First, about the party. It was meant to be a surprise birthday party for my friend Lily, even though it was a week after her B-day. On her birthday we went to her house for dinner, gave her the gift and she really didn't expect anything else after that. We planned it for a couple of weeks. Claudia, her daughter was supposed to get the flowers and decorations, then together with my sister to clean and set up our place for the party, while i was in charge with the food. Everything was planned, when my dear husband, while chatting with Lily three days before the party said: "so, we'll see you at the party Saturday". He knew it was supposed to be a surprise, but somehow forgot Lily is the only one who shouldn't know about it!! He called both me and Claudia immediately to appologize, i think he was actually affraid how mad we'll be, and to repair the damage we told Lily that he meant to say "we are having a BBQ on Saturday, see you then", but he got it wrong. While we were thinking that the surprise was ruined and Lily will no longer be surprised, she actually wasn't paying attention to Gabriel when he said party, and all our worries were for nothing. The only worry we should have had it was that Saturday, Lily was so tired after her work day, that she thought a BBQ is not worth all the trouble and she wasn't lanning to come to my house. She had a bad day, she couldn't wait to go home and get in bed. I don't remember why Gabriel dropped Clara at her house that day, but if it wasn't for the fact that i asked her to bring her back home instead of us going to pick her up, Lily wouldn't have come at all. We had no clue about this until it was after 7 o'clock and Lily wasn't showing up. We kept on calling her to make sure she is coming, otherwise, the three buckets of flowers Claudia bought that morning from the flower market downtown ( for which she had to wake up at 6 am on a Saturday morning), the hours spent by her and my sister decorating and then helping me, and the hours i worked in the kitchen were in vain. I mean we could have managed to eat everything and enjoy the party, but this was not meant for us, it was meant to celebrate Lily, and thank her for the wonderful friend she is, hoping to make her feel special.

That's why, in spite of all the worries, it was actually a big surprise. So big, that for about two minutes she didn't understand what are we celebrating. And that this was really for her. And that she had no clue whatsoever, and she almost missed everything. After those two minutes, the party was on, and Lily got the message - we love her dearly and she deserves ten times more than this.

Here is what we had that night:

- Tartines with pork tenderloin and a celery - carrot remoulade
- Mini savory palms with an olive -roasted red bell pepper - parmesan - parsley stuffing

- Cucumber cups with whipped cream cheese, cured salmon, shallot, dill and capers

- Crab Salad

- Beets and cheese "cake" - layers of roasted beets and feta - ricotta - dill with crackers

- Black Forrest prosciutto with cantaloupe

- Squid ink pasta with shrimp

- Chicken "Lollipops" with herbed couscous and roasted mini squash/ zucchini with feta crumbs and basil

- Napoleons with vanilla custard and strawberries (really sorry for the blurry photo, but i'll make it again very soon, when i'll post the recipe too).

Since this post is long enough, I think i'll break them down in different posts, at least the ones that have kind of a recipe to write about. There was nothing extraordinary about the cucumber-salmon bites and the cantaloupe-prosciutto combination, or about the beet & cheese "cake" with the crackers, but i knew our friends would like them. The rest, to be continued....

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Postul acesta e cu poze vechi, de la o petrecere surpriza in Aprilie. Am salvat atunci pozele, si am tot zis ca o sa ajung sa le postez si poate chiar sa refac bucatele pentru niste poze mai bune, dar nu am apucat pana acum.

Petrecerea surpriza a fost pentru ziua Lilianei, prietena noastra. Chiar de ziua ei fusesem la cina impreuna, i-am dat cadoul si nu se mai astepta la nimic dupa aceea. Dar noi vorbisem cu fata ei Claudia sa ii facem petrecerea la 3 zile dupa, la noi acasa. Am planificat totul cu saptamani inainte, si a ramas Claudia o sa cumpere florile, decoratiile si sa aranjeze casa noastra cu sora-mea, iar eu ma ocup de mancare. Numai ca scumpul si dragul meu sot s-a scapat si i-a spus Lilianei ca ne vedem la petrecere Sambata, iar noi ca sa dregem busuiocul am zis ca ne-am gandit sa punem de un gratar la noi Sambata, si Gabi i-a zis din greseala petrecere. Ne-am facut noi griji sa nu cumva sa se fi prins, cand de fapt Lili nici nu-l auzise bine pe Gabi, si habar n-avea de nimic. De fapt, nu numai ca nu avea habar, dar dupa o zi lunga la lucru sambata aia, s-a gandit nici sa nu vina la noi. Noroc ca Gabi a lasat-o pe Clara la ea, si am insistat noi sa o aduca ea inapoi, altfel toata munca noastra ar fi fost de pomana (Claudia a fost la 6 dimineata in piata de flori si a venit cu 3 galeti acasa, iar dupa-amiaza a muncit cu sora-mea sa aranjeze totul si m-au ajutat in bucatarie, in timp ce eu am petrecut jumatate de zi cu pregatitul). Nu ca nu am fi fost noi in stare sa consumam totul, dar ideea e ca totul a fost pentru ea, sa-i multumim pentru prietenia ei si sa o sarbatorim.

Lili a ajuns la noi dupa 7 jumate seara si in primele doua minute nu a inteles pentru cine era surpriza si de ce e casa aranjata asa frumos. Se uita la noi, la flori, la masa, de parca nimic nu facea sens. Dupa cateva minute, pupaturi si imbratisari, din nou, am inceput petrecerea, iar Lili a primit mesajul - ne e tare draga si merita chiar de zece ori mai mult, mai ales de ziua ei.

Meniul a fost:

- Tartine cu muschiulet de porc si salada de telina si morcov

- Mini plamieri cu umplutura de masline- ardei copt- parmesan- patrunjel

- Cupe de castraveti cu spuma de Philadelphia, somon, ceapa rosie (esalota), marar si capere

- Salata de crab

- "Tort" de sfecla si branza telemea- ricotta - marar cu biscuiti

- Prosciutto cu pepene galben

- Paste negre ( cu cerneala de sepia) si creveti

- "Acadele" de pui la gratar, couscous aromat si mini dovlecei la cuptor cu telemea si busuioc

- Cremsnit cu vanilie si capsuni (scuze pentru calitatea pozei atat de incetosate, dar o sa le fac in curand din nou si o sa postez atunci reteta si pun alta poza).

Si pentru ca postul asta e destul de lung deja, o sa am altele separate pentru fiecare din mancarurile care au un fel de reteta. Nu a fost nimic iesit din comun in ce priveste castravetii cu somon, prosciutto cu pepene galben si sfecla cu branza si ( mai ales biscuti), dar sunt combinatii care stiu ca le plac prietenilor nostri. In rest, o sa vina continuarea....

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Always in love with Salmon - Homemade cured salmon

Back in April i found a recipe for cured salmon, so i decided to make it at home, since we love so much the smoked and the cured one that you find in the supermarkets.

I gave it a try then, for my friend's surprise birthday party (which i will put together in a post some time this week) and we liked it so much, that i tried to make it again. I know you could use different ingredients for the cure, but the dill in this one is our favorite, although i still want to try something else next time.

I made it again this last weekend, when we've got together for a BBQ, and it was very good. Plus everybody finds it amazing that you prepared it at home and wants to know how.

What i found when we were munching on it, talking about the smoky seasoning i used for the BBQ chicken, was that i could have added something from the beginning, but it didn't even cross my mind - smoked sweet paprika, just a bit, which could give the cured salmon the smokiness it was missing. This was an Evrika moment for me (daaahh, is that the spelling for my very dumb moment?) and i am happy Lili came up with the ideea. If you like a spicy smoky cured salmon, add some chipotle powder, we loved it both ways.

You could also use more cracked pepper, or anything else you like; use lime zest instead of lemon and you'll get a more mexican taste, some cajun seasoning for a southern one, but don't forget to share the results or new ideas, please, like we did with the smoked paprika :).

I had a piece of salmon of almost 2 pounds and for the cure used a mix made from:

1/3 cup coarse salt

1/4 cup light brown sugar

1 teaspoon ground pepper

zest from one lemon ( you could definitely use more)

one bunch fresh dill chopped finely

Rinse and ry the salmon, then place half of the salt mixture in a glass baking dish, put the salmon on top, then cover it with the rest of the salt. Cover the dish with plastic foil and put it in the frige for 48 hours. Pour out the water from the baking dish about twice a day. Rinse it in cold water when you are ready to serve it.

We love it on toast or bagels, with cucumbers, creme fraiche or sour cream, or a mix of either cream cheese or goat cheese with heavy cream (until you have kind of a mousse), red onion, capers, more dill, lemon to squeze over the fish.

It is great with pasta and in sandwiches or quiches as well.

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Somon sarat (neafumat)

Noua ne place foarte mult somonul afumat, iar in aprilie am gasit o reteta pt. peste facut la saramura pe care am incercat-o atunci pentru ziua surpriza a prietenei mele ( un post pe care tot vreau sa-l pun impreuna de mult timp, poate reusesc saptamana asta). Pestele a iesit excelent, asa ca am mai facut reteta de mai multe ori de atunci. Ingredientele de la saramura pot fi adaptate dupa gustul si preferintele fiecaruia, numai ca noua ne place mararul foarte mult, asa ca nu am schimbat reteta pana acum.

Vorbind cu prietena mea despre condimentele folosite pentru puiul facut duminica la BBQ, am descoperit insa ca as fi putut adauga si l-ar fi facut mai bun - boia/ paprika dulce afumata. Un pic de tot, cat sa-i dea gustul ala de afumatura care ii lipseste. Sau daca va place putin picant, folositi boia iute afumata.

Daca va place, puteti pune mai putina sare si zahar, si mult mai mult piper macinat proaspat mai grunjos. Se poate inlocui coaja de lamaie cu limeta, sau condimente cajun pentru o saramura "sudista". Orice idei incercati, nu uitati sa impartasiti rezultatele, asa cum am facut noi cu paprika aici :).

Pentru un filet de peste de aproape 800 g am folosit

70 g sare grunjoasa

50 g zahar brun

o linguritza piper macinat

o legatura marar proaspat tocat marunt

coaja rasa de la o lamaie (sau chiar mai multa)

Se pune pestele la marinat intr-un vas de sticla pe jumatate din amestecul de sare si condimente si se acopera cu restul de sare si condimente, se pune o folie de plastic deasupra si se da la frigider aproape 48 de ore. Se scurge de apa lasata la fiecare 12 ore. Se spala incat sa se inlature sarea si e gata de servit.

Noua ne place pe paine prajita, pe covrigi, cu felii de castraveti, crema fresca, smantana, sau un amestec de crema de branza sau branza de capra cu smantana dulce lichida (incat sa iasa un fel de mousse), ceapa rosie, capere, marar, felii de lamaie.

Este foarte bun si cu paste sau in sandwichuri si tarte/quiche.

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Salmon tartar on shrimp chips - Tartar de somon pe chipsuri de creveti

**** Special note - thank you to my dear dear dear talented daughter, Clara, who took the the photo above and the one below. I think she did a wonderful job and made me so proud to have them in my post. She has being trying her hand with the camera latelly just to amaze us how good she is for a 9 years old./ Vreau sa-i multumesc scumpei dragei mele talentate fetite, Clara, care a facut poza de mai sus si pe cea de mai jos, de care sunt atat de mandra. In ultima perioada ne-a uimit cat de minunata e cu aparatul de fotografiat, pentru un copil de 9 ani.****

For this post I made Bea's recipe from here, followed her plating idea, and while my photos have a long way to be anywhere close to hers and since I have no merrit whatsoever for this recipe (please refer to her blog for it), I can come up with a story only.
Since I found her post, I've been craving to make this. As I told you, I love raw fish. But this time the attraction was not the salmon, or the nice combination with apples and radishes, but the shrimp chips as I call them, or prawn crackers as Bea refers to them.
When I was a kid, these boxes of shrimp crackers/chips were one of the only 4-5 items that you could find in a grocery store in my town any single day without staying in line for it. For Romanians this will not sound strange, but for anybody else, please be assured I am not exagerating or making this up. It was during communism, we had monthly cards for all the food allowed by the state to be given to us, everything was rationalized like during the World War, we had to stay in line when and if the stores were getting anything. And for a while on the shelves of the grocery store located on the first floor of my building, this, some brown toilet paper, Bulgarian tomato juice and chestnut puree were pretty much all you could find when you were going in.

My mom was making them Saturday nights when we were watching THE MOVIE, and it was our junk food.

I looked for this since I saw Bea's post and I finally found them in a small store in China town. And tonight I was very happy to eat them with the salmon tartar ( made them much better) and I realized they are not as "spectacular" as I remembered them. I mean, I still ate them, quite a few and kind of fast, but not the same way as I did when I was 9.

I made the tartar following Bea's recipe, I used apple, radishes, chives, ginger, lemon juice and soy sauce. I didn't have coriander/cilantro, and I know it would have worked perfectly, and substituted the lime with lemon. And I put on top some Tobiko Wasabi - flying fish roe, and black sesame.

Can I tell you again how much I liked it .................... it was light, elegant, and tasty.

NB: for those who don't like or find sushi grade fish, I think smoked salmon makes a nice substitution.

Subiectul acesta este despre reteta lui Bea, i-am urmat exemplul cum sa asez mancarea, si pentru ca pozele mele sunt mult inferioare pozelor ei, si pentru ca nici reteta nu e a mea, ramane povestea. Va mai aduceti cumva aminte de cand eram copii si pe toate rafturile alimentarilor erau numai cutii de "creveti" si inca alte trei lucruri? In orasul meu, Valcea, la alimentara de la parterul blocului meu cam asta imi aduc eu aminte sa fi vazut (ma refer la ce gasea in fiecare zi, fara sa stai la coada sau sa iei pe cartela sau cu pile. L anoi erau chipusirle astea, suc de rosii bulgaresc, piure de castane si hartie igienica din aceea bej. Nu o luati ca pe o plangere sau exagerare. Nu e cazul. Aveam aproape 13 ani la revolutie, si nu am simtit greul prea mult. Eram copil, si nu vezi lucrurile la fel cum el vad acum in perspectiva. stiu cum si ce a fost greu si rau, dar atunci, ai mei stiau, eu nu prea.
Mama ne facea chipsuri din astea sambata seara cand ne uitam la film. Ii rontaiam repede si erau mancarea noastra nesanatoasa.

De cand am vazut reteta lui Bea am cautat sa cumpar su in sfarsit i-am gasit in China Town.
Am urmat reteta ei, folosind somon, mar si ridiche taiat bastonase, o linguritza ghimbir ras, 1 lingura zeama de lamaie, o lingura sos de soia si ceapa verde tocata marunt (chives). Nu am avut coriandru, desi imi place am uitat sa cumpar, si am folosit lamaie in loc de limeta. Si deasupra am pus niste icre de peste cu wasabi, hreanul japonez verde, de unde si culoarea, si susan negru.
Nici nu pot spune cat de mult mi-a placut combinatia de texturi, e foarte usor, delicat, elegant si gustos.
NB: sunt absolut sigura ca merge la fel de bine cu somon afumat in loc de somon crud, in caz ca nu va place sau nu gasiti din cel "super foarte" proaspat.

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A Saturday Night Dinner from archives

The minivacation is over, we are back and have to get into the working mood. As you see I am blogging, not working, so the mood did not make a full come back yet. I will clean up the pictures and stories from Big Bear and put them together in a couple of days, so now I am looking through my old photos and recipes, and as I am cleaning the folders, I decided to post some of them.
This post is about a cocktail dinner party back in January, with some friends and my bosses. Everything was made with the great support of my husband - in charge of cleaning up the house, and my sister, who helped with the plating and cleaning up after me in the kitchen.
I don't know how you guys are when throwing a party, but I am all about the food. It doesn't matter that I am exhausted when the guests arrive, it matters to me that all that I planned is on the table. Last month I went to a dinner, where my friend planned everything so that she could enjoy her guests, so the appetizers were plated and the 2nd course, asparagus lasagna, was cooking while we had drinks and the appetizers. That's when I realized how different (not to say wrong) my thinking is and how it needs improvement.

This was a cocktail party because we were too many for a sit down dinner at our small table, and also because all of my guests enjoy small bites. I'll write now about the menu, but some of the dishes will show up separately afterwards.
The appetizers were:
* Greek olives and fresh mozzarella balls which I marinated for about 2-3 hours in olive oil with paprika, basil, chili flakes, salt and pepper
** pear slices with goat cheese mousse, topped with caramelized walnuts and red currants
I whipped 7 oz goat cheese with 5 tablespoons heavy cream, salt and pepper, then mound it on top of round pear slices. I put a hand full of walnuts in a small pan, sprinkled them with sugar and wet them with water (a tablespoon), then let the sugar melt and caramelize the walnuts over medium-low heat. I chopped the walnuts when they cooled down, then topped goat cheese mousse with currants and walnuts.

*** cucumber slices with sour cream, smoked salmon, dill and fish roe
We all like smoked salmon and this combination with cucumber is such a staple, but I loved my little forks and couldn’t wait to use them. I loooove dill, and it couldn’t be missing, and I added some lumpfish caviar which thought that looked good on top.

**** asparagus tart
This was so simple to make and was very tasty. I like asparagus grilled, roasted or steamed, and I wanted to use it this time, so this recipe was just perfect. I’ll post the recipe separately this week.

***** lettuce cups with orzo salad and shrimp
The lettuce leaves could be called anything but cups this time, as the Bibb lettuce (or Boston) was not very curvy, but was still tasty. The orzo salad is one of my favorite pasta salads of all times, and the original belongs to Ina Garten, but this one is slightly different from the one she has on the Food Network website, as I change it sometimes based on what I have in the fridge. This one will come in a separate post too.

****** "Chinese hats" made from won ton skins, with tuna tartar and microgreens

For the main courses we had salad with grilled salmon on skewers with an Asian orange glaze and bacon wrapped pork tenderloin with mashed potatoes and blackberry-wine reduction.

The dessert was almond tuile cups with raspberry and lemon sorbet and some chocolate sticks.

Because my pictures are not the best for all of these dishes, I'll post some now, and later, for each individual post I'll try to remake them and have a better picture hopefully.

O cina din arhive

Am revenit din mini vacanta noastra de la munte, si pana o sa pun pozele si povestile impreuna, am zis sa fac curat prin pozele vechi si pe cele pe care le pastrez sa incep sa le postez treptat. Asa ca incep cu o petrecere din Ianuarie, cand ne-am adunat cu sefii si niste prieteni. Am planificat meniul cu o luna inainte, schimbat planurile de nu stiu cate ori si nu as fi reusit sa termin toate fara ajutorul sotului meu si al surorii mele, care m-au ajutat curatand si aranjand masa.
Nu stiu cum sunteti voi cand aveti o petrecere, eu sunt obsedata si ma stresez numai in privinta mancarii. Nu conteaza cat de epuizata sunt cand vin musafirii, conteaza sa fie pe masa toate cate mi-am propus. Mai degraba ma obosesc mai tare decat sa tai ceva de pe lista. Si nici o data nu ma invat minte sa fiu mai calculata data viitoare. Insa luna trecuta am vazut cat de aiurea gandesc, cand am fost la cina la niste prieteni si Jennifer a planificat totul atat de bine incat a stat cu noi tot timpul, nu era deloc obosita. Aperitivele erau pregatite pe farfuriute incat numai le-a adus la masa cand ne-am asezat, iar felul doi, o lasagna cu sparanghel se cocea in cuptor cat noi am stat de povesti si sa ne cunoastem la un pahar de vin. Si desi mi-am dat seama ca asa trebuie facut, nu sunt sigura ca data viitoare ii urmaresc exemplul.
Pentru ca noi nu avem loc la masa pentru o cina formala cand sunt atatia invitati, am pregatit totul ca pentru un bufet. Meniul urmeaza mai jos, dar multe dintre retete o sa le postez separat zilele ce urmeaza, cand poate o sa am si timp sa le gatesc din nou si sa refac pozele.
Aperitivele au fost:
1. masline grecesti cu bile de mozzarella proaspata marinata timp de 2-3 ore in ulei de masline, busuioc, ardei iute, sare si piper
2. felii de para cu mousse de branza de capra frecata cu smantana lichida, cu nuci caramelizate si coacaze
Pentru mousse-ul de branza de capra am spumat cu mixerul branza de capra (200 g) si smantana lichida (cca 75 ml, din cea pt. frisca), cu sare si piper, pana a iesit o spuma. Nucile le-am prajit in tigaie cu cateva linguri de zahar si o lingura de apa, cat sa se caramelizeze. Am pus cu spritul branza pe feliile de para, iar deasupra nuci si coacaze.
3. castravete cu somon afumat, smantana, icre si marar
Combinatia asta e atat de clasica si de banala, numai ca voiam tare mult sa folosesc furculitele micutze pe care tocmai le luasem. Mararul imi place la nebunie, asa ca nu putea lipsi, iar icrele aratau dragut in varf.
4. tarta cu sparanghel
Mie imi place sparanghelul pregatit in toate formele - la gratar, la cuptor, oparit, asa ca am vrut sa il adaug la meniu si m-am bucurat sa gasesc reteta asta, pe care o voi posta separat saptamana asta.
5. cupe din frunze de salata cu orzo si creveti
Frunzele de salata de data asta nu au fost prea curbate incat numai a cupe nu arata, dar au fost la fel de gustoase. Salata de paste orzo e una din preferatele mele, originall ii apartine Inei Garten si reteta ei de pe website-ul Food Network e putin diferita, incat o fac dupa cum imi vine si in functie de ce am prin frigider. O s-o postez separat de asemenea.6. "palarii chinezesti" facute din foite de pachetele, umplute cu verdeata si tartar de ton
Pentru felurile principale am avut o salata cu gratar de somon, taiat fasii, pus pe frigarui, cu o glazura asiatica de portocala, si medalione de muschi de porc invelit in bacon cu piure de cartofi si sos de mure si vin rosu.
Pentru desert - cupe dintr-un aluat cu migdale cu inghetata de zmeura si lamaie, si niste sticksuri invelite in ciocolata. Nu stiu cum sa traduc numele retetei, se cheama almond tuile, si m-am gandit ca vine din franceza, dar pt. tuile am gasit tigla, iar desertul asta e mai mult ca o dantela decat o tigla.
Toate retetele pe care nu le-am scris aici o sa le postez separat imediat dupa ce le refac.

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Light summer dinner

8 posts only and salmon comes back for the second time, this should tell you how much we like fish, and warn you it will probably find its way back here pretty soon. Maybe because it is summer and fish is lighter then the red meat, maybe because I know we'll barbeque for three days in a row this weekend, anyway...
The salmon was supposed to look different, but it didn't happen, maybe another time, so now it looks weird - some strips instead of a nice fillet, which did not change the taste anyway.

The fennel and orange salad was on my to do list for a long time. I really liked the combination, the fennel has such a delicate taste, even though the licorice aroma is strong, and we (Clara and I) liked it. My sister asked me if I really had to put orange on top of the fish, so she pushed the salad aside.

There is no recipe for this dish. The fish was seared in a pan after I seasoned it with salt and lemon pepper and brushed it with some hoisin sauce. The fennel was julienned and mixed with orange segments (peel the orange removing the white skin completely, then cut the slices between the segments) and chopped chives. The dressing was the juice from the orange, mixed with one tablespoon rice vinegar and one tablespoon olive oil, salt and pepper. The red sauce is a raspberry wine reduction.

Am postat numai 8 subiecte pana acum si iata ca al noualea e iarasi cu peste- somon. Poate pentru ca e vara si pestele e mai usor, poate pentru ca stiu ca weekendul asta o sa gratarim timp de trei zile, cine stie... Insa stiu sigur ca o sa mai apara pe aici, destul de curand, pentru ca ne place mult. Cel putin mie si Clarei, ca sora mea scumpa si draga si f. conservatoare in ale mancarii m-a intrebat daca chiar trebuia sa pun portocala peste peste, asa ca a dat salata la o parte.

Nu am o reteta de scris. Pestele l-am taiat in fasii pentru ca voiam sa-l "mesteresc" in alta forma, dar nu am apucat, asa ca arata cel mai bine spus ciudat, insa nu a afectat deloc gustul. L-am sarat, piperat si uns cu un sos chinezesc, hoisin, apoi l-am pus in tigaie timp de 1-2 minute pe fiecare parte, cu numai un strop de ulei.

Salata e de fenicul, segmente de portocala si chives (iarba ciorii, poate fi inlocuita cu niste ceapa verde), cu o vinegreta facuta din zeama de la portocala, o lingura otet de orez ( merge si cel de mere), o lingura ulei, sare si piper. Feniculul are un gust foarte delicat, desi aroma de anason e puternica.

Iar sosul rosu e o reductie de zmeura si vin pe care l-am pastrat in frigider de la alta ocazie.

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Salmon Wellington

I have been looking for some time now thru my pictures and saved recipes, to find the courage and inspiration to start this blog, trying to get over newbie's nerves and over my fixed ideas, displeased with my pictures and afraid of a mediocre posting. Browsing my folders, I finally decided to choose this salmon. Everybody in my family likes fish, but diferences appear when we have to say which fish we prefer and it definitelly matters how it's prepared. Clara and I have pretty similar tastes- we like the fish soup ( I am refering to the Romanian fish borsh), but only the broth, we like salmon as well as white flash fish, grilled, baked or seared. Gabi is more traditional, his first choice would always be fried fish, add some aioli - makes it better, would not crave or ask for salmon unless it is smoked or cured, and that Romanian fish borsh is always ideal and better with lots of fish heads (feel free to turn your head for a second, I feel the same ...), but the three of us like the same the dish called "saramura" (which I found on wikipedia translated as pickled fish - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Romanian_cuisine).
Too many personal info, isn't it? so I'll go back to the Wellington, actually to more taking about it than the recipe itself....
I heard of Wellington for the first time about 4 years ago, while watching "Hell's Kitchen" - Gordon Ramsey's show, anxious to see what challenges they had to face and imagining how I would do - dream on, dream on..... Theirs was made with beef, no mushroom stuffing or anything else, and I liked how beautiful the meat came out - medium rare, not overdone, no burnt pastry?!?! After "google-ing" (I think the Romanian version of this word sounds much better) I found the salmon version, which I liked so much that I never felt the need to try the beef one, and I am not sure when that would happen (not a big beef fan, could have steak once a year only without complaining).

Finally, the recipe, or better said the way I made it:
- one piece salmon (one pound and a half, cut lenghtwise in two) - a pound and a half spinach
- half an onion, small chop, divided in two
- one sheet puff pastry, cut in two (keep it in the fridge until ready to use it, otherwise would get too soft)
- 2/3 cup white wine (you know that rule with nothing that you would not drink, maybe the same you'll have for dinner)
- 2/3 cup + 2 tablespoons heavy cream
- a pinch saffron
- about a pound asparagus
- one egg to brush the pastry
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 4 tablespoons oil ( I use either sunflower or canola, but you could use whatever you like)
- salt & pepper
- black & white sesame and course salt -to sprinkle on the pastry
- chives, chopped for plating
- 1/3 red bell pepper, finely diced for plating

I sauteed half of the chopped onion and the spinach in 2 tablespoons oil, until the spinach is wilted, then added the 2 tablespoons of cream and let it cook until the sauce evaporated, without leaving the spinach too dry.

I seasoned the fish with salt and lemon pepper, then seared it in a pan in 2 tablespoons of oil, only about 1 minute per side, long enough to have a crust which will not let any juices drip in the puff pastry later on. (Since the fish could be so easily overcooked due to the later baking ( see my photos!!!), you could skip this step and just pat dry the salmon.) If you sear it, take the salmon out on a paper towel to absorb any juices until ready to be used.

Preheat the oven at 400F (200C) and place the rack in the upper third of the oven. I rolled the puff pastry sheet on a chopping board and I pricked it with a fork all over to make sure it will raise evenly when baked. I brushed the edge with some egg wash, then I put one piece of fish over the pastry, topped it with half of the spinach and wrapped the pastry around, like a package. You could cut the edges around not to be more than 2/3 of a inch (1.5 cm) and press with the fork all around. (Or you could just put one edge underneath, kind of a roll). Brush the pastry with the egg wash and sprinkle some course salt and sesame on top. Place the packages on a baking sheet covered with parchment paper and bake them for 25-30 minutes, until golden.

When the fish is done, take it out on a cooling rack and let it stand for about 10 minutes, so you could slice it nicely, without crushing the pastry and flaking the fish too much (once again, see photo!!)

In a separate dish put the asparagus, drizzled with a little bit of oil, salt and pepper and roast it for 10-15 minutes, same temperature, 400F.

For the sauce: saute the rest of the onion in 2 tablespoons butter and when golden add the wine, let it simmer until reduce by half, then add the cream and once again let it reduce by half. Take it away from the heat and season the sauce with salt and pepper, add the saffron, then the last 2 tablespoons of butter. Strain the sauce and put it aside until ready to serve.

As far as the plating, it’s up to your imagination. I placed the asparagus on the bottom, as a fan, then two slices of Wellington on top, sauce on the side and some chives and bell pepper sprinkled around.

hhhmmmm..... This is it, hope I started with the right foot.

Somon Wellington (versiunea romana)

Am cautat in lung si in lat prin toate pozele si retetele mele sa prind curaj si sa postez pentru prima data, incercand sa trec peste tracul incepatorului si peste ideile mele fixe. Asa m-am oprit asupra somonului asta, si in sfarsit m-am decis.

Ne place pestele tuturor din casa, numai ca nu la toti preparat la fel si nu la toti acelasi fel de peste. Eu si Clara suntem pe aceeasi pagina - ne place ciorba de peste, dar numai zeama, ne place somonul si pestele alb, ne place facut la gratar, la cuptor sau in tigaie. Gabi e mai traditionalist, prima alegere ar fi intotdeauna pestele prajit, cu mujdei eventual, si nu ar alege somon decat daca e afumat, probabil, si ciorba de peste e atat de buna cu multe capatani (puteti face linistiti fata verde, o am si eu chiar acum ...), dar facem toti trei front comun la saramura.

Prea multe detalii, asa ca revin la Wellington, de fapt la alta vorbarie legata de reteta. Prima data am auzit de Wellington la "Hell's Kitchen" - show-ul lui Gordon Ramsey, in urma cu cateva sezoane, cand il urmaream. Ei il faceau pe cel original cu vita, si fara alte umpluturi in aluat, si ma tot minunam ce frumos iese carnea, facuta suficient fara sa arda aluatul si fara sa fie prea in sange. Dupa "google-itul" de rigoare, am gasit varianta cu peste, care mi-a placut atat de mult incat pe cea cu vita nu am incercat-o niciodata si nici nu ma imbie (nu sunt mare fan carne vita).

In sfasit, reteta, sau mai bine spus ce si cum am facut eu:

- un file somon (500 gr, taiat in doua pe lung)

- 700 g spanac

- o ceapa medie tocata marunt, impartita in doua

- aluat pt. pateuri (se tine la frigider pana e nevoie de el, ca sa fie usor de folosit), taiat in doua

- o ceasca de vin alb

-o ceasca plus 2 linguri de smantana dulce

- safron

- 500 g sparanghel

- un ou batut pt. uns aluatul

- 50 g unt
- 4 linguri ulei

Condimente:

sare, piper, seminte de susan alb si negru, sare de mare (grunjoasa)

iarba ciorii (chives in engleza)

ardei rosu taiat marunt pt. decor

Am sotat spanacul cu jumatate din ceapa tocata in 2 linguri de ulei, numai cat sa fie oparit. Se adauga sare si piper dupa gust si 2 linguri smantana dulce (sa-l faca mai cremos) si se mai tine pe foc pana nu mai ramane sos aproape deloc, dar sa nu fie nici uscat.

Am condimentat pestele cu sare si piper cu lamaie, apoi l-am pus in tigaie cu 2 linguri de ulei numai cat sa prinda o crusta care sa-l impiedice sa lase apa in aluat. Pasul asta poate fi sarit daca pestele e sters bine, pentru ca altfel o sa fie prea uscat la sfarsit daca e prajit prea mult acum.Se incalzeste cuptorul la 400F (200C). Se lasa pestele sa se raceasca pe un servet de hartie care sa absoarba sucul lasat. Se aseaza o foaie de aluat pe tocator si se inteapa cu furculita ca sa creasca uniform la copt. Se aseaza o bucata de peste pe aluat, deasupra se pune jumatate din spanac, se uda marginile foii si se impatureste aluatul ca sa faca un pachetel. Se taie marginile cam la 1.5 cm si se apasa cu furculita sa se uneasca. ( Sau se poate trece marginea pe dedesubt, ca sa formeze un fel de rulou). Se unge aluatul cu ou, apoi se presara sare grunjoasa si seminte de susan.

Se pune intr-o tava pe hartie de copt si se pune la cuptor pt. 25-30 minute sau pana e auriu. Gratarul sa fie in prima treime de sus a cuptorului, ca sa nu se arda. Cand e gata, se scoate si se lasa la racit, ca sa se taie feliile frumos, fara se faramiteze.

Separat se pune sparanghelul stropit cu putin ulei, sare si piper la cuptor (la aceeasi temperatura) timp de 10-12 minute.

Intre timp se caleste cealalta jumatate de ceapa in putin unt si se stinge cu vinul, care se lasa sa fiarba pana se reduce la jumatate, apoi se adauga o ceasca de smantana dulce, sare si piper, si se lasa sa fiarba pana se reduce din nou la jumatate. Se da la o parte, se adauga un varf de cutit de sofran (sau cateva fire) si doua lingurite de unt. Prezentarea in farfurie dupa imaginatia si placul bucatarului. Eu am asezat cateva fire de sparanghel si peste el 2 felii de somon, iar pe langa putin sos si ardei si chives pentru decor.

Si cu asta gata primul post si sper ca am inceput cu dreptul.

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