Poached Salmon with Fennel and Herb Crust

This dish makes a great lunch, or a smaller portion would make an equally good starter

Because I love salmon or any fish in fact, cooked with a crispy skin I decided to replace the skin with a gorgeous crispy herb crust which is so easy to make.

But what about the skin? I still want the crispy skin, so I cooked the skin separately and served it with the dish.

What a winner.

Poached Salmon with Fennel and Herb Crust

You will need

2 – Salmon Fillets

To remove the skin from the salmon place it skin side down on you chopping board, press down with your hand and cut through from one side to the other.

The way I would typically poach salmon is to bring the water to the boil, turn the heat down low and place the salmon in then leave for 10 minutes.

Grind some sea salt onto the dark side of the skins gently rubbing it in with your fingers, melt a little butter in a pan and cook skin side down on a high heat for about five minutes.

Use something to keep it flat to the bottom of the pan then when it is crisp turn it over and cook the other side for a couple of minutes.

For the crust

The Juice of Half a lemon

1 bunch – Fresh Parsley (about 20 Gm)

10 Gm – Fresh Dill

30 Gm - Fresh Breadcrumbs

1 – Egg (beaten)

2 teaspoons – Fennel Seeds

½ teaspoon - Salt

¼ teaspoon Freshly Ground Pepper

                                                                                                                                                               

Cut the stalks off the parsley then finely chop it with the dill.

Put the fennel seeds in a dry pan on a medium heat and toast them for 5 minutes then grind then in a pestle and mortar or spice grinder.

Beat the egg in a bowl then add the rest of the ingredients and mix well.

Spread thinly over the salmon and plaice under a hot grill for 5 minutes.

Serve with some mayonnaise

Crispy Poussin with Mushroom and Pepper Stir Fry Sauce

The main purpose of this post is to show you how to make crispy chicken that is soft, tasty and succulent on the inside.

The secret is to poach the chicken pieces in chicken stock first then grill or pan fry it to crisp up the skin.

You can use readymade chicken stock but in case you want the real thing I will also show you some do’s and don’ts about making a good chicken stock.

Then there’s the sauce, a tasty green pepper and celery stir fry using the stock leftover from poaching with a hint of chilli and garlic.

Crispy Poussin with Mushroom and Pepper Stir Fry Sauce

You will need

For the stock (if making your own)

2 ½ Ltrs – Cold Water

1 Kg – Uncooked Chicken Carcass and (or) Wings (blanched and refreshed)

200 Gm – Carrots (chopped)

2 – Leeks (whites only chopped)

1 – Celery Stalk (chopped)

1 – Onion (chopped)

¼ teaspoon – Cloves

150 Gm – Button Mushrooms

1 – Bouquet Garnet

Place the chicken in a pan and cover with the water, cover the pan and bring to the boil then simmer for 5 minutes.

Add the rest of the ingredients and simmer gently for 1 ½ hours.

Don’t simmer for longer, more is not better in fact quite the reverse.

After 1 ½ hours take off the heat and cool as quickly as you can by plunging into iced water.

When cool pass through a sieve and set aside until you are ready to use it. You can freeze what you don’t use ready for another time.

For the crispy chicken

1 – Poussin Chicken

Sea Salt

I’ve used a poussin but you can use any chicken portion for this dish.

To cut the poussin in half, place breast side down and make a deep cut each side of the back bone.

Lift out the back bone and the cut right the way through the centre of the breast bone.

 

Place in a pan, cover with stock and bring to the boil then turn to a low heat and poach for 15 minutes.

Take the chicken out (don’t forget to save the stock for the sauce) and let it cool a little, rub with the sea salt and place under a hot grill for 10 minutes.

Make sure your chicken is cooked through.

For the Sauce

 

1 – Celery Stalk (cut into short strips)

1 – Green Pepper (cut into short strips)

2 – Cloves Garlic (finely chopped)

1 – Green Chilli (de seeded and finely chopped)

100 Ml – Stock left over from poaching

¾ desert spoon – Plain Flour

50 Gm – Button Mushrooms

Heat a little olive oil in a wok and fry the mushrooms for 5 minutes.

Add everything else except the flour and stock then cook down for 10 minutes.

Sprinkle over the four, mix well then add the stock and stir seasoning well with salt and pepper.

Simmer gently for 5 minutes then serve with the chicken on top.

Indian Spiced Lamb

As you probably Know Garum Masala is a mix of Indian spices usually made up by way of the chef’s preference, in this recipe I will show you my own Garum Masala which has always worked for me by enhancing all of my Indian style curries giving them a wonderful flavour.

Then of course there’s the sauce, roasted red peppers, tomatoes and garlic, it puts that “wow” into the dish.

I made this with leftover roast lamb but you could use any cooked meat.

Indian Spiced Lamb

You will need

250 Gm - Cooked Lamb or Chicken

4 - Shallots (peeled and left whole)

2 - Red Chillies (de seeded and finely chopped)

1 - Onion (finely chopped)

100 Ml – Double Cream

For the Garum Masala

1 teaspoon - Turmeric

1 teaspoon - Black Peppercorns

½ teaspoon - Cloves

1 – Cinnamon Stick

½ teaspoon - Cumin Seeds

½ teaspoon - Cardamom Pods

2 teaspoons - Coriander Seeds

For the sauce

2 - Red Peppers (de seeded and quartered)

2 - Fresh Tomatoes (halved)

5 – Cloves Garlic (peeled and left whole)

Place the cooked lamb and shallots in a pan of cold water and bring to the boil then simmer on a low heat for 1 ½ hours. You will need to save 250 Ml of the stock from this to add at the end also you need to retrieve the shallots, mash them up and add them too.

For the garum masala place everything except the turmeric in a dry pan and toast slowly on a medium heat for about 5 minutes or until you can smell the wonderful aroma.

Separate the cardamom pods, split them and discard the outer green pod keeping the black seeds now put everything out of the pan into a clean coffee grinder or pestle and mortar and grind to a powder then add the turmeric and mix well.

For the sauce place the peppers, tomatoes and garlic on a baking tray sprinkle over a little olive oil and roast in the oven at 180°c for 20 minutes.

Then take them out of the oven and place in a liquidiser, blend until smooth.

In a wok or pan heat a little olive oil and cook the onion and chillies until soft then add the pepper sauce and the garum masala and mix well.

Now add the meat, the stock that you saved and the mashed shallots then simmer on a low heat for 30 minutes. 
Now is the time to season with salt to your taste.

Lastly add the cream right at the end mix well and serve.

 Serve with a rice of your choice

Homemade Mint Jelly

The great thing about making your own mint jelly is that you tailor it to your exact needs and taste; if you want it thicker reduce it down more, if you want it pourable don’t add so much corn flour and so on.

You can also add your own different flavours like Thyme, rosemary or even add a little garlic.

How to make Mint Jelly

You will need;

 

The Juice of 1 - Lemon

20 Gm - Fresh Mint

125 ml – White Wine Vinegar (distilled white vinegar will do)

125 gm – Demerara Sugar (you can use white sugar if you prefer)

180 ml – Water

½ teaspoon - Salt

2 Tablespoons - Corn Flour

25 ml - Water (for the corn flour paste)

½ teaspoon – Green Food Colouring (just for presentation)

Roughly chop the mint

Put it in a food processor along with the vinegar, water (180 ml), salt and lemon juice then process them smooth.

Transfer your mixture to a saucepan, add the sugar and bring to the boil. Leave to simmer on a medium heat for 10 minutes.

Mix the corn flour and 25 ml of water into a paste, add it to the mixture after it has simmered for 10 minutes and stir it in. Simmer for another 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, then add the food colouring and stir it in well.

That is it you are done.

The mint jelly will be hot and runny, let it cool down and when it is cold it will become thick.

Just right to zing up your roast lamb.