Smoked salmon and shrimp parcels

Tags

appetizer, hors d'œuvres, lunch, salad, salmon, shrimp, smoked salmon

These delicious flavor packed parcels are so easy to make and perfect for serving as a starter or light snack at a party.

Serves 6

Ingredients:

• 225 g / 8 oz cooked peeled prawns
• 3 tbsp mayonnaise
• 3 tbsp Greek yogurt
• 1 tbsp dill, finely chopped
• freshly ground black pepper
• 6 slices smoked salmon, finely sliced
• 12 chives
• slices lemons, to garnish
• sprig dill, to garnish

Preparation:

Mix together the prawns, mayonnaise, yoghurt and dill
Season with freshly ground pepper
Spread the salmon strips out on a work surface
Divide the prawn mixture into 6 and put a portion of prawns in the centre of each salmon strip
Fold the salmon strip over the filling to wrap it up
Tie each parcel up with a chive
Garnish with lemon slices and dill sprigs and serve
Enjoy!

Gougères

Tags

apero, appetizer, Cheese, chou pastry, gougeres, gruyere, hors d'œuvres

The best way to describe gougères is to call them cheese puffs. Their dough, pâte à choux, is the same one you’d use for sweet cream puffs or profiteroles, but when the pâte à choux is destined to become gougères, you fold in a good amount of grated cheese. I use Gruyère, Comté, Emmenthal or sharp cheddar. These delicate bites originated in Burgundy and are traditionally served with a kir or a glass of champagne. Who am I to not follow tradition, so either a kir royale (cassis with bubbly) or plain champagne is my drink of choice with these cheesy puffs.

note:
Cook the paste until its dry. It’s important to cook the dough for a few minutes before adding the eggs; this dries it out and makes it more able to absorb the eggs.
Use the right number of eggs for your dough. Depending on your flour and the humidity of the day you are making the gougères, you might not need all the eggs. Add the eggs in three additions, scraping down the sides of the mixing bowl before the next batch, and checking for doneness. If you scoop up a little bit with your spatula and let it slide back into the bowl, it should leave behind a little “V” of dough on the spatula.

Makes about 18

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup whole milk
• 1/4 cup water
• 4 tablespoons (60g) unsalted butter, cut into pieces
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup flour
• 3 eggs
• 3/4 cup coarsely grated cheese, such as Gruyère or cheddar

Preparation:

• Preheat the oven to 210 C / 425 F
• Line 2 baking sheets with silicone baking mats or parchment paper
• Bring the milk, water, butter and salt to a rapid boil in a heavy bottomed sauce pan
• Add the flour all at once, lower the heat to medium-low and immediately start stirring energetically
• Keep stirring for a minute or two to dry the dough.  It should now be very smooth
• Turn the dough into the bowl
• Let the dough sit for a minute then add the eggs one by one while beating energetically.  The dough should become thick and shiny
• Beat in the grated cheese
• Using about 1 tablespoon for each gougère, drop the dough from a spoon onto the lined baking sheet
• Leave about 5cm / 2 inches between each
• Slide the sheets into the oven and immediately turn the heat down to 185 C / 375 F
• Bake for about 25 minutes until they are firm, golden and puffed
• Enjoy!

Chestnut and foie gras “cappuccino”

Tags

appetiser, appetizer, cappuccino, chestnuts, entree, Foie Gras, Soup, starter

This is one of those recipes that never fails to impress guests and draws oohs and aahs each time I make it. Yet, it is, as are all my recipes, very easy to put together. It consists of a chestnut and foie gras purée (very thick soup) as the base topped with a creamy whipped cream topping as the foam and a few bits on top for texture and visual appeal. The foie gras makes it extra special but if you do not like foie gras then feel free to leave it out. You could then add bacon pieces as a topping instead or if you wanted a vegetarian version, simply substitute some same dices of your favourite vegetable.

Serves 4

Ingredients:

1 slice of gingerbread
1 tablespoon slivered almonds
300g / 10 1/2oz whole chestnuts (vacuum sealed or in a jar)
500ml / 2 cups chicken stock
60g / 2oz of foie gras (duck, mi-cuit)
100 ml / 1/3 cup heavy cream
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Pinch of piment d’Espelette or cayenne pepper

Preparation:

Preheat the oven to 120C / 250F
Cut the slice of gingerbread into small cubes to make croutons
Place them on a baking tray covered with parchment paper
Add the almonds and bake for 15 minutes
Allow to cool
Place the chestnuts in a saucepan, add the bouillon and cook on a simmer for 12 minutes, uncovered
Using a slotted spoon, place the chestnuts in a food processor or blender – keep the liquid
Add half the foie gras and blitz, adding a little of the remaining bouillon until you obtain the desired consistency (I added all the bouillon) it should be between a soup and a purée
Season to taste
Whip the cream until it forms stiff peaks
Cut the remaining foie gras into small cubes
Pour the chestnut and foie gras cream into cups, top with the whipped cream
Sprinkle on the gingerbread croutons, the almonds and the foie gras
Sprinkle some piment d’Espelette or cayenne pepper
Enjoy!