Seared Sesame Salmon!

A simple everyday salmon recipe:

Ingredients:

1. A skinned salmon filet;
2. Tablespoon of sesame seeds (toasted if you like);
3. Pinch of sweet soft cayenne or other such pepper;
4. Pinch of salt and a couple of twists of the pepper mill;
5. 1 tbsp Toasted Sesame oil;
6. 1 tbsp EVOO;
7. 1 tsp mild soy sauce;

Preparation:

1. Mix the seeds and spices together in deep plate;
2. Whisk the liquids together and completely cover the salmon fillet;
3. Coat the salmon fillet with the seeds mixture;
4. Heat a non stick pan over high heat;
5. Fry the salmon on both sides for no more than 30 sec per side, less if the fillet is thin;
6. Set the salmon aside to cool before cutting it into ½ cm thick strips;

I serve the salmon on top of a peppery salad leeve, avocado and potato salad tossed in a simple Dijon mustard, lemon juice and EVOO dressing. Eggs and beans are great additions as are croutons.

La Comptesse's Surprise

David post the following on his website as "One of my favorite recipes from Ari" and since I think he actually took the text from an email I sent him I am stealing it.

The name of the dish literally comes from the fact that we got it off a Comptesse. My Sis used to go to these cooking classes held by a very grand Belgian Comptesse. The classes where all attended by the kind of ladies who lunch and have kitchens large enough to accommodate cooking lessons for 20 at the time. She came back with all sorts of clever recipes from these sessions including this one.

We used the recipe for our first Christmas extravaganza and gave it the name La Comptesse's Surprise for the effect on the menu.

Ingredients:
1. Smoked magret de canard
2. 1 pear
3. 2 endives
4. 3 lemons
5. Gorgonzola
6. Double cream
7. Salt & pepper

Preparation:
• Cube pears and endive into inch long pieces combine and douse with enough lemon juice to make moist. Leave aside for at least 2 hrs.
• Warm cheese in a pot until soft. Combine with cream and season.
• Pour over individual portions of salad until your need for fat is satisfied.
• Part cover salad with magret de canard fume or another smoked/ cured meat

Beat Root & Ricotta Salad;

I probably stole this recipe somewhere originally but I don’t remember where anymore and it is all mine now.

Ingredients:

1. Beat root (about ½ medium sized one per person);
2. 50 gr. Rocket per person;
3. 50 gr. Ricotta per person (I use soft fresh ricotta but older saltier cheese also works and gives the dish a more mature taste);
4. Best quality olive oil;
5. Best quality Balsamic vinegar;
6. Juice of ¼ lemon per 2 people;
7. Teaspoon of best quality honey;
8. Roasted pine nuts;
9. Salt & pepper (use good quality sea salt as you will be crunching the salt crystals) to taste.

Preparation

1. Cover beat root in salted cold water. Bring to boil and let simmer until beat root is done about 45 min. You can tell the beet root is done when a knife slides easily into it;
2. Peel the cooked beet root after cooling it in cold water (you should be able to remove the skin with your hands) and cut into medium slices. Put the slices into a bowl with the olive oil, balsamic vinegar (about 1 tbsp per medium beet root), salt and pepper. Toss and leave to marinate for about 1 hour;
3. Make a lemon vinaigrette with the lemon and olive oil (basically emulsify the olive oil by whisking it into the lemon juice) and toss with the rocket. Add salt and pepper to taste;
4. Assemble the salad by arranging slices of beet root on top of a bed of rocket, add a dollop of ricotta and a small drop of honey. Drop a few of the pine nuts on top and serve.

Insalata Mista with Harry's Bar Dressing

This is the kind of fresh, Italian salad that you crave for after a heavy meal. The veggies--especially the celery and fennel-- complement each other wonderfully. Interestingly, there's no need to add herbs or black pepper (seldom do we see this in Italian salads).

Ingredients:

1. 5 best quality bibb lettuce cut in quarters
2. 2 fennel bulbs
3. 12 sweet cherry tomatoes halved
4. 2 celery stalks
5. 2-3 carrots grated (thick not thin)
6. Top quality red wine vinegar
7. Best extra virgin olive oil available
8. Maldon sea salt

Preparation:

Assemble in a bowl the bibb lettuce quarters: in four separate quadrants, add a pile of each (fennel, tomatoes, celery, carrots) leaving the lettuce visible in the middle

Make dressing by mixing 1 part vinegar with a teaspoon of English dried mustard and salt, and gradually mix in 8 parts olive oil.

Pour over salad and mix until vinaigrette is thoroughly integrated.

(Courtesy of David Richter)