Pan-fried Trout with Fresh Herb Potato Salad
Ingredients:
Fish:
* 4 whole trout, cleaned, boned and rinsed
* About 1 tsp. salt, divided
* 1 cup cornmeal
* 6 to 7 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil, divided
* 1/2 kg mini multicolored bell peppers, seeded, and cut in half lengthwise
* 1 lemon or 2 limes, cut in wedges
Salad:
* 1 kg Yukon Gold potatoes
* 3 tablespoons fruity extra-virgin olive oil
* 1-2 tablespoons white vine vinegar
* About 3/4 tsp. salt
* 1 tablespoons chopped fresh basil leaves
* 1 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley
* 1 tablespoon minced chives
* Freshly ground black pepper
Method:
Fish:
1. Preheat oven to 150°. Sprinkle inside of each trout with salt (use about 1/2 tsp. total). In a large, shallow dish, combine cornmeal and remaining 1/2 tsp. salt. Turn fish in cornmeal to coat evenly.
2. Pour 2 tbsp. oil into frying pan, preferably nonstick, and warm them over medium heat. (Or warm a large griddle over 2 burners.) Put fish in the pan and fry, turning once, until golden brown outside and no longer translucent in the center, 8 to 9 minutes total; reduce heat if fish start to get too brown. Transfer fish to 1 or 2 large platters and keep warm in oven.
3. Pour 1 more tbsp. oil into 1 pan (or onto griddle) if it’s dry, then set over medium-high heat. Quickly sauté peppers until they’re softened and lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Sprinkle with salt to taste and scatter on top of fish. Serve with lemon wedges and potato salad.
Salad:
1. Pour about 3 cm water into a large pot and set a steamer basket* in the bottom. Bring to a boil. Add potatoes, reduce heat, and simmer, covered, until tender when pierced, 25 to 30 minutes. Pour potatoes into a colander in the sink, rinse with cool water, and let stand until cool enough to handle.
2. Peel potatoes and slice crosswise into 1cm thick slices. Put in a large serving bowl.
3. In a small bowl, whisk together oil, vinegar, and 3/4 tsp. salt and drizzle over warm potatoes. Sprinkle with chopped herbs and add pepper and additional salt to taste, mixing gently to coat.
*Potatoes cook most evenly in a steamer basket, but if you don’t have one, fill pot halfway with water and boil potatoes.
Make ahead: Chill airtight up to 1 day (the salad will become even more flavorful); before serving, bring to room temperature, then stir.
Read MoreBazlamacha/Polenta Cake
Ingredients:
4 eggs,
1 l milk,
100 g sugar,
250 g corn flour (yellow),
250 g polenta (corn maize),
200 ml sour or fresh cream,
2 tbs unsalted butter or margarine,
1 tbs grated lemon zest,
20 g fresh yeast (or 1 tsp dried)
pinch of salt
Method:
Beat egg yolks into milk, add sugar, lemon zest, salt, raised yeast; beat then add corn flour and maize. Leave it at room temperature to rise (up to two hours).
Beat egg whites until stiff peaks are formed. Fold in beaten egg whites. Grease the baking dish with butter and spread the dough equally. Bake in the oven at 180-200°C for 30 minutes or until golden brown. Pour over the cream and bake for additional 5-10 minutes until crust is formed.
Note: Serve dusted with icing sugar or spread on top some marmalade. The best is with rosehip or some other dark marmalade (sour cherry, strawberries or plum). It can be served either warm for breakfast or as savoury appetiser, or cold as a cake snack.
Bazlamacha is a word of Turkish origin, but this is old fashioned traditional recipe of ‘peasant’s cake’ known throughout Balkan.
Fresh Lemon Tart with Candied Lemons
Ingredients:
Filling:
4 eggs
400ml cream
150g caster sugar
4 lemons, juiced
zest of 2 lemons
Candied lemons:
2 small lemons, thinly sliced
250g caster sugar
Pastry:
1 ½ cups plain flour
½ cup icing sugar
¼ teaspoon salt
125g cold unsalted butter, cubed
1 large egg yolk
Method:
1. Process all ingredients for the lemon filling in a food processor until just combined. Transfer to a large jug or bowl and refrigerate until the froth separates from the liquid. This should take a few hours.
2. For the candied lemons, place lemon slices in a saucepan, cover with cold water, bring to the boil, then drain and repeat 4 times. Combine sugar and 250ml water in a separate saucepan, bring to the boil, stirring to dissolve sugar, then add lemon slices and cook over low heat until tender and translucent (30-40 minutes). Cool.
3. For the pastry, whizz the flour, sugar, butter, salt and zest Add the butter and whizz until it becomes pebbly, with large bits and small bits. Add the egg yolk and a tablespoon of water and combine until the dough comes together. Turn the dough onto a floured surface and lightly knead for a minute. Wrap the dough up and place in the fridge to rest for 30 minutes. Roll the dough out between two sheets of non-stick paper and line a 22cm (9 inch) fluted flan tin. Place in fridge for 30 minutes to chill and rest. Remove the lined tin from the fridge.
4. Preheat the oven to 175°C. Blind bake for approximately 15 minutes or until the exposed edges are a very light brown. Remove the baking paper and weights. Reduce the oven temperature to 150°. Meanwhile, skim top of lemon filling to remove froth, pour into pastry case and bake until just set (30-40 minutes). Cool to room temperature in tart tin, place candied lemons on top and serve.
Roasted Leg of Lamb
Ingredients:
(Serves 4-6)
* 1 leg of lamb
* 2 tablespoons of olive oil
* 3-5 garlic cloves, sliced
* 6-8 sprigs of rosemary
* salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
* mixed vegetables, peeled and chopped
Method:
Preheat the oven to 400 ° F (200 ° C).
Use a sharp knife to make a few small incisions in the outside of the leg of lamb.
Insert the garlic and rosemary into each of the cuts. Both these flavors are a classic combination with lamb.
Rub the skin of the lamb with a little bit of olive oil. Season with salt and pepper.
Place the lamb in a large baking tin and surround with a selection of peeled and chopped vegetables. Drizzle the vegetables with the remaining oil.
Roast the lamb in the oven for about 1 hour, maybe a bit longer. Approximately every 20 minutes coat the lamb with the juices which develop at the bottom of the baking tin.
Remove from the oven, cover and allow to cool down before carving. Keep the vegetables warm until ready to serve.
Note: You can make a gravy using the pan juices, which is a great accompaniment for the leg of lamb to pack it with flavor.
Cheese Burek
Ingredients:
*1 kg filo pastry
* 1 kg ricotta cheese
* 200g sour cream
* 1/2 Tsp salt
* 3 eggs
* 160g oil
Method:
1. Preheat 180 d C.
2. Filling: Beat cheese, sour cream, salt and eggs in a bowl and until well combined.
3. Cut pastry into sheets to fit a 30×35 cm greased baking dish. Brush 2 sheets of pastry individually and generously with oil and place into the greased dish. Spread a thin layer of cheese filling onto the pastry. Repeat the procedure alternating pastry and filling until both have been used up. Brush top generously with oil and sprinkle with a little salt. Make a few holes in the top with a fork. Bake for 30 minutes. Cut into desired portions and serve hot.
4. Note: The filling may be spread onto the uncut buttered pastry and rolled into a roulade, then curved, if necessary, to fit the baking tray.
Note: Burek can be made using a variety of fillings such as – lightly fried grated potatoes and leeks; fried spinach and mushrooms; fried spinach and onion; soft cheese and eggs, apples or minced meat and onions. Serve warm with unsweetened yoghurt.
