Recipe: Beetroot Cured Salmon Sushi (Salmon Nigiri)

by Simon Fernandez of ferdiesfoodlab

We were recently asked to do a Prince themed party the brief was relatively carte blanche but one course was specifically requested: a beetroot cured salmon. So after a little homework I created kind of sashimi dish. I’d call it a tataki or carpaccio but there is no searing involved! 

The creation was a lightly cured salmon dish served with a horseradish parfait, orange candied beetroot and red pepper puree. 

Quite pleased with it decided to upgrade my fillet roulette recipe’s nigiri element with a milder version of the cure.

It’s cured for less time to retain the texture in the centre of the cut.

ingredients (enough for 12 nigiri)

for the cured salmon 

(start about 10AM day before)

1/2 side salmon 

   (as fresh as possible, nigiri cut) 

-

150g raw beetroot (peeled diced)

2g cumin seeds

1/2 orange (chopped zest & juice)

100g caster sugar

200g sea salt

~

To create the cure blend all ingredients (except for salmon & orange juice).

The skirt of the salmon is used for nigiri. It has a fattier content that goes well wit the rice ball.

Cut along the length of the piece of salmon about half a centimetre under the row of bones in the centre.

Skin the salmon and create a neat block.

Pat the block dry with kitchen towel.

Line a tray with cling film.

Put 1/3 of the cure into the tray, add the salmon skin side up.

Pour the other 2/3 on top, make sure the salmon is completely coated.

Wrap it with the cling film and leave to cure for 12hrs.

Turn and redistribute the mix, cure for another 12hrs (overnight). 

When cutting the salmon, cut across the grain of the fat so you’re nigiri have a nice texture and are nicely striped.

The nigiri already have a certain amount of seasoning form the cure so I  served them with a light ponzu dip, wasabi and ginger as a palette cleanser. Lush!

more about the prince party menu & comments

Ski series - Recipe: Rice Pudding w/ Crunchy Sugar Coating

by Simon Fernandez of ferdiesfoodlab 

 

This was another left overs one but came out rather tasty! Big smiles all around except for a 5 year old who flicked a big spoonful of it into his dad's eye, and came very close to . . . .  well what would you do with him? Anyway, given that kids are pretty choosy, I'll take that comment on the chin, or in the eye!! ; )

ingredients (serves 12)
for the rice pudding
2.5L     milk
12     star anise
1kg     pudding rice
1     orange (zest)
450g caster sugar
0.5L     cream

to serve
brown sugar
raspberry syrup

garnish
star fruit
kiwi
physalis peruviana (inca berry)

apparatus
big pot
blow torch
ring mould to serve

rice pudding
Bring milk to boil w/ star anise and then leave to simmer and infuse for about 20 mins.
Add the rice and sugar, bring to the boil and then simmer for 20mins with a lid, adding the orange zest after 10mins.
Check occasionally to make sure it's not dried out. (Add a little more milk if it has!)
Once the rice is cooked, add the cream and mix it through the pudding, heating until it starts to bubble and mixing slowly to get the cream evenly mixed into the pudding.

Don't forget the mix needs to be stiff enough to keep it's shape when you lift the ring mould.
Decorate the plate with syrup then place the empty ring mould. Fill it with rice pudding, flatten the surface a little and coat it with brown sugar.

WARNING: The ring mould will get very hot so remove it before caramelising. Just because it doesn't glow doesn't mean it won't burn!! (As my hostess found out!! - Soooorry, my bad!)

Next set to it with a blow torch until the sugar starts to bubble and caramelise, spread the heat evenly so as not to burn the caramel.

To make fruit syrup put equal amount of sugar and water into a pan and bring to the boil, add the desired fruit and leave to simmer. Don't disturb the fruit once it's in, simply pass through a sieve when the syrup is of the desired consistency and flavour, and it will remain clear.

Experiment: Lemon Biscotti (Angel Eyes, and Hell Boy pt II)

by Simon Fernandez of ferdiesfoodlab  (check here for Angel Eyes, and Hell Boy pt I)

This recipe is a great way to introduce kids to cooking and what a result! A fantastic biscuit that looks hard to make but is simplicity itself!

At this point in my culinary career I'd not really made biscotti before, so it was basically a test run. Now I don't know about anyone else, but when I'm doing test runs I like to have tight control over ingredients, quantities, temperatures, times, shelves, pan types, etc. In other words, I want the result, be it a cricket bat, or the lightest crumbliest sublime biscuit, to be reproducible if nothing else!

So off I went to my friends in the country. What better fun than to make some biscotti with the kids? Or so I thought!

I prepped up the ingredients and got in my master sous chefs for a baking bonanza!

I'd forgotten how excitable youngsters can be - before I knew what was going on there were all sorts of things flying into the mixing bowl at completely inappropriate times, mixing spoons, nuts, what this? baking powder? let's have some! bosh!

Once I gave in to the concept that making biscotti with 2 youngsters, was NO place for the ordered kitchen mind of the ferdie, and just went with it, I had a great time and so did they! 

 

And I found out that this recipe will always give you something resembling a biscotti no matter what you do! It might also resemble a cricket bat, but hey, it'll be an edible cricket bat . . he . . he!

What's all this mess? -  err, uh, oh. . .

Uh ooh!! "Has he seen us?"

Meanwhile . . . back at the lab, a few test runs later . . .

ingredients (Serves 26 - 3 loaves)
150C/40m, slice loaves then 180C/15m turn once

for the lemon biscotti
35g butter
2 lemons (juice and zest)
3 eggs + 2 yolks
300g caster sugar
1 tbsp baking powder (15ml)
550g self raising flour
130g pecans
130g almonds

apparatus
baking tray
wire rack
microplane
juicer (manual is fine - or a fork)

lemon biscottis
Preheat oven G2 / 150C / 300F
Melt the butter and add the lemon juice and zest, warm until the butter is completely melted and set aside to infuse.

Mix the baking powder and flour, then add the nuts and mix further. You can use whichever nuts you like best.
In a separate bowl whisk eggs and sugar until lightly aerated, then add them to the flour and nut mixture. Stir in well.

You're now ready to make and bake the loaves - which is how the biscotti start life!
Divide the mix into 3 loaves and place in the oven on a lined baking sheet for 40 minutes.

Once they're golden, remove them from the oven on to a wire rack to cool. Turn the oven up to G4 / 180C / 350F. 

Once cool enough to handle cut the loaves into biscotti (1/2 inch / 1cm thick slices) and return to the oven on a lined baking tray. Bake them for 15 minutes turning once. It'll take less if you have fan assist on!

Happy munching! Don't forget if you put these in an airtight container they'll last for at least a week, and you can freeze the loaves and bake off a batch on the weekend or when guests come to visit; they suffuse the kitchen with an irresistible aroma.

what can go wrong?
I've got a lumpy dough! Grumos! As the spanish would say!! To avoid a lumpy mixture put your powders in the bowl and make a well. Using a wooden fork (better than a spoon since the liquids can flow through it) mix the flour in a circular motion, going around the outside of the liquid, combining it in bit by bit until it's one big, smooth mix.