Category: Sauce

The first evening back home: crayfish and hollandaise

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We went back home to Sweden last Tuesday and after being picked up in Malmö we had a lovely lunch at Katrinetorp where we also had a look in their antique shop and after a quick visit at the shop Provinsen more close to home we finally got home to the summer house.

It is situated on the south coast in Sweden, only 2 km from the most Southern point in Sweden, and I love coming there and breathing the sea air.

I had wished for crayfish for dinner, so we had that as a starter, followed by barbecued fish, salad, potatoes and homemade hollandaise. To eat it outside on a blue and white tablecloth made it a perfect summer’s evening with Christopher and my parents.

For the first time I tried to make hollandaise a different way than normal (for me). Instead of melting the butter and adding it to the egg yolks, I used cold butter cut in cubes and incorpotating them into the yolks instead. It worked a charm and makes it easier not to split the sauce, since the temperature rises more slowly than with melted butter.

After dinner mum and I went for a quick stroll on the beach and I really enjoyed being home.

Hollandaise sauce sås, serves 4

3 egg yolks

150 g (cold) salted butter

1/2 – 1 tbsp lemon juice

salt & white pepper

Mix egg yolks and lemon juice in a non stick saue pan (start off with only half a tbsp lemon juice if you don’t want the sauce too sharp, you can add more add the end). Cut the butter into cubes and put one of two into the egg yolks, while whisking. Let all the butter melt before adding more and repeat this until all the butter is used. The sauce will slowly thicken and when it is thick enough, remove it from heat, still stirring, season and pour it into a cool dish to serve immediately.

Pork souvlaki

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At this time of year, I want to barbecue every meal, but living in a small flat without garden or balcony I can only dream. And invite myself over to other people with outdoor space and a barbecue.

But some dishes work quite well in a frying pan, although they won’t have the smoky taste a barbecue provides.This dish worked really well on the hob, and because I fried in I didn’t bother to put the meat on scewers, but I would advise you to do that if you are barbecuing.

This souvlaki is made with pork and absolutely lovely. The lemon juice tenderises the meat, and adds flavour together with garlic, olive oil and plenty of oregano.

Served with feta cheese and homemade strong tsatziki and pitta, this is a fab summer summer. A nice Greek salad would be a nice addition as well.

Pork souvlaki, serves 2

320 g pork shoulder, diced

50 ml olive oil

juice from 1 lemon

1-2 tbsp oregano (it needs a lot)

1 small garlic clove, pressed

black pepper

salt

Mix all the ingrediens in a bowl and leave to marinate in the fridge for ideally 48 hours. Fry on high heat in a frying pan or put on scewers and wack them on the barbecue.

Tzatsiki, serves 2

200 ml thick Greek yoghurt, 2 % fat

8 cm cucumber, peeled and grated

3 tbsp olive oil

1-2 garlic cloves, pressed

salt

white pepper

more olive oil to drizzle

Squeeze the water out of the grated cucumber and mix with the yoghurt. Add garlic, olive oil, salt and pepper. Leave for at least 20 minutes to develop flavour. Drizzle some olive oil on top before serving. 

Chicken satay with rice, peanut sauce and Asian-inspired salad

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These juicy chicken scewers are absolutely wonderful. You can serve them cold on a picnic; with a salsa dip as a canapé or with rice and peanut sauce as a fulfilling dinner. The chicken should in an ideal world be marinated for 48 hours, but if in a rush, over night will do fine.

Chicken, rice and peanut sauce needs vegetables. Both the fresh salad with pak choi and this pickled cucumber is a nice contrast to the thick and creamy sauce.

Chicken satay scewers, serves 2

300 g chicken fillets

6 garlic cloves, chopped

4 tsp ground coriander

4 tsp brown sugar

1 tbsp black pepper (no, it is not a typo)

2 tsp salt

120 ml soy

4 tsp freshly grated ginger (or dried)

6 tbsp olive oil

Dice the chicken. Mix the ingredients for the marinade. Place both in a ziplock bag (bowl covered with cling film) and marinate at least over night in the fridge. Put the meat on scewers and fry in oil.

Asian-inspired salad, serves 2

2 pak choi

100 g sugar snaps

a handful radishes, thinly sliced

3 spring onions, sliced

1/2 red onion, sliced

sesame seeds

1/2 lime, the juice

olive oil

Blanch the pak choien and sugar snaps. Plate, and add onions, radishes and sesame seeds. Add the lime juice and olive oil.

Peanut sauce, serves 2

200 g coconut milk

3-4 tbsp smooth peanut butter

1 tbsp sweet chilli sauce

1/2 lime, the juice

Bring the coconut milk to the boil. Add the peanut butter and let it cook for a few minutes. Add sweet chilli and lime juice until it is perfectly balanced.

Asian-inspired quick pickle

1/2 cucumber

acetic acid solution (1 part acetic acid to 7 parts water)

75 ml caster sugar

1 tsp salt

a splash of rice vinegar

1/2 red chilli, finely chopped

coriander, chopped

Slice the cucumber wuth a cheese slicer, mix with the chilli. Add sugar, salt, acetic acid solution to almost cover the mixture and rice vinegar. Add the coriander. Keeps in the fridge for a few days. 

Calamari, wild garlic mayo, asparagus and potato wedges

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We had this lovely supper one day in the middle of the week, last week. Why? Because we can. No, but squid is so cheap, and it makes such a lovely summery meal.

The best mayo I’ve ever made is the wild garlic mayo, and thanks to mum who dried some leaves for me I can enjoy this all year round. It didn’t work as well with the dried stuff as the fresh leaves, so next time I will try it with the frozen ones my mum has gathered for me. Mum – you’re the best!

Calamari, serves 2

4-5 squid tubes

3 tbsp semolina

2 tsp paprika powder

a pinch of salt

neutral oil  (vegetable oil/ground nut oil)

For serving:

lime and/or lemon wedges

mayo of some sort

Cut the squid into rings. Pour semolina, paprika powder and salt in a large ziplock bag and shake it. Add the squid rings and shake so the rings get coated by the mixture. Heat up 2 cm high of oil in a large pan. Check that it is hot enough by throwing in a small piece of bread. If it browns it is hot. Remove the bread and add a handful calamari. Beware of the oil splashing about. Fry until the calamaris are golden on both sides. Remove with a slotted spoon or tong, drain on some kitchen towel. Fry the remaining squid in a few batches. Serve immediately!

Alaskan pollock with mustardy leeks and potato salad with cabbage

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My French colleague Fabienne is always very impressed by my cooking/baking skills and says that she can’t cook. I don’t believe her, I think all French women can cook. And so far she has not been able to convince me, especially not when passing on great recipes like this.

I am referring to the mustardy leeks which are divine although so very simple to make. It is just three ingredients, four if you want to use some nutmeg, and it goes so well with fish, especially if it is a bit plain like my Alaskan pollock above, fried in butter with lemon pepper. Together with a fresh potato salad this is healthy, cheap and delicious weekday food!

Alaskan pollock with mustardy leeks and potato salad with cabbage, serves 2

400 g Alskan pollock

butter

lemon pepper

Leeks:

2 large leeks, chopped

100-150 ml creme fraiche

2 tsp dijon mustard

salt & white pepper

Potato salad:

new potatoes

1 pointy cabbage, chopped

a few radishes, sliced

juice from 1/2 lemon

proper olive oil

chopped parsley

Start by cooking the potatoes. Cut them in half and leave to cool. Put the cabbage in boiling water just to blanch it. Drain after a few minutes. Rinse in cold water. Mix potatoes, cabbage, radishes, parsley, lemon, and oil and mix thoroughly. Place on a platter.

Fry the leeks on low heat in a saucepan until soft and not browned. Add creme fraicge and mustard. Season with salt and pepper (and nutmeg).

Fry the fish in butter. Season with lemon pepper. Serve! 

Scallops with pea purée and basil sauce

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I manged with a themed dinner on Friday, a bit unintentionally. When I was standing in the kitchen making bruschetta and the basil scent overpowered the kitchen it hit me that peas and basil would be great together. And they were. I flavoured the pea purée only slightly with some pesto but the cold basil sauce had more of a punch to it, and to put a dollop of this and put it on top of the mash and let it melt is truly heaven. Serve with panfried juicy scallops and you have a wonderful and healthy meal. Pair with a glass (or two) of rosé and enjoy a warm summer evening.

Try this, ok? I beg of you.

Scallops with pea purée and basil sauce, serves 2

8 large scallops

1/2 lemon, the juice

a knob of butter for frying

400 g frozen petit pois

3 tbsp butter

2 tsp pesto

salt, white pepper

The sauce:

150 ml creme fraiche

1/2 lemon, the juice

1/3 bunch basil

salt, white pepper

Mix the ingredients for the sauce with a stick blender. Cut the muscle off the scallops and place the scallops in a bowl, squirt lemon juice over. Cover the peas with boiling water and cook for a few minutes.  Drain and purée with a stick blender. Add butter and pesto, season to taste with salt and pepper. Klicka i smöret och peston, mixa igen. Smaka av med salt och peppar. While the peas are cooking, fry the scallops on high heat for a few minutes on each side, in plenty of butter. Season. 

Julia Child’s mock hollandaise

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We had this lovely plate of food for supper on Monday. The fish is called Mahi Mahi and although it originates from around Hawaii, our fillets came from fishes around the Spanish coast. Not that sustainable I know, but we were curious what it would taste like. It had a lot of flavour although the sparse seasoning with only lemon pepper and butter. The texture was quite firm so it held together well while cooking.  We had steamed new potatoes, fried leeks and steamed radishes alongside it. And of course the lovely sauce. The reason why I am writing about this in the first place.

In Mastering the Art of French Cooking it is called mock hollandaise. It tastes a bit like hollandaise and it contains both butter and egg yolk, but the main ingredients is actually stock. Which makes it a slightly healthier version than the real deal, and perfect for weekday indulgence. It is also easier to make as it doesn’t threaten to split like a proper hollandaise.

I will definitely be cooking this again. Thanks, Julia!

Mock hollandaise, serves 4

30 g butter

30 g flour

350 ml boiling stock (water + concentrated stock/stock cube works fine)

1 egg yolk

2 tbsp cream

salt & white pepper

1-2 tbsp lemon juice

60-120 g softened butter

Melt the butter (30 g)in a saucepan, add the flour. Combine and then add ALL of the stock at once. Whisk properly. Remove from heat.

Mix the egg yolk with cream in a bowl. Add the stock mixture drop by drop while whisking. When half or so is incorporated, add the rest in a thin stream while whisking. Pour the sauce back into the pan, heat up and let it boil for 5 seconds. Remove from heat. Season with lemon juice, salt and pepper.

Just before serving add your chosen amount of butter while whisking to incorporate (away from heat). Serve straight away.

Fried leeks with paprika sauce

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We enjoyed a tapas style dinner on Saturday (for a while at least, then I got a tummy ache and had to lie down *sigh*) and I made these nice little things. The recipe is from Ottolenghi’s Plenty, but I didn’t follow it exactly. The sauce I made up myself and it worked really well with the leeks.

Fried leeks with paprika sauce, serves 2

3 leeks, trimmed

1 egg, beaten

 breadcrumbs

salt, white pepper

at least 500 ml vegetable oil

200 ml creme fraiche

juice from 1/2 lemon

salt, white pepper

1-2 tsp paprika

Cut the leeks into 5 cm long pieces. Boil in salted water until soft (about 15 mins). Drain. Heat up the oil in a pan. Dip the leeks first in the beaten egg then in the seasoned breadcrumbs. Fry until golden brown. Drain on kitchen towel.

Mix creme fraiche, lemon juice and spices. Serve.

Custard whip for cakes

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In Sweden you can buy a product called Vaniljvisp (vanilla whip) and it is like a vanilla custard that you whip with your electric whisk until it is nice and creamy. The homemade version of this (which of course is even more delicious) is what I served with the last dish on Sunday’s brunch; rhubarb cake.

This cake can be made with any fruit/berries you like, but I prefer it with rubarb. And make this whip with it, because it is loooovely. Unless you’re pregnant, or for other reasons can’t have raw eggs.

I found the recipe on a nice Swedish blog called Linneas skafferi.

Custard whip (uncooked), serves 6-8

3 egg yolks

3 tbsp icing sugar

1 tbsp vanilla sugar

300 ml whipping cream

Mix egg yolks, icing sugar and vanilla sugar. Whip this until fluffy with an electric whisk. In a seperate bowl, whip the cream fluffy (not too much). Pour this into the yolks and mix it all together until it is fluffy and nice. Serve immediately. It separates slightly when left standing, but just stir it and it comes together again. Keeps for a few days in the fridge.

Lamb fillet with celeriac gratin and porcini sauce

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We ate like kings on Saturday! First the asparagus with parmesan and wild garlic mayo, then lamb fillet with celeriac gratin and a wonderful sauce with port and porcini mushrooms. It was one of those days when everything came together. The meat, the gartin and the sauce was a great combination that would work any season really. With the lamb rolled in chopped parsley it felt quite spring like, and a celeriac gratin feels so much lighter than a potato gratin. Yum!

Lmab fillet with celeriac gartin and porcini sauce, serves 2

The meat:

2 lamb fillet about 150-200 g each

butter and oil for frying

salt, back pepper

chopped parsley

The gratin:

4/5 celeriac

3 tbsp cream

200 ml milk

2 tsp plain flour

1 clove of garlic, pressed

salt, white pepper

breadcrumbs

3 tbsp butter, in dollops

The sauce:

1 shallot, finely chopped

12 g dried porcini (ceps) mushrooms, soaked and squeezed on th excess fluid, chopped

2 tbsp port

200 ml cream

concentrated game stock

colouring agent

salt, white pepper

Start with the gratin. Peel the celeriac and cut into 5 strips. Slice for of these into thin slices (1-2 mm). Put them in a pan of boiling water for a few minutes. Drain. Grease an oven dish (about 15×25 cm) with butter and add the celeriac. Mix milk, cream, flour, garlic, salt and pepper in a bowl and  pour over the celeriac. Sprinkle breadcrumbs on top and distribute the dollops of butter on top. Bake in 200C for about 40 mins or until the celeriac is soft and the gratin is golden brown on top.

Fry the meat on high heat in butter and oil on all sides. Lower the heat and fry for about 5 minutes longer. Remove to tin foil, wrap it around, and leave to rest.

Melt a knob of butter in a sauce pan and fry the onions soft without browning, add the mushrooms and fry for a few minutes longer. Add the port and let it most of it bubble away. Add the cream, while stiring, bring to the boil. Add colouring agent, stock, salt and pepper to taste. Also add the meat juices from the tin foil.

Roll the meat in parsley and cut each fillet into 3 pieces. Plate and serve with green beans.