Beetroot rosti with horseradish cream and smoked salmon

I love the combination of beetroot and salmon. It reminds me about my childhood. This recipe is really good for a weekend breakfast, then you are not on a hurry. So forget about your cereals and make something different.

Ingredients (serves 4)
1 x 450g tin baby beetroot, drained
4 medium (about 600g) pontiac potatoes, peeled
50g butter, melted
2 tbs olive oil
250g ctn creme fraiche
1 tbs grated horseradish, drained
2 tsp Dijon mustard
200g smoked salmon slices
1 Lebanese cucumber, thinly sliced lengthways
 Dill sprigs, to serve

Method
Coarsely grate the beetroot and potato and place in a bowl. Use your hands to squeeze as much liquid from the potato and beetroot as possible. Transfer to a clean bowl. Add the melted butter and stir to combine. Season well with salt and pepper.

Preheat oven to 100°C. Heat the oil in a large non-stick frying pan over medium-high heat. Spoon three 1/4-cup portions of beetroot mixture into the pan. Use a spatula to flatten each portion to an 8cm disc. Cook for 2 minutes each side or until golden brown and cooked though. Use the spatula to transfer to a plate lined with paper towel. Place in a warm oven. Continue in 3 more batches with remaining beetroot mixture, adding and reheating more oil if necessary.

Combine the creme fraiche, horseradish and mustard in a small bowl. Arrange three rosti on each serving plate. Top with salmon, cucumber and a dollop of creme fraiche mixture. Sprinkle with dill to serve.

Roasted Lamb Rack with Mint & Cucumber Salsa & New Potato Salad

Ingredients
Mint & Cucumber Salsa
1 cup mint leaves, coarsely torn
2 small Lebanese cucumbers, diced (peeled if desired)
12 anchovy fillets
1 tablespoon caster sugar
2 tablespoons malt vinegar
sea salt
freshly ground black pepper

Potato Salad
500g baby potatoes, washed
sea salt
freshly ground black pepper
1 small red onion, finely sliced
150g cow’s milk feta
½ cup flat-leafed parsley leaves
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil

For the lamb
2 x 8-bone lamb racks, trimmed of any sinew
sea salt
freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons finely grated lemon zest
2 tablespoons finely chopped thyme or oregano leaves
2 tablespoons olive oil

Method
Mint & Cucumber Salsa
Combine all the ingredients and season with salt and black pepper to taste.

Potato Salad
Boil the potatoes in plenty of salted water until cooked through. Drain, peel and slice the potatoes. Place in a serving bowl with the remaining ingredients and serve warm.

For the lamb
Preheat the oven to 220°C. Rub the lamb well with all the remaining ingredients. Brown the lamb racks in a heavy-based frying pan then transfer to an oven dish and roast for around 15 minutes, or a little longer if the racks are large.

Rest the lamb in a warm place for at least 7 minutes. Carve the lamb into cutlets and serve with the potato salad and salsa. Serves 4

Baked Potato Crêpe With Crème Fraîche and Cold Smoked Salmon

Ingredients (Serves 6)
50 ml cream
50 ml milk
5 whole eggs
salt and freshly ground black pepper
7 egg whites
1 kg hot potatoes (boiled until tender in salted water and mashed)
40 g flour
25 ml olive oil
125g sliced smoked salmon
50g crème fraîche
chopped chives to garnish
lemon wedges to garnish

Method
Preheat the oven to 220°C. In an electric mixer or blender combine cream, milk, whole eggs, salt and pepper. Set aside.

Combine egg whites with the mashed potato then add the flour. Transfer to a blender or electric mixer and slowly add cream mixture. Take care not to overwork the batter – you are mixing fats with water so overworking will cause the pancakes to split rather than rise.

Preheat the pan/s in the oven for 4-6 minutes with a teaspoon of olive oil in each. Ladle the batter into the pan/s level with the top of the pan and bake for 12- 18 minutes or until risen, golden brown and firm to the touch.Turn out and serve with sliced smoked salmon and crème fraîche. Scatter with chopped chives, add a wedge of lemon and indulge.



Enjoy!

Scalloped Potato Gratin

Recipe courtesy Tyler Florence

Ingredients
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
1 sprig fresh thyme
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
Butter
900 gr. (2 pounds) floury potatoes, peeled and cut into 3 mm (1/8-inch) thick slices
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup grated Parmesan, plus more for broiling

Directions
Preheat the oven to 190C (375 F).

In a saucepan, heat up the cream with a sprig of thyme, chopped garlic and nutmeg.

While cream is heating up, butter a casserole dish. Place a layer of potato in an overlapping pattern and season with salt and pepper. Remove cream from heat, then pour a little over the potatoes. Top with some grated Parmesan. Make 2 more layers. Bake, uncovered, for 45 minutes. Sprinkle some more Parmesan and broil until cheese browns, about 5 minutes.



Enjoy!

Pot-Roasted Pork Loin with Bay Leaves & Fino Sherry & Saffron Potatoes

Ingredients
Pot-Roasted Pork
1 tablespoon fennel seeds, toasted
1 tablespoon coriander seeds, toasted
salt and freshly ground black pepper
1.5kg pork loin, skin removed
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 onions, peeled and thinly sliced
6 fresh bay leaves
1 cup fino sherry
1/2 cup chicken stock
Saffron Potatoes
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 onions, peeled and thinly sliced
pinch of saffron, dry toasted and soaked in 2 tablespoons boiling water for 20 minutes
1kg Agria or other floury potatoes, peeled and cut into wedges
salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 cup chicken stock

Method
Pot-Roasted Pork
Grind the fennel and coriander seeds with a mortar and pestle until quite fine then rub over the pork. Tie the pork with string to keep it in a round shape. Season with salt and pepper.

Heat the oil in a casserole and brown the pork, fat side first, until lightly coloured. Remove from the casserole and set aside. Gently sauté the onions and bay leaves in the casserole until the onion is soft. Add the pork and fino sherry. Bring to the boil then add the chicken stock. Bring back to the boil then cover and pot-roast gently for 40 minutes or until the pork is tender, turning over halfway through cooking. Set aside for 20 minutes to rest (in the sauce).

Remove the string from the pork and slice thinly to serve with some of the onion and sherry sauce (you can reduce the sauce slightly if you prefer). Serve with the saffron potatoes and braised vegetables (recipes below). Serves 6.

Saffron Potatoes
Preheat the oven to 200°C. In a large sauté pan heat the olive oil and sauté the onions until soft. Add the saffron, cook for a minute then add the potatoes and cook until they have a little colour (about 5 minutes). Season with salt and pepper then place in a baking dish. Add the stock, cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove the foil then bake for another 10 minutes.