Smoked Trout and New Potato Salad

Smoked fish is wonderfully versatile, perfect for hors d'oeuvres, chowders and this delicious luncheon salad with smoked trout and lovely little new potatoes. I buy my smoked trout filets from Milford Bay Trout Farm which is based in Muskoka, and coincidently just around the corner from our friends who have a cottage in the area! They sell the freshest, tastiest all natural hardwood smoked trout I've ever found, in addition to their ever popular smoked trout paté and delicate gravlax which they sell from a small barn on the property. Conveniently, they also retail in many shops around Toronto, including Summerhill Market and Pusateri's, so you don't have to head way up north to enjoy this unmistakeable flavour of Muskoka. If you loved smoked trout, give them a try. They are simply the best.

Smoked Trout Salad
Serves 4

1 whole smoked trout
8 small new potatoes
1 english cucumber

1 avocado, peeled and diced
1 bunch of baby spinach, washed and stems removed
1/2 Spanish red onion, sliced very thin

Dressing:
2 tsp finely chopped fresh dill
2 tsp whole egg mayonnaise
2 tbsp crème fraiche

1 tbsp small capers, minced
1 tbsp lemon juice
sea salt and fresh cracked pepper
chives, chopped for garnish

Boil the new potatoes until just tender but not falling apart. Drain and put aside to cool down a bit.

While the potatoes are cooking prepare the trout by removing the skin and taking out any bones. Flake the flesh into medium-sized pieces and place in a medium bowl. Peel the cucumber and slice in half length-wise, then cut into 1/8" pieces. 

In a small bowl, combine the dressing ingredients and mix thoroughly.

With a sharp knife, cut the cooked potatoes into quarters and combine with cucumber, half of the trout flakes, some baby spinach, chopped avocado and red onion. Mix through and dress to coat.

To serve, fan out some baby spinach leaves decoratively on a plate. Put a mound of trout salad in the middle and top it off with remaining trout flakes and some chopped chives. Sprinkle with a little olive oil and lemon juice for extra freshness and gloss. Serve with some warmed baguette as part of a lovely light lunch.

Homemade Baked Spinach Ricotta Gnudi

One of my absolute favourite recipes for 2010 is my Baked Spinach Ricotta Gnudi. It refers to little dumplings that are 'naked' of their pasta wrapper. These delicious little clouds of heaven are a cousin to gnocchi, but made with ricotta rather than potato, which makes them lighter, more delicate and pillowy, in a way gnocchi are not. 


It starts out with a simple mixture of spinach, ricotta, eggs and parmesan which are shaped into little egg-size balls which are then coated with a light dusting of flour. Placed in a baking dish, the gnudi are arranged in neat rows, and covered with béchamel and a splash of tomato sauce and baked for 35-45 minutes. It couldn't be easier or more light and delicious. Four or five gnudi make an impressive starter; eight or ten, a satisfying main course; the whole baking dish, a feast! Give this recipe a try. It's no-fail and absolutely scrumptious! You can thank me later.



Baked Spinach Ricotta Gnudi
Inspired by a recipe from Twelve: A Tuscan Cookbook by Teresa Kiros

Serves 3-4 (about 24 dumplings)

1 quantity of Béchamel sauce (recipe follows)
2 cups tomato sauce (homemade or good quality store-bought)
1 lb frozen chopped spinach (3 300g packages)
8 oz fresh ricotta cheese (1 330g tub)
3 eggs, lightly beaten
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Freshly grated nutmeg
Salt and pepper
Fresh basil, chopped for garnish
Butter for greasing baking dish
½ cup all-purpose flour


Thaw the frozen spinach and squeeze out as much water as you can. In a medium bowl, combine the spinach, ricotta cheese, eggs, half the Parmesan cheese and a grating of nutmeg, to taste. Season with salt and pepper, and mix with a wooden spoon to make a soft mass. Set aside.

Preheat the oven to 350°F. While the oven is preheating, prepare the béchamel sauce (see below). Liberally butter a 9"x12" baking dish. Spoon a little of the béchamel sauce onto the bottom of the dish to just cover it.

Put the flour on to a flat plate and pat your hands in the flour. Using your hands, form dumplings the size of a small egg, slightly elongated (about 1½ inches long by 3/4 inches wide). Dust them very lightly in the flour and put them onto the béchamel in neat rows. 

Cover with the remaining béchamel. Splash the surface with the tomato sauce and sprinkle with the remaining Parmesan cheese. Bake for 35-45 minutes, or until the top is bubbling and lightly golden. Serve hot in warmed bowls, with a generous sprinkling of basil on each serving.

Béchamel Sauce (Bechiamella)

4 cups whole milk
7 tbsp unsalted butter
½ cup all-purpose flour
Salt and white pepper
Freshly grated nutmeg


Heat the milk in a saucepan. In a separate medium saucepan, melt the butter, and then add the flour. Stir with a wooden spoon and cook for a minute or two until it is lightly golden. Add a ladleful of the warm milk and stir well so it does not form lumps. Continue adding the milk in ladlefuls and stirring constantly until all the milk has been incorporated. Season with salt and pepper, and a generous grating of nutmeg. Continue cooking and stirring on low heat for another 10 minutes to thicken. It should be very smooth. Remove from the heat. Just before using, give it a good whisking. 

The Brandy Alexander: A Memory

My parents used to host a Christmas party each year. It was always a wonderful time, catching up with many old family friends and for many of us, it marked the beginning of the holiday season. One of the signature drinks that my Dad made was a Brandy Alexander. Dad used to make it with eggnog, a jigger of brandy and a dusting of nutmeg. I don't like eggnog, so I make mine in the traditional manner — as it's served at the Savoy: brandy, a little light cream and creme de cacao shaken over ice and poured in a martini glass, garnished with a light dusting of nutmeg. Very rich, but also very delicious.


I shared a Brandy Alexander with my husband at the Savoy in London, on my birthday a few years ago. That night the Savoy's American Bar was almost empty except for the pianist and ourselves. The Bar is never empty. It was July 7, 2005. The day of the London bombings. During that morning's rush hour, three bombs had been detonated on the London underground in quick succession, with a fourth bomb exploding an hour later on a double decker bus in Tavistock Square. London transit shut down and all services were suspended. We watched as tens of thousands of people were evacuating the city on foot, many using the Waterloo Bridge, which we overlooked from our room at the Savoy. I will never forget that sight. I will never forget that day.


That evening, my husband and I talked with the young pianist who was playing to his small audience of two in the American Bar, and asked him how he was coping with the enormity of the day's events. He admitted that he was obviously shocked, but in typical British fashion, he felt he should just keep calm and carry on. That's why he was there, playing his piano. His wife was of a different mind. She was terrified for his safety and kept calling on his cell phone making sure he was alright. He assured her that he was fine and was being kept company by two friendly Canadians. Yes, two friendly Canadians, gripping our Brandy Alexanders, thankful that we were both safe, but aware that our world was changing before our eyes and would never be quite the same again.




Brandy Alexander
Serves 4


6 oz brandy
4 oz dark creme de cacao
4 oz light cream
Grated fresh nutmeg


In a martini shaker half filled with ice cubes, add the brandy, creme de cacao and cream. Shake well. Strain into a martini glass and garnish with some fresh grated nutmeg. Share this cocktail with good friends over the Christmas Season.

Festive Shrimp Canapés

Festive little nibblies can be a beautiful thing, especially when they look lovely and are easy to prepare. I love tiny cocktail shrimp and will often have them for lunch in an avocado half, mixed with some Lemon Dill Sauce. Yummy. This recipe features the wee crustaceans nestled atop artfully carved cucumber slices anchored by a liberal dollop of boursin, or herbed cream cheese, on little toasts or crackers. For the final flourish — a small slice of lemon, a drop of seafood sauce and a sprig of dill. Dee-lish. Pretty healthy too. You could use slightly larger shrimp, but the cocktail size shrimp are easier to eat!




Shrimp Canapés
Makes about 20 appetizers


1 english cucumber
1 cup (about 60) fresh cocktail shrimp, not canned
1 cup Boursin cheese, or herbed cream cheese
1 loaf multi grain bread
Cocktail sauce
1 small lemon, thinly sliced
Fresh dill


Pat dry the cocktail shrimp and set aside. Using a zester, score the cucumber length-wise creating long grooves. Cut the cucumber in half along it's length and thinly slice using a mandoline; set aside. 


Preheat oven to 350°F. Using a 1-1/2" cookie cutter or small glass, create circles from the bread slices and bake until lightly toasted. Let cool slightly.


To prepare canapés: spread a spoonful of boursin on each toast round, or cracker. Top with 3 thinly sliced cucumber halves, then 3 small shrimp, overlapping slightly. Garnish with a dollop of cocktail sauce and finish with a lemon slice and a sprig of dill.

Spinach and Feta Spanakopita Strudel

Spanakopita is one of my favourite appetizers — the tangy combination of spinach, feta and dill is a near perfect flavour combination. However, phyllo pastry can be a real challenge when faced with hand folding bazillions of the little Greek triangles before the delicate pastry dries up before your eyes. 

I recall watching the The Barefoot Contessa on the food channel one evening and Ina Garten was making one long rolled Spanakopita! Inspired by her ingenuity, I grabbed a pen and paper and quickly scribbled down the essentials of her recipe. The following day, I bought the ingredients and following my chicken-scratch notes, made Ina's strudel-style Spanakopita. 

Amazingly, it turned out brilliantly! Flaky, delicious and so much easier to make than the traditional triangles, I doubled the quantity and made it again for an out-of-town family Christmas party. I brought them on a baking sheet, uncooked and wrapped in cling film. Scoring the top of the pastry before cooking makes slicing the strudel into bite size rounds, very easy. Half and hour in the oven and out they came, golden brown and smelling unbelievably good. Too good perhaps, because they were all gone in no time at all!

Spanakopita Strudel
Inspired by a recipe by Ina Garten

1/2 cup olive oil
1 bunch chopped scallions, white and green parts

2 10-oz boxes frozen chopped spinach, defrosted
2 tbsp chopped fresh dill
3 extra-large eggs, lightly beaten
7 oz Greek feta cheese, crumbled
1/4 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
40 sheets (1 box) frozen phyllo dough, defrosted overnight in the refrigerator
1/2 lb (2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted
1/2 cup plain dry breadcrumbs

Tzatziki, for dipping


Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Heat the olive oil in a sauté pan and add the scallions. Cook for 5 minutes or until soft. Meanwhile, squeeze most of the water out of the spinach and place it in a bowl. Add the scallions, dill, eggs, feta, salt, and pepper and mix together.

Keep the phyllo dough sheets covered with a damp kitchen towel. Unfold 1 sheet of the phyllo dough. Brush the sheet with melted butter and sprinkle with breadcrumbs. Repeat the process by laying a second sheet of phyllo dough over the first sheet, brush it with melted butter and sprinkle with breadcrumbs until all 10 sheets have been used. Spoon ¾ cup of the spinach mixture into a sausage shape along one edge of the phyllo dough. Roll it up. Place it on a parchment lined baking sheet, seam side down. Brush the top with butter and score the roll into 1-inch rounds. Repeat until all the pastry and filling has been used.

Place in the oven and bake for 12 minutes or until the edges are lightly golden and browned. Slice the Spanakopita on a diagonal, in 1" slices, using the score marks as a guide. Serve slices warm, filling side up, with a bowl of Tzatziki on the side for dipping!

Chicken Pot Pie with a Crown of Puff Pastry

A great way to use up leftover roast chicken is to make a delicious and comforting Chicken Pot Pie. Taking advantage of store bought puff pastry makes the process even easier. The filling can be prepared in advance with any vegetables you have on hand, but I like to use diced potatoes, carrots and celery with a handful of green peas and blanched pearl onions which are sautéed in butter until tender. A rich thick creamy sauce is what brings the whole thing together, so it's important to taste for seasoning as you go along, adjusting the flavour to suit your palate. I like to use a cup of madeira or cognac for extra depth of flavour and a dash of cayenne pepper for some heat. 


Chicken Pot Pie can be prepared in a deep-dish pie plate or ladled into smaller ramekins for elegant single servings. The final flourish is fitting a round of puff pastry dough on top of each serving dish and with the excess pastry, decorating the tops with cut out shapes, and finally brushing the tops with an egg wash. The result is fabulous! A bubbling homemade chicken pot pie capped with a handsome crown of golden puff pastry.

Don't throw away any pastry scraps though, just toss them with a little parmesan cheese, a sprinkling of herbes de provence and twist them into bite size cheese straws. Bake them in the oven with the chicken pie and presto — a plate of tasty little appetizers



Chicken Pot Pie with Puff Pastry 
Serves 6-8

1 sheet frozen Puff Pastry
, thawed
5 tbsp all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting

5 tbsp unsalted butter

3 medium potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces

3 medium carrots, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
 

2 celery stalks, sliced into 1/2" pieces

15 pearl onions
12 oz cremini mushrooms, stems trimmed
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup Madeira or Cognac
2 cups chicken stock
1 cup whole milk or cream

5 cups cooked chicken, torn into bite-sized pieces

1 cup frozen green peas

2 tbsp chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

2 tbsp fresh thyme leaves
 

2 tbsp herbes de provence

1/4 tsp cayenne
3 tsp coarse salt

1 tsp freshly ground pepper
 

Egg wash:

1 large egg

2 tbsp milk

Preheat oven to 400°F.

In a large heavy-bottom pot, melt 5 tablespoons butter over medium-high heat. Add potatoes and carrots. Cook, stirring occasionally, until potatoes and carrots are fork-tender, about 10 to 12 minutes. 

Meanwhile, trim the bottoms off the pearl onions and blanch in a small pot of boiling water, about 3-4 minutes. Rinse with cold water, remove outer skin, and set aside. 

Add mushrooms, celery and garlic to the potato mixture, and cook until the mushrooms are heated through. Add Madeira, or cognac, and cook for 2 minutes. Add the flour and cook, stirring to thicken, about 2-3 minutes. Pour in chicken stock, milk and pearl onions. Bring to a simmer; cook until thick and bubbly, stirring constantly, 2 to 3 minutes. Add some more flour if you like a thicker 'gravy'. Stir in chicken, peas, parsley, thyme, herbes de provence and cayenne. Taste and season generously with salt and pepper, to taste. Transfer filling to your deep-dish pie plate or individual ramekins. Transfer to a rack to cool slightly, about 10 minutes. 

On a lightly floured surface, rollout the puff pastry about 2" larger than the top of the baking dish. Place over the dish and trim leaving a 1/2" overhang, reserving excess pastry. Press overhang into and over edge. With a fork, whisk egg and milk; brush over pastry. Use excess pastry to cut out shapes and place on top. Brush egg mixture over pastry. Cut 5 or 6 steam vents into the top of the pastry using a small sharp knife.

Transfer casserole to a parchment-lined baking sheet, to catch any boil-over. Bake 30-40 minutes until pastry is golden brown. Cover the edges loosely with aluminum foil to prevent the crust edges from burning, if necessary. Serve hot. 

Cook's Note: I used half of this recipe for one pie and froze the other half. All you'll need is a sheet of puff pastry, and you'll have a second chicken pot pie in no time at all.

Smoked Salmon Eggs Benedict

Eggs Benedict is a deliciously decadent breakfast dish perfect for special occasions, and is even tastier when made with smoked salmon topped with luscious lemon-scented hollandaise sauce and a garnish of fresh chopped chives and salmon roe. Served with a flute of champagne and fresh squeezed orange juice, Christmas morning just got a little jollier.


Smoked Salmon Eggs Benedict

Serves 4

1 tsp vinegar
8 large eggs
4 English muffins
8 ounces smoked salmon
salmon roe and chopped chives for garnish

Hollandaise Sauce:
4 egg yolks
1/3 cup butter, melted
2 tbsp lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 tsp white pepper
2 tbsp chopped fresh dill (optional)

To make Hollandaise Sauce:
In a small saucepan over medium heat, whisk egg yolks until thick enough to coat back of spoon, about 4 minutes. Remove from heat. Whisk in melted butter, 2 tbsp at a time, until thickened; whisk in lemon juice, salt, white pepper and dill if you like. Keep warm until ready to serve.

To make eggs:
Pour enough boiling water into a skillet to come 3 inches up side; return to boil. Add vinegar; reduce heat to gentle simmer. Break each egg into small dish; gently slip into simmering water. Cook until desired doneness, about 5 minutes for soft yolks and firm whites. Remove with slotted spoon and drain well on paper towel to dry egg.

Meanwhile, cut English muffins in half and toast; place 2 halves, cut side up, on each pre-warmed plate. Top each with smoked salmon, poached egg and 2 tbsp Hollandaise Sauce. Garnish with chopped chives, and a dollop of salmon roe for an extra special treat. Serve with fresh fruit and/or sauteed diced potatoes.