Freshly Blogged: Challenge 9

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Grilled Salmon trout with soured beetroot cream cheese, 

roasted garlic lentil puree & pickled cucumber ribbons.

Beetroot & caramelised red onion tartlets.

I’ve made it to the top 12 :) Thanks for all the support & votes! This week we had to create two fine dining dishes using Sea Harvest Smoked Salmon Trout, cream cheese, beetroot, lentils, cucumber and puff pastry… Here is my entry:

Fine dining is such a treat! There is something special about sitting down for a multi course meal. The ingredients are unique, the portions are smaller and meticulous, the flavours are perfectly balanced and the textures play together perfectly. I would serve these two dishes as a part of a 4 or 6 course meal, the roasted beetroot tartlet as a canapé with welcome drinks, and the grilled salmon trout as a fish course after a light vegetarian soup.

Haute gastronomy, colour me chic

Serves 4

Prep time: 1 hour

Cooking Time: 1/2 hour

You will need

Beetroot & caramelised red onion tartlets:

For the beetroot:

4 – 6 whole baby beetroot

2 Tbls Olive oil

1 ½ Tbls Treacle or brown sugar

Salt & pepper

For the red onion.

1 red onion, sliced thinly

½ Tbls olive oil

½ Tbls garlic, chopped

½ Tbls brown sugar

Salt & pepper

For the pastry:

½ Roll puff pastry, defrosted in the fridge overnight

1 Egg

Plain flour

For the garnish:

Micro herbs

Grilled Salmon trout with soured beetroot cream cheese, roasted garlic lentil puree & pickled cucumber ribbons:

For the roasted garlic lentil puree:

1 Cup red lentils

3 – 4 garlic cloves

Salt

For the pickled cucumber ribbons:

1 large or 4 Israeli cucumber

¼ cup white wine vinegar

1 Tbls castor sugar

For the soured beetroot cream cheese:

175g cream cheese

¼ cup cooked beetroot (use some that you cooked for the tartlets)

3 Tbls fresh lemon juice

For the grilled salmon trout:

4 Sea Harvest Lightly Smoked Salmon Trout fillets, defrosted in the fridge overnight

Olive oil

Salt

For the garnish:

Pomegranate rubies

Shelled peas or asparagus spears, steamed

Micro herbs

How to make it

Beetroot & caramelised red onion tartlets:

For the beetroot:

Cook the beetroot whole until soft (use a pressure cooker if you have one). This can take up to 30 minutes in a pressure cooker.

Drain and allow to cool.

Pre heat the oven to 200°C

Once cool, peel the beetroot and cut into 8ths.

Arrange on a baking tray and drizzle with olive oil and sugar.

Season with salt and black pepper.

Roast for 10 – 15 minutes until the edges of the beetroot start to caramelise.

Remove from the oven and allow to cool.

For the red onion.

Heat the oil in a heavy based pan.

Add the onions and fry on a low heat for about 10 minutes.

Turn up the heat and add the garlic and sugar, fry for another 2 minutes.

Season with salt and pepper.

Allow to cool.

For the pastry:

Roll out the defrosted pastry on a floured surface.

With a round 8cm diameter cookie cutter, press out 8 circles.

Place the rounds on a silicone baking sheet on a baking tray.

Brush each pastry round with an egg wash.

For the tartlets:

Pre heat the oven to 200°C

Top the rounds with the caramelised red onion (leaving about 1cm around the edges.)

Cut the roasted beetroot into even smaller cubes.

Top the onion with the roasted beetroot (about a tablespoon full.)

Bake for 15 – 20 minutes until the pastry is cooked through and the edges are golden.

For the garnish:

Garnish with fresh micro herbs and serve immediately.

*TIP Serve topped with crumbled goats cheese, it plays beautifully with beetroot.

Grilled Salmon trout with soured beetroot cream cheese, roasted garlic lentil puree & pickled cucumber ribbons:

For the roasted garlic puree:

Boil the lentils according to the packet instructions until cooked.

Roast the garlic cloves (with their skins still on) drizzled with some olive oil in a hot oven until they become soft and fragrant (10 – 15 minute).

Using a stick blender, puree the lentils and peeled garlic together until it forms a smooth paste.

Season to taste with salt.

For the pickled cucumber ribbons:

Using a vegetable peeler, slice the cucumber skin into thin ribbons.

Add cucumber, vinegar and sugar to a bowl, and allow to marinade for at least 20 minutes.

Drain before serving.

For the soured beetroot cream cheese:

Combine beetroot, cream cheese and lemon juice in a bowl.

Using a stick blender, puree the mix until smooth.

Add a splash of water if it’s too thick.

For the grilled salmon trout:

Heat the olive oil in a heavy based pan.

Add the Salmon Trout skin-side down to the pan, season with a pinch of salt and fry for 2 minutes.

Turn the grill on the other side of another 2 minutes.

Flip again and grill for one more minute.

Remove from the pan and rest for 3 minutes before serving.

*TIP: Don’t overcook the salmon trout fillets; they should still be pink on the inside.

Serving:

Swirl a heaped tablespoon full of the beetroot cream cheese on the center of the plate.

Gently place the cooked salmon trout fillet on the cream cheese.

Top the salmon trout with drained cucumber ribbons.

Using a piping bag, pipe little mounds of lentil puree around the plate.

Serve everything at room temperature.

For the garnish:

Gently place pomegranate rubies, shelled peas or asparagus spears and micro herbs on the plate to make it look beautiful.