Pie in the sky

I’m on a roll these days with the dinner parties. My good friend M, who is probably the only person I know over here who is as consumed by food as I am, came over with her husband for a taste of some of the food that’s on Berrysimple. M is a very good cook so I wanted to serve them something that would impress.

The Australian Gourmet Traveller has published a cook book, Fare Exchange, with recipes from all the top restaurants in Australia. So what better way to impress then to go for restaurant quality dishes. M is a fish eating vegetarian like my last guests so I needed something fishy. The Boathouse in Glebe does a very special Snapper pie that is definitely up there as one of my favourite dishes. I was thrilled when I saw the recipe in Fare Exchange and surprised at how straight forward it was to make the pie. I will be adding this to my repertoire of regular dishes now.



I wanted to start with something light so I opted for a salmon tartare with fennel and apple salad. My new friend in the local fish shop was very impressed with my purchases and was curious as to what dishes my guests would be enjoying.



The dessert was a lovely Espresso crème brulee. I used to make crème brulee regularly but after a mishap, during a meal where I was trying to impress J’s parents, I have been turned off making it for a while. I think I used the wrong type of cream. It looked ok. There was a nice crisp surface but when you broke through the surface it tasted like very sweet scrambled eggs. It was really terrible and the worst bit was they all ate it. But this time everything went ok. The Crème was lovely and creamy and not lumpy at all. There was a hidden treat at the bottom of the dessert which was some rich soft dark chocolate. Delicious with the rich bottle of red our guests brought.

The meal worked out well and was enjoyed by all. Lucky for me everything went ok because this was only M’s second night out since her baby was born months ago. It was all perfectly timed so that we could chill out and watch England in their first game of the soccer world cup. Ireland didn’t make it this year so I will be cheering with J for England (this kills me as an Irish girl) and for Australia, my newly adopted home.

Salmon Tartare with Apple and Fennel Salad

320g very fresh salmon, skinned, de-boned and cut in 5 mm pieces
1 tblsp chopped chives
1 tsp chopped dill
2 tblsp salmon roe
1 bulb of baby fennel, trimmed
1 granny smith apple, peeled, cored and cut into julienne
1 small Lebanese cucumber, thinly sliced
Melba toast to serve

White Balsamic vinaigrette
1 tblsp white balsamic condiment
2 tblsp verjuice
2 tblsp grape seed oil

1. Place salmon, dill and salmon roe in a bowl and season to taste with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. Using a mandolin or very sharp knife, shave or cut fennel lengthways as thinly as possible.
2. For white Balsamic vinaigrette, whisk together all ingredients in a large bowl and season to taste. Add fennel and apple and combine well.
3. Divide salmon tartare into small mounds among 4 plates, top with cucumber rounds, then fennel and apple salad. Scatter with some dill and roe.

Snapper Pie

500g pink snapper, skinned, de-boned and cut into 4 cm pieces
4 tsp white truffle oil
375g packets of frozen block of puff pastry, thawed
1 egg, lightly beaten
Mashed potatoes to serve

Smoked tomatoes
80g long-grain rice
2 vine-ripened tomatoes, halved
1 clove of garlic, finely chopped
4 tsp balsamic vinegar

Soubise sauce
4 tblsp olive oil
300g onions, thinly sliced
100ml fish stock
200ml pouring cream
1 onion, finely chopped

1. For smoked tomatoes, line a wok with foil, then place rice in the base and place a wire rack over. Heat wok over medium heat until rice begins to smoke. Place tomatoes, cut side up on rack, brush with combined chopped garlic and balsamic vinegar, then cover and cook for 3 mins or until heated through and tomatoes have taken on a light smoked flavour.
2. For the Soubise sauce, heat 2 tblsp olive oil in a large heavy based saucepan, add sliced onions and 1 tsp sea salt and cook, stirring occasionally, over medium heat for 30 mins or until onions are very sift and golden. Add the stock and simmer until reduced by half. Add cream and simmer until reduced by half, then remove from heat and cool.
3. Heat remaining oil in a small saucepan and cook finely chopped onion, stirring occasionally over medium heat for 10 mins or until soft.
4. Process cream mixture in a food processor until smooth, then transfer sauce to a bowl. Stir in chopped onions and season to taste with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
5. Spoon 2-3 tblsp soubise sauce into the base of 2 5cm deep 12.5X17.5 cm oval ovenproof dishes, then divide snapper equally among dishes. Top with another 2 tblsp soubise sauce and drizzle each with 2 tsp white truffle oil.
6. Roll out pastry on a lightly floured surface until 5mm thick, then cut out two ovals 3cm larger than ovenproof dishes. Cover pies with pastry, pressing pastry to side of dish, then brush with lightly beaten egg. Bake pies at 200C for 20 minuets or until pastry is golden and puffed. Stand pies for 5 mins before serving with mashed potatoes and smoked tomatoes.


Chocolate and Espresso Brulee

75g dark, covertures’ chocolate
450 ml pouring cream
6 egg yolks
100g caster sugar, plus extra to serve
2 ½ tblsp strong freshly brewed espresso coffee
½ cup milk
1 vanilla bean, split lengthways
Biscotti to serve

1. Place chocolate and 75ml cream in a bowl placed over a saucepan of simmering water, stirring occasionally until smooth. Divide mixture among ½ cup capacity ramekins, cover and refrigerate for 1 hour or until firm.
2. Meanwhile, place egg yolks, sugar and coffee in a bowl and whisk until well combined. Place milk, remaining cream, scraped seeds from vanilla bean in a saucepan and bring to just below the boil. Whisking continuously, pour half the hot milk mixture onto egg yolk mixture, combine well, then stir in remaining hot milk mixture. Strain through a fine sieve into a bowl, cover closely with plastic wrap, cool to room temp, then refrigerate for 2 hours or until cold.
3. Stir mixture to combine well and then pour into prepared ramekins. Place ramekins in a deep roasting pan and pour in enough boiling water to come halfway up sides of ramekins. Cover pan with foil, then pierce all over with a skewer to prevent condensation building. Bake at 150C for 50-60 minutes or until just set. Remove ramekins from the pan, cool to room temp, cover and refrigerate for 3 hours or overnight.
4. Just before serving, place ramekins in a deep roasting pan and pack ice around each one. Dust each ramekin with extra caster sugar, then place under a hot grill for 2 mins or until sugar is caramelised. Serve immediately with biscotti.

Recipe says it serves 6 but this was enough for 4 greedy guts.