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Posts Tagged ‘potatoes’

FISH CAKES

October 9th, 2010 1 comment

For the Tartare Sauce

125 ml mayonnaise

1 rounded T capers, roughly chopped, rinsed and drained if salted

1 rounded t creamed horseradish

1 rounded t Dijon mustard

1 small shallot, very finely chopped

1 T flat leaf parsley, finely chopped

For the Fish Cakes

200g white fish

200g smoked fish

1 bay leaf

100 ml milk

350 g mashing potatoes

1 t finely grated lemon zest

2 T fresh flat leaf parsley, finely chopped

2 T snipped fresh chives

1 egg

Flour, for shaping

100 g fresh white or Panko breadcrumbs

Vegetable oil, for shallow frying

Lemon wedges, to serve

Serves 4

Tartare Sauce:

Mix all the sauce ingredients together and set aside.

Fish Cakes:

Lay the fish and bay leaf in a shallow frying pan and pour over the milk.  Add about a cup of water.  Cover and bring to the boil, then lower heat and simmer for about 4 minutes.  Take off the heat and let stand, covered for 10 minutes, to finish cooking the fish.

Meanwhile, peel and chop the potatoes into even sized chunks.  Place them in a saucepan and just cover with boiling water.  Bring back to the boil and simmer for around 10 minutes or until just tender.

Remove the fish from the milk using a slotted spoon and place on a plate to cool.  Drain the potatoes in a colander then tip them back into the hot pan on the lowest heat and let them dry out for about a minute, mashing them with a fork or potato masher and stirring so they don’t stick.  You should have a light, dry mash.  Take off the heat and stir in 2 T of the sauce until completely mixed in.  Add the lemonm zest, parsley and chives and mix well.  Season well with salt and pepper.  The potato should have a good flavour, so taste and adjust to suit.

Drain off the liquid from the fish, grind some pepper over it then flake into big chunks into the pan of potatoes.  Flake the smoked fish into the potato pan.  Using your hands, gently mix the fish and potato together so they are just mixed.  Put aside to cool.

Beat the egg on a plate and lightly flour a board.  Spread the crumbs on another plate.  Divide the mixture into four.  I weigh the whole mixture, divide the weight by four then weigh out each fish cake to ensure they are the same size.  On the floured board shape into four cakes about 2.5 cm thick.  One by one, sit in the egg and brush over the top and sides so it is completely coated.  Transfer to the crumbs, patting the crumbs onto the side and tops until they are lightly covered.  Transfer to a plate and cover.  Chill for 30 minutes (or up to a day ahead)

Heat the oil in a large frying pan.  It is ready when a piece of the dry breadcrumb sizzles when dropped into it.  Fry the fish cakes over medium heat for about 5 minutes on each side and crisp and golden.  Serve with the rest of the sauce (add some lemon zest to taste if desired),  and the lemon wedges.

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SQUASHED BAKED POTATOES

April 12th, 2009 Comments off

Whatever you do, avoid the dumb blonde potato Nadine.

Ingredients:

1 potato per person, preferably Agria or any other type suitable for baking and roasting. 

Method:

Preheat oven to 200°C (400°F) fanbake

Using a pointed knife, prick each potato several times on each side.  Microwave the potatoes for about 3 minutes per potato, or until 90% cooked.

Put potatoes on a baking tray which has been lined with cooking paper, leaving plenty of room between them.  Squash each potato with a potato masher.  The flatter the potato, the crispier it will end up.  Brush each potato with rice bran oil, or vegetable oil.  I find using a pastry brush works best.  Grind some coarse salt on each potato.  Bake for about 25 minutes or until golden and crisp.

Squashed potatoes

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ROAST LAMB AND TRIMMINGS – MARGIE’S VERSION

April 12th, 2009 Comments off

Ingredients

Lamb:

Leg or shoulder of lamb

Lots of garlic (I use a whole head)

Lemon pepper seasoning

Roast Potatoes:

1 – 2 potatoes per person

Rice bran oil

Mint sauce:

2 handfuls mint

Brown vinegar

Sugar

Method

For the lamb:

Heat oven to 160°C / 320°F fan bake

Place lamb in a roasting pan and season with lemon pepper seasoning on the top side.  Surround with unpeeled garlic cloves.  Add water so pan is around three quarters full.  Bake for about half an hour then turn the lamb and season the other side.  Add more water until pan is again three quarters full.  Bake again for about 1½ to 2½ hours, turning every half hour.  Let the water evaporate a bit until there is enough left to make as much gravy as desired.  The lamb is done when it is very tender but not falling apart.  Remove from the pan to a serving dish, cover with foil and let rest for about 25 minutes. 

To make the gravy, squash the garlic from the husks and discard the husks.  Check the seasoning and thicken with enough cornflour mixed with water to give preferred consistency. (Some like it runny, some like it thick)

For the potatoes:

Peel the potatoes and cut into quarters for small potatoes and sixths for larger ones.  Add to salted boiling water and cook until ¾ done.  Pour into a colander, be a bit rough with them, the more you rough them up, the crisper they will turn out.  Heat some rice bran oil in a large pan.  Add the potatoes and cook slowly, turning occasionally until golden and crisp.  For even more crispness, use a knife to partially halve the pieces of potato while cooking in the oil.

For the mint sauce:

Make early and let steep for as long as possible.  Finely chop the mint and place in a small bowl.  Add enough vinegar to just cover.  Add 3 teaspoons sugar and stir until dissolved then taste.  Keep adding sugar, stirring and tasting after each spoon until desired balance of sugar and vinegar is achieved.

Roast lamb

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FINGERLING POTATOES WITH GARLIC AND PEAS

March 1st, 2009 Comments off

Ingredients

24 fingerling or new potatoes (six servings)

24 sugarsnap peas

4 cloves garlic

3 tablespoons olive oil

Method

Clean the potatoes.  Place them in a pan and cover with cold water.  Bring the water to a boil over high heat and then reduce to low heat.   Cook the potatoes until just tender.  While the potatoes are cooking wash and prepare the peas by cutting off the tops and bottoms and removing the strings.  Peel the garlic and chop finely.  When the potatoes are cooked, drain in a colander and set aside.  In the pan heat the olive oil over medium heat and cook garlic for about 1 minute, stirring frequently.  Add the peas and stir fry for 1 minute.  Add the potatoes and fry for 1 minute.  Add freshly ground pepper and salt to taste.

Serves 6

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