thepassionatecook

Grilled scallops with thyme butter, red chilli & parmesan

If you haven't overindulged massively over the past few days you're a much better person than I am... and a much sadder one, most likely. Nothing beats the enjoyment of food in the company of loved ones, be that family (although reports of the biggest rows breaking out over the festive period would indicate otherwise) or friends. While I do value traditions highly and even more so since living abroad, this year it was time to break with them. It did seem a bit silly to be holding on to a traditional Christmas dinner for years when all we could get was second or even third-class ingredients: so the customary dinner of (special Christmas) sausages and sauerkraut went out and in came an array of new dishes that shall from now on constitute our very own culinary tradition on those days.

As for Christmas Day, where I grew up, most families would prepare a whole carp... but believe it or not, nobody really cared for it anyway, in the same way that I haven't anyone here heard declare turkey and brussel sprouts to be their favourite meal ever. "We eat it because it's tradition, not because it's good." Bah humbug! Why eat something you don't like? Life's definitely too short for that!

Here's what we had this year to accompany the traditional Christmas crackers (presents in the shape of giant bonbons that you tear apart to the sound of a firecracker which reveal: a paper crown everybody has to wear throughout the meal, some sort of useless present, funny if you're lucky, and a wise saying or joke or a trivia question):

• Grilled scallops with thyme butter, chilli and parmesan (recipe below)
• Verrines of poached apple, chestnuts & blue cheese cream
• Apple-brined roast pork fillet with apples, bacon-wrapped prunes, potato & jerusalem artichoke gratin and spinach
• Chocolate mousse with stewed cranberries (recipe to follow)
  

I didn't get to photograph the roast pork and trimmings which was a shame, as it was a glorious main course to our meal - the meat is rendered incredibly moist and tender through brining over the course of 24 hours in apple juice, herbs and garlic. It requires minimal preparation beforehand and goes in the oven for 30 minutes, leaving you enough time to enjoy a pre-starter and starter and get through a bottle of wine or champagne...

The scallops, again, are incredibly easy to make - the thyme & chilli butter is prepared in advance and brushed on just before they go under the grill for a few minutes, sit them on a bed of rocket leaves and sprinkle with crumbled parmesan... If you have a good fishmonger where you live, this is a great dish to make - but don't bother with frozen or canned (is there such a thing?) scallops, as only fresh will do... so if you're still looking for inspiration for your New Year's Eve dinner, maybe I can tempt you with this. Stylish starters don't come any easier than that, and as so often, simplicity is a real beauty!

Seared scallops on jerusalem artichoke purée with crispy bacon

When I grew up, weekly visits to my grandparents' were as predictable as night following day and most of the time, this meant fun-filled hours of me chasing around the farm with my cousins. But there were those days when we were the only ones going up there and there comes a point where you get incredibly bored with adult conversation and start looking around for things to do... and believe me, there's always interesting stuff to be found in an old farmhouse!
One of the most intriguing finds was the shell of a scallop. I was very little then and had never seen or heard of mussels and other molluscs before, so I couldn't quite figure out what I was looking at. My nan explained that they were "Pilgermuscheln" or pilgrims' mussels. My grandparents were devout Catholics (as you are when you grow up in the deep dark woods of Austria) and while my grandma never travelled further than the 20 km to her cousin's farm near the northernmost border of the country - an endeavour she only undertook once a year, if that often - her husband was widely travelled. Not only from his assignments as an ambulance driver in the second world war, but also through numerous pilgrimages to the most famous Catholic shrines: Lourdes, Medjugorje, Santiago de Compostela - and it was on a trip to the latter that he picked up the shell I was holding in hand. The yearly pilgrimage to Santiago is by the "Way of St. James" and medieval pilgrims would often wear the symbol of a scallop shell of some sort... hence the name "coquille de St. Jacques" in French and "pilgim's mussel" in German, Swedish, Dutch and probably many other languages. Of course, my farming grandparents never had a scallop in their lives and didn't know what they were missing - and little did I know back then that I would grow to love these molluscs so much!
Last weekend, my mother-in-law came to visit and as you do, I sought to make something for dinner that she doesn't usually get to eat very often. Never attempt to cook something for your Mum-in-law (especially not if she is a cookery teacher and renowned cookbook author, like mine) that she has made a million times before and probably has a certain way of doing - which you will never be able to replicate! Rather choose something she doesn't make herself, so to surprise her with flavours she is not that familiar with and therefore couldn't possibly criticise! (Don't get me wrong, I love her dearly and she has never, at least not knowingly, said a bad word about my cooking!)
This time I chose scallops and because I love combining the earth and the sea (or "terre et mer"... doesn't everything sound just so much better in French?), I decided to bed them on a purée of jerusalem artichokes, whose almost smoky flavour I love dearly, and top with some crispy bacon for even more sustanance. A great combination, if I say so myself - I wonder what my granddad would have thought of this... he used to smoke the most magnificent bacon and jerusalem artichokes grew rampant behind the estate, so if the shells he brought home from his pilgrimages hadn't been empty, this could almost have been served at their table, with all the other ingredients provided straight from their farm!

Roast allium soup with crispy onion croutons

Maybe not something you'd like to consider as a Valentine's treat - unless you're more hooked on garlic than on your Valentine! But it's a great, warming soup full of goodness...
Whole books have been written on the health benefits of the "stinking rose", as garlic is sometimes affectionately called, and other members of the Allium family (onions, chives, etc), primarily about its anti-viral qualities that should keep a threatening flu and any other germs off your doorstep (of course, since you'll find nobody will go anywhere near you after devouring them by the bucketload). But it's also said to be beneficial in preventing cancer and keeping radiation at bay - and, of course, vampires.
And while your beloved might be put off by the effect this soup has on your breath, it is a dish fit for the occasion nontheless, as it is known to prevent coronary disease and, ultimately, heart attacks... so even if your loved one might keep a distance on this occasion, at least you'll know that they'll stick around for many more Valentines to enjoy together!

Parnisp & honey soup shots with spicy sweet potato crisp

I dearly love thick and hearty soups, especially around this time of year when the winter raises its ugly eyebrows far too often for my liking. But the more I cook, the less attractive soups become - they're not really a challenge to make, they rarely have a wow factor and they are boring to photograph... or so I thought.
While planning a few caterings I have coming up, I was browsing my cookbooks and clippings in the search of finger food that doesn't need much assembly on the spot - and also for seasonal things... it's easy to utilise tomatoes and other summer vegetables, but you rarely see root veggies at a fancy dinner party! Then I stumbled upon a beautifully presented page I must have ripped out of a Waitrose Seasons magazine last year - the recipe was dead simple: heat up some Waitrose parsnip & honey soup (chiller cabinet), pour into shot glasses and serve with parsnip crisps.
Well, I decided to make my own, of course, soup is so easy to make and home-made wins over tetra-bricked any time! If you can't be bothered to make your own sweet potato crisps, I can reveal that I nicked the idea of M&S where they sell them ready-made...

Caramelised aubergine tartare with curried nuts and almonds

So I said a few days ago that I am not really that versed in the art of cooking aubergines, but they've sort of become a personal favourite already - and that's after just two close encounters! I still haven't had the time to take Hande's advice (check Salmon on aubergines with slow-roast almond tomatoes) to chargrill them, but I am sure this will add a distinctly smokey flavour which will create an unforgettable taste experience. Last weekend, though, I selected a recipe out of a recent cookbook acquisition "Hemmungslos Kochen" (translates roughly as uninhibited cooking) by the Obauer brothers. Aubergines tartare-style, combined with nuts, almonds, curry and lemon thyme - a wonderfully stylish entrée which vegetarians and carnivores will enjoy alike.
I can't wait  to explore more out of this recipe book - apart from the fact that it is beautifully laid out, I like the fact that it is not at all prescriptive, but aims to encourage you to experiment with a variety of flavour combinations - nuts & vegetables, seafood & fruit, apple & liver, bitter & sweet etc. For each flavour pair you get an explanation of why it works so well and a multitude of quick ideas for recipes, then a few carefully selected, stunningly presented dishes. It's one of those books where you start putting post-it notes on memorable pages only to realise that this is an utterly futile endeavour, as you're bookmarking nine pages out of ten! And for those of you who don't speak any German: I will be drawing a lot of inspiration from this book, so you will get your own special annotated English rendition of this masterpiece!

Lobster sandwich with crispy bacon & vanilla mayo

This recipe is based on Rick Tramonto's "Amuse-bouches" ("Lobster club sandwich with vanilla aioli") and I am not sure why he calls it a club sandwich or where the aioli comes in, as this would involve heaps of garlic which is most certainly uncalled for!
The Club must be the only sandwich which is universally known to contain a seemingly undisputed list of ingredients: double-decker of white bread involving chicken, bacon, lettuce, tomato and mayo. What we have here bears no ressemblance to a club sandwich, though, as it's just a single-decker sandwich, no chicken involved, of course, and I didn't even have tomatoes on hand either - but I'd choose this over a club sandwich any time, call me decadent...
This Rolls Royce of a sarnie is non-the-less delicious, however, I made it after I had some lobster left over... ah! The challenge of buying lobster remotely! I never seem to remember how much I ordered last time and my fishmonger seems to consistently underestimate our appetite (or he is genuinely worried about the effect a given purchase will have on my bank account).
So I had two gorgeous lobster claws sitting in the fridge after last week's Valentine's dinner and went for something I'd been meaning to try for ages. I've paired lobster with vanilla successfully in the past - you'll be forgiven for thinking vanilla and mayonnaise to be an unlikely couple, but it works brilliantly. It somehow re-inforces the sweetness of the lobster without completely overpowering it, but is strong enough in this combination to be an equal partner for the crispy bacon. Sounds unlikely? You'll have to try it for yourself, I guess...

Caramelised fennel salad & celeriac purée amuse-bouche

I'm being very cruel, I know, but with this recipe, I just can't help remembering the great things I had planned for my parents' leaving dinner: a meal consisting entirely of amuses-bouches, almost all of them adapted from Rick Tramonto. Savoury carrot and orange crème brulées, mini lobster club sandwiches with vanilla aioli, foie gras with pineapple relish, grilled figs with mascarpone foam wrapped in prosciutto, pork medallions with an apple-rosemary chutney... I am doing my best to use up all the ingredients I bought for this feast, for on the day it was planned for, I was unable to leave my sick-bed.
One of the amuses that I did try out of Tramonto's book is the following salad of caramelised fennel, presented on a spoon of celeriac mash. I love the two vegetables for its distinct earthiness and nutty flavour, they are some of the best things you can buy in winter and would deserve being more broadly used. Apart from having a very distinct taste which might need getting used to, people just don't know how to prepare them in a tantalising way - roasting and caramelising works really well for the fennel, as does the presentation in a salad format, where the aged sherry vinegar enhances the sweetness and the oil underlines the nuttiness.
So this is it for starters. I will find an occasion soon to cook myself through the above list - I can't wait to try the recipes, my mouth is watering as we speak. Let me just make a few phone calls to find people interested in sharing this with us... it's always more fun when you've got an appreciative crowd round the table!

Langoustines and lemongrass consommé amuse

An Austrian meal invariably starts with a soup - at least when you're having a traditional Sunday lunch. I don't remember my Mum preparing any other starters when I was little, of course her repertoire has changed now, but back then it was always a clear soup poured over noodles, Fritatten (very thin pancakes cut into tiny strips, a bit like savoury crêpes) Schoeberl (savoury mini sponge cakes with ham) or some sort of tiny dumpling. I am not keeping this tradition, you know, there are some childhood memories you want to revive every once in a while, but most of the time I'd much rather go for new experiences or in this case, discover new flavours!
As part of my recent exploration of amuse-bouches, I chose an Asian-inspired consommé. I love to serve it with langoustines and caviar, but it works just as well on its own. The concentrated stock is like a pick-me-up and the trout roe reinforces that with its saltiness... bear this in mind for a hangover cure this year, I am sure it will help you regain strength after too champagne and egg noggs!

Beef tartare with quails egg, capers, garlic crisps and grissini

Here is another instalment of our amuse feast, with a dish that is really quite old-fashioned. Beef tartare must have had its absolute height in the early Eighties, which is when I remember my Dad making it at home, but since the BSE crisis we don't see much raw meat around anymore. And why not, I ask, if you can really trust your source? And after all this controversy, beef production in Britain must be more thoroughly surveilled than Tony Blair and his cabinet...
We only use the finest quality beef fillet anyway, even mince it ourselves, so I am not worried about falling prey to Mad-Cow's-Disease, since my chances of getting run over by a car or bus on my way to the shops is considerably higher - and I still go out, despite the risk, don't I?
I hadn't had beef tartare in a long time and thought the amuse size would lend itself perfectly here - raw meat is not something I like to have for a main course! I seasoned the beef mince very well - mustard, worcester sauce, shallots, cornichons, pepper, etc and I got so carried away with so many things to prepare for our parade of amuse-bouches that night that I foolheartedly decided to prepare the tartare ahead and let it rest in the fridge: bad move! By the time we were ready to serve, the previously vibrantly red meat had turned slightly brown and pale and was not as nice to look at as I would have hoped... but it tasted delicious nontheless!
We served this amuse simply with the yolk of a quail's egg, a couple of grissini (thin bread sticks), some chopped capers and garlic crisps. Unfortunately, I had fallen in love with a bulb of "elephant garlic" at the shop and fried it for this purpose, not realising that this variety turns quite bitter when cooked... another lesson to teach me that looks are not eveything! Use regular garlic and this will be a real treat!

Seared scallops on vitelotte purée

I thoroughly enjoy amuse-bouches (especially since I bought Rick Tramonto's book) - not only do they look neat and sweet and sometimes absolutely stunning in their presentation, they also allow you to savour many different flavours. So I am creating more and more meals entirely consisting of little bites or mouthfuls. I've already started to share with you the cooking bonanza I had when my brother was over to visit, and the present recipe is another one in this series.
For days I had been pondering what to cook and I knew that scallops should be featuring on the menu. Quite how I would prepare them, I wasn't sure - should I go for earthy, with a cauliflower or even celeriac mash and possibly sprinkled with the tiniest cubes of fried bacon, or should I go posh with something truffely? On my way home from my shopping trip (having bought the ingredients for both options) I discovered a new greengrocer's about half a mile from where I live, in the search for fresh horseradish. He didn't have any, but I didn't go away empty-handed: I came across a neatly piled stack of vitelotte potatoes which I had spent months looking for, ever since Pascale of "C'est moi qui l'ai fait" fried some purple crisps...
This was exactly what I needed, a stunning visual contrast, yet subtle enough not to over-power the gentle flavour of the scallop! The shop owner gave me some invaluable advice: always cook the vitelotte in their skins, as they will turn greyish-green when in direct contact with water... peel and mash them up when they're thoroughly cooked. He also says the best way of preparing them is to cook them and fry them in a little butter the next day, possibly with some beaten egg poured over - something I have yet to try as there are rarely any left-overs in my kitchen, at least not when my brother's around!