Roast salmon with pomegranate glaze and herby mayo
Even non-salmon lovers can't resist this dish. Not too oily, glazed in tangy pomegranate molasses, just-cooked and with a side of sharp quick-pickled red onion and a dollop of herby yoghurt mayo, it is a total winner. Serves: 8-10
Salmon
2 Tbsp extra
virgin olive oil
3 garlic cloves, crushed
1½ Tbsp pomegranate molasses
1 tsp cumin seeds, lightly crushed
2 Tbsp salt
½ cup boiling water
5½ cups cold water
1.5-kg (approx) side of salmon
Dill fronds, to garnish
Quick-pickled red onion
⅓ cup cider vinegar
1 Tbsp caster sugar
1 small red onion, finely sliced
Herby yoghurt mayo
1 cup natural Greek yoghurt
½ cup good-quality egg mayonnaise
1 Tbsp lemon juice
3 Tbsp roughly chopped capers, plus 1 tablespoon whole to garnish
3 Tbsp chopped fresh dill, plus a few fronds to garnish
3 Tbsp chopped fresh mint
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
1. Salmon: Mix the olive oil with the garlic, pomegranate molasses and cumin seeds in a small bowl. Set aside.
2. Put the salt in a big roasting dish, deep enough to lay the salmon in, and with capacity for 6 cups of water. Add ½ cup boiling water to the salt and whisk to dissolve it. Top up with the 5½ cups of cold water and leave to cool.
3. Add the salmon, flesh side down, and leave in the brine for 30 minutes – this will help to prevent the milky white fat from rising to the top of the salmon while cooking.
4. Quick-pickled onion: Put the vinegar and sugar in a small non- reactive bowl and whisk to dissolve the sugar. Add the onion, cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.
5. Herby yoghurt mayo: Mix the yoghurt, mayonnaise and lemon juice in a small bowl. Add the chopped capers, dill and mint, and season to taste. For a little extra drama, a drizzle of pomegranate molasses swirled through the mayo is also a tasty option. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.
6. Preheat the oven to 230°C. Line an oven tray with baking paper.
7. Remove the salmon from the brine and pat dry. Lay skin-side down on the baking paper. Brush the olive oil mixture over the salmon flesh. Bake for 10–15 minutes. I did 15 minutes for my 1.5-kilogram salmon piece, but if your salmon is smaller, stick to 12 minutes or less – you really don't want to overcook it.
8. Once cooked, the salmon can be served immediately or refrigerated until half an hour before serving. When ready to serve, garnish with the dill and drained onion and serve with the herby yoghurt mayo, garnished with capers and dill fronds.
- Recipe by Sarah Tuck
Avocado, broad bean and goat's cheese salad
The addition of both crumbled salty feta and torn milky fresh mozzarella to contrast the peppery watercress, fresh herbs and sweet peas and beans makes this salad a cut-above. The final touch is a sprinkling of chilli flakes and dukkah for heat and texture. Serves: 8
2 cups broad beans
1 cup frozen peas
Few sprigs mint
2 Tbsp olive oil
¼ cup lemon juice
1 tsp caster sugar
6 cups baby watercress or other salad greens
2 large avocados, sliced
350g buffalo mozzarella, torn into chunks
200g feta, crumbled
¾ cup fresh mint leaves
2 Tbsp roughly chopped dill
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
½ tsp chilli flakes
3–4 Tbsp dukkah
Poached eggs (see Cook's Note) and Turkish bread, to serve
1. Bring a medium pot of water to boil and fill a bowl with cold water and a few ice cubes. Drop the broad beans into the water and cook just until the water comes back up to the boil. Take out the beans with a slotted spoon and put straight into the chilled water.
2. Drop the peas into the same boiling water for 1 minute, then drain and refresh under cold running water.
3. Gently pop the beans from their pods and add to the peas with a few sprigs of mint (remove before serving) and refrigerate both in a covered container.
4. Whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, sugar, salt and pepper.
5. To serve: Layer on to a platter; first, the watercress, then avocado, mozzarella, beans and peas, feta, mint leaves and dill. Drizzle with lemon dressing and sprinkle with chilli flakes and dukkah. Serve with poached eggs and Turkish bread.
COOK'S NOTE: To poach eggs in advance, heat a pot of at least 12cm-deep simmering water, adding ¼ cup of white vinegar. Poach super-fresh eggs, three at a time, for just 3–4 minutes. Drain and refresh in cold iced water as with the broad beans. Once cold, drain and store on a covered plate until ready to serve. To reheat, simply drop back into a pot of simmering water for a minute.
- Recipe by Sarah Tuck
Christmas mince brownie bites
You'll love watching people's faces as they bite into these brownies – the smile as they realise the dark chocolate is rich and moist with fruit mince, a new Christmas classic. Serves: 10
250g butter, chopped into cubes
300g 70% dark chocolate, cut into chunks
6 eggs
2 cups caster sugar
1⅔ cups plain flour
1 cup dark Dutch cocoa powder
2 cups fruit mince (we used a 500-gram container of Tasti Old English Fruit Mince)
1. Preheat the oven to 170°C. Line a 28cm x 20cm slice tin with baking paper.
2. Melt the butter and dark chocolate together in the microwave at a low heat. Heat in bursts of 30 seconds, stirring in-between each until smooth and melted.
3. Beat the eggs with the caster sugar in a separate bowl until pale and creamy.
4. Add the melted chocolate and mix to combine. Sift the flour and cocoa into the mixture and stir to combine.
5. Mix through the fruit mince and pour into the prepared tin. Bake for 45–50 minutes until cooked through. Cool in the tin before cutting into squares.
- Recipe by Sarah Tuck
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