The 80s give us many hits, culinary and otherwise. Here we give a few classic dishes a modern-day twist - for three sumptous retro-inspired recipes that fit firmly in the now.
Prawn or crayfish brioche with chilli lime mayo
Serves 6
The addition of brioche buns and a swap out of the classic marie rose sauce for a zingy chilli lime mayo brings this prawn dish (or cray if you can get your hands on some) right up to date.
Ingredients
700g cooked king prawns or cooked crayfish meat
2 cos lettuces
6 brioche buns
100g butter
2 avocados, halved and sliced
1 tsp chilli flakes, to garnish
Chilli lime mayo
1⅓ cups good-quality egg mayonnaise
2 limes, finely grated zest only
2 tsp American mustard
½ tsp chilli flakes
2 tsp sriracha sauce
sea salt
Directions
1. Preheat the oven to 180°C.
2. Chilli lime mayo: Whisk the mayonnaise with the lime zest, mustard, chilli flakes and sriracha sauce.
3. Chop the prawns in half and toss through a quarter of the chilli lime mayo. Season to taste with sea salt.
4. Trim the bases from the lettuces and chop large leaves, leaving the smaller leaves whole.
5. Cut the brioche buns in half and butter the cut sides of both halves. Heat the rolls in the oven for 2–3 minutes. Spoon the chilli lime mayo on to the bases and top with lettuce, avocado and prawns.
6. Drizzle with remaining mayo and sprinkle with a little extra chilli flakes and sea salt and top with the brioche bun lid.
- Recipe Sarah Tuck
Double-baked smoked salmon soufflé with rocket, fennel and caper salad
The rich flavour of the salmon is beautifully complemented by the fresh, zesty notes of the salad which takes this souffle rise to new heights.
Ingredients
40g butter
1 large leek, trimmed, sliced
30ml white wine
1 small clove garlic, crushed
350ml cream
Sea salt and ground pepper
100g smoked salmon, roughly chopped
¼ cup plain flour
1½ cups whole milk
1 lemon, finely grated zest only
1 cup firmly packed grated gruyère cheese
4 free-range eggs, separated
Rocket, caper and herb salad
8 cups wild rocket
¼ cup soft dill or fennel tips
2 fennel bulbs, cored, thinly sliced
2 Tbsp capers, drained
Dressing
3 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
3 Tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1 tsp caster sugar
Sea salt and ground pepper
Directions
1. Grease 6 x 1½ cup-capacity ramekins and line the bases with baking paper.
2. Melt 20 grams of the butter in a medium frying pan and add the leek, wine, garlic and 100ml of the cream. Season with salt and pepper. Cover and cook over a gentle/medium heat for 10 minutes; remove the lid and cook for a further 15 minutes, or until the leek is soft and most of the liquid has reduced.
3. Cool for 10 minutes then whizz in a food processor until smooth. Stir through the smoked salmon so it is broken up.
4. Heat the remaining 20 grams butter in a pot over a gentle heat, and whisk in the flour. Whisking continuously, pour in half of the milk with the lemon zest. Once it thickens, add the remaining milk and cook for a few minutes more, whisking until thick and smooth.
5. Stir in ½ cup of the gruyère, whisk well and remove from the heat. Whisk in the egg yolks, then combine with the leek and salmon purée, stirring to incorporate well. Set aside to cool.
6. Preheat the oven to 190°C.
7. Whisk the egg whites with a pinch of salt, to firm peaks. Add one-third of the egg whites to the leek and salmon mixture, folding it in to loosen the mixture slightly, then add the rest of the whites, folding in gently.
8. Divide the mixture among the prepared ramekins and place in a small roasting dish. Pour very hot water into the baking dish, coming halfway up the sides of the ramekins. Bake for 35 minutes, or until the soufflés are risen and lightly golden. Don't panic if they're slightly one-sided or have exploded at the top – they will be fine.
9. Remove the ramekins from the roasting dish and allow to cool for an hour; they will deflate and settle down. Once cool, run a small knife carefully around the inside of the ramekins to release the soufflés slightly, and tip out onto another roasting dish or individual ovenproof dishes. Store in the fridge until ready to finish and serve. The soufflés can be prepared to this point the day before serving and frozen once cool, to be defrosted before re-heating.
10. Preheat the oven to 200°C. Sprinkle the soufflés with the remaining Gruyère and pour over the remaining cream. Bake for15-20 minutes, or until the soufflés are lightly puffed and golden. Switch the heat source to grill for the last minute (watch them closely) to ensure a golden bubbling top.
11. Dressing: Shake the ingredients together in a sealed jar.
12. Salad: Toss all the ingredients together in a bowl with the dressing.
- Recipe Sarah Tuck
Honey-roasted duck legs with apricots
Serves 4
Move over duck a l'orange - this simple yet decadent dish uses apricots to sweeten the deal.
Ingredients
4 whole duck legs
Sea salt and ground pepper
2 tsp olive oil
3 Tbsp honey
2 Tbsp sherry vinegar
6 apricots, halved, stoned
½ cup good-quality chicken stock
1 Tbsp butter
Directions
1. Preheat the oven to 180°C fan bake.
2. Season the flesh side of the duck with salt and pepper. Heat the oil in a large ovenproof sauté pan over medium heat and add the duck, skin side down. Cook until the skin is golden. Turn skin side up, brush with 1 tablespoon of honey, season with salt and pepper then cover and roast for 30 minutes. Uncover and cook for a further 15 minutes, or until very tender. Transfer the duck to a plate and cover to keep warm.
3. Pour most of the fat out of the pan, leaving any sticky bits behind. Add the vinegar and the remaining honey and let it bubble up. Add the apricots cut side down then add the stock. Simmer for about 8 minutes, occasionally spooning the pan juices over the apricots until they're tender but not collapsing. Gently whisk in the butter a little piece at a time, to make a glossy sauce. Season with salt and pepper if needed.
4. To serve: Place the duck legs on serving plates with your vegetables of choice. Add the apricots and spoon over the pan sauce.
- Recipe Claire Aldous
Find more great recipes at dish.co.nz