End Of Summer - Celebration Dinner

          Although the temperature is still quite high, the last days of August are, somehow, connected with the end of summer.   Theoretically, it is the last month of summer, the days become smaller, the sun’s rays more oblique, but at the back of our mind we refuse contemplating the inevitable, winter’s approach.

  

         For our family it’s celebration time.  We have two birthdays in August, and on the 30^th August, we always had a party in honour of our three Alexanders.

        Here are some choice recipes for a dinner party.

CUCUMBER SALAD

       This is a lovely salad to complement the gravadlax.  

2 cucumbers, peeled, cut in half lengthwise, seeds removed, thinly sliced

1 tbsp sugar

2 tbsp white vinegar

2 tsp salt

          Combine the sugar, vinegar and salt and mix well together and pour over the cucumber slices.  Cover, ice and forget about them for at least an hour.  Just before serving, drain off the liquid and pat dry.   Garnish with chopped dill.

GRAVADLAX

           I was given this recipe by Myrto Xenakis-Petreas. I met Myrto when she first came from Egypt, with her parents, George and Mary Xenakis and her brother Aris, to settle down in Greece. Myrto now lives in San Fransisco with her husband, Andrew Petreas and she is an esteemed chemist, a loving mother, a remarkable person and a very good cook.

One 2 kg (4 lb) fresh salmon, filleted, pin boned, skin left on

Combine, and mix well together:

3-4 tbsp sugar

3 tbsp coarse salt

2 tbsp peppercorns, crushed

½ bunch fresh dill, washed and dried

         Place a large piece of baking parchment on a working surface and sprinkle 1/3 of the sugar-salt mixture evenly over.   Place half the fish, skin down, sprinkle another third of the mixture over and cover with the dill. Lay the second half of the salmon, skin up, and with the thick side over the thin side below.  Sprinkle with the remaining sugar/salt mixture and wrap the baking parchment firmly around the fish, to seal. Then wrap the packet in two sheets of newspaper, in order to absorb the liquid resulting from the cure, and cover with a  plastic bag.    Place the packet in a deep container, in the fridge, with weights over, for three days.  Turn the packet around, daily, removing and replacing the weight, each time.

          

       When the gravadlax is ready, discard the dill, scrape away all the seasonings thoroughly and pat dry with kitchen paper.  Chill and slice thinly, detaching each slice from the skin, arrange attractively on a serving dish and garnish with lemon slices. This lovely dish is traditionally served with dill sauce, cucumber salad and mustard sauce. 

          

 DILL SAUCE

        This is one of the sauces that you have to season according to taste.  

125 ml (1/2 cup) cooked mayonnaise or use a good commercial brand

½ tsp hot mustard or more

Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

1 heaped tbsp spring onions, finely chopped

2 tbsp or more dill, finely chopped

½ tsp or more grated lemon rind

1 ½ tbsp lemon juice, or according to taste

300 g (10 oz) strained yoghurt, low fat if preferred

        Combine the mayonnaise with the mustard, spring onion, dill, grated lemon rind and   mix well together. Finally stir in the yoghurt, taste and season with salt pepper and lemon juice, if necessary.

FRESH SALMON MOUSSE

                                                 

          Fresh salmon is abundant and cheap in Greece.   Here is a recipe for a basic mousse, which could be covered with aspic and garnished with prawns or served plain with a zesty dill sauce.

800 g (about 1 lb 10oz) salmon, skinned and boned

187.5 ml (3/4 cup) dry white wine

62.5 ml (1/4 cup) water

1 carrot, sliced

½ onion, sliced

1 leek, white part only, sliced

1 tender celery stalk, finely sliced

1 bay leaf

A little salt

2 – 3 thin lemon slices, halved

Salt

5-6 peppercorns

Sauce

4 tbsp butter

5 tbsp cornflour

500 ml (2 cups) or more, hot milk

½ large onion

1 bay leaf

Salt and pepper

5 sheets gelatine steeped in iced water for 5-7 minutes

125 ml (1/2 cup) mayonnaise, low fat if preferred

2 tbsp lemon juice, or according to taste

2 tbsp finely chopped dill, or more if preferred

1-2 spring onions, very finely chopped

1-2 tsp Dijon mustard

250 ml (1 cup) cream, low fat if preferred, whipped into soft peaks

Salt and pepper, to taste

          Pour wine and water in a shallow saucepan and add the onion, sliced vegetables, peppercorns, salt, bay leaf and simmer for about 7 minutes.   Place the salmon in the stock, spoon a few vegetables over, and spread the lemon slices on top.   Cover the saucepan, and poach for 12-15 minutes or until the fish flakes easily.  Remove the salmon and leave to cool.  Reduce the cooking liquid to 2-3 tablespoonfuls, strain and reserve

          In the meantime, bring the milk to the boil, with the onion and bay leaf.   Remove from the heat and leave to infuse, for at least 10 minutes.

         To prepare the mousse, melt the butter, add the cornflour and cook, stirring, for 2-3 minutes.  Strain the milk and add it gradually to the roux, stirring constantly.  Simmer the sauce until it thickens, stirring, and cook for 3-4 minutes more.  Squeeze the gelatine sheets and stir very well into the hot sauce, until completely combined.   Add the sauce and the cooking liquid to the poached salmon and blend until quite smooth.   

          Transfer the mixture to a large bowl, add the mayonnaise, lemon juice, mustard, chopped dill, spring onions and mix well together.  Fold in the whipped cream and, then, taste for seasoning and adjust with salt, lemon juice, white pepper and chopped dill, if necessary.  Finally spoon the mixture into a soufflé dish, lined with cling-film, cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours.   You could line the soufflé dish with smoked salmon slices, if you wish.

  

                                                    

PEPPER STEAKS

          This was my husband’s favourite meat dish.

 1½ kg (3 lbs) beef fillet, cut into 5 cm (2 inch) slices

2-3 tbsp olive oil

2 tbsp peppercorns, coarsely crushed

2 tbsp olive oil

1 tbsp butter

Coarse salt

2 tbsp shallots or spring onions, chopped

2 liqueur glasses brandy

1 tbsp butter, cut into bits

250 ml (1 cup) beef stock

125 ml (½ cup) double cream

Place the fillet slices, in one layer in a Pyrex dish and sprinkle with olive oil all over.  Cover the dish with cling-film and let the meat marinate for two hours, at room temperature.

When ready to cook, press the peppercorns firmly all over the fillet slices, so that the pepper clings.

 Place 2-3 slices of meat at a time into a sizzling frying pan and sear for one or two minutes on each side.  Season with coarse salt, add butter, olive oil and the shallots, lower the heat slightly and cook for 6-8 minutes more or less, in order to reach the meat’s preferred doneness.   Flame with brandy and place the steaks in a pre-heated dish, adding a piece of butter on each stake.  

Pour the beef stock into the frying pan, bring to boil and reduce the gravy, stirring continuously.   Remove the pan from the stove, stir in the cream, taste for seasoning and adjust with a little salt if necessary.  Simmer the sauce, over low heat, for 1-2 minutes, until it thickens 

Carve the steaks, pour the sauce over and serve with chips and the vegetables you prefer.   

                                   

ICE-CREAM ROLL WITH CHOCOLATE SAUCE

This is an easy and popular iced dessert.

Sponge cake:

5 eggs, separated, whites whipped stiffly with a pinch of salt

5 tbsp sugar

Vanilla

5 tbsp self-raising flour

1 tsp baking powder

A pinch of salt

Ice-cream:

One 397g (13 ¼ oz) tin sweet condensed milk

250 g (1 cup) fresh milk

A pinch of salt

Vanilla

400 ml (an ample 1½ cup) thick cream

Chocolate Sauce:

200 g (almost 7 oz) dark chocolate, melted au bain Marie with

2 tbsp hot water

4-5 tbsp sweet condensed milk or more,if preferred

Just mix everything well together, over very low heat, and bring to room temperature before using

First make the ice-cram.  Mix everything well together and place in a covered container, in the freezer.   After 1½ hours remove from the freezer and whip vigorously, cover and place it in the freezer   Repeat the procedure twice more.

For the cake beat the egg yolks with the sugar and the vanilla until light and creamy.  Sift in the flour, baking powder and salt and mix lightly together. Finally fold in the whipped egg whites, until no streaks are visible.  Pour into a shallow baking tin, lined with buttered baking  parchment, and bake in a pre-heated oven for 10-12 minutes.   Take out from the oven, remove the baking parchment carefully and roll into a cylinder.  Cover with a clean piece of parchment and let it cool completely before using.

Open out the sponge roll and spread some ice-cream thickly over.  Roll up the cake once more, cover with baking parchment and freeze for about two hours before using.

Serve sliced, with chocolate sauce and stewed Morello cherries.