Aleco's birthday

        The 11^th November is my husband’s birthday.   As the years go by and we advance into deep old age, every birthday seems more special than the previous one and becomes a marvelous excuse for celebration.

         So, on the 11^th November 2012, our children and grandchildren, who are living in Greece, came over for a birthday lunch.  Aleco and I were delighted to see them all together, and as the day moved on, a warm and happy atmosphere prevailed, mainly due to the pleasure we felt in each other’s company, the excellent wine and good, tasty food.

 BIRTHDAY MENU

Smoked Salmon Torte with Prawn Cocktail Filling

Green Salad

Chicken with Rice

 Mushroom Tart

  A Cheese Platter with Grapes

 Meringue with Cream of Chestnut Birthday Cake

SMOKED SALMON TORTE

This is an excellent dish for special occasions. It must be prepared a day ahead.

700 g (1 lb 6½ oz) smoked salmon slices

Cream Cheese Spread

300 g (10 oz) cream cheese

½ tsp horse-radish sauce

1 spring onion, white part only, very finely chopped

The grated rind of 1 lemon

A few drops of lemon, or according to taste

½ tbsp dill, finely chopped

Salt if necessary

750 g (1 ½ lbs) prawns, shelled and de-veined
250ml (1 cup) dry white wine
1 sprig rosemary

2 medium potatoes, peeled and cubed and boiled in salted water

1 carrot, scraped and cubed and boiled in salted water

1½ cup good quality mayonnaise mixed with

1 tbsp tomato ketchup and

1 tbsp finely chopped sweet gherkin

½ cup parsley, chopped

Salt and freshly ground white pepper

2 romaine lettuces, the tender inner leaves only, trimmed and chopped

2 lemons, finely sliced, and then halved and

Parsley sprigs for garnishing

           First mix all the Cream Cheese Spread ingredients, well together, until soft and set aside.

          Cook the prawns, in a single layer, in wine and rosemary, for 2 minutes on each side.   Sprinkle with a little salt and pepper and set aside to cool, on kitchen paper.

          Combine the potatoes with the carrots and fold in 2/3 of the mayonnaise/ketchup/gherkin mixture.  Sprinkle with parsley and freshly ground pepper.  Taste and add salt if necessary.

          Line a 30 cm (12 inch) diameter, 5 cm (2 inch) deep, mould with cling film, leaving the excess hanging over.   Cover the film with the smoked salmon slices, forming an attractive design and leaving the excess hanging over.  Then spread the smoked salmon thinly with part of the cream cheese mixture. 

        Spoon half the amount of the potato and carrot salad over the salmon, and level the surface.  Tuck in the prawns, spoon in the remaining potato mixture over and spread with the reserved mayonnaise.

       Place the lettuce on top and press gently, with your fingers.  Spread the smoked salmon that is hanging over the mould with the remaining cream cheese and fold over the lettuce.  Place extra pieces of smoked salmon to patch possible gaps. Then cover tightly with the film that is hanging over, and place in a plastic bag and seal well.  Refrigerate for at least 6 hours or overnight.

    One hour before serving, unfold the cling film from the salmon torte, and carefully reverse it on a serving dish.   Garnish with lemon slices and parsley sprigs, cover and refrigerate.   Serve with a green salad.

(Serves 8-10)

                                             

CHICKEN WITH RICE

            

 This dish is very popular with both children and grown-ups.                                    

1½ kg (3 lb) chicken, skinned

1 onion studded with 2 cloves

2 tender celery stalks with leaves

2 carrots, sliced

1 lemon slice

1 bay leaf

1 slice fresh ginger, peeled

Salt

5-6 pepper corns
3-4 cardamom pods, split

Rice

2 tbsp butter

1 small onion grated

450 g (2 cups) long grain rice

About 83 ml (1/3 cup) white wine

750 ml (3 cups) hot chicken stock, or more
Salt if necessary, freshly ground  white pepper

Sauce

4 tbsp butter

4 heaped tbsp cornflour
1 bay leaf

750 ml (3 cups) warm chicken stock or more for a thinner sauce

2 egg yolks, whipped with

125 ml (1/2 cup) cream

A pinch of nutmeg

1 tsp lemon juice or according to taste

Grated Parmesan or any other hard cheese of your choice for serving

            Cover the chicken with salted water, bring to the boil and skim thoroughly.   Add the rest of the ingredients, cover and cook for about 1-1 ½ hours until the chicken is tender. Remove from the fire and cool.   Remove the bones from the chicken and cut into bite-sized pieces, strain and de-grease the stock and set aside.

            Prepare the rice.  Sauté the onion with 1 tbsp butter until the onion is almost soft.   Add the rice and stir for 1-2 minutes until well coated with butter.  Pour in the wine, stir and let it evaporate.   Then add the hot chicken stock, cover the pan, and simmer very gently, until the liquid has evaporated and the rice is cooked “al dente”, taste for seasoning and adjust.  Add the remaining butter and toss carefully with a fork.

            For the sauce, melt the butter, add the bayleaf and cornflour and stir for 2-3 minutes, over low heat.   Add the warm stock in portions,  whisking each time, until the sauce has thickened.   Add the nutmeg, correct the seasoning, add some hot stock, if necessary, and barely simmer 10 minutes more, stirring occasionally.   Remove the saucepan from the fire and discard the bayleaf.   Mix the beaten egg yolks with the cream, stir a ladleful of sauce into the egg mixture, and very carefully, stir it back into the saucepan, whisking constantly.  Sprinkle with the lemon juice and simmer, stirring until well mixed together.   Do not boil.

           Arrange the chicken pieces in a heated serving dish, over a bed of rice.   Cover with half the sauce and sprinkle with grated cheese.  Serve with the remaining sauce, and extra grated cheese. (Serves 5-6)

MERINGUE WITH CHESTNUST CREAM FILLING

         This is the easiest dessert you could possible make and a sure hit. I buy the meringues and whipped cream from one of the top pastry shops in our neibourhood, the chestnut jam from the super market, and the marrons deguises from a chocolate shop that specializes in excellent hand made chocolates.

2  25 cm (10 inch) diameter meringue bases

500 g (1 lb)  unsweetened whipped cream

370 g (about 2 1/3 oz) chestnut jam

about 50 g (l 2/3 oz)  melted dark chocolate

4-5 marrons deguises (chocolate covered chestnuts)

           Prepare the chestnut cream.  Empty the chestnut jam into a small bowl, stir until soft and fold in 4 large tablespoonfuls of whipped cream. Taste for sweetness and add more cream if necessary.

      

           Place a meringue base on a serving dish and spread with half the chestnut cream. Sandwich with the second meringue base, spread with the remaining chestnut cream and level the top evenly. 

           Make a few zig-zag patterns with the melted chocolate on top of the cake, and refrigerate until the chocolate hardens. 

          Cut the chocolate covered chestnuts in slices (they resemble flower petals) and decorate the cake.   With the help of a piping bag cover the sides of the cake attractively with the remaining whipped cream and refrigerate for at least 2-3 hours, before serving.

(Serves 8-10)