New Year 2013

            

 A very Happy New Year with health,

 and love and peace and joy!

        

          

 These are the dishes I would like to prepare for New Year’s lunch

                                             Fresh Salmon Mousse

                                             Dill Sauce

                                            Pot Roast Veal

                                            Salad with Lettuce, Avocado, Cherry Tomatoes etc

                                            A dish of Greek Cheeses with Quince Chutney

                                            Lemon Squares

                                            New Year’s Cake

                         

 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 10 oz) salmon, skinned and boned

180 ml (3/4 cup) dry white wine

60 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 cold 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 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 sauce 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 5-6 minutes more.  Squeeze the gelatine sheets and stir thoroughly into the warm sauce, until completely combined.      Add the sauce and the reduced cooking liquid to the poached salmon and blend until quite smooth.   

          Transfer the salmon 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 mould, 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.

(Serves 8-10)

                                                                        

  DILL SAUCE FOR FISH

                                

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

125 ml (1/2 cup) home made 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.

               

  POT ROAST CUSHION OF VEAL WITH WINE

                                           

       Back in the sixties and early seventies, this was a favourite dish in Greece

1 ½ kg (3 lbs) cushion of veal, trimmed

Marinade

2 tbsp olive oil

500 ml (2 cups) dry or sweet white wine

1 bay leaf

½ tsp black and pink peppercorns

2 allspice berries

1 clove garlic, cut in slivers

Salt and pepper,

 ½ tsp powdered ginger (optional)

2 tbsp olive oil

2 tbsp butter

62.5 ml (1/4 cup) brandy

250 ml (1 cup) or more meat stock

2 carrots, peeled and thickly sliced

2 onions, peeled and cut in quarters

2 tender celery stalks, trimmed and chopped
1 apple, peeled. cored and cut in quarters 

1 tbsp or more lemon juice

           Combine the marinade ingredients, simmer and cool.  Pour the marinade over the meat, and refrigerate for at least 8 hours, turning the meat over once or twice.  The next day remove the meat and pat dry and strain and heat the marinade.

          Mix the garlic slivers with salt, pepper and ginger, if using.  Pierce the meat in several places and fill the splits with garlic and spice mixture. Tie the meat with string.

 

          In a large saucepan, sauté the veal in the butter and olive oil until well browned and season sparingly with salt, freshly ground pepper.   Remove the meat from the saucepan, discard most of the fat and sauté the vegetables and apples for about 5 minutes

  

          Place the veal in the saucepan with the vegetables and apple, cook for 2-3 minutes and sprinkle with brandy, turning it over once or twice, until the alcohol evaporates.  Douse with the marinade and add some extra wine and meat stock, if necessary. It should cover half the way up the side of the meat.   Simmer very gently for 1-1 ½ hours, or until the meat is tender, turning it over every half hour and adding more liquid as necessary.   Remove the meat from the saucepan and keep hot.

  

         Strain the cooking liquid through a fine sieve, pressing on the vegetables to extract their juices.  Remove any fat and cook gently until the sauce has reduced to about 1½ -2 cups. Stir in the lemon juice.  Correct the seasoning, if needed.  It should not need any salt.

 

          Cut the string, carve the roast into slices and arrange, attractively, on a hot platter.   Moisten with sauce and pour the rest into a sauce-boat.   Serve with creamed potatoes and sautéed vegetables of your choice.

          Another version of this dish is to carve the pot roast and add thin slices of bland cheese (Kasseri or Gouda) in between, then moisten with sauce and place in moderately hot oven preheated to 190 C (375 F)  until the cheese melts.       A third version is to cover the meat slices with a tasty tomato sauce and serve with pasta and grated cheese.

(Serves 6-8)  

   SALAD WITH LETTUCE, CHERRY TOMATOES, AVOCADOS

   AND PINE NUTS

                          

          The dressing of this salad thickens and tastes like a mayonnaise.  It keeps well in the fridge for about 3 days.

1 large Cos lettuce, the inner tender leaves only, torn into bite-sized pieces

2 avocados, peeled, pitted, diced and drenched with lemon juice

12 cherry tomatoes, halved

½ cup pine nuts, roasted

Salad dressing

3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1-2 tbsp lemon juice

3 tbsp evaporated or fresh milk

½ tsp Dijon mustard

Salt and pepper to taste

           First whip all the ingredients for the dressing together, until it thickens.

In a large salad bowl place the lettuce, avocados and the cherry tomatoes, drizzle with dressing, sprinkle with the pine nuts, toss and serve.

(Serves 6)

  

LEMON SQUARES OR BARS

          Eddie Kotsis often makes this fabulous dessert for us, when we play bridge.

Crust:

240 g (8 oz) butter, at room temperature

100 g (½ cup) sugar

260 g (2 cups) all-purpose flour combined with a

Pinch of salt

Filling:

4 eggs

400 g (2 cups) sugar

The grated rind of 1 lemon 

50 g ( almost 2 oz) self-raising flour, sifted with

½ tsp baking powder

160 ml (ample 2/3 cup) lemon juice or according to taste

          For the crust, blend the ingredients until just combined.   Wrap and chill the dough for at least 30 minutes.  Meanwhile preheat the oven at 180 C.

          Roll the dough out thinly and line a 28 cm baking tin, prick with a fork all over, and chill for 15 minutes until firm.  Bake the pastry shell blind, for 20 minutes.

          In the meantime whip the eggs with the sugar and lemon zest until light, fluffy and almost doubled in bulk.  Gently fold in the flour and baking powder mixture and the lemon juice.

          Take the filling to the oven and pour it over the hot baked crust, and bake for 25-30 minutes more.  Serve sprinkled with icing sugar.

                             

     NEW YEAR’S CAKE

 Vassilopita

     This cake is usually prepared for New Year’s Day.   It is customary to insert a coin in the vassilopita, and whoever gets the coin has good luck all the year round.

600 g (4 cups) strong flour

1 tbsp dried yeast

180 ml (¾ cup) warm milk

4 eggs

180 g (¾ cup+ 2 tbsp) sugar

The freshly grated rind of 1 lemon

½ tsp mahleb seeds, crushed

½ tsp powdered mastic

125 g (½ cup) butter, at room temperature

1 tsp salt

1 egg beaten with 2 tbsp of water, and reserved

1-2 tbsp halved almonds

     Place all the ingredients (except the butter and salt) in a mixer and beat for 2-3 minutes. Then add the butter gradually, and the salt and beat until the dough is smooth and shiny.     Remove the dough from the mixer, cover it with a cloth and let it rise, in a warm place, until doubled in bulk.

     Punch the dough, nead it a little and place it in a deep, round baking dish, 30cm (12 in) in diameter.  Cover and let it prove for 30 minutes, until almost doubled in bulk.

     Brush the cake with the reserved beaten egg mixture and form the number of the year with the halved almonds.  Bake in an oven, preheated to 290 C (375 F) for about 45 minutes or until golden brown.   Don’t forget to insert the coin, folded in tin foil.

(Serves 12-14)