Smoked Salmon Pate Recipe

Christmas time is surely the season for Smoked salmon so I was delighted to receive this delicious recipe from fellow Tweeter, Bill King, today. After some Tweetery, I was delighted to meet Bill at Abergavenny on Sunday, full of enthusiasm for our vinegars and dressings. He left with a smile on his face and a bottle of our Lemon, Basil, Bay & Juniper, so I was keen to hear how he would use it...

Bill was a Local Government Officer who longed to be involved in food and was immensely keen on local food and quality ingredients. Cuts meant the chance to break free so, in anticipation, he went to Ballymaloe Cookery School, where "cooking is fun!" You can read about Bill's Ballymaloe experience on his blog, all 84 days of it, the highs the lows and the effect of being in the "Ballymaloe Bubble." Currently he is a "Freelance Foodie" (unemployed) but hoping to set up a deli - using his many local producer contacts and favourite ingredients with some in house production.

He is married to Janet who does not cook but enjoys food and indulges his foodie expeditions and expects to spend ages in a shop/stall whilst he discusses the product/ingredient and plan usage on the spot. Bill says that Janet's highest accolade is "YUM" whilst a 3* Michelin was rated "Alright"!!

Bill tells me that this recipe for Smoked Salmon Pate "really did lift the whole flavour sensation. I have used lemon juice in the past but found an amazing difference when the Lemon, Basil, Bay & Juniper dressing was substituted. Mrs K has just loaded a couple of homemade baguettes with the pate to feed a horde of ravenous midwives at their team meeting!" Can't be bad...

You can get a lot of pate from this recipe!

 

Smoked Salmon Pate

This richly indulgent pate has deep layers of taste and flavour and can be as coarse or fine as you like.

Ingredients

300g Smoked Salmon (I use Black Mountains Smokery for the deep smoke)

10 capers

2 small gherkins or cornichons, cut into slices

6 Black Peppercorns, crushed

3 Dessert spoons of Crème Fraiche

1 Dessert spoon of Womersley Lemon, Basil, Bay & Juniper Dressing

Method

Tear the Smoked Salmon into large-ish pieces and place into a food processor with the capers, black pepper and gherkins. Process to a coarse pate.

Add the Crème Fraiche and pulse.

Then add the Womersley Dressing and process to a finer pate – you should still have some small chunks of salmon.

Serve with Melba toast, crudités or pipe onto crackers or blinis.

The dressing has natural companions for smoked salmon – Lemon and Juniper and the Basil and Bay add subtle background notes – and balances the lovely oily, smoky taste. I have never needed to add any salt but Halen Mon Sea Salt would be my salt of choice.

For small presentations I garnish with a little grated Lemon Zest; in a larger dipping bowl I would put thin slices of Lemon and Cucumber around the bowl.

SAY CHEESE!

Here is something to look forward to in the New Year, a really great opportunity to learn a lot about cheese and wine from someone who really knows her stuff, Juliet Harbutt. This would make a great gift for that special food lover in your life, not least because Juliet also loves our jellies with her cheese!

Juliet's knowledge and expertise in food and wine, and in particular cheese, has been gained running the British and New Zealand Cheese Awards,  judging at Awards and events around the world plus as a restaurateur  in New Zealand, a food retailer in London and while researching for countless articles on food and especially her cheese books. You can find out more about her Masterclasses and more on the Cheeseweb site.

Turkish recipe by Hulya Erdal

After corresponding with Food Writer and chef, Hulya Erdal, for several months, we finally met earlier this year at IFE in London when Hulya got to taste all our flavours and walk off with a couple of bottles to play with.
Since then, Hulya has been experimenting with recipes using our Strawberry & Mint Vinegar dressing and I was delighted to receive this lovely idea recently. Hulya is justifiably so proud of this recipe that the picture for it appears on her home page.

Biography

Having spent years as a Marketeer and PR in the food sector, Hulya is now a lecturer and writer in food and culinary skills.  She contributes to many national publications including writing a regular weekly column on all things foodie.  Hulya runs her own catering business and gives private talks and demonstrations to those interested in learning how to eat well and create fabulous meals.  With a few TV appearances under her belt including Channel 4's all new Iron Chef UK, F-word and BBC One London News, Hulya's first and last passion will always be food!  

I love the range of Womersley vinegars and dressings, they are versatile and marry well with my Turkish infusion of cooking.  Why not try my Turkish filo parcel served with a baby leaf and pomegranate salad and Womersley strawberry and mint dressing. Eye catching but so simple, you're sure to impress all your friends!

Turkish Filo Parcel served with a Baby Leaf and Pomegranate salad and 

Womersley Strawberry & Mint Dressing 

Photo by Soley Mustafa, Courtesy of Hulya Erdal

You will need (serves 4):
1 pack of chilled filo pastry, most supermarkets sell them, try Jus Rol.

150g feta cheese or something similar

50g Ricotta cheese

100g Halloumi, grated

A few leaves of fresh mint, dried will do if you can't get fresh

A sprig of fresh parsley, curly leaf or flat leaf

75g melted butter

For the salad:
Lambs lettuce, baby leaf spinach and some pomegranate kernels

Olive oil   
Womersley Strawberry & Mint Dressing 

Equipment: 

4 ramekins and one similar size diameter pastry cutter, palette
knife

Preparation:

• Preheat the oven to 190ºC/Gas mark 5.

• Remove the filo pastry from the fridge and allow to come to room temperature for about half an hour. Meanwhile, grate the halloumi and finely chop the mint and parsley. Crumble the soft cheeses in a large bowl and then mix together all the cheese and herbs. Season with a little pepper but no salt as the cheese mixture has enough. 

• Set aside. 

• Melt the butter and set it aside.

• Take the pastry from it's pack and lay out flat. You'll find it will be 3 or 4 layers of pastry. Keep all the layers together for now, cut rounds in the pastry with the cutter.  You are aiming to have about 12 layers in total for each ramekin.

• Separate the layers out.

• Brush each ramekin with some melted butter. Now separate all the layers of rounds of pastry. 

• Place a sheet of pastry in each ramekin, brush the pastry then lay another sheet on top. Do this until you have six layers in each. 

• Now top each with some of the cheese and herb mixture.

• Repeat the process for the final six layers. Finish the top with more melted butter and if you like some toasted sesame seeds and nigella seeds.

• Now bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes until crisp, risen and golden.

• Whilst the borek bakes, make the salad by mixing the baby leaves in a bowl with the pomegranate kernels and then drizzle over a little olive oil and some of the delicious Womersley Strawberry & Mint dressing.

• Carefully lift each borek from the ramekin using a palette knife to tease it from the bottom. Place on individual dishes with a some salad, serve to your friends, smile with pride and enjoy!

You can Follow Hulya on Twitter at twitter.com/Madebythechef

Festive Recipes with Orange & Mace

Following the huge success of Sarah Finn's Cinder Toffee Recipe recently, Sarah visited us at BBC Good Food Show and went away armed with a bottle of our newest flavour, Orange and Mace. And this is the result of her enthusiasm, two new recipes for you. Sarah has lots more really lovely recipes and it is well worth checking her site for more.

If you would like to try using our Orange & Mace yourself, give us a call on 01132 865 855 to place an order and Sue or Wendy will help you.

Roast Stuffed Pork Loin with Orange & Mace

This recipe can be used on any white meat used within a joint of ham, gammon, pork or turkey.

Ingredients:

●       2 tbsp plain flour

●       1 tsp caraway seeds

●       1 tsp ground mustard

●       3/4 tsp salt

●       1/2 tsp sugar

●       2 tsp of Womersley Orange & Mace Dressing

●       1/4 tsp pepper

●       3 lbs boneless pork loin roast

Method:

1.      Spread stuffing mixture over surface of the pork (see recipe below).

2.      Starting with the smallest side of the meat (which should be in the shape of a rectangle).

3.      Roll up tightly and secure with kitchen string.

At this point you can wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate if you are making ahead.

4.      In a small bowl, combine the first six ingredients; rub over roast. In a large pan, heat oil; brown roast on all sides.

5.      Place on a rack in a shallow roasting tray.Sprinkle over Orange & Mace dressing.

6.      Bake, uncovered, at 325 degrees F for 1-1/2 hours or until a meat thermometer reads 160 degrees F.

7.      Let it stand for 10 minutes before slicing.

Walnut, Cranberry and Clementine Stuffing

A really gorgeous stuffing, baked on its own ( as a vegetarian option with cooked rice or quinoa instead of bread) or used within a joint of ham, gammon, pork or turkey.

Ingredients :

●       50g butter

●       2 parsnips, peeled and diced

●       1/4 tsp of grated nutmeg

●       1 tbsp of chopped fresh rosemary

●       100g cranberries (stoned & chopped) use dried if not available

●       Minced peel of one lemon

●       Minced peel of one clementine

●       3 tbsp chopped fresh parsley

●       300g bread, cubed (or try wholemeal, sourdough) always take off crusts and preferably a day old

●       1/4 tsp each salt and pepper or to taste

●       230g walnut pieces,

●       3 eggs

●       250 ml apple sauce

●       2 tsp of Womersley Orange & Mace Dressing

Method :

1.      Melt butter in a large frying pan over medium-high heat.

2.      Add the parsnips and nutmeg and cook until they are tender and browned, which should take about 8 minutes.

3.      Transfer them to a large bowl and add the rosemary, cranberries, parsley, clementines and bread.

4.      Season to taste with salt and pepper. Add the Orange & Mace Dressing.

5.      Beat the eggs and apple sauce together and toss in with the bread mixture and walnuts.

6.      Bake covered with foil, for 20 minutes then remove the foil and bake for another 20 minutes.