Light summer salad

As a light lunch for 3 or for 4 as starter

Ingredients
500g cooked organic beetroot
1 tablespoon sherry vinegar
50g curly kale leaves
70ml creme fraiche
2 teaspoons prepared horseradish
1 fennel bulb
100g sliced smoked halibut
1 lemon
4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper

Method

Cut the beetroot into thin segments and place in a bowl. Add 1 tablespoon sherry vinegar, 2 tablespoons olive oil, salt and pepper and leave to marinate.

Shave the fennel thinly on a mandolin or with a sharp knife and place in a bowl. Add 2 tablespoons olive oil, lemon juice to taste, salt and pepper. Leave this too to marinate.

Mix the creme fraiche with the horseradish, salt and pepper and set aside.

To serve, spoon some of the horseradish creme fraiche on the base of each plate. Top with the shaved fennel, followed by the beetroot.

Drape pieces of the smoked halibut around and top with the curly kale leaves. Drizzle over the dressing left from marinating the beetroot and serve.

 


Chilled Oysters with Caviar

This is perfect to serve as a canapé or serve 3 to 4 as a starter.

Ingredients
1 cucumber, cut into thin julienne
2 slices of smoked salmon, cut into thin julienne
2 shallots, finely chopped
12 sprigs of dill, finely chopped
375ml crème fraiche
salt and pepper
lemon juice, to taste
24 Gironde oysters
1 pot Avruga caviar

Method
Gently mix the julienne of cucumber and smoked salmon with the shallots and dill. Season the crème fraiche with salt and pepper, add just enough of the crème fraiche to bind the cucumber mixture. Add a little lemon juice to taste.

Open the oysters and clean the deep half shells. Place the shells on four oyster plates and fill with the cucumber and salmon mixture.

Place the oysters back in their shells and add a teaspoon of caviar to each. Serve immediately.

For an alternate presentation, or if you don’t have any oyster plates, serve the oysters on a bed of very fine julienne of carrots, leeks and beetroot.

We, the Amsterdam Flavours chefs, hope you enjoy this recipe as much as we do. If you have any questions on how to prepare it or just want to send us your feedback, you can reach us here Contact Amsterdam Flavours


Egg en cocotte

Serves 2

Ingredients
50 g samphire
knob of butter
125 ml crème fraiche
50 g grated Parmesan
2 free range organic eggs
2 thick slices white or whole meal bread
salt and pepper

Method
Preheat the oven to 180 °C. Place the roasting tray in the oven and half fill with hot water. Bring a small pan of water to the boil and cook the samphire for 1 minute. Drain off the water and leave in the colander.

Grease 2 ramekins or oven-proof cups with butter and divide the samphire between them.

Beat the crème fraiche to loosen and season with salt and pepper. Spoon into the ramekins, grind over some pepper and sprinkle over half the cheese.

Press lightly with the back of a spoon to create a ‘crater’ and carefully break in the eggs, ensuring the yolk stays intact. Sprinkle over the remaining cheese.

Place the ramekins in the roasting tray filled with hot water and cook 8-10 minutes for soft cooked or 20 minutes for hard cooked.

Toast the white or whole wheat bread until golden brown and cut into ‘soldiers’ (strips). Serve the eggs cocotte with the toast soldiers.

We, the Amsterdam Flavours chefs, hope you enjoy this recipe as much as we do. If you have any questions on how to prepare it or just want to send us your feedback, you can reach us here Contact Amsterdam Flavours