Salmon fillet with beech mushrooms & green risotto

For ➍ 

150 g white & 150 g brown beech mushrooms (shimeji mushrooms) 

4 pieces  salmon with skin

300 g risotto rice

1 l stock

1 tsp turmeric 

100 g frozen peas 

1 bunch parsley or chervil, finely chopped 

2 tbs ground Parmigiano 

1 shallot 

olive oil 

3 lumps butter 

1 onion, cut 

5 cloves of garlic, sliced 

Fry the onion and 2 cloves of garlic in the oil for a few m. Add the rice and make sure it is well mixed with the oil. Extinguish with a dash of wine and let the alcohol evaporate. Add the stock, pepper and turmeric and simmer under the lid over a low heat for 15 m. Add the frozen peas and let it cook for a further 5 m. Add the finely chopped parsley or chervil along with the cheese and the knob of butter to the rice, heat well and season if necessary. 

Cut the feet of the beech mushrooms because they are tough, but use the stems. Heat the oil and fry the shallot and 3 cloves of garlic. Add the mushrooms and cook for 5 m. Add pepper and salt.

Season the salmon with salt and pepper. Heat the oil with the butter and fry the salmon skin side down in the pan for a few m. Brown the salmon briefly and firmly on the other side. The salmon can still be pink on the inside, but salmon that has been baked for too long is dry. 

Spoon rice in a deep plate, then dress the salmon and mushrooms. Finish with parsley, chervil and possibly violets.

Waterzooi van hondshaai & saffraan (saffron waterzooi of dogfish)

For ➍
600 g dogfish, cut into 5 cm pieces [or firm white fish like cod]
1 l fumet*
2 stalks leek
4 stalks celery
1 fennel
3 onions
2 cloves garlic
1 tbs olive oil
3 sprigs thyme
3 laurel leaves
4 capsules saffron powder (or threads)
a splash vermouth​
15 cl cream**
1 tbs soft butter***
1 tbs flour***
a few twigs chervil
sourdough bread
pepper & salt

Heat the fish fumet.
Clean the leek, celery and fennel and cut them into rough pieces.
Peel the onions and cut them roughly.
Peel the garlic, press into pulp.
Heat the olive oil in a large pan. Fry the onions. Add the leek, celery and fennel. Simmer for a while. Add the garlic pulp.
Put the pieces of fish on the vegetables.
Add the thyme, laurel and saffron. Mix carefully, add a splash of vermouth.
Pour the hot fumet over the fish. Add the cream.**
Add freshly ground pepper and salt.
Let the waterzooi boil on a gentle fire for about 5 m.
Knead the butter and the flour into an even mixture.***
Stir some of the mixture under the cooking liquid to bind the sauce.*** [ Add some more if necessary].***
Continue to simmer for another 10 to 15 m.
Check a piece of fish whether it is done.
Sprinkle with soms chervil. Serve with sourdough bread.

*Use less if you want a thicker sauce without butter or flour.*** Be sure the fish is covered with liquid.
**Use soy replacement product to avoid real cream.
***Omit if you want. Make the sauce thicker by reducing the amount of fumet. See (*).

Chickpea salad with hummus dressing

For ➍
500 g dried chickpeas
2 garlic cloves
some bay leaves
a few sprigs of thyme
salt
cayenne pepper
cumin powder
turmeric
1 red onion
red wine vinegar
1 red pepper
1 cucumber
2 avocados
6 lettuce hearts
olive oil
pepper
400 g feta cheese
½ bunch chervil
½ bunch parsley
½ bunch coriander
200 g black olives
3 ts tahini (sesame paste)
2 egg yolks
2 ts mustard
2 cup peanut oil
3 tbs yogurt
½ lemon
3 tbs

Let the chickpeas overnight soak in water.
Drain the chickpeas. Put them in a saucepan with water. Top with the crushed and peeled garlic, a few bay leaves and thyme sprigs on. Season with salt, cayenne pepper, cumin and turmeric. Bring to boil.
Meanwhile, make the salad. Peel and halve the red onion. Cut into half rings. Make the rings apart and put them in a large bowl.
Sprinkle the onions with red wine vinegar. Let marinate while you cut the rest of the vegetables.
Peel the peppers and remove seeds and seeds. Cut the flesh into strips.
Cut the cucumber into cubes.
Peel the avocados and cut the flesh into cubes.
Add the bell pepper, cucumber and avocado red onion.
Heat a grill pan over high heat.
Clean the lettuce hearts clean and halve them. Brush with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Grill them in the hot pan. The lettuce hearts must be undercooked. Add them to the rest of the vegetables.
Spoon ¾ of the al dente cooked chickpeas out of the water and rinse immediately under cold running water. Drain in a colander. Let the remaining chickpeas continue cooking until they are cooked through.
Mix the cooled chickpeas with the rest of the vegetables. Crumble in the feta. Pull the leaves of the coriander, chervil and parsley. Put the herbs together with the olives from the rest of the vegetables.
Drain the rest of the chickpeas. Catch the cooking liquid. Fish the thyme and bay between the chickpeas.
Put the chickpeas with the garlic in the blender. Add a few tbs of cooking water and tahini to it. Season with salt, cayenne, turmeric and cumin powder. Mix until hummus and allow full
cooling down.
Put the egg yolks in a cup with mustard and a dash of water. Pour into a fine stream the oil and mix with a hand blender until mayonnaise.
Mix the yogurt, lemon juice and a portion of the home-made by hummus. Flavour* with tahini or extra cumin.
Serve the salad with hummus dressing.

*Optional

Pearl barley risotto with pheasant & beer

For ➍
200 g pearl barley (hata mugi)
1 shallot , chopped
70 cl chicken stock
1 dash of white wine
100 g dried wild mushrooms, soaked in water
½ lemon, zest
4 pheasant fillets
20 cl Double Postel beer
250 g oyster mushrooms, cut into strips
2 handfuls of fresh herbs (parsley , tarragon , chervil , ... ), chopped
butter
olive oil
pepper & salt

The pearl barley is cooked like a risotto, named orzotto. Stew a minced shallot in a little olive oil. Add the pearl barley. Deglaze with the white wine and a splash of chicken stock. Cook on a low heat for 20 m. Check if there is still enough liquid. Add stock if necessary.
Pour in the liquid from the soaked mushrooms for extra flavour. Chop the mushrooms finely and add at the very end. Add grated lemon zest for freshness. Season with salt and pepper. Keep the risotto warm.
Fry the pheasant fillets in a little butter on both sides. The meat should still be pink. Season with salt and pepper. Further, let yarn in a preheated oven at 160°C for 15 m.
Make the sauce. Drain excess fat from the pan and deglaze with the Double Postel. Get the bakings loose and pour the rest of the chicken stock over it. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Bring the sauce to a boil.
Remove the meat from the oven, cover and leave to rest for a while.
Fry the sliced mushrooms in oil. Season with salt and pepper and add the spring onions. Let yarn on a low heat for a few m.
Serve the risotto with fresh herbs.

Double Postel beer is a Belgian brown abbey beer with a hint of Eastern spices. A good brown or red beer will do.
Read the tip on cooking risotto.

Harengs pommes à l'huile (French smoked herring & potato salad)

For ➌-➍
1 very small onion, finely diced
¼ ts sea salt
1 tbs strong Dijon-style mustard
1 ts lemon juice
500 g small new potatoes, evenly sized, about 8, scrubbed but not peeled
2 tbs extra virgin olive oil
200 g deboned fillets of smoked herring ('harengs doux'), cut into bite-size pieces*
a small bunch of chervil (substitute parsley or coriander), roughly chopped

In a medium salad bowl, combine the onion, salt, mustard and lemon juice. Let rest to take the edge off the onion.
Place the potatoes in a pan of (unsalted) water. Cover, bring to a low boil, and cook for 12 m, or until cooked through and tender (test with the tip of a knife). Drain and let rest until just cool enough to handle, then slice into 1.5 cm rounds.
Whisk the olive oil into the onion mixture. Add the potatoes and toss to coat. Add the fish and herbs. Stir gently to combine.
Serve immediately for a warm salad; any leftovers can be eaten cold the next day, with the optional addition of lettuce.

*When too salty, soak the fillets overnight in milk or water. Put on a rack, so the fish doesn't touch the bottom to avoid getting more discarded salt. Drain, rinse and dry.
Or marinate the herrings for 30 m in oil, ½ sliced carrot, 1 chopped shallot, coriander, herbes de Provens and 1 bay leave to tenderise them. Dress the plates with a layer of potatoes. Add a layer of fish or complete fillets.

Try the cold Flemish variant of the recipe.

Halibut with chervil crust

For ➍
1 large halibut (or cod) fillet (600 g) or 4 individual portions
2 tbs chopped fresh chervil
6 walnuts, finely ground or crushed
2 tbs ground breadcrumbs
coarse sea salt & freshly ground black pepper
olive oil
1 lime (or lemon)

Preheat the oven to 180°C.
Chop the chervil with a knife or in a food processor. Crush the breadcrumbs in a mortar, or in a food processor. Same for the nuts.
Mix in a bowl, with salt and pepper. Pour some olive oil in to make a nice paste.
Cover the fish with the paste.
Bake for approximately 30 m in the oven.
Squeeze half a lemon over it. Serve with a salad or dried tomatoes and some rice.

Egyptian tomato salad

For ➍
1 shallot, peeled
1 clove garlic, peeled
3-4 tbs olive oil
salt & pepper
5 medium-sized vine tomatoes (approx. 750g altogether)
good squeeze of lemon juice
sea salt
1 tbs freshly chopped chervil

Chop the shallot and garlic finely (or just blitz to a pulp in a processor). Put in a small bowl with the oil, a pinch of salt and a grinding of pepper, and leave to steep.

Meanwhile, blanch the tomatoes. Put them in a large bowl. Pour boiling water over them so that they are hotly submerged. Leave for 5 m then tip into a colander and run under cold water.

Using a sharp knife, peel off the skins. Cut into slices (0.5 cm)

Arrange the tomatoes in a dish and pour over the dressing. Mix well. Let rest for a few h.

When ready to eat, turn them to coat, squeeze over some lemon juice, and sprinkle with sea salt and 1 tbs of freshly chopped chervil.

Serve at room temperature.

Monkfish in gueuze

For ➍
800 g monkfish
1 stalk leek, chopped
1 stalk celery, chopped
1 onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, chopped
35 cl gueuze*
50 g butter
1 sprig thyme, chopped
1 ts parsley, chopped
1 ts chervil, chopped
(sea) salt & (freshly ground black) pepper

Cut the fish in chunks.

Melt the butter in a skillet, large enough to hold all of the fish. Add the leek, celery and onion and fry lightly.

Add the fish. Brown lightly.

Add salt, pepper, garlic and thyme.

Add gueuze and let simmer for 15 m.

Add parsley and chervil.

Lift fish out, keep warm.

Filter sauce and thicken a bit.

Serve with steamed potatoes. Drink a good gueuze with it.

Belgian gueuze (or geuze) is a slightly sour beer, traditionally brewed around Brussels. Mort subite, 'sudden death', is one of the most famous gueuze breweries, best drunk at the Brussels' café with the same name. (The name comes from the swift final step in a card game, popular at the café in the 1920's, when it was visited by civil servants from the nearby Belgian National Bank).

More monkfish recipes: monkfish with samphire.