Smoked trout with oyster mushrooms

For ➋

200 g smoked trout / or trout fillets*

½ bunch chives

piece of ginger / 1-2 ts ginger powder

150 g rice

150 g oyster mushrooms

2.5 tbs sunflower oil

4 tbs soy sauce

½ tbs chili sauce

Preheat the oven to 200 °C. Cook the rice according to the package instructions.

Peel the ginger and cut into 3 cm matchsticks. Place the fish on a piece of aluminum foil and distribute the ginger over it. Fold the package closed and place on a baking sheet or rack. Cook the fish for 6 to 8 m in the (preheated) oven.*

Slice the oyster mushrooms.

In the meantime, fry the oyster mushrooms in half of the sunflower oil for approx. 3 m. Mix with half of the soy sauce and the chili sauce and fry for another 1 m.

Finely chop the chives. Place the fish on a plate and scatter the chives over it. Heat the remaining half of the sunflower oil in a small pan until the oil starts to smoke. Pour the hot oil, along with the rest of the soy sauce, over the chives on the fish. Serve the fish with the oyster mushrooms and some rice.

*Or rub the trout fillets with a light seasoning made from ½ tbsp oil and 2 ts ginger powder. Microwave for 1 m in a closed container.

Couscous & veal shank

For ➍
1 kg veal shank
500 g couscous
1 large sweet onion
150 g chickpeas, soaked or canned
1 butternut squash
2 carrots
1 zucchini
1 l chicken stock
1.5 cinnamon stick
1 tbs ginger powder or ras-el-hanout
1 ts turmeric (or a few strands of saffron)
2 tbs butter or good smen

Cut the rind of the shank pieces to avoid curling.
Peel the onions and chop coarsely. Sauté them in a dash of olive oil at the bottom of the couscoussière or large casserole. Add the veal shank and 1 tbs of butter. Allow to simmer without browning.
Sprinkle the couscous in a large bowl and add a pinch of salt. Pour 1 tbs of olive oil over the couscous and mix the grains well together so they do not stick together.
Add the lukewarm water until the grains are well wet, but not dripping. Allow 5 to 7 m to dry. Rub  the couscous loose between the hands so that the grains are detached from each other. Or make couscous according to instructions on the box *.
Season the meat with the cinnamon stick, saffron, ginger powder, pepper and salt. Deglaze the veal shanks with the stock and simmer for 10 m.
Cut the carrots in pieces of 5 cm. Add the carrots. Peel the butternut squash and cut into pieces of 5 by 5 cm. Add the pumpkin. Add the chickpeas (if canned or jar, add 10 m before the end of cooking). Simmer again for 10 m. Add zucchini.
Full cooking time: ± 1h (possibly slightly shorter for the vegetables).
[Meanwhile steam the couscous. Put the grains in the steam basket of the couscousière and place on top of the pot with the meat. Let stand until the couscous is visible through the steam of the dish.
Remove the couscous from the steamer and sprinkle lightly with water. Rub the couscous loose again in the hands. Repeat this process two more times.]
Before serving, add 1 tbs of butter to the couscous.
Serve the couscous in a large bowl with the meat on top. Dress the chickpeas, onion and butternut and vegetables around the veal shanks and pour over a few spoonfuls of the sauce.

Montezuma chocolate cocktail

For ➋ (large)- ➍(medium)
60 cl milk
75 g plain chocolate
pinch allspice
pinch powdered ginger
1 tbs honey
7.5 cl rum
5 cl eau de vie de marc or brandy
rind ½ lemon, grated

Heat the milk gently with the chocolate, spices and honey.  When the chocolate has melted, leave to cool. Pour the milk into a cocktail shaker, add rum and brandy/eau de vie de marc, and grated lemon rind. Shake well.
Refrigerate.*
Shake again before serving.

*Serve it warm, without cooling. Don't shake,but blend.

A cold grog variation on Mexican spiced hot cocoa.