♥︎Skrei & leek

For ➍

4 pieces of skrei (180-200 g each)

3 leeks 

1 shallot 

20 cl oat cream 

10 cl white wine saffron 

1 tbs olive oil 

20 g butter 

salt & pepper 

Peel the leeks and cut them into pieces. Melt the butter and oil in a sauté pan. Add the chopped shallot. Simmer for 2 m without browning. Add the leeks and let them melt for 10-12 m. Deglaze with white wine and reduce for 2-3 m. 

Add the oat cream and saffron. Mix and simmer gently for 5 m. 

Add the leeks to the sauce. 

Cover and simmer for 8-10 m over low heat. 

Do not boil again after adding the fish. The fish should remain pearly.

♥︎Crunchy tofu with paksoi, leek & mushrooms

For ➍ 

400 g tofu 

marinade: 

4 tbs soy sauce 

4 tbs maple syrup 

1 tbs fresh ginger 

2 cloves garlic 

2 ts sesame oil 

2 ts tap water 

2 ts cornflour 

1 ts Sichuan spices 

wok: 

250 g wok noodles 

300 g paksoi 

2 cloves garlic 

2 shallots or 1 (red) onion 

2 spring onions 

1 stalk leek 

250 g mushrooms 

100 g peanuts or cashews 

½ bunch fresh coriander 

4 tbs fried onions optional, to finish [not heart-friendly]

peanut oil 

salt & pepper 

wok sauce: 

2 tbs soy sauce 

2 ts rice vinegar or balsamic vinegar 

2 ts sesame oil 

Cut the block of tofu lengthwise. Place the slices of tofu on a clean kitchen towel. Fold the towel closed and squeeze out the moisture. Place a weight on top and let it drain for a while. In the meantime, finely grate the garlic and ginger. Combine all the ingredients for the marinade in a mixing bowl. Remove the tofu from under the weight and cut into cubes of 2 cm. Mix with the marinade and make sure all the cubes are well covered. Put  in the refrigerator. 

Cook the wok noodles until al dente. Cook for 1 m less than indicated on the packaging (the noodles will continue to cook in the wok for a while). Save a cup of the cooking liquid to finish the sauce later. Finely chop the shallot and garlic. Cut the leek into fine rings, the pak choi into coarser pieces. Cut the mushrooms into strips. Finely chop the peanuts and coriander. Put everything to one side. Heat a generous dash of peanut oil in a (wok) pan on a high heat. Fry the tofu cubes on all sides until golden brown and crispy. Then remove them from the pan and set aside. Reuse the mixing bowl from the tofu marinade and mix all the ingredients for the wok sauce in it. Set aside. Heat a little new oil in the pan in which you fried the tofu on a medium to high heat. Add the shallot and garlic and fry. Then add the leek, pak choi and mushrooms and fry for a few minutes. Then add the cooked wok noodles. Mix well. Finally, add the wok sauce and a cup of the cooking water from the noodles. Mix well and season with salt and pepper. Serve the wok together with the fried tofu. Finish with fresh coriander, peanuts and fried onions(optional).

Roast pumpkin soup with walnuts & herb oil

For ➏ 

1 kg pumpkin, such as kabocha 

400 g sweet potatoes, unpeeled 

15 cl olive oil 

5 g sage leaves 

1 red chilli, thinly sliced on an angle (10 g) 

1 leek, trimmed & cut into 2mm rounds (200 g) 

1 large onion, peeled & roughly chopped (240 g) 

10 g piece fresh ginger, peeled & julienned 

fine sea salt 

½ ts smoked paprika 

½ ts ground coriander 

2 small potatoes (200 g) 

60 g walnuts 

1½ tbs maple syrup 

10 g coriander leaves, finely chopped 

10 g parsley leaves, finely chopped 

1 ts finely grated lemon zest 

Heat the oven to 220° C (200° C fan)/425F/gas 7. Put the whole pumpkin and sweet potatoes on a baking tray lined with greaseproof paper and roast, turning once halfway, for an hour, until soft and golden. Remove and turn down the oven to 180° C (160° C fan)/350F/gas 4. Once they’re cool enough to handle, use a metal spoon to peel off the pumpkin and sweet potato skins, and to scoop out the pumpkin seeds. Meanwhile, put 80ml olive oil in a small saucepan on a medium heat, then add the sage leaves and fry for about 2 m, until deeply green. Use a slotted spoon to lift out the sage, transfer to a sheet of kitchen paper and leave to crisp up. Add the chilli to the hot oil, fry, stirring occasionally, for about 2 m, until deeply red, then transfer to the kitchen paper alongside the sage. 

Transfer the hot oil to a large saucepan on a medium heat, add the leek, onion, ginger and three teaspoons of salt, and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 m, until soft and translucent. Add the smoked paprika and ground coriander, cook for a minute, until fragrant, then add the cooked pumpkin and sweet potato flesh, and 1.6 litres of water. Peel and grate the potatoes on to a chopping board, then add to the soup before they discolour. Bring the soup to a boil, then turn down the heat and simmer for 15 m. While the soup is cooking, make the nut brittle. Line a small baking tray with greaseproof paper, top with the walnuts, maple syrup and a quarter-teaspoon of salt, and toss to coat. Roast, stirring once halfway, for about 10 m, until toasted and golden brown, then remove, sprinkle the fried sage and chilli on top, toss to combine and leave to cool. 

Once the nut mix is cool, scrunch up the paper to crush the brittle into smaller pieces. Make the herb oil by combining the coriander, parsley, lemon zest, remaining 70 ml oil and a quarter-ts of salt in a small bowl. Once the soup has cooked, take off the heat and blitz with a stick or regular blender until smooth and velvety. Add a splash more water to loosen, if need be, then divide between six bowls. Scatter the maple walnut brittle on top and serve drizzled with the herb oil.

Fen'neru miso (fennel miso with ginger)

For ➍

2 tbs vegetable oil

500 g fennel bulbs, finely sliced

1 carrot, in thin sticks

white of 2 leeks, in rings

2 potatoes, peeled, diced

2.5 cm piece of fresh ginger, finely chopped

1 garlic clove, finely chopped

½ small green chilli peppers, sliced

1 small red chilli pepper, sliced

1 ts fennel seeds, crushed

salt

3 tbs red miso paste with barley

1.5 l dashi stock*

150 g watercress, chopped + extra for garnish

5 snow peas, halved

1 tbs lemon juice, freshly squeezed

Heat the oil in a large soup pot over medium heat. Add the fennel, carrot, leek and potatoes and fry the vegetables for a few minutes, until they are soft. Stir in the ginger, garlic, chillies, and fennel seeds. Season with salt and let everything cook on low heat for 10 m.

Dissolve the miso in 1.2 dl of boiling dashi stock.

Stir the miso mixture and remaining stock into the soup.

Let the soup simmer for 15-20 m, until the potatoes are soft. Add the watercress and snow peas. Boil gently for another 3 m.

Add the lemon juice to the soup.

Ladle the soup into bowls.

Garnish with additional watercress and serve the soup hot.

*Use chicken or mushroom stock

Seared tuna on risotto with samphire & tomatoes

For ➋

tuna:

1 lime (juice only) 

1 garlic clove (peeled & crushed)  

2 tbs olive oil      

sea salt & pepper (freshly ground) 

2 x 200 g tuna steaks

risotto:  

2 tbs olive oil 

200 g risotto rice

50 g leek, chopped  

20 cl white wine  

80 c fish fumet    

sea salt & pepper (freshly ground) 

10 cherry tomatoes  

150 g samphire 

1 tbs Parmigiano

1 lime (quartered)

Mix together the lime juice, garlic, olive oil and salt & pepper in a shallow dish. Add the tuna and turn over several times to coat in the marinade. Place in the refrigerator until required.

Heat the fish fumet.

Heat some olive oil. Add the leek. Cover and cook mildly on moderate heat for 10-15 m. 

Add the rice until coated in the oil.

Slowly add the wine, and stir it through the rice.

Add most of the fumet. Cover and cook on moderate heat for 10-15 m, depending on the rice. Add some more fumet if needed.

Meanwhile, half the cherry tomatoes, and bake them in some oil.

Bring some of the fumet to boil and cook the samphire for 2-3 m.

When the risotto is soft and creamy, add 1 tbs Parmigiano. Add the tomatoes and samphire. Cover and let stand for 1 m. Spoon the risotto on plates

Bake or grill the tuna for 1 m on each side. Cut the tuna in nice slices and add to the plates. Serve immediately with quartered lime.

Scallops with lemon butter

For ➍

12 scallops

2 leek stems,

olive oil

pepper & salt

1 bunch of flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped

1 lemon in wedges for finishing * 

lemon butter: 

250 g butter, soft, 1 small red pepper without seeds, finely chopped

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped or pressed

grated zest of 2 untreated lemons

Mix the ingredients for the lemon butter together. Make a rolled sausage in cellophane. Place in the refrigerator or freezer to stiffen.

Clean leek stems. Cut lengthwise. Cut into strips. Steam 6 m. Add salt and pepper. 

Pat the scallops dry with kitchen paper. Heat 1 tbs olive oil in the pan. Fry scallops 2 m on 1 side and 1 m on the other side. Add lemon butter slices. Spoon the melting butter over the scallops. 

Arrange the leek strips on plates, top with 3 scallops per plate, spoon lemon butter over it. Finish with parsley and lemon slices*.

*Optional