Smoked salmon & pea lemon risotto

For ➋-➌ 

2 tbs extra virgin olive oil, plus extra for drizzling 

1 small onion, finely chopped 

1 garlic clove, crushed 

200 g Arborio rice 

10 cl dry white wine 

80 cl fish stock 

1 mug (120-150 g) frozen peas, defrosted 

125 g smoked salmon 

1 lemon, zest & juice 

small bunch dill, finely chopped* 

freshly ground black pepper 

1 tbs cream cheese or mascarpone****

  

Heat the oil in a heavy-based frying pan placed over a medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook for 3–4 m, until soft but not coloured. 

 Add the rice and stir well to coat in the oil. Cook for 2 m, stirring frequently. Pour in the wine and cook until it’s almost all evaporated. 

Add a ladleful of stock and stir until the liquid is absorbed completely.** 

Gradually add the remaining stock a ladleful at a time, stirring until all the liquid has absorbed before adding more. This should take around 18–20 m. ** 

Add the peas with the final ladleful of stock and allow them to heat through.*** 

 Once the stock is absorbed and the rice is tender but still has a little bite, stir in the smoked salmon, lemon zest, juice and dill. ****

Drizzle over a little olive oil, season with pepper and serve. 

*When using dried dill, mix a heaped tbs with 1 tbs olive oil, and let it stand for 10 m. Mix with salmon, to spread the taste

**Use an alternative easier method.

***When using g the alternative, drop in the peas 5 m before the rice is ready.

****[Stir if wanted 1 tbs cream cheese or mascarpone through the lemon juice and lemon zest].

Cod with spinach, shallots, smoked salmon & Blanche du Hainaut

For ➋

800 g cod fillets 

4 tbs olive oil 

15 cl Dupont Blanche, Hainaut white beer

500 g spinach 

4 shallots, chopped 

100 g butter 

100 g smoked salmon, cubed

400 g potatoes 

1 bunch of chives 

25 cl fresh cream 

1 egg

Bake the cod fillets slightly in olive oil. Bake for 10 m in the oven at 180 ° C. 

Deglaze with white beer and simmer for 1 m.. 

Meanwhile, stew the spinach leaves cooked and shallots briefly in 50 g of butter . Add the smoked salmon into cubes increased. 

Boil and mash the potatoes. Add a bunch of chopped chives and warm cream to the puree.  Mix well and season with salt and pepper, then add the egg and 50 grams of butter.

Serve.

Quiche with fennel & smoked salmon

For ➍

150 g smoked Atlantic salmon strips 

1 fennel 

200 g snack tomatoes 

1 roll puff pastry 

100 grated Emmenthal cheese 

1 dl milk 

4 eggs 

1 tbs butter 

1 ts dill black pepper & salt 

140 g arugula, lamb's lettuce, beetroot 

2 tbs olive oil 

1 tbs white wine vinegar

Cut the fennel in 2. Remove the hard core and cut into strips.

Cut the snack tomatoes into 2.

Preheat the oven to 180 ° C.

Melt the butter in a pan and stew the fennel for 5 m. Season with salt and pepper.

Break the eggs and mix in the milk. Season with salt and pepper.

Place the puff pastry with baking paper in a cake tin. Press the edges well and remove the excess dough. Prick the pastry base several times with a fork.

Divide the fennel over the puff pastry and sprinkle with the grated cheese. Divide the salmon strips over it and cover with the egg mixture. Place the halved tomatoes on top, cut side up. Sprinkle with the dill and place 45 m in the preheated oven.

Mix the olive oil with the white wine vinegar and season with salt and pepper. Mix into the salad mix.

Cut the quiche into wedges and serve with the salad.

London smoked eel sandwich

For ➊
1 slice of sourdough bread
butter
30-40 g fillet of smoked eel*
1 heaped ts of horseradish cream
Dijon mustard
¼ small red onion, peeled & thinly sliced
2 tbs white wine vinegar
a good pinch of sugar

Dissolve the sugar in the vinegar. Steep the sliced onion in the pickle and let stand for 1 h.
Warm a grilling pan over a gentle heat. Lay the sour dough on the grill and brown nicely.
Cut the eel fillet into 3 largish pieces.
Butter the toasted side of the sour dough. Cut this in half and spread with Dijon mustard.
Lay on the eel and then the horseradish cream. Lay on the other piece of toast and return to the grill.
Allow the sandwich to brown, then flip and cook similarly on the other side.
Put on a plate and heap the drained pickle alongside.
Serve immediately.

*Replace with smoked trout or mackerel fillet. Or even smoked halibut.

Fennel & blood orange salad

For ➌
4 tbs hazelnuts or walnuts
1 medium-large fennel bulb, leaves and stems trimmed off
salt & freshly ground black pepper
juice of 1 lemon
2 large blood oranges (or any orange* or grapefruit*)
1 small shallot, peeled and cut into paper-thin slices
10 mint leaves
2 tbs extra-virgin olive oil
1 ts lime zest

Place nuts in dry skillet and cook over medium heat, stirring, to toast. Let cool. If using hazelnuts, roll them around in a dishcloth (or, if cool enough, in your hands), discarding any loose skins. Coarsely chop nuts. Set aside. (Add some walnut oil for toasting*).
Slice about 1 cm from bottom of fennel and discard. Slice fennel very thinly on a mandoline, or with a knife, starting with flat bottom side. Toss in serving bowl with salt, pepper and lemon juice. (Add a drop of Pernod)*.
Trim all peel and pits from oranges. Holding peeled fruit over bowl containing fennel, use sharp knife to cut sections from membrane and let them drop into bowl. Squeeze remaining membrane over bowl to sprinkle salad with remaining juice, and discard membrane. Add shallots, mint leaves, olive oil and reserved nuts and toss gently. Sprinkle with lime zest.
Serve a a salad or as a side dish to smoked salmon or grilled fish fillets.
Leftovers can be served a day later.

*Optional.

The fennel trick here is to shave it thinly and toss it with lemon juice and salt, it’s licorice vibe is neutralized, leaving just the refreshing part.

Aardappelsalade met gerookte haring (Flemish potato salad with smoked herring)

For ➍
600 g new potatoes
½ lemon, juice & zest
1 tbs good wine vinegar
3 tbs olive oil
2 tbs capers
1 ts horseradish relish or 1.5 cm fresh* horseradish
15 cl full cream
1 bunch dill
1 bunch radishes
300 g smoked fish fillets, smoked herring or trout or mackerel
some watercress or purslane (optional).

Scrub the potatoes under running water.
Boil them unpeeled in salted water.
When the potatoes are done, drain and cut into 2 (or 4 if big). Mix them, when they are still hot, with the vinegar, olive oil, capers and a squeeze of lemon juice.
Cut the radishes into thin slices, chop the dill and pull the smoked fish into pieces. Mix with the potatoes and season with pepper and some salt.
Whip the cream. When the cream is stiff, add pepper, salt, grated zest of ½ lemon and horseradish (add 1 ts horseradish from a jar, grate about 1.5 cm fresh horseradish).
Serve the salad with some watercress or purslane and a generous scoop of cream.

This is a re-creation of a classic recipe from an inexpensive workers' restaurant in Ghent. The original recipe might have been inspired by the classic French hors d'oeuvre harengs pommes à l'huile.

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.

Smoked trout & endives bites

For ➍
150 g smoked trout fillets
2 tbs cream cheese or mascarpone**
2 endives

Mash the fillets. Keep some flakes of fish in the mash.

Add the cream cheese and mix into an almost smooth paste.

(Refrigerate for 30 m.)*

Cut the end of the endives.

Tear leaves of the endives.

Fill each petal with a ts of the mix. Cut in half.

(Decorate with parsley or a small cube of tomato.)*

Serve immediately with drinks.***

*Optional.
**Add more for a smoother taste. Add a pitch of horse radish for a spicier taste.
***The endives will turn brown when put aside. Sprinkle with lemon juice to avoid browning.

Try a salad of the same mix.

Oeufs brouillés (French scrambled eggs)

For ➊
2 very fresh eggs
1 tbs cold & unsalted butter
salt & pepper
chervil
a few chunks of fresh baguette
a split garlic clove

Separate the eggs. Break up the whites a little with a fork. Melt half the butter in the saucepan over medium-low heat.

Pour in the egg whites, and cook, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon over low heat, until they start to stick to the sides of the pan. Keep stirring, scraping up what sticks to the sides and bottom, until the whites turn into swirls of white, like a blizzard.

Add the yolk and keep cooking just a bit longer until they hold together, but are not overly set.

Remove from the heat and beat in the remaining butter until glossy. Season with salt and pepper. Let stand for 1 m. *

Toast some baguette and rub with fresh split garlic clove.

Spill eggs into a beautiful pile in a soup plate. Sprinkle with chervil. Serve the baguette toasts on the side.** Pour a glass of Brouilly or a Sancerre white wine at room temperature.

*The process could be performed in a preheated bain-marie pan to avoid burning. Serve in a large glass with chervil as decoration.
**Serve with a torn slice of Bayonne ham; slightly warm,o. Or serve with warm asparagus, smoked or fresh salmon.

Read more scrambled eggs recipes: slow cooked eggs with rosemary, microwave scrambled eggs.

Cucumber mayonnaise

For ➍
1 medium cucumber
salt
6 heaped tbs good mayonnaise
½ ts smooth Dijon mustard
2 spring onions
1 ts capers
3 sprigs of mint
splash of tarragon vinegar

Peel the cucumber, removing only the tough outer part of the peel, leaving the outside still bright green.

Slice thickly down its length and then cut each slice into small dice. Put in a colander in the sink and scatter salt over. Leave for 30 m.

Put the mayonnaise in a medium-sized mixing bowl. Add the mustard and a grinding of sea salt and black pepper.

Discard the tough parts and the roots from the spring onions, then slice the rest into fine rings. Add to the mayonnaise with the capers and the roughly chopped leaves from the sprigs of mint.

Stir the cucumber into the mayonnaise. Add a ts or 2 of tarragon vinegar.

Serve as a dressing for smoked fish or as a sandwich* filling.

*Use the best white bread. Discard the crusts. Cut into attractive shapes like wedges or batons.

Witloofsla (endives' salad)

For ➊
1 endive, sliced*
½ apple, peeled & cubed
1 tbs mayo**
1 ts horseradish cream***
75 g smoked trout fillet****
½ lemon juice

Clean and slice endive(s) and apple(s). Sprinkle with lemon juice.
Mix mayo** and horseradish cream***.
Serve in an individual bowl. Mix dressing and endive and apple.
Crumble trout on top.
Serve with fresh toast bread.*****

*Belgian preferred, avoid hydroculture endives.
**Use ½ buttermilk instead.
***Or fresh chopped horseradish, or Japanese horseradish mustard. Or Belgian mustard.
****Use smoked halibut instead.
****Serve half the quantity on a bum or sandwich instead.

Read more Belgian endives recipes: guinea fowl with endives, cod with endives.

Oven-baked egg

For ➊
1 egg
1 slice smoked salmon, chopped
chopped parsley & chives
salt & freshly ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 220°C. Butter a small, shallow ovenproof dish and scatter the smoked salmon* over the bottom. Add the chopped parsley and chives. Break an egg over the top and season with salt and pepper.
Bake until the egg white is set but the yolk still runny, approximately 5 m. **
Serve with crusty bread.

*Replace by 1 slice of ham, chopped.
*Replace by a handful of mushrooms, sauteed. Or minced into a rough puree.
**Alternatively, put in microwave oven for 50 s.
***Alternatively, omit the filling, add a tbs of cream on top of the eggs, and cook for 10 m in a bain-marie in a moderately heated oven.

Horseradish sauce

For ➍
4 tbs mayonnaise*
4 tbs grated horseradish
1 tbs minced fresh parsley
1 ts fresh lemon juice 

Mix together mayo, horseradish, parsley and lemon juice in a small bowl. Spread on fish before putting it in the oven.

Serve with firm fish, as in black trumpets with salmon & horseradish sauce.

*Replace 3 tbs of 4 (or even all 4) by sour (or whipped) cream to have a sauce that can also be served with roast beef or pork. Add 1 ts of mustard to heighten the flavour. It is served cold, at room temperature, or slightly warm. Heat carefully in a bain-marie or in a microwave oven. Don't let it boil.

Trois saumons (3 salmons)

For ➍
200 g small fresh salmon steaks without skin, cut in chunks
200 g small slices smoked salmon, shredded
4 ts salmon roe
400 g cheese ravioli
100 g fresh cream
salt & pepper

Bring the fresh cream to boil, add the salmon steaks, and cook. Take the steaks out of the cream and keep warm.

Meanwhile cook the pasta al dente.

Thicken the cream, add seasoning. When sauce-like, add the smoked salmon, and the salmon chunks. Reheat for a few moments.

Pour over the drained ravioli. Add salmon roe.