New Year's Recipes

Welcome the New Year with these chic options, French Riviera-style

Flaked smoked salmon with roasted beetroot and potato salad

Serves: 2

Ingredients

• Scottish salmon, smoked 160 gm
• Ratte potato 30 gm
• Watercress 15 gm
• Baby spinach 15 gm
• Tarragon 10 gm
• Yellow chicory 15 gm
• Egg, quartered 1 pc
• Chives 3 gm

For mustard vinaigrette:

• Dijon mustard 5 ml
• Mustard grain 2 gm
• Olive oil 180 ml
• Maldon sea salt 2 gm
• Moscatel vinegar 60 ml

For roast beetroot:

• Olive oil 25 ml
• Maldon sea salt 3 gm
• Caster sugar 10 gm
• Balsamic vinegar 10 ml
• Beetroot, peeled, sliced into 2cm wedges 60 gm

Method

Whisk the mustards, vinegar and Maldon sea salt for the vinaigrette in a stainless steel bowl and gradually add oil until combined well.

Cook ratte potatoes until al dente, then refresh under cold water and slice.

Cut each beetroot wedge into three to form chunks and place into a metal gastro tray.

Boil together the liquids, sugar and Maldon salt, and pour over beetroot.

Roast until al dente (approx 1-1.5 hours) and leave to cool for 15 minutes.

Warm the potatoes and beetroot.

Dress the potatoes with mustard vinaigrette and season.

Fold through 1 gm of chives and spoon over the warmed beetroot and a little of the juices.

Remove the root of the chicory and wash in cold water.

In a stainless steel bowl, dress the chicory and flaked smoked salmon with a gram of chopped chives and the watercress, then assemble on top of the beetroot.

Place the quartered egg on top.

Finish with 1 gm chopped chives, a little olive oil, freshly ground black pepper and Maldon sea salt.

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Roasted duck breast with new potatoes and honey thyme raspberry glaze

Serves: 2

Ingredients

• Duck breast 220 gm
• Rosevale new potato, part boiled until al dente 45 gm
• Thyme 7.5 gm
• Water 200 ml
• Baby leeks, cut into small baton 20 gm
• Honey 10 gm
• Butter 32 gm
• Raspberries 10 gm
• Garlic 5 gm
• Watercress 10 gm
• Olive oil 5 gm
• Tarragon 5 gm
• Salt a pinch
• Maldon sea salt to taste
• Black pepper, cracked to taste

Method

Score and trim the duck breast, being careful not to cut into the meat. Refrigerate in cling-film for at least 30 mins to allow the skin to dry out.

In a pan, bring salt, water and 5 gm of thyme to boil.

Add baby leeks into boiling water for a minute until bright green then put straight into cold water and strain.

In a small pan, place the honey, the remaining thyme and 30 gm of butter on low heat until all the ingredients are infused. Add the sliced garlic and raspberries.

Place the duck skin side down in a hot non-stick fry pan.

Press slightly with a fish slice, ensuring you get an even colour, then place in an oven at 170°C for 8 minutes till medium-rare. Allow to rest for six minutes.

In a hot non-stick fry pan, fry the sliced potatoes in olive oil until golden brown on both sides.

Add butter to glaze; season with Maldon salt and cracked black pepper.

In a small pan, slightly warm leeks in 2 gm of butter and add finely chopped tarragon.

Slightly warm the infused honey on low heat.

Dress the watercress with a little olive oil and set aside.

Plate as pictured and serve warm.

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Pears poached in lemon syrup with caramelised cranberries

Serves: 4

Ingredients

• Allspice, whole 8 pc
• Peppercorn, pink 1 tbsp
• Ginger, fresh, cut crosswise into ¼ inch-thick slices 2-inch pc
• Cinnamon stick 2-inch pc
• Seville orange zest 4x1-inch strip
• Lemon juice 50 ml
• Water 250 ml
• Sugar ½ cup
• Williams pear, firm, ripe, with stems 4 pc
• For the caramelised cranberries:
• Cranberry, fresh 200 gm
• Thyme 5 gm
• Sugar 85 gm
• Orange juice 25 ml

Method

Place all the ingredients for the cranberries in a pan on low heat till it attains a jam-like consistency. Allow to cool; set aside.

Tie allspice and peppercorns in an 8-inch square of cheesecloth with a kitchen string.

Place the bag in a large saucepan with the remaining ingredients, except the pears, and bring to a boil, stirring occasionally until sugar is dissolved.

Reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 15 minutes.

Peel the pears, leaving stems intact, and arrange on the sides in poaching liquid.

Simmer uncovered gently, turning from time to time until tender (20-40 minutes depending on ripeness).

Discard the cheesecloth bag and carefully transfer pears with a slotted spoon to a bowl.

Boil poaching liquid until reduced to about 1 ½ cups for about 10 minutes.

Discard ginger, cinnamon stick and zest.

Serve warm with caramelised cranberries at room temperature with syrup.

• Food and Dining