Warm Potato Salad with Smoked Oysters, Sauté Mushrooms and Avocado

Potatoes are very versatile and can be used as a base to create an array of tempting light meals, like Warm Potato Salad with Smoked Oysters, Saute Mushrooms and Avocado. They are also nutritious, and their carbohydrate gives a welcome energy boost. As potatoes have a fairly neutral flavor, they can be teamed with a variety of other ingredients and flavors. In this dish the smoked oysters are making perfect combination with potatoes and mushrooms.


Ingredients:

• 3 medium potatoes, skin on
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
• 1 pkg. fresh mushrooms, quartered
• 3 Tbsp. butter
• 1 can, smoked oysters, drained
• 3 Tbsp chopped parsley
• 3 Tbsp olive oil
• 2 eggs, hard boiled, peeled, cubed or chopped
• 1-2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 avocado, peeled, cut in cubs
• 2 Tbsp. mayonnaise (preferable homemade)
• 1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
• salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions:

Boil the potatoes in salted water for 12-15 minutes or until just tender. Drain and allow to come to room temperature. When cool, slice into 1/3" slices. If you like you may peel the skin off, I did. Potatoes may be cooked 1 day ahead, cooled, and kept chilled, covered.

Set the pan over medium-high heat with olive oil and arrange the potato slices in the pan in a single layer. Cook, turning once, until brown and crispy, about 2 minutes per side. Using tongs, transfer the potatoes to a large plate.



Saute onions and garlic in butter until transparent. Add mushrooms and soy sauce. Bring to full boil. Reduce heat and simmer 5 minutes. Cover and let set 5-10 minutes.

In a big bowl, mix together saute mushrooms with onions,avocado, parsley, hard boil eggs, lemon juice, mayonnaise and mix gently. Season with salt and pepper.

Put the mixture on the top of potatoes, arrange the smoked oysters around. Sprinkle with chopped parsley. Very delicious!

Tip: To make a lighter dressing, use a mixture of half mayonnaise and half plain yogurt.

Hyacinth - gleams of the spring for you my dear readers!-)

Baked Scallops with Cheese and Wine Sauce

This is a very old recipe but none the less a very tasty one. The choice of cheese you use is entirely up to you, although I would stay away from really strong cheeses or you will lose the flavor of the scallops.

Serves: 4
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 10 minutes

Ingredients:

• ¾ cup dry white wine
• 1 bay leaf
• 4 peppercorns
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 2 tblsp butter 
• 1 ½ tblsp all-purpose flour
• ¾ cup milk
• salty and freshly ground black pepper
• ¼ cup finely diced fontina cheese
• 1 tsp Dijon mustard
• 12 scallops on the ½ shell
• 2 tblsp dry breadcrumbs
• ½ cup grated parmesan cheese

Directions:

Place the wine, bay leaf, peppercorns, and onion in a small pan and bring to boil, then reduce the heat and simmer until the liquid has reduced by three quarters. Strain the liquid and set aside.



Melt the butter in a small pan and add the flour, cook for 1 minute, stirring continuously, then remove from the heat and gradually stir in the milk and the wine reduction, stirring until smooth. Return the pan to the heat and continue stirring until the mixture thickens. Season with salt and black pepper, then add the fontina and the mustard.

Preheat the broiler. Spoon this mixture over the scallops and sprinkle with breadcrumbs and Parmesan. Cook under the broiler until crisp and golden brown and serve immediately.



Tip for Buying and Storing Scallops:
Be sure to smell them on the premises, since scallops are perishable. They should have a sweet mild fresh odor; a strong-smelling scallop is a stale one. Refrigerate them in a leak-proof plastic bag in a bowl of ice, and cook them as soon as possible.

Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Capers, Walnuts and Anchovies

Adapted from Food & Wine

The key to Michael Symon's deeply savory side dish is a dressing that includes anchovies, capers, mustard, and a little honey.

Ingredients:

• 3 pounds brussels sprouts, halved lengthwise or quartered
• 3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 cup walnuts
• 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
• 1 tablespoon grainy mustard
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 3 tablespoons capers, rinsed and chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 shallots, minced
• One 2-ounce tin of anchovies, drained and minced
• Salt and freshly ground pepper

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 425°. In a large bowl, toss the brussels sprouts with 1/4 cup of the olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Spread the brussels sprouts on 2 large rimmed baking sheets and roast for about 45 minutes, stirring once or twice, until tender and charred in spots. (Note: Mine were done after 20-25 minutes)



Spread the walnuts in a pie plate and toast for about 8 minutes, until golden. Let cool, then coarsely chop the nuts.



In the large bowl, whisk the vinegar with the mustard and honey. Whisk in the remaining 1/2 cup of oil until emulsified. Add the capers, garlic, shallots and anchovies; season with salt and pepper. Add the brussels sprouts and walnuts and toss well. Serve.

Strawberry Mousse with Crème Patissiere

From Michel Roux book “Eggs”

Serves: 6

Ingredients for the mousse:

• 1 lb (350g) strawberries, plus extra to serve (optional)
• 2/3 cup (130 g) superfine sugar juice of 1 lemon
• generous 1/3 cup (100ml) heavy cream
• 2 egg whites
• 1/3 quantity (9oz/250g) crème patissiere, cooled

Ingredients for the crème patissiere:

• 6 egg yolks
• ½ cup plus 2 Tbsp(125gr) superfine sugar
• ¼ cup (40gr)all-purpose flour
• generous 2 cups (500ml) milk
• 1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise
• a little confectioners’ sugar or butter

Makes: about 1 lb 10 oz (750gr)

Directions for the mousse:

Put the strawberries in a pan with ½ cup (100g) sugar and heat very gently, stirring with a wooden spoon from time to time. When the mixture comes to a simmer, cook gently for another 10 minutes. Transfer to a blender or a food processor and whiz to a puree, then strain through a cheesecloth-lined strainer into a bowl. Let this coulis cool, stirring occasionally to prevent a skin forming. When cold, stir in the lemon juice.

Whip the cream to a ribbon consistency, then fold into the cooled crème patissiere.
Whisk the egg whites in a clean bowl to a foam, then add the remaining sugar and whisk to soft peaks. Gently fold in the pastry cream mixture, without overworking.

Very delicately mix in the cold strawberries coulis. Divide the mousse between 6 glass dishes and refrigerate for 2 to 3 hours before serving. Serve the mousse on its own, or with extra berries.

Tip: You may need to adjust the quantity of sugar for cooking the berries according to how ripe they are. This mousse is equally delicious made with flavorful blackberries or raspberries.



Directions for the Crème Patissiere:

Combine the egg yolks and one-third of the sugar in a bowl and whisk to a light ribbon consistency. Add the flour and whisk it in thoroughly.

In a pan, heat the milk with the rest of the sugar and the vanilla bean. As soon as it comes to boil, pour it onto the egg yolk mixture, stirring as you go. Mix well, then return the mixture to the pan.

Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly with the whisk. Allow the mixture to bubble, still stirring, for 2 minutes, then tip it into a bowl.

To prevent a skin forming, dust the surface with a veil of confectioners’ sugar or dot all over with little flakes of butter. Once cold, the pastry cream can be kept in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Remove the vanilla bean before using.