FOOD:This summer lunch menu looks impressive enough to wow the toughest critics, writes Domini Kemp.
FANCY FAMILY dinners can become a minefield of political and dietary hiccups. Throw in a few in-laws and the pressure really starts to build. For example, my mother comes from a generation of people who like everything (especially plates) to be nuclear hot, even in summertime. Naturally, kids aren't so fond of scalding china or of piping hot food that requires mum and dad to keep blowing on small bites of dinner.
So, here is a good and fancy menu, suitable for a posh Sunday, or bank-holiday lunch, whether it be shining or snowing, and it will suit tastes from seven years of age to 70. The salmon, which usually looks mighty impressive, can be served roaring hot or at room temperature, and you'll have enough pesto left over to lash on a bit of pasta if any of the juniors are getting uppity.
The strawberry tart also looks fancy and, accompanied by a shot of strawberry juice, will definitely appeal to the little ones.
Salmon en croute with dill and pistachio pesto (serves four)
400g puff pastry (one pack of shop-bought)
4 fillets salmon, skinned, weighing about 150g each
Egg yolk with a pinch of salt and a teaspoon of milk
For the pesto:
Big bunch of dill (60g in total)
Bunch of flat parsley
50g grated Parmesan
100g shelled pistachios (which is about 200g of unshelled pistachios)
Juice of one big lemon
200ml olive oil
Salt and pepper
Blitz the pesto ingredients in a food processor. Add a little more oil (or a tablespoon of water), if necessary, to get the right consistency.
Roll out the pastry on a floured surface and then cut it into four rectangles. Roll out each rectangle so that it will easily encase each salmon fillet. Spread about two tablespoons of pesto on each sheet, leaving about an inch around the edges free of pesto.
To assemble, place a salmon fillet on the pesto. Season it and then wrap it up neatly and trim off any excess pastry. Turn it over and brush with egg-wash and chill for an hour or so, or overnight. Brush once more with egg-wash and bake in a hot oven, 180 degrees/gas four, for about 30 minutes, or until golden brown.
Cucumber slaw
If you have ever bought one of those mandolin things at a trade fair, while watching a man with headphones making lorry-loads of coleslaw, then now is the time to whip it out. If not, just slice the cucumber as thinly as possible.
1 tbsp of honey
1 tbsp of fresh lemon juice
2 tbsp of mayonnaise
2 tbsp of cream
2 tsp of wholegrain mustard
Juice of 2 limes
2 tbsp of chopped mint
Sea salt
2 cucumbers, peeled and very thinly sliced
Mix the dressing together and toss it with the cucumber. Refrigerate until ready to use. It does go watery, so you may want to strain it a bit before serving.
Strawberry shot (serves four)
200g fresh strawberries
2 tbsp icing sugar
Remove the hull of the strawberries and blitz the fruit until smooth with the icing sugar and a little water. Pour through a sieve and discard the hairy, seedy bits. Chill until ready to use.
Strawberry tort
Don't be put off by the mascarpone: it's delicious when served sweet. I vaguely remember making filo pastry in cookery school, but I think I would cry if I had to make it now. The commercial stuff is dead handy.
2 x 250g packs mascarpone cheese
1 vanilla pod
2 tbsp of icing sugar
1 pack commercial filo pastry
Melted butter and icing sugar
250g strawberries, thinly sliced
Let the filo pastry defrost a little (about 30 minutes). Preheat the oven to 150 degrees/gas mark two. Mix the mascarpone with the vanilla pod and icing sugar to taste. Chill until ready to use.
Unfold the pastry and lay it out so that you have about three sheets on top of each other. Cut out small discs (I have no pastry cutter at home, so I used the lid of a coffee jar and a sharp knife).
Place them on a baking tray and spread liberally with melted butter and a little icing sugar on both sides. Continue until you have eight to 12 discs (depending on how high you want to layer your tart) and place another baking sheet on top so that you press the filo down flat.
Bake for about 20 minutes and then check to see how they are doing. You want them to crisp up but remain flat. If they look too greasy, just dust with a little more icing sugar and cook for another 10 minutes.
Remove the discs from the oven when gold and crisp, and let them cool fully. Slice the strawberries, and sprinkle with some icing sugar if they're a little bland. Layer up the filo crisps with spoonfuls of mascarpone and the strawberries and then serve with your strawberry shot.