Nici Wickes
Wine match: Selaks Reserve Hawkes Bay Chardonnay
By wrapping salmon fillets in baking paper before roasting them, you ensure that the fish is moist and flavoursome when cooked. The combination of salmon with the sweet-tart flavour of currants, the creaminess of pine nuts and a hit of lemon zest is truly delicious.
YOU WILL NEED:
4 x 200g salmon fillets, skin on or off, bones removed
4 Tbs currants
4 Tbs pine nuts
Zest of one lemon
2 Tbs fresh parsley, finely chopped
Olive oil for drizzling
Sea salt
Method
WHAT TO DO:
Preheat oven to 200 C.
Cut four 30x30cm squares of baking paper.
Place one salmon fillet in the centre of each piece of paper, then sprinkle the currants, pine nuts, lemon zest, parsley and olive oil over the top. Lastly add a pinch of salt.
Make neat, sealed parcels by folding the top and bottom edges of the paper together, folding over a few times until the paper is fitting snugly around the salmon, then tucking in the ends of the paper to make a sealed parcel.
Lay parcels on a baking tray and bake for 15-20 minutes until cooked through. Leave to rest while to you put the finishing touches on the side dishes.
SMASHED POTATOES WITH FETA & DILL
Serves 4
YOU WILL NEED:
6-8 potatoes, peeled, cut into chunks (use spuds good for mashing)
½ tsp salt
¼ cup olive oil
¼ cup cream
150 g feta, in small chunks
2 Tbs fresh dill
Juice of one lemon
WHAT TO DO:
Boil the potatoes in salted water until they are rough around the edges and nearly falling apart – about 20-30 minutes.
Drain potatoes and return to the pot.
Add the olive oil and cream to the potatoes and mash with a fork or wooden spoon until roughly smashed up.
Mix through the chunks of feta, dill and lemon juice, and mash some more until you have chunky mashed potatoes.
Taste for seasoning and add more olive oil, salt or lemon juice as required. You want these to have lots of flavour!
SLOW-ROASTED TOMATOES
Let’s be honest, tomatoes are never at their best during winter but here’s a great idea to encourage the flavour from them during the cooler months.
YOU WILL NEED:
6-8 small-medium tomatoes – on the vine if possible
½ tsp salt
Dash of olive oil
Ground black pepper
WHAT TO DO:
Preheat oven to 160 C.
Place the tomatoes on baking tray lined with a piece of baking paper with the edges turned up (to catch the juices). Sprinkle with salt, pepper and oil.
Bake for 30 minutes near the top of the oven. They will burst open, deepen in colour and taste delicious.
