Good

A Merry Start

Start the day with some scrumptious brunch fare to get your loved ones in a festive frame of mind.

Recipes, photography and styling Sarah Tuck

Showstopping Christmassy brunch fare.

Roast Salmon with Pomegranate Glaze and Herby Mayo

Even non-salmon lovers can’t resist this dish – not too oily, glazed in tangy pomegranate molasses, just-cooked and with a side of sharp quick-pickled red onion and a dollop of herby yoghurt mayo, it is a total winner. Serves 8-10 / Gluten-free

Salmon

2 tablespoons extra-virgin

olive oil

3 garlic cloves, crushed 1½ tablespoons

pomegranate molasses 1 teaspoon cumin seeds,

lightly crushed 2 tablespoons salt

½ cup boiling water 5½ cups cold water 1.5-kilogram (approx.)

side of salmon

Quick-pickled red onion

⅓ cup cider vinegar 1 tablespoon caster sugar 1 small red onion, thinly sliced

Herby yoghurt mayo

1 cup natural Greek yoghurt ½ cup good-quality egg mayonnaise (I used Best Foods)

1 tablespoon lemon juice 3 tablespoons roughly chopped capers, plus 1 tablespoon whole to garnish 3 tablespoons chopped fresh dill, plus a few fronds to garnish

3 tablespoons chopped

fresh mint sea salt and freshly

ground black pepper

Salmon: Mix the olive oil with the garlic, pomegranate molasses and cumin seeds in a small bowl. Set aside.

Put the salt in a big roasting dish, deep enough to lay the salmon in, and with capacity for 6 cups of water. Add ½ cup boiling water to the salt and whisk to dissolve it. Top up with the 5½ cups of cold water and leave to cool.

Add the salmon, flesh side down, and leave in the brine for 30 minutes – this will help to prevent the milky white fat from rising to the top of the salmon while cooking.

Quick-pickled red onion: Put the vinegar and sugar in a small non-reactive bowl and whisk to dissolve the sugar. Add the onion, cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Herby yoghurt mayo: Mix the yoghurt, mayonnaise and lemon juice in a small bowl. Add the chopped capers, dill and mint, and season to taste. For a little extra drama, a drizzle of pomegranate molasses swirled through the mayo is also a tasty option. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Preheat the oven to 230°C. Line an oven tray with baking paper.

Remove the salmon from the brine and pat dry. Lay skin-side down on the baking paper. Brush the olive oil mixture over the salmon flesh. Bake for 10-15 minutes. I did 15 minutes for my 1.5-kilogram salmon piece, but if your salmon is smaller, stick to 12 minutes or less – you really don’t want to overcook it.

Once cooked, the salmon can be served immediately or refrigerated until half an hour before serving. When ready to serve, garnish with the dill and drained pickled onion and serve with the herby yoghurt mayo, garnished with capers and dill fronds.

Avocado, Broad Bean and Goat’s Cheese Salad

I have seen a few iterations of salad with these components – the thing I love about this version is the addition of both crumbled salty feta and torn milky fresh mozzarella to contrast the peppery watercress, fresh herbs and sweet peas and beans. The final touch is a sprinkling of chilli flakes and dukkah for heat and texture. Serves 8 / Vegetarian

2 cups broad beans

1 cup frozen peas few sprigs mint 2 tablespoons olive oil ¼ cup lemon juice 1 teaspoon caster sugar sea salt and freshly ground

black pepper

6 cups baby watercress

or other salad greens 2 large avocados, sliced

350 grams bu alo mozzarella,

torn into chunks

200 grams feta, crumbled ¾ cup fresh mint leaves 2 tablespoons roughly

chopped dill

½ teaspoon chilli flakes 3-4 tablespoons dukkah poached eggs and Turkish bread, to serve (optional)

Bring a medium pot of water to boil and fill a bowl with cold water and a few ice cubes. Drop the broad beans into the boiling water and cook just until the water comes back up to the boil. Take out the beans using a slotted spoon and put straight into the chilled water.

Drop the peas into the same boiling water for 1 minute, then drain and refresh under cold running water.

Gently pop the beans from their pods and add to the peas with a few sprigs of mint (remove before serving) and refrigerate both in a covered container.

Whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, sugar, salt and pepper.

To serve: Layer on to a platter; first, the watercress, then avocado, mozzarella, beans and peas, feta, mint leaves and dill. Drizzle with lemon dressing and sprinkle with chilli flakes and dukkah. Serve with poached eggs and Turkish bread if desired.

Festive Bircher Muesli

This has become such a popular part of Christmas brunch my nephews come running in the door each year, yelling, “Is there bircher muesli?” Serves 8 as part of a bu et breakfast

1 cup wholegrain oats

2 cups rolled oats

1½ cups Greek yoghurt (plus extra to serve if desired, I used Piako Natural)

1 cup milk

2 cups natural apple juice (I used cold-pressed raw apple juice)

1 cup flaked almonds, toasted ½ cup pistachios, toasted 1 cup fresh raspberries

1 cup fresh blueberries

1 cup seedless red

grapes, halved

3 green apples, grated

(peeling is optional – I do) praline, to garnish (optional)

In a large bowl or container mix together the oats, yoghurt, milk and apple juice and stir to combine. Cover with wrap or a lid and refrigerate overnight.

Reserve a few of the nuts and berries for garnish, then add the rest to the oat mixture along with the grapes, apple and an extra splash of milk or juice, if necessary, to achieve the consistency you like.

Serve in a large bowl, sprinkled with the reserved berries, nuts and praline, if using, for guests to help themselves.

Christmas Mince Brownie Bites

I love watching people’s faces as they bite into these brownies – the smile as they realise the dark chocolate is rich and moist with fruit mince, a new Christmas classic. Makes approximately 25 pieces

250 grams butter, chopped

into cubes

300 grams 70% dark

chocolate, cut into chunks 6 large eggs

2 cups caster sugar

1⅔ cups plain flour

1 cup dark Dutch

cocoa powder

2 cups fruit mince (I used a 500g container of Tasti Old English Fruit Mince)

Preheat the oven to 170°C and line a 28cm x 20cm slice tin with baking paper.

Melt the butter and dark chocolate together in the microwave at a low heat. Heat in bursts of 30 seconds, stirring in between each, until smooth and melted.

Beat the eggs with the caster sugar in a separate bowl until pale and creamy.

Add the melted chocolate and mix to combine. Sift the flour and cocoa into the mixture and stir to combine. Mix through the fruit mince and pour into the prepared tin.

Bake for 45-50 minutes until cooked through. Cool in the tin before cutting into squares.

Content

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2022-11-17T08:00:00.0000000Z

2022-11-17T08:00:00.0000000Z

https://good.pressreader.com/article/282634626602854

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