Food Fun

In my view smoked fish - especially salmon - and raw fennel tastes are made for each other. The crispness of the fennel complements the subtlety of smoked or cured salmons (e.g. gravad lax).

I like to dress the fennel rather than have it raw, but I think that choosing the components of the dressing is crucial. Stronger oils or vinegars work with some food but are overpowering with fish. For example some years ago, when first doing fennel salad with fish I tried olive oil. The problem was the salmon taste was overpowered by the olive oil taste.

After a bit of experimentation I have settled on the following:

Serves 4:

Ingredients:

1 medium to large fennel bulb
30 ml (2 tbsp) rapeseed oil
15 ml (1 tbsp) rice wine vinegar
salt
pepper

Method:

1. Slice the fennel vertically through the bulb in thin slices (I set my machine to 1.5 mm). For a large fennel I halve the slices to make them more manageable
2. Mix dressing ingredients
3. Toss fennel and dressing
4. Serve in small container (I do this to stop the dressing getting on the salmon on the plate)

We had six for Christmas and not all of them ate meat, so we continued our practice of not being bound by tradition. Even as a meat-eater I am not that keen on roast turkey anyway.

It seems pointless to overeat at Christmas so we try to match lighter starters or desserts with heavier main courses and vice versa.

This is what we did:

24 December

Starter: stuffed portobello mushrooms (stuffed with roast red pepper and goat's cheese)

Main course: scampi, chips and red cabbage coleslaw

Dessert: fresh fruit

25 December

Starter: hot smoked salmon, gravad lax with dill/mustard sauce and fennel salad

Main course: nut loaf, roast potatoes, parsnips and beetroot with red wine and tomato gravy

Dessert: mincemeat turnovers with vanilla ice cream

26 December

Starter: raw beetroot, apple and pear salad

Main course: baked rainbow trout, with garlic rice and stir fried vegetables (onion, pepper, carrot and cauliflower)

Dessert: pecan, cranberry and fudge upside down cake

27 December

Main course: either chorizo, rocket and sundried tomato tart or tomato and rocket tart with celeriac salad.

For me one of the best things about this menu was no cold turkey leftovers!

After a 3-month silence I just wanted to wish fellow bloggers a very happy Christmas. I enjoyed the cold weather and the beauty of the rime in my garden until it thawed around midday yesterday. My oregano plant was covered with snow and was not very photogenic so, my rosemary will have to do instead.

We are not planning a traditional Christmas meal. Maybe I can update you in the coming week.