food for entertaining – My Whisk and I

Salmon Rillettes

December 10, 2023July 27, 2023by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

1 onion, chopped
250ml dry white wine
750ml water
5ml whole black peppercorns
1 bay leaf
1 lemon, zested and juiced
250g fresh salmon, skin removed
125g smoked salmon, chopped
30ml + 30ml butter, cubed and at room temperature
30ml sour cream
45ml dill/parsley, chopped
15ml capers, finely chopped
15ml olive oil

Add half of the chopped onion, all of the white wine, water and peppercorns to a saucepan.
Add the bay leaf and lemon juice and bring the mixture to the boil.
Add the fresh salmon to the liquid, reduce the heat and simmer for 10 minutes.
Remove the salmon from the liquid and allow it to cool. You may discard the poaching liquid.
Gently flake the salmon with your fingers and add it to a bowl. Set aside to cool completely.
Add 30ml of the butter to a pan set over medium heat.
Add the remaining onion and cook until soft.
Now add the lemon zest, smoked salmon, sour cream, dill, capers, olive oil, the remaining 30ml butter and the cooked onion to the flaked salmon.
Stir the mixture together to combine evenly but be careful not to mush the salmon.
Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 2 hours.
Take the salmon from the fridge and allow 30 minutes for it to come back to room temperature.
Serve on crostini or crackers.

The salmon can be kept in the refrigerator for three days. Spoon it into a glass jar, melt about 50g of butter and pour over before sealing with the lid.

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Crispy Prawn Canapés

June 16, 2022June 13, 2022by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

500g prawns, shelled and deveined – keep the tail ends on
2 eggs, lightly beaten
83ml flour
250ml popped rice (rice crispies)
vegetable oil for frying

Clean and dry the prawns.
Add the eggs to a shallow dish and beat together.
Add the flour and popped rice to a second and third bowl.
Heat the oil in a saucepan to about 170℃.
Now dredge each prawn in flour, then egg and finally in the popped rice.
Fry the prawn in the oil for 2-3 minutes.
Serve with a dipping sauce, as a canapé.

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Spicy Mexican Soup

June 9, 2022May 25, 2022by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

3 litres chicken stock
1,5kg chicken breasts, skin removed
5ml black peppercorns
5ml salt
2,5ml smoked paprika
3 x 400g tins chopped tomato
2 large onions, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
3 x 400g jars sweet jalapeño, drained
30ml + 30ml vegetable oil
120g spaghetti
fresh coriander
lime wedges

Add the stock to a saucepan and bring to a simmer.
Cut the chicken breasts into chunks and add it to the stock.
Add the black peppercorns, salt and smoked paprika and simmer together for 30 minutes. Set aside.
Add the tomato, onion, garlic and jalapeño to the bowl of a blender and process until smooth.
Add 30ml oil to a large saucepan set over medium-high heat and add the tomato mixture to it.
Bring to a low simmer and cook half-covered for 10 minutes.
Remove the cooked chicken pieces from the stock and finely shred the meat.
Pour the stock into the tomato mixture.
Simmer the mixture for 20 minutes.
Now add the shredded chicken and cook for another 10 minutes.
Taste the soup and adjust the seasoning – salt, black pepper, smoked paprika.
Place a frying pan over medium-high heat, add 30ml vegetable oil and add the spaghetti to the pan.
Stir continuously while frying the spaghetti until it is a golden brown colour – about 3 minutes.
Drain the pasta on paper towel and then add it to the soup.
Simmer the soup for about 8 minutes, until the pasta is cooked.
Serve the soup immediately with fresh coriander and lime wedges.

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Chicken Tikka Masala

June 1, 2022May 25, 2022by Karen Claassen4 Comments

Quick marinade:
9 chicken breasts, skinless and deboned, cut into bite-size portions
250ml yoghurt
15ml ground ginger
15ml garam masala
10ml turmeric
5ml ground cumin
2,5ml smoked paprika
3 cloves of garlic, minced
5ml salt

Sauce:
45ml vegetable oil
45ml butter
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1cm fresh ginger, grated
10ml garam masala
5ml ground cumin
5ml turmeric
5ml ground coriander
1 x 400g tin chopped tomatoes
5ml smoked paprika
5ml salt
375ml cream
30ml brown sugar

For the marinade:
Add all the ingredients, including the chicken, to a mixing bowl and stir together.
Cover the bowl and place in the refrigerator for a minimum of 30 minutes or overnight.

Add half the oil and butter to a frying pan over medium-high heat.
Add the chicken in small batches and fry for about 3 minutes before removing and adding the next batch of chicken.
Keep the fried chicken to the side and keep going until all of the chicken has been fried.
Add the remaining oil and butter to a saucepan set over medium-high heat.
Add the onion and cook until soft.
Now add the garlic and fresh ginger and stir-fry for one minute.
Add the garam masala, cumin, turmeric and coriander and cook for another minute.
Add the chopped tomatoes, paprika and salt and simmer the sauce for 10 minutes.
Decant the sauce to a blender and whizz until smooth.
Pour the sauce back into the saucepan and add the cream, sugar and chicken pieces and simmer gently for 20 minutes.
Serve the tikka masala with a fragrant rice and lashings of the sauce.

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Broccoli Salad with Blue Cheese Dressing

October 25, 2021October 24, 2021by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

250g tenderstem broccoli, blanched
200g streaky bacon
1 large / 2 small avocado pear, pitted and peeled
60ml peanuts, toasted

Blue Cheese Dressing:
60ml sour cream
60ml mayonnaise
60ml milk
100g blue cheese, crumbled
15ml parsley, chopped
15ml lemon juice
a pinch of salt

Preheat your oven to 200℃ and line a baking sheet with baking paper.
Place the bacon on the baking sheet and bake in the oven until crispy.
Arrange the blanched broccoli, bacon and sliced avocado on a serving platter.

For the dressing:
Add all the ingredients to a jug and whisk together to amalgamate.

Drizzle the dressing on the salad and sprinkle the peanuts over before serving.

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Goats Cheese Tart

October 20, 2021October 17, 2021by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

This is the perfect food as a light starter or simply as a canapé served with drinks on the patio. It can also double up as a light lunch when served with a salad.

2 large pears
30ml butter
30ml honey
1 lemon
500g ready-made pastry
200g goats cheese
a handful of pecan nuts
a handful of thyme leaves
egg-wash: 1 egg + 15ml milk

Preheat your oven to 200℃ and line a baking sheet with baking paper.
Peel and core the pears and cut them into thin wedges lengthwise.
Place in a bowl and squeeze the lemon juice over. Mix up the slices with your hands so that the pear is covered with lemon juice.
Add the butter and honey to a large frying pan over medium-high heat.
Add the pear slices and any lemon juice from the bowl and cook for 2-3 minutes a side, until the pear is caramelised.
Remove the pear slices but reserve the honey caramel in the pan.
Roll the pastry to a 28cm X 38cm rectangle and score a 2cm border all around the edges. Place the pastry on the lined baking sheet.
Arrange the pear slices over the pastry within the border.
Now break up the cheese and arrange it randomly between the pear.
Scatter the pecan nuts and the thyme leaves over the pear and goats cheese.
Drizzle the leftover caramel from the pan over the tart.
Whisk the egg and milk together and brush the pastry border with it.
Bake the tart for 20 minutes until the pastry is beautifully golden.
Serve slightly warm.

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Ricotta-filled Chocolate Ravioli

June 18, 2021June 13, 2021by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

This is a savoury dish that will get conversations (and your tastebuds) going….. Serves 6 people.

500ml bread flour
190ml cocoa powder
5 eggs
2,5ml salt

For the filling:
250ml ricotta cheese
80g dark/bitter chocolate, finely chopped
a pinch of salt

100g butter
20 sage leaves

Sift the flour, cocoa powder and salt together onto a clean work surface.
Make a well in the centre and put in the eggs.
Mix the eggs with your fingers and gradually draw in the flour and cocoa mixture to form a soft, but not sticky, dough.
Add more flour or egg, if needed, to get the right consistency.
Knead for 10 minutes until you have a smooth and elastic dough.
Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and leave in the fridge to chill for one hour.

Mix the ricotta, chopped chocolate and a pinch of salt with a wooden spoon until smooth.
Roll the pasta through a pasta machine.
Lay one sheet of pasta flat and form walnut-sized balls with the ricotta mixture. Place the ricotta balls onto the sheet of pasta.
Wet the area around the ricotta-balls with water and lay a second sheet of pasta on top.
Press down and around the ricotta balls so that the top sheet of pasta sticks.
Cut individual ravioli shapes with a round cutter and cook them for three minutes in simmering water.
Keep warm while making the sage-butter.

Add the butter to a small saucepan and place it on a high heat.
Allow the butter to melt and then to caramelise – regulate the heat: you want the butter to turn brown and become nutty without burning.
Add the sage leaves once the butter has browned and immediately turn off the heat. Be careful the butter will spatter as you add the sage.

Arrange the cooked ravioli on plates and spoon the butter and sage over.
Serve with a crusty bread.