Sunday seafood brunch

Posted by petra08 on June 1, 2014 · 11 Comments 

Seafood is so plentiful here but I seem to have been on a bit of a meat spree lately. My first days in Greece were so focused on vegetarian foods, it took a while for me to eat my fill of Greek salads and zucchini fritters that one day I was wanting, no actually craving meat. This continued until I got home and I made it through chicken, pork and beef before I decided to have a slightly indulgent seafood brunch.

Some friends stopped by on their way back from France. They arrived so late there wasn’t any time really in the evening but to tuck them in and wait until the next day. They had asked me what I wanted from France, what an offer (!?) and I said garlic. They brought two large bulbs! Accompanied by some delicious smelling Calvados, a French apple brandy, and some lovely looking French wine.

 

 

I got up quite early, there was more prepping to be done than actual cooking. I served the seafood with some boiled new potatoes, the first local ones I have seen so they had to be bought. I then started by peeling the prawns for the “Spicy prawns on egg”

 

Spicy prawns on egg

preparation time 10 minutes 

cooking time 0 minutes 

serves 4 as a starter or with other dishes 

Ingredients

• 2 pints of prawns, I used cold water prawns , already cooked
• 4-5 tbsp mayonnaise
• 1 garlic clove
• 1 bunch of fresh dill
• 1 red chilli
• pepper to taste

Peel the prawns and save the roe separate if there is any. The roe itself doesn’t have a lot of flavor but it adds some texture.

 

 

 

Chop the dill fine, too much dill doesn’t really add more flavor, it simply makes the dish look greener. I used the stalks to boil new potatoes with salt.  Remove the seeds from the chilli, crush the garlic and add to a bowl.

 

 

Add the peeled prawns and mix. Taste with fresh ground black and green pepper. Set aside until you are ready to serve. Boil the eggs and just before serving peel and cut the eggs in half. Place the prawns on top and top them with the roe before serving.

 

 

After this I started on my smoked mackerel pate.

 

Smoked mackerel pate 

preparation time 10 minutes 

cooking time 0 minutes 

serves 4 as a starter or 2 as dinner

Ingredients

• 1 whole smoked mackerel
• 2 spring onions
• the juice of 1/4 lemon
• 2 tbsp mayonnaise
• 2 tbsp creme fraiche (I used light)
• salt and pepper to taste

Bone the smoked mackerel, I went through the meat twice and think this time I got every bone, gently flake and place in a bowl.

 

 

Slice the spring onions and mix with the mackerel, the mayonnaise and the creme fraiche. Add lemon juice and taste with salt and pepper. Set aside until you are ready to serve.

 

A piece of cod caught my eye at the fishmongers and I got a piece, I wasn’t sure what to do with it but it looked to good to leave behind. A visit to the market and a stall selling thinly sliced streaky bacon gave me an idea for the cod. I also stopped at the No Name shop, a  lovely delicatessen where I got some fresh goats cheese.

 

Bacon wrapped cod

preparation time 10 minutes 

oven 150C or 300F

cooking time 3-5 minutes + 10 minutes

serves 4 as a starter or part of other dishes 

Ingredients

• cod fillet
• 12 rashes of bacon
• 120 gr or 4.2 oz crumbly goats cheese
• 2 sprigs of lemon thyme
• zest of 1 lemon
• pepper

Crumble the goats cheese and mix with the lemon zest, lemon thyme leaves and freshly ground pepper.

Cut the cod in to 6 pieces and make sure bones and skin is removed. The bacon I used was very thin so I used 2 rashes/cod piece but if yours is thicker one rash might be enough.

Place the bacon on a chopping board, place the cod on top, add the goats cheese mix and wrap it in to the bacon. When you have wrapped all of the cod pieces heat a frying pan with a little oil and brown the pieces. Finish them in the oven for 10 minutes and if possible, let them rest for 5 minutes before serving.

 

 

The last dish I made was smoked salmon tartare. I cut smoked salmon and mixed it with chives and preserved lemon and served it on toasted sourdough.

 

 

My friends had brought a selection of tomatoes and they looked so delicious I just sliced them and placed them on a plate with some fennel and orange salad. I drizzled over some extra virgin olive oil, some balsamic glaze and gave it a sprinkle of seasalt.

 

 

It was a nice day so we decided to eat in the garden.

 

 

Hungry we tucked in and enjoyed this seafood treat.

 

 

It was perfect sharing food and I am pleased to say that everything went. After breakfast we all took a piece each of the Sunday newspaper and sat down in the sunshine and it didn’t take long before we were all asleep! The post brunch nap was lovely and we headed out to have a look at the seaside enjoying an ice cream listening to live music. After that it was time for our friends to head home. It was so great to see them and I always love to cook for friends and we hope they will come back and see us soon.

 

I know I am late (again) but I am bringing this to the talented Angie’s Food Fiesta party! Angie is the author of the lovely blog The Novice Gardener. This time Fiesta Friday is co hosted by two great bloggers, Mr Fritz, Cooking with Mr Fritz and Justine, Eclectic odds n sods. Click on the links and have a look, it is well worth it and inspirational!

 

 

Filed under Allotment/Veg, Amuse bouche, Brunch, Cod, Dinner for friends, Egg, Fennel, Fish & Seafood, Garlic, Goats cheese, Herbs, Lime, Mackerel, Orange, Pork, Potatoes, Prawns, Recipe, Salmon, Spring onion, Starter, Tomatoes · Tagged with bacon wrapped cod, chives, fiesta friday, lemon thyme, seafood, smoked salmon, Spicy prawns