Friday 22 February 2008

Fine Food for Friends

I love to entertain. But I hate to be stuck in the kitchen with preparation when everyone else is sitting around a chatting. I also don't like to be in the kitchen and have my guests standing there wanting to help. I want to have everything done and then just plate up and call people to a beautifully set table with all the food ready and looking great.

The following meal is so easy to prepare, and can sit for a few minutes while you enjoy your party and then you can just plate up and be ready to eat.

Vegetable Risotto and Grilled Salmon

The ingredients for the risotto are:
2 cups Risotto
1 onion
1 1/2 cups julienne of zucchini
1 red chili and 1 orange chili (these were the large one that have lots of flavour and very little heat)
1.5 litres hot vegetable stock

Fry the onion and the chili until soft but not brown.
Add the rice and fry for a minute, until coated in oil.
Start adding the hot stock a spoon at a time. Only once all the liquid is absorbed must you add another spoon of liquid.
Continue to go this until the rice is 5 minutes from done. You will need to do a taste check for
"al dente" before you serve.
Turn off the heat, put the lid on, with a little liquid and let it stand until you are 2 minutes away from serving.
Once you are ready to serve, turn on the heat and stir in the zucchini and add a little water if you need to.
You can add parmigiana cheese, but that is your choice, I didn't.
Check the seasoning - salt and black pepper.

I simply grilled my salmon fillet.
I caramelise the presentation side and then pop in it into the oven.
Some people like there salmon medium rare, but again this is very personal.

The fish takes about 12 minutes from start to finish, and because you finish it in the oven, it is great to put it in and then set the timer and go have a little drink and return just in time to serve.

To plate up, I first put down a whole leaf of Swiss chard which I had lightly steamed in the left over stock from the risotto.
Place a spoon of risotto on top of that and top off with your fillet of salmon.

Once again this is very simple and if you take a little extra time on the presentation, you are really set to impress.

A smile is the lighting system of the face,
the cooling system of the head and
the heating system of the heart.

4 comments:

Nina Timm said...

A beautiful plate of food, I wish I was invited......

Homemade Heaven said...

It really was, but for you I would have to do something much better than this.

Nina Timm said...

You should never say that, your food is great because it comes straight from your heart.

I feel a bit inferior when I look at Meeta's blog(What's for lunch, honey). If I can give you a word of advise, up the size of your photos. Here in the blogworld - size does count. Imagine, we meet for coffee some day?

Jeanne said...

Great idea and so simple! I have people coming over this month for lunch and I'll b e seriously considering this. I never spend enough time thinking about plating - like the clever but simple ideas here.

Jeremiah 17: 7-8

"Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in Him. He will be like a tree planted by the water."

It is not your business to succeed, but to do what is right : when you have done so, the rest lies with God.
C.S. Lewis

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