Pink Salmon Mousse
Makes 10 dariole moulds or 12 smaller moulds or one large fish mould

Fish moulds seem to have made a real comeback - we have had three requests in the last two weeks! Set this Salmon Mousse in individual moulds, in a traditional fish shaped mould or in a small terrine pan.

1 envelope (15 ml) gelatine
4 T (60 ml) cold water
½ cup (125 ml) boiling water
1 x 220g tin pink salmon, skin and big bones removed but retaining juices
½ packet (100 ml) Ina Paarman's Tomato and Chilli Ready to Serve Sauce (use the remaining sauce as a garnish)
½ cup (125 ml) grated cucumber, peeled
1 T (15 ml) lemon juice
1 T (15 ml) fish paste
1 cup (250 ml) fresh cream
2 t (10 ml) Ina Paarman's Lemon & Black Pepper seasoning to taste

GARNISH
olive oil
remaining Tomato and Chilli Ready to Serve Sauce
100g Salmon trout ribbons
onion sprouts
dill or fennel

Sprinkle the dry gelatine powder over the cold water. Leave to sponge. Then add the gelatine sponge to the boiling water and stir gently until dissolved. Mix all the ingredients except the cream and Lemon & Black Pepper seasoning in a food processor or liquidizer until smooth. Stir and chill over ice water until beginning to set. Whip the cream and fold lightly into the mousse. Taste and adjust the seasoning. Using a brush, oil the mould lightly with Olive Oil or Canola Oil. Pour the mousse mixture into the mould/s. Allow to set in the refrigerator overnight. Turn out and garnish as illustrated.

 Chef's Tip:

If using a dariole mould (like the one we used) line the base only with a piece of baking paper cut slightly smaller than the base of the mould to facilitate turning out. The easiest moulds to use are those with a vacuum release in the base.

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In testing this recipe we used quite a few fillets, but the final result made up for the trial and error beforehand.

BEST BRAAI TIPS:

• Pre-seasoning and oiling the fillet an hour before cooking and leaving the meat out at room temperature gave superb results.
• Extra smoky flavour introduced via soaked wood chips was a definite plus. Our tasters all enjoyed this variation.
• Serve the sliced steak with a selection of sauces to please everybody.

1.5kg-2kg beef fillet, double over the thin tail end and tie with string
4 T (60 ml) olive oil
3 t (15 ml) Ina Paarman's Garlic Pepper Seasoning
1 T (15 ml) Ina Paarman's Beef Stock Powder

Rub the steak with oil. Mix the seasoning and stock powder. Sprinkle over the meat and pat it firmly into the oiled meat. Leave to rest at room temperature for 1 hour.

BEST BRAAI GUIDE

1. SMOKE BOMB
Soak 1 cup of wood chips (available at supermarkets or hardware stores) in warm water for at least 30 minutes. Roll them in a 40cm length of foil to form a sausage shape. Snip the foil at 5cm intervals. This smoke bomb will be placed on the grid while the meat cooks and helps to impart a more intense braaied flavour.

2. FIRE
Prepare a two-level fire. In other words in one half of your kettle braai you will have the coals heaped on top of each other and on the other side you will have a single layer of coals.

3. METHOD
Brown the meat all round over the heaped up coals. Turn it with tongs and don't close the lid. When the meat has been browned all round, move it over to the cooler side of the braai and put the foil wrapped smoke bomb on the hot side of the braai, on top of the grid.

Close the lid and open the top vent 2/3 of the way and position the vent opposite the side where you have your smoke bomb, so that the smoke is drawn across the meat and not straight up and out.

Calculate cooking time at about 15 minutes per 500g. I firmly believe that the most accurate method is to insert a meat thermometer into the thickest part of the meat when about three quarters of the cooking time has elapsed. Medium- rare will register 70-71ºC.

NB. DO NOT OPEN THE LID too often or much of the smoke will be lost!

4. SAUCES

• PEPPER SAUCE - 1 x 200 ml Ina Paarman's Ready to Serve Pepper Sauce. Thin down with a little cream and warm before serving.
• PREGO SAUCE - 1 x 200ml Ina Paarman's Peri-Peri Coat & Cook Sauce mixed with ½ cup (125 ml) fat reduced cream. Serve warm or at room temperature.
• MEXICAN SAUCE - 1 x 200ml Ina Paarman's Ready to Serve Tomato and Chilli Sauce mixed and garnished with 3 T (45 ml) snipped fresh coriander leaves. Serve at room temperature.
• MUSHROOM SAUCE - 1 x 200ml Ina Paarman's Ready to Serve Mushroom Sauce. Thin down with a little cream and warm before serving.

5. HOW TO SERVE
When the internal temperature of the meat is to your preference remove it from the fire and leave to stand, covered with foil, for 10 minutes to settle the juices before carving.

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I often bake the vegetables ahead of time. Serve them at room temperature or just re-heat them on the braai fire, in the same oven pan in which they were baked, during the 10 minute resting time of the meat.

Ina Paarman's Rosemary & Olive Seasoning
2 large eggplants, sliced lengthways
6 baby marrows
2 red bell peppers, quartered lengthways
2 yellow bell peppers, quartered lengthways
6 black mushrooms
Ina Paarman's Lemon & Black Pepper Seasoning
1 cup (250 ml) Ina Paarman's Herb Salad Dressing

Season the eggplant with Rosemary and Olive seasoning and leave to drain for 20 minutes. Rinse and pat dry. Pre-heat the oven to 250ºC. Slice the vegetables in strips on the diagonal. Season all vegetables, except the mushrooms, with Rosemary and Olive seasoning. Season mushrooms with Lemon and Black Pepper. Drizzle Herb Salad dressing over the vegetables to coat and spread out into two oven-roasting pans in single layers. Roast for about 30-40 minutes, until the vegetables are browned.

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This is an ideal salad to serve with grills or braais.

½ ciabatta (Italian bread)
500g ripe cherry tomatoes
2 T (30 ml) good quality red wine vinegar or sherry vinegar
2 cloves garlic, crushed
½ cup (125 ml) extra virgin olive oil
Ina Paarman's Green Onion Seasoning
a handful fresh basil leaves
1 punnet rocket leaves
juice of half a lemon

Preheat the oven to 240ºC. Slice the bread and roughly tear the slices into small pieces and place on a baking tray. Bake in the oven for about 5-10 minutes until dry and toasted on the outside. Place in a bowl.

Cut 12 of the tomatoes in half through the middle and, using your hands, squeeze them over the toasted bread. Mix together a dressing using the vinegar, garlic and half the olive oil, and season with Green Onion seasoning. Pour the dressing over the toasted bread and tomato and toss*.

Slice remaining tomatoes lengthways and add, with the rocket and basil, to the bread mixture. Finally add the lemon juice to bring out the flavour of the tomatoes, and pour over the remaining olive oil.

 Chef's Tip:

*Can be made to this stage up to an hour ahead of time, but it is best to add the remaining ingredients at the last minute.
We will be launching a new separated Olive Oil and Balsamic Vinaigrette soon. This dressing will be excellent on the Tuscan Salad.

4 cups (480 g) whole wheat flour
1½ cups (180 g) white bread flour
1 x 10g packet instant dry yeast
1 T (15 ml) brown sugar
4 blocks of Weet-Bix, finely crushed
2 t (10 ml) salt
¼ cup (60 ml) sesame seeds or toasted sunflower seeds
2 cups (500 ml) lukewarm water
2 cups (500 ml) buttermilk at room temperature
2 T (30 ml) canola or grapeseed oil
some extra seeds to sprinkle over the top

Oil or butter a 28 cm x 11cm bread pan. Line the base with a strip of baking or buttered greaseproof paper.

Measure the two kinds of flour into a large sturdy mixing bowl. Add the yeast and sugar. Crush the Weet-Bix in a plastic bag with a meat mallet or small saucepan and add to the flour. Add the salt and seeds and stir to blend.

Make a hollow in the flour and add the lukewarm water, buttermilk and oil. Stir with a strong wooden spoon until the mixture is very well blended. Add a little more water if the mixture is too heavy to stir. Spoon the bread mixture into the prepared pan. Sprinkle with some seeds.

Leave in a warm spot (see Chef's tip) until the bread has nearly risen to the top of the pan. Halfway through the raising time pre-heat the oven to 200ºC.

Bake for 1 hour. Remove the bread from the pan 5-10 minutes before the time is up and continue baking without a pan for the final 5-10 minutes to crisp the bottom crust.

 Chef's Tip:

A good method that we use to create the warm humid atmosphere that yeast loves is to place a roasting pan half filled with warm water in a black waste bag. Put a rack or trivet over the pan and then put the pan with bread mixture on top of the rack. Tie the bag closed to keep the steam in.

It will take about 35-55 minutes to rise. Don't be in too much of a hurry, slower is better.

OVERNIGHT PROOFING
The prepared mixture, in the mixing bowl (covered with cling film), can also be put in the fridge to rise slowly overnight or during the day. Give the risen bread a good stir, spoon into the pan and leave to rise for a second time in a warm spot until it has nearly risen to the top of the pan. Bake as above.

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This delicious pre-prepared dessert is just the thing to cool everyone down after a robust outdoor meal.

750g plain Greek yoghurt
grated zest and juice of 2 medium lemons
4 T (60 ml) honey or ginger syrup
¼ t (1,2 ml) salt
1 cup (250 ml) fresh cream
1 egg white
4 T (60 ml) sugar
100g crystallised or preserved ginger, finely sliced

Line a small long narrow terrine pan with cling film. Beat the yoghurt, lemon zest, lemon juice, honey and salt together in a large mixing bowl. In a separate small mixing bowl, using the same (unwashed) beaters, beat the cream until firm. Gently fold it into the yoghurt mixture. Wash the beaters in hot soapy water to remove all traces of fat and whisk the egg white in a small bowl until it holds firm. Add the sugar gradually until you have a firm meringue-like mixture. Gently fold this into the yoghurt.

Add the finely sliced ginger, reserving a few strips for garnish. Pour the mixture into the prepared container, cover with cling film and freeze overnight.

TO SERVE
Dip a knife in boiling water and slice the ice cream log into 1½ cm thick slices. Serve with fresh, seasonal fruit.

 Variation:

Finely slice 6 preserved figs and use the fig syrup in place of honey or use crystallised pineapple and honey.

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