Cheesy Smoked Snoek Treats
Serves 8 as a starter, 4 as a main course

This is a stunning recipe! I served it for brunch and got rave reviews.

200 g smoked snoek, skinned, flaked and boned
½ t (2,5 ml) Ina Paarman's Chilli & Garlic Seasoning
1 large onion, chopped
½ T (7.5 ml) butter
½ T (7.5 ml) oil
1 x 200 ml Ina Paarman's Ready to Serve Cheese Sauce
2 eggs, beaten
½ cup (125 ml) grated mature cheddar cheese

Preheat the oven to 180ºC. Toss the flaked snoek with the chilli seasoning in a medium mixing bowl. Sauté the onion until soft and golden brown in a mixture of the butter and oil. Add to the fish. Add the cheese sauce, beaten eggs and grated cheese. Mix together.

Dish into tiny buttered ovenproof dishes. Place dishes into an oven roasting pan and add boiling water to the pan 1 cm deep. Bake at 180ºC for 25-30 minutes until puffy and golden. Serve with water biscuits or toast fingers.

 Cook's note:

Not much seasoning is required in this dish as the snoek is already salty. Garnish with fresh parsley.

 Variation:

Tinned pink salmon or tuna is an excellent replacement for the snoek. All variations are excellent served at room temperature.

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This combination of flavours is superb. It is worth the time to brine the chicken before roasting and a good idea to cook the chicken the day before.

BRINE
¼ cup (60 ml) coarse salt (or if using table salt reduce by 2 T (30 ml))
¼ cup (60 ml) brown or yellow sugar
1 litre cold tap water

Mix all the ingredients together to dissolve.

1 large fresh chicken

Pour the brine mixture into a resealable plastic bag. Add the chicken. Roll the bag up tight against the chicken so it is covered by the brine. Secure with a peg or clip. Leave at room temperature for 1 hour. (Minimum brining time is 30 minutes and maximum 6 hours). Remove the chicken from the brine and dry it off.

1 t (5 ml) Ina Paarman's Lemon & Black Pepper Seasoning
1 t (5 ml) Ina Paarman's Chicken Stock Powder
1 T (15 ml) olive oil
1 fresh lemon

Rinse and dry the chicken inside and out. Season with Lemon & Black Pepper seasoning and Chicken Stock powder. Rub the skin with olive oil. Cut the lemon in half and put it into the cavity. Truss the chicken with string to keep it in a compact shape. Place the chicken on a rack, over a roasting pan filled with 2 cups (500 ml) water. Roast, uncovered, at 180ºC for 1¼ hours. Cool chicken to room temperature. Cut into portions and arrange on a serving platter.

BALSAMIC VELOUTÉ SAUCE
1 t (5 ml) English mustard powder
2 T (30 ml) water
1 extra large egg
1½ T (22.5 ml) sugar
½ cup (125 ml) balsamic vinegar
½ t (2,5 ml) Ina Paarman's Lemon & Black Pepper Seasoning

Soak the mustard powder in the water for 5 minutes to develop the flavour. Beat the egg and sugar vigorously with the mustard solution in a small pyrex mixing bowl with a balloon whisk.

In your smallest saucepan, bring the balsamic vinegar to the boil and reduce roughly by half over high heat. Add this reduction to the egg mixture in the pyrex bowl and beat in. Place the mixing bowl over a pot of slowly boiling water and beat the sauce until thick. Leave to cool. Season to taste with Lemon & Black Pepper seasoning.

TO SERVE:
1 butter lettuce
1 punnet strawberries, well rinsed
milled fresh black pepper
fresh garden herbs

Line a platter with lettuce leaves, add chicken cut into neat portions (slice the breast). Dot the strawberries over the chicken. Drizzle the sauce over and scatter with fresh herbs.

 Variation:

When strawberries are out of season use very ripe baby rosa or cherry tomatoes.

 Cook's Tip:

If time is a real problem use a ready cooked chicken from the supermarket and spice it up with our Lemon & Black Pepper Seasoning.

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Waterblommetjies and salmon trout are South African gourmet treats. Perfect for a long, lazy summer lunch in the garden.

1 x 500 g punnet of fresh waterblommetjies, well rinsed in salt water. Break the flowers apart into 2 smaller lengths
1 T (15 ml) olive oil
1 t (5 ml) Ina Paarman's Green Onion Seasoning
1 butter lettuce, washed and broken apart
1 small punnet of baby rosa tomatoes, cut in half
2 red bell peppers (roast it if you have time)
200 g peppered salmon trout broken apart and skinned
6 hard-boiled eggs, halved lengthways
1 cup (250 ml) black olives (Calamata type) drained and pipped
Ina Paarman's Lemon & Black Pepper Seasoning
½ cup (125 ml) Ina Paarman's Caesar Salad Dressing

Steam the waterblommetjies in a steam basket over boiling water for between 12 and 15 minutes or microwave in a micro steamer for the same length of time. Toss with olive oil and season lightly with Green Onion seasoning. Leave to cool.

Line a large platter with butter lettuce leaves. Pile the waterblommetjies up in the middle. Cut the baby tomatoes in half and arrange in two tight groupings. Cut the bell peppers in half, remove pips and slice the halves into thin strips. Arrange on platter. Group the flaked fish on the platter. Place the hardboiled eggs in two groups on the platter.

Scatter olives over the salad, season and drizzle with the dressing just before serving. Delicious with whole wheat bread and a glass of well chilled fruity white wine.

The Mediterranean potatoes available at Woolworths are really good to use in this salad, otherwise use red potatoes or any potato variety recommended for chips.

1 kg potatoes, unpeeled
250 g green beans, trimmed and cut into 2cm lengths on the diagonal
½ pkt (62.5 ml) Ina Paarman's Basil Pesto
1 t (5 ml) Ina Paarman's Green Onion Seasoning
¼ cup (60 ml) finely sliced spring onions
2 T (30 ml) olive oil

Steam the potatoes until tender. Leave to cool. Steam the beans until just tender but still bright green. Toss with pesto while still warm.

Remove the potato skins and cut potatoes into small wedges. Season with Green Onion Seasoning. Gently toss the potatoes with the dressed green beans, spring onions and olive oil. Serve at room temperature.

 Variation:

Also lovely served hot as a vegetable accompaniment to roast chicken.

Thick leeks will burn on the surface before they cook through. Use leeks no thicker than 1cm.

2 punnets baby leeks, trim root end and neaten tops
1 T (15 ml) olive oil
Ina Paarman's Green Onion Seasoning

Rinse the leeks in a big bowl of water to remove any sand trapped in the leaves. Thread 2 kebab sticks through every 6 leeks to form a 'mat'. Brush with oil on both sides. Grill the leeks on a ribbed griddle pan or over a medium- hot fire (you should be able to hold your hand 5 inches above the cooking grate for 3 to 4 seconds), turning once, until tender and streaked with light grill marks, 5 to 7 minutes. Remove the sticks and transfer the grilled leeks to a platter. Season to taste. Serve warm or at room temperature with the sauce.

GREEN ONION YOGHURT SAUCE
1 x 250 g smooth cottage cheese
¾ cup (180ml) plain yoghurt
¼ cup (60 ml) finely sliced spring onions
1 t (5 ml) Ina Paarman's Green Onion Seasoning

Mix all the ingredients for the dip together and serve in a smallish bowl with the leeks on the side.

 Variation:

Asparagus is good prepared the same way.

I just love this method of cooking onions by rolling them in a hot frypan. The balsamic vinegar gives great flavour depth. They are delicious with both braaied and cold meats.

750 g pearl (baby) onions
2 T (30 ml) olive oil
2 T (30 ml) sugar
3 T (45 ml) balsamic vinegar
Ina Paarman's Green onion or Lemon & Black Pepper Seasoning
½ cup (125 ml) water
1 x 200 ml Tomato & Chilli Ready to Serve Sauce
2 spring onions, finely sliced

To skin the onions, first top and tail them, then cover them with boiling water. Leave for 1-2 minutes, then drain, rinse under cold water and slip off the skins. Warm the oil in a wide frying pan and add the onions. Shake the pan to roll them and brown them, then add sugar, balsamic vinegar and seasoning. Reduce the vinegar right out. Add ½ cup (125 ml) of water and cover the onions with a tight lid. Simmer slowly for 10 - 12 minutes or until onions are done. Remove pan from the heat and add the sauce. Do not boil. Leave to cool down. Serve at room temperature, garnished with finely sliced spring onions.

Instead of a dessert this recipe always creates a stir!

1 X 500g Brie (we used Fairview Vintners Brie)
50 g unsalted cashew nuts
50 g unsalted raw almonds
100g glace fruit, cut into cubes
2 greenfigsin syrup
¼ cup (60 ml) honey
½ t (2,5 ml) grated lemon rind
1 T (15 ml) lemon juice

Place Brie on a heat resistant serving platter. Combine all the remaining ingredients in a small saucepan and boil while stirring over high heat until the sauce becomes tacky and the mixture starts to stick together slightly. Scrape out over the cheese and spread right to the edges. Can be prepared the day before.

TO SERVE WARM:
Bake for 5 minutes at 200ºC or easier still, pop it into the microwave for about 1 - 1½ minutes on high.

TO SERVE AT ROOM TEMPERATURE:
The advantage here is that it is much neater to slice (no oozing!) but the taste is perhaps not quite as good!  

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