Festive Starters
Smoked Salmon with Pickled Radish & Beetroot, Horseradish and Apple Cream
Ingredients (Serves 4)
8 slices smoked
12 radishes
1 shallot, peeled and finely sliced
25ml cider vinegar
25ml water
1 tablespoon sugar
Good pinch salt
1 medium beetroot, peeled and coarsely grated
1 red apple, quartered, cored and coarsely grated
2 teaspoons horseradish sauce
200ml sour cream
Freshly cracked black pepper
Method
Cut the radishes in half and then cut each half in 3.
Mix in the shallots. Simmer the vinegar, water and sugar in a pan until the sugar has dissolved. Season with salt and pour over the radishes.
Leave for at least an hour, then remove and pat dry.
Mix the beetroot, apple, horseradish and sour cream.
Season with black pepper and salt to taste.
Place 2 slices of salmon on each plate.
Place some of the pickle on one side and then spoon the beetroot cream onto the other side.
Grind over some pepper and serve with wheaten bread.
Crispy Parma Ham and Griddled Pears with Shaved Celery, Blue Cheese & Walnut salad
Ingredients (Serves 4)
4 slices Parma ham
2 pears
4 large stalks celery
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
25ml cider vinegar
1 teaspoon honey
75ml olive oil
100g blue cheese – Stilton works well here
50g toasted walnuts
Method
Brush the Parma ham with oil and cook on a hot pan until crisp on both sides.
Peel, core and quarter the pears, cut each quarter in half, brush with oil and cook in the same pan as the pears until golden brown.
Peel the outside of the celery and then shave with a peeler into ribbons. Keep any trimmings for your gravy.
Whisk the mustard with the vinegar and honey then whisk in the oil.
Crumble in the cheese and add all but 2 halves of the walnuts. Check seasoning.
Spoon a quarter of the salad onto each plate and then arrange pears and some of the Parma on the side.
Finely grate over the remaining walnuts.
