I had a few egg whites in the fridge after making a lemon mayonnaise on Sunday to go with our crayfish. Friand’s are always my go to with egg whites rather than sweet sugary meringues. Although mine are a little over browned – thats what you get by sitting at your computer and forgetting abut the oven .. Icing sugar always does the trick !!
Cherry / Fig Friands
4 egg whites – lightly beaten, 1/3 cup flour, 1 cup icing sugar, ¾ cup ground almonds, zest of an orange, 100 grams butter – melted, Cherry Jam / Grilled Fig halves / dried cranberries
Whisk egg whites in a large bowl. Add sifted flour and icing sugar, ground almonds, orange zest and melted butter. Stir gently until combined.
Spoon mixture into greased friand moulds if you have them, otherwise use a muffin tray. Place a spoonful of cherry jam or fig or anything else you have into the middle of each. Bake at 200 deg C for 10-15 minutes or until firm to touch. Cool on a wire rack and serve dusted with icing sugar.
Fish and Chip Night – It was always Friday’s in our house and we had years when our children were small we would be joined by friends and always enjoyed our weekly treat. Now we make our own and not always on a Friday.
Harbour Fish in Dunedin and Queenstown are remarkable and even in the Central Otago countryside they deliver to your door. Like so many other small businesses, they are working long hours to make their business work during lockdown 3 & 4. I am so impressed and we will be getting our addiction of seafood over the next few days.
Panko Crumbs are my best friend and I use them to coat olives, oysters, chicken and of course fish. It’s the same method for all . I served my fish with crispy sumac oven wedges, a simple salad and lemon tartare sauce.
Crispy Sumac Oven Wedges
Par boil enough potatoes for your self or your family. Drain. Cool them enough so you can handle them. Cut into wedges . Place in a largish baking dish so the potatoes are not crowded and on top of each other. Mix through 1-2 teaspoons sumac, sea salt , ground black pepper and olive oil . Bake at 200 deg C until crisp and crunchy.
Simple Salad of cherry tomatoes – cut cherry tomatoes in half, dice avocado, juice of a lime and dash of olive oil. Sit the salad on a few lettuce leaves.
Lemon Mayonniase – Tartare Sauce
2 egg yolks, grapeseeed oil, zest and juice of a small lemon, salt and pepper, 6 small gherkins, 2 teaspoons capers, 2 tablespoons chopped parsley
In a food processor whizz the egg yolks. Drizzle in enough oil …. very very slowly until the mixture is thick . Add lemon juice, seasoning. Remove from the bowl and stir through chopped gherkins capers and chopped parsley.
Panko Crumbed Sole Fillets
4 sole fillet – 1-2 per person , 1/2 cup flour, 1 egg – whisked , 1 cup panko crumbs
In 3 flattish bowls place flour, egg and panko crumbs. Dip the sole fillets in each individually – first flour >Eggs> panko crumbs. Place in a single layer on a plate. Heat enough oil to cover the bottom of your pan. (use a small frying pan and cook in batches) Gently add fish to the hot oil until golden on one side – use two forks to turn over and brown on remaining side. Place on paper towel while you cook remaining fillets.
Once your potatoes are cooked and salad made, you can start cooking the fish. It will only take a couple of minutes and they need to be served hot and crispy .
The days are now cool in the mornings and evenings here in Central Otago. Snow is on the mountains in the distance, but we are enjoying stunning days of sunshine that fills the house in the afternoon .
