A berry delicious Christmas

Sweet something

Christmas is associated with winter and with that comes the season for fresh strawberries and cold smoked meats.

Chocolate strawberries

Recipe

Ingredients

 Strawberries (fresh) – 500gm
 Calebaut chocolate (dark) – 100gm
 Calebaut chocolate (milk) – 100gm
 Calebaut chocolate (white ) -  30gm
 Butter paper – 1 sheet

Method

Wash the strawberries thoroughly keeping the leaves intact drain excess water and pat dry. Put the dark and milk chocolate into separate heatproof medium bowls. Fill medium saucepan with a couple inches of water and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Turn off the heat; set the bowls of chocolate over the water to melt. Stir until smooth.

Once the chocolates are melted and smooth, remove from the heat. Line a sheet pan with parchment or waxed paper. Alternatively, melt the chocolates in a glass dish in the microwave on high power for 60 seconds.  Remove, stir and microwave for 10 seconds more until the chocolate has melted. Allow the chocolate to cool slightly to thicken.
Holding the strawberry by the stem, dip the bottom half of each strawberry in the melted chocolate.

Twist the strawberry so that the chocolate forms a ‘tail’ at the end. Set strawberries on the parchment paper. Repeat with the remaining strawberries, once the chocolate has chilled use the white chocolate garnish.

(Courtesy: Cafe Mangii)

Smoked salmon cream

Ingredients

 Smoked salmon – 300gm
 French baguette -1
 Extra virgin olive oil
 Fresh thyme – 20gm
 Cream cheese- 500gm
 Lemon 2 no
 Orange juice – 100ml
 Malta orange – 1 no
 Dill leaves – 20gm
 Fresh parsley – 20gm

Method

 Cut the French baguette into ½ inch thick rounds.

 Drizzle olive oil and sprinkle fresh chopped thyme, and bake in the oven till nice and brown. Remove skin of the malta orange and cut into julienne. Remove the juice from the malta orange and add it to the orange juice. Heat a pan and reduce the juice mixture till it becomes thick.

Add the mixture and orange peel into a bowl, add in the cream cheese and mix it well, adjust the seasoning and store in the fridge.

Finely chop the dill and parsley,  add salt, pepper and olive oil and juice of one lemon to the mixture. Marinate the smoked salmon with the herb mixture for 2 hours. On a baked piece of bread, spread the cream cheese mixture, and take 70 gm of the smoked salmon mixture and place it on top of the cheese.