Time passes in a blur when you have treats like these in your picnic basket
Asian-style salmon crêpes with rocket and ginger dip
Serves 6-8 | LITTLE EFFORT | 40 mins
Ginger Dip
- 200g (1 cup) sugar
- 500ml (2 cups) water
- 50g fresh ginger, sliced
- 125ml (½ cup) sweet chilli sauce
- 125ml (½ cup) soy sauce
- pinch of salt
- 80ml (1/3 cup) white vinegar
Crêpes
- 120g (1 cup) cake flour
- 2,5ml (½ tsp) salt
- 1 large egg, lightly beaten
- 10g fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped
- 350ml milk
- 10ml (2 tsp) oil, for frying
Filling
- 50g cream cheese
- 200g smoked salmon
- 100g cucumber, julienned
- 50g red pepper, seeded and julienned
- 50g green pepper, seeded and julienned
- 50g yellow pepper, seeded and julienned
- 20ml (4 tsp) fresh rocket
- For the dip, place all the ingredients in a heavy-based saucepan. Bring to the boil and simmer on a low heat until the sugar has melted. Blend until smooth and set aside to cool.
- For the crêpes, sift the flour and salt into a bowl and mix in the egg and parsley. Slowly add the milk, mixing continuously until the batter is smooth and runny.
- Heat the oil in a non-stick frying pan. Pour in a ladle of batter and cook on a low heat, turning when the bottom of the crepe is slightly brown, about 1 minute. Cook the other side for about 30 seconds. Pile the cooked crêpes on a plate and leave to cool.
- Cut the crêpes in half and spread cream cheese on one half. On the other half spread the salmon, cucumber, peppers and rocket. Sandwich the halves together and roll into cones.
- Serve with the ginger dip.
Pumpkin fritters with caramel sauce
Serves 6 – 8 | A LITTLE EFFORT | 50 mins
Fritters
- 1 large pumpkin, peeled, seeded and cubed
- salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 2 large eggs
- 120g (1 cup) cake flour
- 5ml (1 tsp) baking powder
- 125ml (½ cup) milk
- 1 litre sunflower oil, for deep-frying
Sauce
- 200g (1 cup) sugar
- 250ml (1 cup) fresh cream, warmed
- 250ml (1 cup) milk
- 10ml (2 tsp) cornflour
- 50g sesame seeds, toasted, to serve
- For the fritters, cook the pumpkin in plenty of boiling water until soft, about 20 minutes. Mash while still hot, season well and allow to cool.
- Mix the eggs, flour, baking powder and milk into the cold pumpkin and blend until smooth.
- Heat the oil in a large pot on a medium heat. Using two dessert spoons, drop dollops of the pumpkin batter into the oil. Deep-fry in batches until golden brown. Remove from the oil with a slotted spoon, drain on paper towel and keep warm.
- For the sauce, gently heat the sugar in a saucepan, stirring until the sugar has melted and turned gold.
- Remove the sugar from the heat and very slowly add the cream, stirring constantly until well combined.
- Mix together the milk and cornflour and add to the cream and sugar mixture. Return to the stove and bring to the boil, stirring constantly until the sauce thickens slightly.
- Pour the sauce over the fritters and serve hot, sprinkled with the sesame seeds.
Biltong, blue cheese and caramelised onion Tartlets
Serves 6-8 | EASY | 30 mins
- 2 large onions, halved and thinly sliced 30ml (2 tbsp) olive oil 100g (% cup) brown sugar 100ml water
- 6 ready-made shortcrust pastry tartlet cases
- 200g blue cheese, crumbled
- 100g biltong, sliced
- 20ml (4 tsp) fresh flat-leaf
- parsley, chopped
- 1 large egg, lightly beaten
- 250ml (1 cup) fresh cream
- 5ml (1 tsp) salt
- 5ml (1 tsp) white pepper
- alfalfa sprouts, to serve
- Preheat the oven to 140°C.
- Fry the onions, oil, sugar and water in a large saucepan over medium heat until brown and caramelised. Remove from the heat and allow to cool.
- Fill the tartlet cases with the blue cheese and biltong, sprinkle with the parsley and top with the onion mixture.
- In a bowl, mix the egg, cream, salt and pepper until well combined and pour over the tartlet fillings.
- Bake until cooked through and golden, about 15 minutes. Serve hot or cold, sprinkled with the sprouts.
Plum, lemongrass and ginger cordial
Makes 2 litres | EASY | 15 mins plus extra for chilling
- 200g (1 cup) sugar
- 250ml (1 cup) water
- 4 plums, pitted and sliced
- 2 stalks lemon grass, smashed
- 2 x 5cm pieces fresh ginger,
- finely sliced
- 2 litres sparkling water
Place the sugar, water, plums, lemon grass and ginger in a saucepan and heat gently, stirring continuously until the sugar has dissolved. Remove from the heat and allow to cool. Refrigerate until well chilled. Mix with the cold sparkling water to serve.
Text by WAKEFORD and COMPANY. Photographs by ELSA YOUNG. Styling by ANNA MONTALI. This shortened article was taken from the April 2010 edition of Food and Home.
Related Content
