As men, it becomes to easy to stick to what you know, in the kitchen its usual steak and 3 vegetables type meals. But if you want to impress a significant other, or maybe impress your dinner party guests with something other then beans on toast. Try to cook a 3-course meal :
Starters
Salmon Carpaccio
Preparation – 20 Minutes + Refrigeration
Serves – 8
Ingredients
- ½ Medium green capsicum (bell pepper) (100g) diced finely
- 2 green onions (scallions, chopped finely
- 400 g piece sashimi salmon, sliced thinly
- 1 tablespoon free dill sprigs
- 2 tablespoons lime juice
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Method
1. Combine capsicum and onion in a small bowl
2. Arrange salmon slices on a large plate. Sprinkle with capsicum min, then top with dill. Drizzle with juice, then oil, season.
3. Cover Salmon. Refrigerate 1 hour.
Serving suggestions
Scatter micro leaves over salmon. Serve with thinly sliced toasted bread.
TIP – Cut the salmon as thinly as you like. Freezing the piece of salmon for about 1 hour will make it easier to slice finely. You can finely slice the partly frozen fish using a mandolin or a V-Slicer.
Main
Butterflied Lamb With Fresh Mint Sauce
Preparation + Cook time
40 minutes (+refrigeration and standing)
Serves (10)
Ingredients
- ½ cup (90g) honey
- 1 tablespoon wholegrain mustard
- 2 kgs butterflied leg of lamb
- ¼ cup loosely packed rosemary sprigs
- For Mint Sauce
- ½ cup (110g) firmly packed light brown sugar
- ½ cup(125 ml) water
- 1 1/2 cups (375ml) cider vinegar
- ½ cup finely chopped fresh mint
Method.
1. Make the mint sauce. Stir sugar and the water in a small saucepan overheat, without boiling, until sugar dissolves. Bring to the boil. Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, without stirring, 5 minutes or until the syrup thickens slightly. Combine syrup, vinegar and mint in a small bowl.
2. Combine a quarter of the mint sauce, honey and mustard in a large shallow dish. Add lamb turn to coat in the marinade. Cover and refrigerate for 3 hours or overnight, turning occasionally. Refrigerate remaining mint sauce separately.
3. Drain Lamb, and place, fat side down on heated oiled grill plate (or grill or barbecue). Cover lamb loosely with foil and cook about 10 minutes or until browned underneath. Uncover; turn lamb, sprinkle with rosemary. Cook, covered, about 10 minutes or until cooked as desired (or cook by indirect heat in covered barbecue following manufacturer’s instructions. ). Remove from heat; stand covered, 15 minutes.
4. Slice lamb thinly. Serve with remaining mint sauce.
Serving suggestion – Serve with baby potatoes and a tomato and radish salad. The mint sauce can be made several days ahead. Ask the butcher to butterfly a leg of lamb for you.
Desert
Raspberry nougat frozen parfait.
Preparation + Cook time – 25 minutes (+freezing and refrigeration)
Serves 8
INGREDIENTS
- 2 cups (400g) Ricotta Cheese
- ¾ cup (165g) caster (superfine) sugar
- ¼ cup (40g whole almonds, roasted, chopped coarsely
- 150g (4 1/2 ounces) nougat, chopped coarsely
- 1 ¼ cup (310ml) thickened (heavy cream)
- 1 cup (135g) frozen raspberries
Method
1. Line base and sides of 14cm x 21 cm (5 ½ inch x 8 ½ inch) loaf pan with foil or baking paper, extending foil 5 cm (2 inches) over two long sides.
2. Blend or process cheese and sugar until smooth, then transfer to a large bowl. Stir in nuts and nougat.
3. Beat cream in a small bowl with an electric mixer until soft peaks form. Fold cream into the cheese mixture, then fold in raspberries.
4. Spoon mixture into the pan, cover with foil and freeze until firm. Slice parfait.
5. Then refrigerate about 30 minutes before serving to soften slightly.
Tip – it is fine to use just one 300ml carton of cream for this recipe. The parfait can be made a week ahead up to step 3. Slice with a knife that has been dipped in hot water, before allowing to soften in the refrigerator (step 5)
Serving suggestions
You can serve this with fresh raspberries or with a raspberry compote. For a compote, cook 2 ½ cups (330g) Frozen raspberries, and ½ cup (55g) caster) superfine) sugar in a medium saucepan, stirring, over low heat, until berries are very soft/ Push mixture through a coarse sieve into a medium bowl, discard seeds. Just before serving, stir 500 g fresh raspberries into berry sauce.
A perfect match
You could accompany the festive menu with these wine choices.
Salmon Carpaccio – Pinot Grigio
Lamb – Sauvignon Blanc
Raspberry Parfait- champagne or sparkling wine.
Being able to cook a 3-course meal and bring something like this to the table. Will impress your special someone, your friends or family. It is just a great three-course meal that is gonna impress.
