Italian Salad Recipe

Italian Salad

Recipe by Jackie Cameron

Firm, plump, rosy-red tomatoes with a slight acidity are perfect for my Italian salad. Topped with a soft ball of buffalo mozzarella, home-pressed basil pesto, lemon-marinated artichokes, juicy olives, thinly sliced salami and a fresh grind of black pepper. The result is many sensational flavours. A real wow! 

Hand pressed Basil Pesto

Yields : about 400 – 500 ml

Ingredients :

70 g Fresh Basil

100 g Pine Nuts or Pine Kernels (chef’s note : Flaked Almonds can be substituted as a more reasonable alternative and they taste just as delicious!)

60 g salted Butter (chef’s note : gives the Pesto a thicker consistency)

250 ml Olive Oil

25 g Garlic

100 g finely grated Parmesan or Pecorino

Salt and Pepper

Method :

1) Place basil, butter, olive oil, garlic and grated parmesan into a liquidiser

2) Roast and slightly cool the pine nuts (chef’s note : roast nuts just before adding to the other ingredients to ensure a fresh roasted flavour) 

3) Add the nuts to the liquidiser and liquidise until the correct consistency is reached

Salad

Yields : 4

Ingredients :

4 medium (550g) Tomato

10 ml Maldon Salt (chef’s note : or any good quality salt)

16 slices (100g) Salami

16 Olives

7 pieces (60g) Artichokes quarters

3 sprigs Fresh Basil

1 round Buffalo Mozzarella (chef’s note : substitute with slices of cow’s mozzarella)

Fresh grind Black Pepper

Home-pressed Basil Pesto to taste

Method :

1) Slice the tomatoes, add the salt and place onto a platter

2) Then add all the other ingredients and plate creatively as per the picture

Please post your comments and any food-related questions below.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Jackie Cameron 
Head Chef 
Hartford House
www.hartford.co.za
jackie@hartford.co.za
+27 33 263 2713

Fresh Asparagus with Maltaise Sauce Recipe

Fresh Asparagus with Maltaise Sauce

Recipe by Jackie Cameron

Also in season is green asparagus. In its case I believe the simpler the better. A platter of blanched asparagus drizzled with a maltaise sauce (similar to a hollandaise but flavoured with loads of freshly squeezed orange juice and orange zest) is ideal for a hot summer day. Scrumptious! 

Yields : 4

Ingredients :

2 punnets or 26 thin Asparagus

2 Egg Yolks

½ T Water

60 ml freshly squeezed Orange Juice

5 g Orange zest (chef’s note : either use a zester to remove coloured and perfumed outer rind or finely grate this off)

125 ml Clarified Butter

Salt and Pepper

1 Orange - segmented

Method :

Asparagus

1) Hold both ends of the asparagus and bend it allowing the asparagus to snap. Keep the tip and throw away the bottom piece. Place the asparagus tips into a large bowl of cold water to allow any excess sand to be released. Heat a large pot of water until boiling point. Add just enough asparagus to ensure the water continues boiling. You may have to do this in two batches. Cook for about a minute and refresh by placing the asparagus into a large bowl filled with iced water. Remove from iced water when cold and place onto paper towelling.

Maltaise Sauce

2) Reduce the orange juice by half in a small pan on the heat

3) Put a small saucepan on the heat. Half filled with water

3) In a stainless steel bowl whisk the egg yolks, water, reduced orange juice and zest together

4) Place the stainless steel bowl on top of the saucepan, ensuring the bowl does not touch the water and make sure the water does not boil

5) Continue whisking this egg yolk mixture (at a low temperature, as you do not want to make scrambled egg) until it is very light and fluffy. (If need be remove from the heat to the counter top, continue whisking, to prevent over cooking.)

6)  Whisk in warm clarified butter slowly to this mixture (as you would when making mayonnaise)

7)  Season with salt and pepper. Place asparagus onto a plate and add orange segments. Dress with the maltaise sauce and serve.

Please post your comments and any food-related questions below.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Jackie Cameron 
Head Chef 
Hartford House
www.hartford.co.za
jackie@hartford.co.za
+27 33 263 2713

Strawberry Salad Recipe

Strawberry Salad

Recipe by Jackie Cameron

Strawberries are superb now, I suggest a strawberry, Parma ham, blue cheese and walnut salad, with fresh rocket leaves. The saltiness of the blue cheese and Parma ham compliments the sweetness of the fruit. Sensational!

Strawberry, Parma Ham, Walnut, Blue Cheese and fresh Rocket Salad

Yields : 4

Ingredients :

80 g Strawberry - quartered

6 pieces Parma Ham

90 g Blue Cheese

40 g Roasted Walnuts

30 g Fresh Rocket

Olive Oil

Method :

1) Mix all the above ingredients together and finish with a drizzle of olive oil

Please post your comments and any food-related questions below.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Jackie Cameron 
Head Chef 
Hartford House
www.hartford.co.za
jackie@hartford.co.za
+27 33 263 2713

Roasted Butternut Salad Recipe

Roasted Butternut Salad

Recipe by Jackie Cameron

A braai “aint” a braai without the humble butternut. Try this roasted and pan-caramelised butternut salad served with brown lentils, “shisa” red chillies, seared tender baby leeks and creamy feta cheese. It provides for an interesting combination of slightly sweet and savoury. Tantalising!

Roasted Butternut Salad with Brown Lentils, “shisa” Red Chillies, baby Leeks and Creamy Feta Cheese

Yields : 4

Ingredients :

Dressing

4 T Olive Oil

2 T White Wine Vinegar

1 T Chilli Powder

Salad

½ cup uncooked Brown Lentils

290 g cooked Butternut

90g Butter

5ml salted Butter

8 Baby Leeks - cut in half

70g Goat’s Cheese Feta (or normal creamy feta cheese)

Red Chilli to taste-sliced

Salt and Pepper

Method:

1) For the dressing add the white wine vinegar to the olive oil and flavour with the chilli powder. Set aside

2) Soak, cook the lentils and set aside to cool

3) Cut blocks of butternut, roast with the 90g butter until caramelised. Set aside to cool

4) In 5ml butter pan sear the leeks and set aside

5) Incorporate all the ingredients together finishing with the fresh red chilli, salt and pepper to taste and the feta cheese

Please post your comments and any food-related questions below.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Jackie Cameron 
Head Chef 
Hartford House
www.hartford.co.za
jackie@hartford.co.za
+27 33 263 2713