Had such a fun time cooking desserts out of Clodagh McKenna's new cookbook. Her new cookbook is called Clodagh's Suppers and features several dinner party menus highlighting different seasons.
McKenna is a well-known tv personality from Ireland and this book is a beautifully curated collection of recipes, tablescapes, and convenient shopping lists.
The book features 120 recipes and feature delicious recipes such as Wild Garlic & Potato Soup and Roast Butternut Squash.
We are excited to get to share one of the delicious recipes with you guys!
Beet, Blood Orange & Gin-cured Salmon with Fennel & Dill Pickle
SERVES 4(here's a sneak peek recipe from the cookbook)
I developed this recipe for a theater supper that I was cooking at my friend Sally Greene’s house in London. The colors are simply dazzling on the plate and this is a really fabulous first course for when you want to get a head start, as you have to prepare it a couple of days beforehand to allow it to cure.
10½ ounces salmon fillet
¾ cup peeled raw beets, grated
¼ cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon sea salt
1 tablespoon finely chopped dill
grated zest and juice of 1 small blood orange
2 tablespoons gin
For the fennel & dill pickle
1 fennel bulb
¹/³ cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon finely chopped dill
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 cup cider vinegar
1 blood orange, sliced, to decorate (optional)
Start by preparing the salmon, as you will need to let this cure for a couple of days. Place the salmon, skin side down, in a dish that’s deep enough for it to be submerged in the cure
I find a baking or pie dish is perfect. Add all the remaining ingredients for the salmon to a bowl and mix together well. Spoon over the salmon so that the salmon is submerged in the cure. Cover the dish loosely with two sheets of plastic wrap and sit a heavy weight on top
I use cans of tomatoes or similar canned items. Place in the fridge and leave for two days.
Next, make the fennel and dill pickle: Cut the fennel bulb in half down the center and thinly slice into semicircles. Add to a nonreactive bowl, sprinkle with the sugar, dill, and salt, andpour the vinegar on top. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let stand at room temperature for about an hour. Give the pickle a good stir and then let stand for another hour.
Once the salmon has cured for two days, remove from th e fridge, scrape off all the cure mixture, and pat the salmon dry with paper towels.
To serve, thinly slice the salmon away from the skin underneath and arrange on a serving plate with slices of blood orange, if you wish, and the fennel and dill pickle in a bowl alongside
I also felt especially inspired by Clodagh's delectable looking dessert recipes. I tried my hand out at cooking two of them below.
Banana Cake with Coconut Frosting
I have never baked a cake in my life before! This particular cake was a little bit more involved than the average cake, since it involves a filling, but it was definitely a showstopper!
The recipe was very easy to follow and I was very pleased with the results.
Baked Apples with Dates & Spices served with Vanilla Custard
Ok, so I know that my photo is HORRIBLE, but it tasted delicious.
Again, another super simple recipe to make, the hot custard that goes inside the apply is absolutely sublime! I want to drink buckets of it, swim in it, top off all my desserts with it!
