Pistachio Pesto

In the absence of pinenuts, pistachios worked just fine.  A quick dry pan fry helps.

pistachios

EVOO

garlic 

basil

parsley (just a few leaves)

chives (handful)

S&P

1. dry pan fry the pistachios and garlic (in case of the latter, eliminates strong raw garlicky flavor
2. put all ingredients in blender (chop chives up a bit first) & wiz but not too finely

Whipped & Truffled Brandade de Morue

I saw this on the menu at Aiden Byrne's The Grill at the Dorchester.  The truffle is what makes it interesting; the brandade recipe comes from Andre Soltner, former chef of Lutece in NYC. This brandade recipe is delicious because it is light and airy, and made with just fish, no added potato: 

Salt cod

Whole milk

EVOO

bay leaf

thyme

2 garlic cloves

S&P

Baguette

Truffle oil

1. Soak the salt cod with 3-4 water changes over a week period
2. Rinse cod and steam
3. Bring a couple cups of milk, about a cup of EVOO, with bay leaf and thyme, to a near boil
4. De-bone steamed cod
5. Put cod and liquid in blender, add pepper (maybe salt although shouldn't have to given that cod already salty), truffle oil to taste, and blend til fluffy.  Don't overblend!
6. Grill baguette slices, dip into a bowl of the fluffy brandade.

Chorizo & Harissa Aioli Sandwich

A tasty little number, inspired by a walk through Borough Market:

Chorizo

Bay leaf

Red Wine

Home-made mayo

Harissa (top quality)

Peasant bread

Rucola

EVOO

Lemon

S&P

1. Cut chorizo lengthways, saute until browned with bay leaf, add red wine and deglaze
2. Dress rucola with EVOO, S&P, lemon juice to taste
3. Make aioli (pref with organic, orange yolk egg), add harissa (preferably from a tub at a Moroccan store, rather than store-bought in a jar)
4. Grill bread, rub with garlic, drizzle EVOO
5. On a wooden board/plate, put chorizo in bread, slather with aioli and pile in the rucola

Gravlax Tip

Rick Stein says a good gravlax can be made even better with the addition of cracked white pepper, or even black pepper corns, to the usual dill, sugar, salt condiments.  Also notable is once you brush off the condiments used to cure the salmon, add a fresh layer of dill.