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.

Tirol Spaghetti

Another whatever's in the fridge recipe, perfect for a cold night:

DiCecco pasta

Pack of good quality ham (normal, not smoked)

Onion

Bay leaf

Rosemary

EVOO

S&P

Butter

Good quality beef broth

Cheddar cheese

Chives

Parsley

1. Cut onion in half, saute in olive oil with rosemary, bay leaf (or two), in big pan
2. When onion golden, add a few tblsp of broth and reduce by half
3. Cook spaghetti for 6-7 mins, add to pan, mix with ingredients
4. Chop up ham in to small pieces--the whole pack, about 5 slices, and mix into spaghetti
5. Add EVOO, lots of pepper!
6. Add herbs, butter last (leave onion, bay leaves, rosemary in pan for flavoring)
7. Serve and grate cheese

Herrings in Oatmeal with Bacon

Was watching an old Rick Stein show the other night, this sounded too good to forget:

4 herrings

100g oatmeal

veg oil

english bacon, cut into strips

S&P

Lemon

Parsley

1. Fillet the herrings
2. Season, press with oatmeal until covered
3. Heat oil in frying pan, with bacon until crisp
4. Remove from pan, keep warm
5. Fry herrings in same pan, flesh side first, until golden brown
6. Put fish on plate, sprinkle with bacon, served with lemon wedges, potatoes, chopped parsley

Prosciutto Bomb

Another recipe originating from the random contents of my parents' fridge.  Lots of cliche ingredients but hard to beat the classic outcome:

prosciutto

buffalo mozzarella

rehydrated sun-dried tomatoes (dressed with EVOO, S&P)

capers, rinsed well

rucola

lemon

old balsamic

EVOO

S&P

1. Dress mozarella with EVOO, S&P
2. Envelope mozarella with two slices of rehydrated tomatoes, with some capers squeezed in
3. Wrap the whole lot with prosciutto
4. Dress rucola with lemon juice and EVOO, S&P, a few capers
5. Put wrapped mozzarella on bed of rucola, splash 2-3 drops balsamic on the side, not on top