Happy Easter Happy Spring!

Nancy Cerny here from CVC Catering Group.

Maine’s Finest Catering in your Home, Office, Club, Yacht, Outdoors
or even an Auditorium – any place you wish! We provide Indulgences you’ve only dreamed of for Weddings, Dinners, Business Parties, Special Events, Holidays, Anniversaries, and Lobster Bakes the Old Fashioned Way Barbecues and more. We cater to every one of your individual needs. Providing You with the Cutting Edge in Creative Cuisine.

I don’t know if you agree with me, but I think winter has finally lost it’s charm. We still have tons of snow on the ground and they are saying we will get another storm this week. Ug!

So, I am ready for spring. I thought I would share with you one of my favorite spring recipes! It is still comforting for our continued cold weather but very elegant and springy. Please let me know what you think!

Spring Salmon Savory Strudel
Serves 4 People

Ingredients:

1 Puff Pastry Sheet
1 ½ Cups of Mashed Potatoes mixed with Ranch Powder Dressing
Mix 1 Cup of Béchamel Sauce
1 ½ Pounds of Poached Salmon
6 Cheese Slices of your choice. (I use American.)
Egg Wash (egg mixed with scant amount of water)

Make Béchamel Sauce:
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
6 tablespoons white unbleached flour
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons parsley, chopped
2 tablespoons chives
3 tablespoons lemon juice

Melt butter in medium sized pan on low heat, stirring as it does. Don’t let it burn. Add in flour, stirring constantly, until fully dissolved and smooth. When it bubbles, remove from heat and add in the heavy cream, stirring constantly. Return to medium heat and stir in the lemon juice, parsley, garlic. Stir until it’s smooth and slightly bubbles. It will thicken.

Poach Salmon:

Prepare a Court Bouillon. Is an essential ingredient when poaching Salmon and other Seafood. This is basically a light vegetable stock. You could use a simple fish stock as well.m The Court Bouillon needs to cook on its own for about 30 minutes before putting the salmon in, to allow the flavors to develop. Don’t throw the bouillon away after cooking the Salmon, it makes a great base for a fish soup or you can reduce it down and freeze it to use another day.

10floz white wine
40floz water
3floz white wine vinegar
1 chopped onion
2 chopped carrots
2 sticks chopped celery
2 bay leaves
2 teasp sea salt
12 black peppercorns

Put all the ingredients in a pot and bring to a boil. Simmer for 30 – 40 minutes and leave to cool before using. Put the salmon in a shallow pan with Court Boullion SIMMERING- DO NOT BOIL, and poach gently until the fish has changed color and is opaque (around 20 to 30 minutes) Assemble Strudel:Place a line of the mashed potatoes down the middle of the puff pastry. Pour about ½ cup of béchamel sauce over the mashed potatoes. Place separated salmon pieces across all of the mashed potatoes. Then place cheese slices across the salmon. Overlap Puff pastry sheet sides and ends an turn over seam side down on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Brush egg wash over puff pastry top and sides and bake in 375 degree oven for approximately 20 minutes until puffy and brown. Serve immediately with additional béchamel sauce over. By the way, I am doing three cooking demonstrations at the womens expo the first week end of April. Check out the link and come see me!
http://www.womenslife.net/portland/portland.html Happy Spring!