Showing posts with label summertime. Show all posts
Showing posts with label summertime. Show all posts

And now I'm back with Arrainak!

Okay so summer may have seemed to have speed by and days may be getting shorter... Fall MAY creeping up upon us but I think there's still time for me to share with you one of my favourite BBQ recipes, one that converts quite happily into a baked autumn-hearty meal. 

One of the first of my cherished Basque family recipes that I plan to share with you, it's a traditional coastal fish (arrainak) recipe that my dad made growing up and which I adore! 

It is as simple as it is good and is one of my all time favourites.


Dorade à la Donostia 
(or as it was known in my household - "Dad's Dorade")

1 fresh dorade (sometime called a sea bream) about 2-3 pounds in weight, cleaned and gutted
(* I've also made the recipe quite successfully with mackerel, but keep in mind that it yield a stronger fishy flavour...)

• 1/4 olive oil
 4-5 garlic cloves slice into approx. 1/4 inch slices
 1/3 cup red wine vinegar
 juice of half a lemon 
 salt & Piment d'Espelette

Rinse fish in cold water and pat dry with a paper towel. 

Preheat oven or BBQ to 400 F. Rub fish with olive oil and place in BBQ roasting pan and cook in BBQ for about 20 minutes (or more for a larger fish). If cooking in an oven, line a pan with baking parchment place olive oil rubbed fish and bake in oven for 20 minutes (again more time for a larger fish, add maybe 5 minutes per half pound).



Meanwhile in a small saucepan on stove top, place red wine vinegar and bring to boil. Reduce by about half and remove from heat. 

While vinegar is reducing carefully heat olive oil and garlic in small frying pan on medium heat until bubbling. Stir intermittently and watch carefully and remove from heat as soon as they are nice and golden, being ever so careful not to burn the garlic (remove from oil into small dish if you want to be sure to stop the cooking process - reserve the oil for the next step though)!

Once olive oil and garlic had cooled slightly, whisk in vinegar reduction along with lemon juice, salt to taste and add healthy 1/2-1 tsp of Piment D'Esplette.

Serve fish with a generous spoonful of delectable garlic "vinaigrette". 
Dig in and enjoy!

"It's okay to eat fish because they don't have any feelings." 
- Kurt Cobain



When life give you lemons...

WOW it's HOT out. 
After a bit of a brief blogging hiatus I'm back in action and and thankfully SO IS SUMMER! Warm weather is in full swing and sunny skies are upon us and so is BBQ season! So while I'm busy preparing some great summer recipes to share with you here's an easy refreshing drink for you to make and kick back with after a long day's work. You can even slip a little alcohol in and turn it into a cocktail if you like. ;)

LEMONS. Any one of you who knows me well enough, knows how much I love lemons and how my pantry is never quite complete without a healthy supply of happy yellow citrus. There is no end of use for this versatile fruit from a wedge in a drink, some lemon juice to bring out the flavour in a great dish such as a nice pan-fried fish or even a couple of slices in a hot cup of water as a morning eye-opener or as a nice after dinner digestive. I even save my discarded lemon half-rinds to use as a great cutting board scrubber (add some sea salt, turn rind inside out and scrub away!) or I pop them into the hot water when we're doing dishes and they not only smell great but the lemon oil helps cut grease! If only I lived in a warmer climate I would definitely have a lemon tree in my yard...


Classic Summertime Lemonade
Serves 3-4 (you'll need a small pitcher ~ around 1 litre)
ingredients
• 2-3 juicy lemons (about 3/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice)
• 1/2 cup sugar or other sweetener (I happened to have some maple sugar on hand - yum! Maple syrup, honey or a simple sugar syrup would work nicely too)
• 2.5 - 3 cups filtered water
• a good handful of ice cubes, plus more to serve

Squeeze every last drop out of those lemons and pour the juice into a small pitcher (you can strain it if you like, but it's totally not necessary...) Add sugar/sweetener and stir to dissolve and then stir in filtered water. Taste. I like my lemonade a bit on the sour side and not too sweet. You may want to add more water or sweetener to taste.
Aim for a basic breakdown of 1.5 parts lemon juice, 1 part sugar and 6-8 part water plus ice.
(MY SECRET is to make it a bit on the sweet side and add fresh ice cubes to each glass prior to serving...) Garnish with a sprig of fresh mint or some raspberries (if you want to be fancy) and serve.
Hope you enjoy it!


"I believe that if life gives you lemons, you should make lemonade... 
And try to find somebody whose life has given them vodka, and have a party." 
– Ron White