Winter fare
Coastal Saltbush, Ruby Grapefruit and Blood Orange
The coastal Salt Bush, Atriplex Cinerea, planted in my garden a few months ago is now big enough to harvest and use the leaves as an edible bed for roasting lamb. The end result is a subtle flavoured meat and a delicious fat soaked vegetable.
The Ruby Grapefruit are ready to pick and this year for the first time I have Blood Oranges (plural), the tree has never done very well but clings to life and every now and then produces a single orange, but this year has eight fruit. Had people to lunch and served this salad:
1 ruby Grapefruit (segmented, membrane peeled from each, cut into 3 / 4 pieces)
3 small blood oranges ( segmented, membrane peeled from each, cut in half )
500 gms prawns ( peeled and split lengthways)
spinach leaves add leaves from 1 bunch basil, 1 bunch coriander, 1 bunch mint
Dressing
Grated fresh ginger, any reserved juice from preparing the grapefruit and oranges, fish sauce, chopped fresh chilli and palm sugar (or use chilli jam ), pepper and olive oil (or oil of preference).
Also served a Spanish style sea food stew, Zarzuela de Mariscos, one of those stews whose contents vary according to what is fresh and available at the time.
Prawns, mussels, clams, firm white fish, blue swimmer crabs.
Use prawn shells and bay leaves to made a stock. Melt onions and red capsicum in olive oil, add diced tomatoes and lots of garlic. Soak saffron in a cup of white wine. Cut one or two Chorizo sausages into slices and brown in a separate pan. Strain stock add onion mix, sausage, saffron and wine, simmer until nearly ready to serve. Add seafood, firm fish first, then prawns and crab/s. Add ground almonds (or Almond meal), about a cup or a little more....until you think it looks slightly thickened or the " right" consistency. Add mussels and finally clams until opened. Add the juice of a lemon and (optional) paprika. Taste & adjust for salt and pepper.
Serve in big bowls with lots of bread
1 ruby Grapefruit (segmented, membrane peeled from each, cut into 3 / 4 pieces)
3 small blood oranges ( segmented, membrane peeled from each, cut in half )
500 gms prawns ( peeled and split lengthways)
spinach leaves add leaves from 1 bunch basil, 1 bunch coriander, 1 bunch mint
Dressing
Grated fresh ginger, any reserved juice from preparing the grapefruit and oranges, fish sauce, chopped fresh chilli and palm sugar (or use chilli jam ), pepper and olive oil (or oil of preference).
Also served a Spanish style sea food stew, Zarzuela de Mariscos, one of those stews whose contents vary according to what is fresh and available at the time.
Prawns, mussels, clams, firm white fish, blue swimmer crabs.
Use prawn shells and bay leaves to made a stock. Melt onions and red capsicum in olive oil, add diced tomatoes and lots of garlic. Soak saffron in a cup of white wine. Cut one or two Chorizo sausages into slices and brown in a separate pan. Strain stock add onion mix, sausage, saffron and wine, simmer until nearly ready to serve. Add seafood, firm fish first, then prawns and crab/s. Add ground almonds (or Almond meal), about a cup or a little more....until you think it looks slightly thickened or the " right" consistency. Add mussels and finally clams until opened. Add the juice of a lemon and (optional) paprika. Taste & adjust for salt and pepper.
Serve in big bowls with lots of bread
Max Dingle July 2018 www.maxdingleart.com
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