New food

We had a busy (for us) weekend lined up but Mirinda’s leg thought otherwise. It’s been hurting all week for reasons unknown and mysterious so she (we) thought it wise for her to rest it over the next two days. Which is why we didn’t go to the 120th Bentley Show and see the terrier racing. I guess we’ll have to hope the 121st Bentley Show will be a great one.

On the up side, Not going anywhere meant I could try some new recipes.

Mirinda rather likes the offerings in a pastry book I have so I decided to go with a puff pastry seafood entree followed by a Greek style filo pastry spinach pie.

I had to change a few things (as usual) particularly in the seafood entree. It called for all the types of seafood I don’t like (as well as fish sauce which is banned in our house) so I made a few substitutions. It ended up being prawns (laughingly called King), scallops and smoked salmon in a seafood sauce and it looked like this:

I was very pleased with the sauce. It was a reduction of cooking juices, vast quantities of butter, a veg stock and a dash of single cream. It was quite intense and perfect.

I decided to change the main course pie a bit as well. The recipe called for a big pie to feed six so I changed the quantities a bit, added bacon and tomato and made two individual pies instead. And I used my new individual pie dishes which I bought today during our only time out of the house. (We went to Frensham Garden Centre to buy some more stepping stones for Carmen’s Sweet Escape and the pie dishes.)

I was quite pleased with the filo pies though they could have been a bit smaller.

I have always had a problem with jelly. Gelatine has never really liked me. I’ve tried over the years with pitiful results. Why I tried for tonight is anyone’s guess but I did…with stunning results! It’s rose water and rosé jelly with raspberries and single cream. And it’s spectacular. The rosé gives it a delightfully summery taste while the rose water just fills the fridge with the most delicious scent.

Well worth the effort and time spent watching the gelatine leaves ‘bloom.’

So, apart from there being a little too much food, it was all pretty much a success.