Cauliflower Fritters With Beetroot Raita, Baked Potato, Salmon & Asparagus Gratin

This weeks Tapas Friday was the toughest yet. I don’t mean that in the hyperbolic drama type voice you might hear on Hells Kitchen USA, but it was really tough. Not in a culinary (think that’s another new word from the Salty Squid dictionary) challenging way – not here at Salty Squid HQ where we like to keep it simple. It was tough because it came so close to not happening. And that is no exaggeration. We here at Salty Squid pride ourselves on refraining from exaggerated dramas and as this is a food blog, there is no need for drama. We are happy to let the food and photos speak for themselves. But inside this safe tame world of food blogging a very small drama was unfolding.

You see, passing by The Barge pub on Friday evening with its throngs of Lobsters outside, all drinking their pint bottles of something sweet and refreshing or perhaps a nice over-priced bottle of terrible white wine, or, if you are a total beer snob like me, a freezing cold bottle of something German, everybody looked so refreshed, chilled and happy. I was in jeans, dark leather shoes and a t-shirt that seemed to be acting as a catalyst for heat. I needed refreshment. I deserved a beer on the way home. This weather does not come about too often so it is my civic duty to go drinking. That was the bad Squid talking. The good Squid told me to get home and start the prep for tonight’s tapas because there is not such thing as ‘just one’, especially not in the sun. Also, while cooking drunk is perhaps fun to watch, it’s not fun to do. Good arguments from both the Squiddies, I thought to myself but the bad, evil Squid was louder and stronger.


I could almost hear the strangers drinking alfresco calling me by name, beckoning me over for a drink in the sun. ‘Come on Michael, be one of us’ kind of moment. My eyes had glazed over, they got me. I was hooked and there was nobody to save me or this week’s blog. The weeks menu planning (I swear we do plan it sometimes...sometimes. And by ‘week’ I actually mean 5 mins. And by ‘5 mins’ I actually mean panic buying last minute shopping) wasted. When suddenly without warning (sorry but I just really always wanted to use that sentence) Miss Salty Squid appeared from across the canal. ‘DON’T DO IT!’ she roared, ‘think of the blog and the readers we have!’ I turned my head and stared. I recognised her, but the evil Squid was running the show now. My eyes red with ravenous desire for beer. Gnashing my teeth I snarled across the canal, ‘you can’t tell me what to do’. I began to lumber towards the bar, knocking over anyone that got in my way. Miss Salty Squid knew she needed to save me. She dived into the canal, swimming against the waves, beaten back by the current and the baby ducks, she emerged from the canal. ‘NOOOOOOO!’ she roared, her arm outstretched before her. I was at the bar. About to order. I could hear Miss Salty Squid calling my name. I turned and looked at her when suddenly images of tapas flashed before my eyes. Asparagus and salmon gratin. Baked potato with herb butter. Fried cauliflower fritters with beetroot dip. The good Squid was fighting back. When suddenly, without warning (sorry but it is such a good line, and I am on a role here so...), the sun dipped behind a cloud. The reverse vampires of the canal started to burn in the shade. The spell had been broken. Miss Salty Squid dived into the bar and dragged me out. Within minutes the bar had exploded. There was smoke everywhere. Myself and Miss Salty Squid, knocked to the ground from the force of the explosion, looked at each other, our faces black from dirt and ash, we smiled. Salty Squid had been saved for another week, but the fight is not over. Fighting for something you love never stops.



The inspiration for this was taken from the Koek blog: http://maclarty.blogspot.com/. Thanks Robyn, you're amazing!

Blanch your cauliflower head, which has been cut into bite sized pieces in boiling salted water until they are almost cooked. Drain and dunk into iced water. Make a batter by beating 3 egg yolks, ½ cup of water, ¾ cup of corn flour, smoked paprika and chili powder and a finely chopped red onion. Mix it all together the fold in the beaten egg whites. Add your cauliflower florets to the batter and fry them off in batches. Serve with beetroot raita, by mixing cooked beetroot with natural yoghurt, ground cumin, mint, s&p and lemon juice.

This is so simple I will rap the recipe to you in the style of a gangster potato locked up in jail. Check it out. I am a mo’ fo potato. Skin so tough, I’m so hard, it ain’t no bluff. What you gotta do if you want a piece of me, it’s so simple like A,B, C. They got me locked in this cell. They is hungry I can tell. But I aint nobody's dinner, but as a tapas, I am a winner. Once washed a dried, I am ready to be oiled. Sprinkle me with sea salt, serving time for robbery and assault.

I got some crushed black peppercorns, friends of mine, cover me with the ‘erb, maybe some thyme. In this jail, is where I toil. I am seasoned, now rap in tinfoil. Baked me like my home-boy, ovens heated, way up high. After an hour things smell good, take me out from my hood. Slice me up using a knife, I can take it, this baked potato life.

For this you really want to try use the in season British or Irish asparagus. Sadly, when I went to get some, they had sold out. So I was forced to get the stuff from Peru, but I though that I could lie to you and not confess.

First sweat off an onion in some oil until soft. Add some white wine or white wine vinegar, a tsp of Dijon mustard some water a couple of slices of lemon and a prayer that this will work. Give it a stir to mix the mustard up. Add the salmon fillets, which have been cleaned and the skin removed. Cover and let it to poach gently for a few minutes. Add a good dab of fresh parsley too. When the salmon is done, remove from the poaching liquid and put aside.

Turn the heat up high and reduce the liquid way down. Pass through a sieve giving it a good squeeze to get all the flavour out of the bits. Taste the stock and season. Arrange the salmon in the bottom of a small oven-proof dish and layer some blanched asparagus over them. Sprinkle with some frozen peas and mint and pour on the stock. Sprinkle with breadcrumbs and if you want to, you can sprinkle with some cheese but I prefer not to. But that is a domestic myself and Miss Salty Squid will have to resolve over time. Put under a grill to crisp up and heat.

Shopping List:
2 fresh salmon fillets €8.00
Veg €7.00
Natural Joghurt €1.50
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Total €16.50
Drinks:
Cremant d'Alsace, Brut, 12,5%
Castillo de Luzón, Jumilla Crianza, 2005, 14%

On the stereo:
iPod shuffled