Seabass with saffron sauce and Samphire

The Samphire is a succulent, smooth, much-branched herb, woody at the base, growing freely on rocks on the sea-shore moistened by the salt spray. Best picked between May and September. Usually served with butter and/or with fish plate. Boil them in unsalted water for approximately 5 minutes.

Ingredients: 2 sea bass fillet, clams to guarnish, butter
Ingredients for the sauce: pinch of fresh saffron, 1 Tbsp flour, 300ml milk, butter

Melt a bit of butter in a saucepan and fry the sea bass 3/4 minutes each side.

In another small pan, prepare the sauce by melting a bit of butter. Add milk, flour, saffron and a pinch of salt. Bring to boil, then cook for approximately 5 minutes until thick.

Serve the seabass with a bit of sauce, clams opened in a covered saucepan, and samphire previously boiled in water.

Pine nut, hazelnuts and honey tart

Ingredients for the filling: 40ml olive oil, 75gr caster sugar, 1 Tbsp honey, 20gr Ener-g (or 1 egg), 80ml water (only if you use Ener-g), 65gr ground hazelnuts, 20gr flour, 1 pinch salt, 1/2 tsp baking powder, 100gr pine nuts

To make the pastry put the flour, salt, oil and sugar into your food processor. Mix until it resembles fine crumbs. Keep mixing and add the Energ (or eggs), and water accordingly if you are using Energ or not. Process until the dough comes together. Wrap and chill for about 20 minutes.

In the meantime prepare the filling, using the processor mix. Add oil, sugar, honey, Energ (or eggs), water (only if you are using Energ), ground hazelnuts, flour, salt and baking powder.

Mix for a couple of minute until you get a smooth cream.

Heat the oven at 190 C (375 F)

Lightly coat a loose-based flan tin with oil, with your fingers, work the dough inside towards the edges to form the borders.

Spoon in the filling and spread with a spoon smoothing the surface. Bake for 10 minutes.

Genly remove it from the oven and scatter the pine nuts on top of the filling. Bake for another 15 minutes and thats it!

Note: although no chocolate or cocoa is in the ingredients of this tart, it tastes of chocolate nevertheless. Hazelnuts must remind me of Nutella, I dont know, but its interesting! :)

Soufflè Valisa

Here we are! I have called this Soufflè Valisa, in honor of the Euro Blogging by Post and especially for Valisa, who sent this cumin cheese. It was about time for me to try making soufflè and now that I had received this cheese I thought the time was right! The result is what you see and the cumin really gives a different taste. For me it has to be served as a main course for the high content of cheese, but if your stomatch is stronger you can eat it as a side dish! ;-)

Ingredients: 125ml milk, 35gr flour, 25gr butter, 50gr cumin cheese, pinch of nutmeg, 2 eggs yolk, 3 eggs white. Four the sauce: 100gr cumin cheese, 30ml milk, pepper.

Before you start, make sure you have all your ingredients ready and the right amount of soufflè dishes. Coat them lightly with butter and sprinkle with a bit of flour so that the soufflè won't stick.

In a small saucepan, melt the butter, add the flour and cook for a few minutes, wisking to eliminate lumps. Add cold milk and nutmeg and keep whisking until you get a soft cream. Let it cool for a few minutes then add the eggs yolk, grated cheese and eggs white previously well beaten until stiff and creamy. Fill your soufflè dishes for 3/4 and bake at 200 C for 25/30 minutes until golden brown.

For the sauce simply melt the cheese with some milk, add pepper and make sure the cheese doesn't stick to the pan until you get a soft cream.

Instead of milk you could use cream but that is up to you and the cheese you use. Serve the soufflè with a bit of sauce and there you have it! Note: The Soufflè has to be served almost immediately to avoid losing the puffy shape, also avoid cold hair to avoid the "relaxation" effect!