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Salmon casserole

When you crave for comfort food, the Finnish salmon casserole is what you need to make. I confess that I had forgotten all about it for the longest time but now that I’ve re-discovered it, it will be frequently on our table. This is too good to count calories!

Prep time 35 min     Cook time  1h 15 min

INGREDIENTS FOR 6-8
  • 1 big fillet of fresh salmon (600-700 gr)
  • 2 kg of potatoes
  • 3 yellow onions
  • 1-2  bunches of fresh dill
  • 1 dl of fish stock
  • sea salt and black pepper
  • 3 eggs
  • 2 dl milk
  • 2 dl heavy cream
  • breadcrumbs
  • butter
  • extra vergin olive oil

1. Butter a big oven pan and cut the salmon fillet in 2 cm (1 inch) slices.

2. Peel and slice the potatoes. Good slices, not paper thin. Put the slices in cold water until you start layering the casserole.

3. Slice the onions and sautée them in olive oil. At the end add the fish stock and let the sauce brew .

4. Layer first 1/3 of the potato slices in the pan, add salt and pepper. Add half of the onions and cut a good handful of fresh dill on top.

5. Make one whole layer of salmon, add salt and pepper. Place another handful of dill on top. Add a layer of potatoes, the rest of the onions, salt and pepper. One more layer of potatoes + a pinch of salt and pepper.

6. Whisk the eggs, milk and heavy cream together adding salt and pepper. It seems like a lot of salt but the potatoes absorb lots of it.

7. Pour the cream in the pan, add a few dabs of butter and sprinkle bread crumbs on top.

8. Place in a preheated oven at 200°C  for 1 hour and 15 minutes until the casserole is golden brown and the potatoes are properly done. Not al dente.

9. Don’t count the calories! This is too good!

BUON APPETITO!

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Greek fava

I had a craving for Greek fava so I made it today. Fava is made with pureed yellow split peas. Not chick peas, not fava beans, not lentils (even though I have seen Greek fava called yellow lentils) nor white beans.

The best and most famous Greek fava comes from Santorini. This dish is served as an appetizer, a meze or a side dish, but it can also be a vegan main course. A part from being tasty, fava is really healthy, full of antioxidants and non-animal protein.

Every Greek mama has her own fava recipe just like every Italian mamma has her own tomato sauce recipe. Mine is a mixture of Cretan and Greek and having added some suggestions from the Internet.

Prep time  5 min     Cook time  1 h

INGREDIENTS FOR 8 (or even more!)
  • 1/2 kg (1 lb)  fava
  • 2  onions + some to serve
  • 1 peeled potato
  • salt and pepper
  • 1 dl (1/4-1/2 cup) EV olive oil
  • lemon
  • parsley
  • optional: kalamata or Gaeta olives, capers

1. Rinse the fava in cold water.

2. Bring the fava to a boil in 1.2 l  (5-6 cups) of water, skim the froth and add 2 quartered onions and a peeled potato cut into two or four pieces.

3. Let the fava simmer at very low heat for about an hour. Stir occasionally to keep from sticking. You might need to add a cup of water.

4. When the split peas are soft and the water has been reduced to leave a thick “porridge”, remove the pot from the heat and pass the fava through a food mill or use a stick blender or a food processor. I use a stick blender and blend the fava directly in the pot. You can puree it to a smooth cream or leave it more coarse.

5. Add the extra virgin olive oil, salt and pepper to taste. Put back on the heat and stir for 2 minutes but BE CAREFUL. The fava is piping hot!

6. Let the fava cool (it becomes considerably more solid) and serve it in a shallow dish. Add some chopped (spring) onion and parsley, some olive oil and lemon juice and alternatively olives or capers. Some use vinegar instead of lemon but I haven’t tried that yet.

BUON APPETITO!