A family favourite

This week's recipe is a firm family favourite in our house - the guests love it too!! Haven't got any fishy pictures to accompany it so fishing boats in Cassis Harbour will have to suffice. Enjoy!

SUSIE’S FISH PIE RECIPE
Ingredients for 6 plus
I use about 500 g of fish mix:-
Salmon
White fish ( monkfish, hake, cod etc)
Peeled prawns
Scallops (optional)

2 medium onions
200 g mushroom (optional)
Chopped parsley
Bunch of dill
(I sometimes use coriander, depends what I have around)
1 lemon
About 500 g of potatoes (waxy variety)
Melting cheese – 100 g
2 large tomatoes

Boil potatoes in their skins until waxy.
Once boiled skin & slice the potatoes about 10 mm thick – put aside to cool.

Sauté finely chopped onions slowly in a little butter/oil until soft then add chopped mushrooms and cook until a golden colour and put on one side.

Poach the fish all together in a pan with herbs, dill & lemon juice, salt & pepper.
Drain & flake all the fish, checking to make sure there are no bones, reserving the stock for later.

Make a white sauce with butter & cornflour (or flour) using a mixture of milk & the fish stock from the poached fish for a pouring consistency – enough for about a 50 cl of sauce.

Mix the onions/mushrooms and fish all together with the white sauce & spread over the bottom of an ovenproof dish.

Then lay the sliced potatoes decoratively over the mixture to cover it.

Sprinkle with a mixture of chopped parsley & the melting cheese & decorate with sliced tomatoes.

Bake in a hot oven (175°) for three-quarters of an hour or until heated through until the cheese is golden & melted on top.

Serve with a green salad or green beans.

Most requested recipe at Le Perchoir

We're constantly being asked for lots of the recipes that we cook for our guests here at Le Perchoir des Paons, but the most popular one of all seems to be Susie's Red Onion & Goat cheese tart, so we thought you might like to share it.

Susie’s Red Onion & Goat Cheese Tart

This recipe serves 4 – 6 as a main course or 8 as a starter. You will need:
• A non-stick flan tin 25cm (10”)
• Packet of puff pastry
• 5 red onions
• 5 large eggs
• 100g soft goats cheese (I usually use a local Quercy cheese called Cabecou but any soft one will work)
• Salt, fresh ground pepper and grated nutmeg
• Cooking oil (I use a mixture of olive oil and sunflower oil)

1. Slice the red onions into rings about 5mm thick and sauté with a tablespoon of cooking oil, adding a little salt and ground pepper. Cook the onions until they are soft trying to keep the rings intact, as much as possible – leave to cool.
2. Roll the puff pastry out to fit the lightly greased flan tin and trim to fit.
3. When the onions are cool arrange them in the pastry case.
4. Depending on the type of goat’s cheese you use either slice or break into small pieces (about the size of a 50p) and arrange on top of the onions.
5. Next whisk the 5 large eggs until light and fluffy, adding salt and pepper to taste, and then pour this mixture over the top of the onions and goats cheese in the flan case. Sprinkle fresh grated nutmeg over the top
6. Place into a preheated oven (190° C/Gas mark 5) for about 30/35 minutes until the mixture is cooked and the pastry is golden
7. Cut the tart into wedges and serve immediately with a green salad.

We hope that you enjoy it as much as our guests do - even people who claim not to like goats cheese love it. Hopefully another of Susie's pastel images will also whet your appetite.

Obviously if you come and stay with us you can taste it without having to cook it and maybe learn to paint as well!!

A taste of Autumn

This is our first attempt at Blogging - we thought we'd start with one of Susie's pastel pictures and a seasonal recipe after making a huge batch of golden pumpkin soup yesterday - delicious and creamy with a hint of chilli.

Le Perchoir Pumpkin Soup

You'll need the folowing ingredients:-

1kg pumpkin, de-seeded, peeled and cubed
1 medium sized onion chopped
1 ½ litres vegetable or chicken stock
50g butter
200g grated parmesan cheese
½ a chopped de-seeded small chilli
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Sauté the chopped onion in the melted butter in a pan over a medium heat for 5 minutes or until soft. Add the cubed pumpkin and fry until soft - turning occasionally so it doesn't catch. When the pumpkin is softened add the chopped chilli and parmesan cheese. When the cheese has melted into the mixture add the stock and cook for 10 more minutes, adding salt and pepper to taste. Blend the mixture in a food processor to a creamy puree and return to a saucepan to heat until hot through. Pour into warmed soup bowls and serve with a tablespoon of creme fraiche and crusty bread or garlic croutons. A delicious starter or lunch snack for this time of year .