Last Night's Dinner #84: Goat Cheese, Salmon and Fffrozen Hot Chocolate

We decided to not go out for dinner this year and instead enjoyed a nice home cooked meal and a nice bottle of wine (Hillsy's first attempt at pairing).




Goat Cheese with Garlic, Rosemary and Lemon


Wasabi Glazed Salmon served over Seaweed Salad


Frrozen Hot Chocolate with Coconut Sorbet and Whipped Cream

I started it all off with a goat cheese appetizer (inspired by this photograph). I baked a head of garlic drizzled with olive oil, a couple of sprigs of rosemary and sea salt for about 30 minutes at 325 degrees (F).





After it cooled down a bit, I carefully peeled each clove and added a bit more oil and fresh lemon juice. I placed the garlic, oil and lemon at the bottom of the ramekins and topped each one with a goat cheese medallion.





Bake for about 10 minutes at 350 degrees (F). Serve by turning the ramekin onto the dish. Do this right before you serve it, because the cheese is very soft and will start to collapse immediately (unless you don't mind it room temp, then you can allow it to cool down a bit before plating).

We rarely eat fish, so I decided to go with glazed salmon for the main dish.



I love the contrasting flavors of the tart sabayon, a fluffy egg yolk based sauce flavored with wasabi powder; against the sweet Kecap Manis (Indonesian Sweet Soy Sauce) based glaze. The lime juice in both elements ties it all together.


Glaze: lime juice, kecap manis, wasabi powder and salt


Preparing the Sabayon (egg yolks, white wine, white wine vinegar, wasabi powder and salt) in a double broiler

I loved the super crunchy skin - your pan has to be really really hot and don't be tempted to disturb the fish while it's cooking or else you'll run the risk of tearing the skin.


Fry the fillets skin side down for about 4 minutes on high heat, remove from heat, cover with lid and allow to cook for an additional 3 minutes.

In class, this dish was served with potato pancakes, but I wanted something a bit lighter and something more colorful - so I ended up pairing it with a green seaweed salad. I made a quick pit stop at a local Japanese restaurant and picked some up. I would've loved to learn how to make it, but I wasn't quite ready for that lesson.

Dessert


Can't go wrong with a dessert that calls for 3 different types of milk!

For dessert, I made Serendipity's famous Fffrozen Hot Chocolate. I dropped in a few scoops of coconut sorbet, topped it with some freshly whipped cream and chocolate shavings. YUM.


First melt chocolate, add sugar and cocoa powder


Add milk and half and half


Mix and chill

Blend mix with ice and serve in chilled glasses. Drop in a couple of scoops of coconut sorbet add a splash of coconut rum (optional), top with whipped cream and chocolate shavings. What a perfect end to the night!

I learned this tip from Martha - pre-scoop your ice-cream, so you end up with nicely rounded scoops + you don't have to mess with scooping ice-cream while you're putting the finishing touches on dessert. Just place the scoops on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, cover with plastic wrap and place it in the freezer. It's both a time and mind-saver!



I'll post all of the recipes in a little while - gotta go and work off what I ate last night!!