Not many words to say here really!
In Adelaide, summer is in full flight and eating gets a little harder!
No one wants “difficult” especially when it’s hot out, people just want “easy” and this recipe is simple, tasty and appetising on a hot Australian summer day.
The use of the filo here is add texture and flavour of parmesan wafers, slightly cramelised and crispy with a slight salty flavour. The honey counter balances the salt nicely and the cucumber cleans the palate so you can experience the next mouthful cleanly.
This filo wafer can also be used on cheese boards, just add an extra layer or two. If you change the filo to puff pastry, cut it in long strips and twist it for bread sticks and eat it it with Parma ham and rock melon for a nice summer snack.
Smoked Salmon, Parmesan Filo, Cucumber & Cress Salad, Yoghurt Dressing
Serves 6
720gr Smoked Salmon
15 Sheets of Filo Pastry
150gr Melted Butter
150gr Parmesan Cheese
1tspn Aniseed – toasted on dry pan, slightly ground
1tsp Fennel Seeds – toasted on dry pan, slightly ground
1tsp Cumin Seed – toasted on dry pan, slightly ground
250ml Greek Yoghurt
100ml Creme Fraiche
1tbsp Honey
250gr Watercress – washed, long stems picked off
1 Cucumber
EVOO (Extra Virgin Olive Oil)
Method
For the filo wafers
- Turn the oven on at 180 degrees Celsius
- On a clean bench, spread out the one layer of filo pastry
- Brush the pastry completely with melted butter using a pastry brush
- Micro plane the parmesan cheese until a thin layer completely covers the surface of the filo
- Place another layer of filo on top of this, comepltely covering the first layer
- Repeat this process on the new layer of filo
- On the top of the third layer, brush with melted butter until completely covered, then sprinkle a little of each of the aniseed, fennel seed and cumin seed, evenly
- Place on a buttered roasting pan and bake for 8-10 minutes or until golden brown and crispy. It should come out in sheets, break it into smaller wafers ready for service
For the Dressing
- Place the yogurt, creme fraiche and honey in a bowl and mix well with a rubber spatula
- Taste for balance and see if needs extra honey. Should be honey sweet, no sweeter!
For the Cucumber
- Cut the ends off the cucumber the cut it in half so you end up with two even lengths
- Using a mandolin, slice the cucumber lengthways until you hit the seeds, then stop slicing (do not slice into the seeds, it juices out to much and does not hold it’s shape)
- Stack the cucumber neatly, one on top of each other as they come out of the mandolin
- Finely slice the cucumber across the length, ending up with match stick like batons of cucumber
Plate up
- You are going to layer the ingredients starting with a layer of filo wafer on the bottom
- Followed by a layer of slightly folded salmon (for height)
- Then some water cress
- Then a dollop of dressing
- Then another layer of filo wafer
- Another layer of salmon
- Then dressing and finally, the cucumber match sticks for garnish
- EVOO around the plate