This video recipe shows you how to make a delicious pasta dish using smoked salmon, cream and caviar. It also demonstrates how to make it flambe which gives the dish a better flavour once the alcohol burns out.
Ingredients for Penne Al Salmone- serves 2
300g penne pasta (between 120g-150g per portion and between 50g-80g per portion)
120g smoked salmon
150ml double cream
100ml vodka (substitute with white grape juice for non alcoholic, but it won’t flambe)
1 medium onion, peeled and sliced
2 cloves garlic, peeled and sliced
dash of oil
salt and black pepper
20g caviar (optional)
Equipment
large frying pan
medium sized pot
colander
2 containers, 1 for peelings and one for vegetables
serving spoon
2 wooden spoons
2 chopping boards
Method
Prepare a medium sized pot full of water and turn it on a high heat. Add some oil and salt and leave it covered so we bring it to the boil quicker. Once it’s boiling, add the pasta and cover again the pot immediately. Give it a stir half way through cooking. For cooking guidelines always read the instructions on the packet.
Prepare a large frying pan on a medium to high heat and add some oil.
Start slicing the salmon into long strips and put it in a container on the side for now. Change your chopping board and wash the knife properly.
Add the onion, garlic and salmon to the hot frying pan and cook for about 3-4 minutes. Give it a stir.
Add vodka to the pan and to make it flambe, tilt the pan slightly forward so the alcohol touches the burner and fires up the pan. Watch it on video from 7:12 for a better explanation. Please be very careful if you are trying to do this and make sure you feel confident enough! Let it reduce by ¾ and let the flames go out by themselves, that’s the alcohol burning out and giving flavour to the dish.
Once the vodka is reduced, add the double cream and give all a gentle stir.
Check that the pasta is cooked to your liking. For a nice al dente bite, it should only take about 5 minutes to be cooked. Drain the pasta and add some oil to it so it won’t stick together
Add the pasta to the sauce and season lightly.
As an option you can garnish with caviar which gives the whole dish an additional texture and a very tasty palate.
Ingredients for Chicken Breast with Classic Diane Sauce- Serves 4
4 chicken breasts, skin off
200g mushrooms (we used a mix of oyster and button mushrooms), sliced
2 medium onions, peeled and sliced
2 garlic cloves, peeled and sliced
4 bay leaves
few sprigs of fresh thyme
200ml double cream
400ml hot water
200ml cooking brandy (for non-alcoholic, substitute with white grape juice)
dash of oil
salt
20g english mustard
2 chicken cubes
Equipment
large non-stick frying pan
baking tray
whisk
2 containers, 1 for peelings and 1 for the preparation of onion, garlic and mushrooms
pair of tongs
wooden spoon
2 chopping boards
Method
Pre-heat oven on gas mark 4/180c.
Prepare a large frying pan and put it on high heat. Add some oil and salt.
Start slicing through the chicken breast to open it up ‘as a butterfly’ (watch the video from 1:26 to see how). This will quicken the cooking process. Once chicken is sliced, make sure you wash the knife properly and change the chopping board so we prevent cross contamination.
Place the chicken onto the hot pan and leave it to cook until it gets a nice golden colour.
Wash your hands and start preparing the onions, garlic and mushrooms. Put everything into a small bowl, add bay leaf and thyme and leave on the side for now.
In the meantime, keep checking the chicken. Once it’s ready, use a pair of tongs to turn it onto the other side.
Transfer the chicken on a baking tray with all the juices and put it straight into the oven.
Put the pan back on the hob and add the garlic, onions and mushroom mix. Give it a gentle stir and leave to cook for about 3-4 minutes.
Now make sure that you have got the rest of the ingredients ready i.e 200ml brandy, 2 chicken cubes, 400ml hot water, 20g english mustard, 200ml double cream.
Add the brandy and let it cook to be reduced by 3/4. You can also flame it up if you wish (watchvideofrom 12:00 to see how). This will burn up the alcohol and makes a very tasty palate.
Add the chicken cubes and the hot water, give it a stir with a whisk so the cubes can dissolve and let it cook to be reduced by half. This will give the sauce a nice consistency.
Add the mustard and give it a gentle stir.
Add the double cream and give it another stir with a wooden spoon, let the sauce come to a boil.
Chicken should be done by now, if not just give it a few more minutes in the oven or finish off cooking it in the sauce.
