Can Cook Won't Cook

January is almost over and I haven’t posted once this year … probably because, being in post-Christmas diet mode, I haven’t really cooked anything blog-worthy this year!

A friend and I take turns hosting each other every month or so for a meal, with the sole requirement being that the host has to cook something she’s never made before.

This was HER idea! She’s still in her 20′s and unmarried, so most recipes fall within the criteria. I, on the other hand, have reached that, er, ‘mature’ stage of life where I’ve generally tried most of the recipes I ever want to try – and would quite happily never cook again!

But friendship won the inner battle and I grudgingly agreed to feed her occasionally – but I did NOT agree to the whole ‘unchartered waters’ thing! As far as I’m concerned, if she hasn’t eaten it before, it’s a new recipe!

I’ve made this recipe more than a few times before, but always as a full-sized gateau – using normal-sized crepes and cutting it into wedges like a cake for serving. This time, I used one of those cute single-egg mini frying pans to make the crepes. Half a gateau was just the perfect serving as a starter … pity we decided to try having a whole one each, because they were too rich for either of us to clear our plate!

Despite it’s impressive appearance and long to-do list, this is really dead easy to make – with the added bonus of being prepared the day before serving.

SMOKED SALMON GATEAU WITH DILLY SAUCE – Serves 4

Crepes:

1/2 cup cake flour

pinch of salt

2 eggs

1 tspn oil

180ml milk

Sift flour and salt into a bowl. Add the eggs, oil and 30ml of the milk. Beat until smooth.

Beat in the remaining 150ml milk and refrigerate for 30 mins.

Pour a thin layer of the batter into a non-stick frying pan, brown on one side and turn out onto a plate.

Repeat with the rest of the batter. Allow the crepes to cool.

Filling:

250g smooth cottage cheese

1 Tblspn horseradish sauce

1 Tblspn honey

1 1/2 tspns crushed garlic

1 Tblspn lemon juice

salt & pepper to taste

200g smoked salmon (or trout, if you prefer) fillets, roughly chopped

Mix all of the ingredients (except the smoked salmon/trout) together until well-blended.

Dilly Sauce: (this makes a lot of sauce, but I couldn’t reduce it because of the egg)!

1 egg

2 Tblspns white vinegar

1 Tblspn Dijon mustard

250ml olive (or sunflower) oil – I used half of each kind, for economical reasons!

2 Tblspns honey

250ml plain yoghurt

5ml dill tips

salt and black pepper to taste

Beat the eggs, vinegar and mustard with an electric mixer.

With the beaters still running, slowly add the oil, beating constantly.

Add the honey, yoghurt, dill and seasoning and mix well.

Assembling the gateau:

Place 2 crepes alongside each other on a serving platter and spread with the filling then top with some of the chopped smoked salmon and cover with the next 2 crepes.

Repeat the process until you’ve used up all of the crepes(or the filling or salmon, whichever happens first) – end with a crepe as your top layer.

Refrigerate until ready to serve – then,using a sharp knife, cut each gataeu in half.

Pour some of the dilly sauce onto the serving plates and place half a gateau into the middle of the plate, drizzling with some more of the sauce.

Garnish with a sprig of fresh dill or fennel.