Home-made Limoncello and strawberry ice cream

With summer just around the corner,my palate has been giving me a nostalgic nudge for my mother´s home made strawberry ice cream.The strawberry season here in the Algarve, and in Andalucia, is now drawing to an end but before the cloches are finally drawn on the strawberry plants for another year I wanted to take a fruity stab at my favourite childhood treat, and give it a bit of a revival.

Due to clement weather conditions this spring the strawberry season has not only been prolonged but also produced surplus fruit. So, with a bountiful harvest of  luscious red fruit,a recipe for home made Limoncello that I was recently given and another surplus of lemons falling off our lemon tree, what better idea than to combine my home made Limoncello with some succulent local strawberries.

serves 6-8

225g(8oz) strawberries

3 egg yolks

65g (2.5oz) caster sugar

300ml(1/2 pint)double cream

150ml(1/4 pint) full fat milk

250ml(8fl oz) Limoncello

grated zest  1/2 lemon

Put a large plastic container in the freezer ready for he ice cream.Slice half the strawberries thinly and set aside. Press the remaining strawberries through a fine sieve,retaining only the pulp.Set aside.

Beat together the egg yolks and sugar.Put the cream and milk in a saucepan and bring gently to the boil.As it begins to boil, remove from the heat and and beat in the egg mixture.Return to a low heat and cook for about 1 minute stirring all the time with a wooden spoon until slightly thickened.Remove from the heat and fold in the sliced strawberries and sieved pulp.Stir in the limoncello and zest.Take the container out of the freezer and pour in the mixture until the container is 3/4 full.Leave to cool then place uncovered in the freezer.

After half an hour,remove the container and stir well.Replace in the freezer and every half an hour repeat this procedure until the ice cream is frozen.If you have an ice cream maker,churn the ice cream until it thickens,then leave in a container in the freezer until ready to serve.

Wilted rocket salad with asparagus and bacon

I can see clearly now the rain has gone.Everything green is in abundance,well just for a short while till the effects of that rain have worn off.And now I am well and truly ready for salads.Hopefully the hot weather is here to stay.

You won’t believe how incredible this simple combination of crunchy almonds, crisp bacon,tender asparagus and rocket is. The rocket will wilt as it sits though, so serve it right away.A wonderful interplay of tastes and textures can be achieved and it all comes together very quickly.Trust me,this is a salad you will want to make over and over again.

Wilted Rocket Salad with Asparagus, Bacon, 

Almonds, and Sherry Vinaigrette     

8 rashers of bacon,cut crosswise into 5cm(2inch)pieces
500g (1lb) asparagus,trimmed of tough woody stems,and cut crosswise into 2cm pieces
Flor de sal
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup sherry vinegar
2 tsp Dijon mustard
freshly ground black pepper
250g ( 8oz) baby rocket
1/3 cup salted slivered almonds,toasted

1/3 cup roasted peanuts shelled

Heat a 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat.  Cook the bacon, stirring often, until crisp, about 5 minutes. With a slotted spoon, transfer to a paper-towel-lined plate to drain, leaving the bacon fat in the skillet.

Cook the asparagus in the skillet with the bacon fat, stirring often, until crisp-tender and browned in spots, about 3 minutes. Season with 1/4 tsp. salt and, using a slotted spoon, transfer to the plate with the bacon.  Add the vinegar, olive oil, mustard, 1/2 tsp. salt, and a scant 1/4 tsp. pepper to the fat in the skillet and whisk until combined.
In a large bowl, combine the asparagus, bacon,rocket, peanuts and almonds and toss with just enough warm vinaigrette to wilt the rocket . Serve immediately.

Result!!!!-clean plate

Croquetes de fava- being broadminded

Yeah its broad bean time again! Vicia faba, the broad or fava bean (broad beans as most Anglophiles know them)is an ancient staple of the Portuguese and many Middle Eastern and North African  cuisines. For use in the traditional recipes of these cuisines the bean is allowed to develop fully and is then dried, resulting in more nutritious dishes than in the European manner, where the beans are more frequently eaten green and immature.Ground into a flour known as shiro it also plays a central role in the Ethiopian culinary tradition.

While I adore fresh fava beans, I find it hard to justify the time commitment and labour intensity they require.

Mind you, I'm not against making an effort in the interest of great flavour. But unlike fresh pea pods, which are a delight to pop, these particular pods can be tiresome to rip open, and between the blanching and the peeling that follow, I'm frazzled before I've even started to cook the actual dish.

But how many people realise that broad beans are good not only eaten whole but also when mashed and made into a dough? This recipe is a little labour intensive but the flavour reward is worth the effort.These little gems are delicious served hot or cold, and even better, they can be made in advance and reheated in the oven.
Croquetes de fava
makes 24

300g (11oz) fresh favas (broad beans) podded
250g (9oz) plain flour
2 eggs
50g(2oz) butter,softened
1 teaspoon dried yeast,diluted in 1 tablespoon lukewarm water
olive oil for deep-frying
salt and freshly ground black pepper 

FOR THE FILLING
250g(9oz)ricotta cheese
1 egg
3 tablespoons freshly grated parmesan
3 tablespoons fresh chives,finely chopped
a pinch of nutmeg
Blanch the beans in a large pan of boiling water for 1 minute then drain well and cool in cold water.Peel off the skins.Place the beans in a food processor and whizz until mushy.Transfer to a large bowl,add the eggs,flour,butter,yeast mixture, some salt and pepper and mix well with your hands until you obtain a smooth dough.Cover with a cloth and leave in a warm place for about 30 minutes until slightly risen.
Meanwhile make the filling.Put all the ingredients in a bowl and mix to a smooth paste.
Season with salt and pepper.
Shape the dough into balls the size of golf balls.On a lightly floured work surface,roll out each ball of dough into an oval shape about 3mm(1/8inch)thick.Plave a tablespoon of the filling on it and roll it,pinching the edges together to close.
Heat the oil in a large deep saucepan or a deep-fat fryer.Deep fry the croquetes,a few at a time,for 2-3 minutes,ontil golden brown.With a sharp knife,cut in half on the diagonal.Drain on kitchen paper and serve hot or cold.


 

TIP TOP TIPS - and an asparagus migas

"Asparagus should be sexy and almost fluid"

Diana Vreeland Editor American Vogue 1963-1971

Ohh my giddy veggie aunt, I never knew there could be so many ways with asparagus,whether wild or farmed. At this time of year, from April to June, these lovely green spears are at their best and most tender.Here in Portugal wild asparagus can be foraged for free under the olive trees after the rains have beenin March.I was lucky enough to be able to find it this year on the banks below the castle here in Castro Marim.It was hard to believe one had a wild kitchen garden just a stones throw from ones home, but you have to be quick on the case - those Portuguese are always fast on the forage. Well, this season has long since passed like the rain and so its off to the market.

When I make asparagus, nine times out of ten, I roast it. Steamed asparagus is good and sautéed asparagus is even better, but neither compare to roasted asparagus.Roasting mellows the flavour of asparagus. It gets caramelized and tender and just perfect in every way. As soon as I saw spring asparagus in the market, I knew I had to buy it, but other than roasting it, I wasn’t sure how to be more inventive with it. My fridge is full to bust with pesto every which way so I decided against raw asparagus pesto but I have given you the recipe if you want to make it.It is a great stand by if you need a quick spring sandwich with a difference.This bright-green, fresh-tasting pesto is perfect for spreading on sandwiches, tossing with hot pasta, or slathering on crostini. However I decided to be a little more inventive and found this wonderful recipe from the urban locovore, an Australian blog that combines a Portuguese tradition(migas) with an interesting combination of other Portuguese ingredients. 

Roasted Asparagus, migas crumbs,goat curd and a fig infused port and balsamic reduction  
Serves 4 as a tapa

8 Asparagus spears
1/2 cup goat curd
2 tbs Fig Infused Port & Balsamic Reduction
Migas crumbs
Migas
200 g stale bread
100 ml olive oil
1 garlic clove, crushed
1/4 cup thyme leaves  

To make the migas, soak the bread in water for 30 minutes, then squeeze out the excess. Heat the oil in a pan over a low heat and add the garlic and thyme. Add the bread and spread out over the base of the pan. Cook for 15 – 20 minutes or until it begins to crisp then turn the bread and cook until it is all crispy. Place on a paper towel to drain. When cool break down into crumbs. Season the asparagus and cook on a hot grill pan until soft and coloured. Place on a plate, top with a quenelle of goat curd, sprinkle with migas crumbs and finish with a drizzle of Fig Infused Port & Balsamic Reduction.

The case of the posh fish finger and the Wasabi crust

Like Kate Atkinson´s character, former police detective Jackson Brodie, I found myself recently drawn into the vortex of a culinary mystery.How do you coat almonds in wasabi and keep them spicy and crunchy? I cracked it (no pun intended) very quickly. Life´s too short - just buy a packet of wasabi peanuts.Having always been mad about wasabi, imagine my excitement at having stumbled across wasabi peanuts right here in the Algarve.Knowing myself too well I had to quickly find a recipe before I crammed face and they were all gone.Fish seemed to me the obvious choice, and I settled for salmon.Don't feel guilty at the extravagance, as just two pieces of salmon can be stretched to feed six guests a sensational starter, served with a crunchy, Algarvian style coleslaw on the side.
Wasabi peanut crusted salmon  
400 g salmon fillet
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
150 ml soda water
115 g flour (190 ml)
80 ml corn flour
A good pinch of Flor de sal
150 g pkt wasabi-coated peanuts, finely crushed
Sunflower oil for frying

For the Algarvian coleslaw

Shredded chinese leaf and little gem lettuce hearts

Cucumber, matchstick strips

Carrot, matchstick strips

1 small red pepper, matchstick strips

1 small green pepper,matchstick strips

Spring onions

For the wasabi mayonnaise

2 tablespoons mayonnaise

Wasabi paste or creamed horseradish to taste

teaspoon grated lime zest

Mix all three ingredients well and serve in asmall bowl or ramekin

Prepare the coleslaw ingredients, combine and chill in a covered bowl.

Combine egg, soda water, flour, corn flour and salt in a mixing bowl.

Carefully pull off the skin from the salmon. Slice the fish into 36 neat, short fingers, while heating a pan of  sunflower oil,1cm deep.

Dip each fish slice into the batter to immerse completely, then lift out and drag across into the crushed peanuts to coat it well. Transfer them directly and individually into the heated oil, frying for no more than 30 seconds, turning once during this time until browned attractively.

Lift each one out with a slotted spoon, onto kitchen paper towel to drain. Serve warm or at room temperature with a small portion of coleslaw and a tiny dipping bowl of garlic  or wasabi mayonnaise.

Hints and Tips:
The peanuts can lose a little of their hot tang when they are deep fried so for a strong wasabi taste I smeared some wasabi paste on the salmon pieces bfore dipping them in the batter.
 

A food processor running on it's fastest speed setting,

handles the crushing of the peanuts perfectly.

 

Risotto primavera com ervilhas,favas e queijo de cabra

Need to perk up your palette? Take a peek in the pantry. From the vibrant yellow hues of curry spices and turmeric to the fiery reds of pimentao and paprika.The orange-red stigmas of saffron to the chamois of cinnamon and taupe of nutmeg.Wherever you look inspiration is hiding right there in your vegetable rack or spice jars, just waiting to be released.

Mother nature had so much fun with colours when she was creating fruits and vegetables – red tomatoes, yellow corn, green peas, and purple brinjals. While making food look attractive and appetising, she also managed to provide us with an indicator of exactly what nutrient each fruit and vegetable had to offer.

So if you have a plate with an array of colourful fruits and vegetables, it’s probably extremely healthy as well. In fact, the deeper the colour of the fruit or vegetable, the higher it will be on the protection score and antioxidant value.I have put my mind recently to turning some of my much tried and proven recipes into more colourful plates. I had to think what to add that would introduce a colourful element with a dollop of health to boot.

The truth is, food that looks good often ends up tasting better. So next time, if your plate looks dull and lifeless, toss in a generous helping of some wonderfully colourful fruits or vegetables and transform your regular meal into one overflowing with the goodness of nature.With piles of portly pods of green peas and broad beans on the market stalls at the moment I must confess that I have not been giving enough attention to the vibrant lush Pantone minty green pea colour of the year  Emerald 17-5641. I decided to strengthen the colour balance of my usual risotto and perk it up with a creamy pea purée.

Risotto primavera with fresh peas 

broad beans and goat’s cheese

Risotto is my ultimate comfort food and I am always willing to try another risotto recipe –  I already have quite a large selection!!! My first risotto that I tried was a simple butternut squash,and it was so delicious that I was hooked for life.

I have also tried using different grains, such as pearl barley and even made a red wine rissoto. A basic risotto is like an open canvas, the possibilities are endless. You can serve it as a side dish, main course or even as a dessert. It can easily be  vegetarian, but what ever you make it to be, it will be delicious and comforting.

Spring came late this year so although I am eager to use summer vegetables, we are just not ready for salads…. Having had warmth from the sun all day it can still feel a little chilly in the evenings, so one still  wants something a little warm and comforting but at the same time bright and vibrant, and that for me means…..Pea Risotto!!

Serves 4

350g Arborio rice

1 litre Marigold vegetable stock

a small glass of white wine (optional)

Olive oil

2 leeks,thinly sliced

1 cup fresh or frozen peas

! cup of broad beans,podded,cooked and skinned

a handful of mint plus extra for garnish

zest and juice of a lemon

100 gr young green beans – steamed and chopped diagonally.

1 log goat’s cheese

salt and black pepper

freshly grated parmesan cheese

2 tbsp sour cream or creme fraiche

a knob of butter

Cook the peas in some water with the mint. When cooked, drain and process the peas until you have a green chunky consistency. Keep the peas warm. Heat your chicken stock and keep hot in a separate pot.

Heat the olive oil and some butter in a large, heavy saucepan over a low heat. Add the leeks and saute about 5 minutes. Add the rice and stir until white spots appear in the center of the grains, about 1 minute.Add the wine,if using, and stir until absorbed, about 2 minutes.Add one ladleful of the hot stock, adjust the heat to maintain a gentle simmer, and cook, stirring constantly, until the liquid is absorbed, about 2 minutes. Continue adding the stock, one ladleful at a time and stirring constantly, until the rice is just tender but slightly firm in the center and the mixture is creamy, about 20 minutes.

Now add the mushy peas, parmesan, butter and sour cream and stir in quickly. Taste and season if needed. Add the lemon juice and zest, crumbled goat’s cheese, the steamed green beans and broad beans. More parmesan can be added if so preferred.Garnish with chopped mint leaves and serve.

All Kale Caesar

Spring took its time to arrive this year but today we are just over a month in and the beautiful hot rays of sunshine are finally here.What better way to celebrate than with friends in the form of a healthy lunch in the garden. 
Our thoughts now turn to lifting our spirits, and as we all well know we should be eating our greens.I know, I know, I know.  More kale. I am overwhelming you with all this healthy green shit, but this is a star turn.The crisp-tender texture and robust flavour of roughly torn Portuguese kale standing up to the tart Caesar dressing of this healthy, hearty salad. Serve as a first course, or as a side dish or part of a tapas with grilled chicken, beef, or lamb,or even cook some chicken and mix it into your salad for a kale and hearty "chicken" Caesar.Raw kale takes the place of traditional Romaine or Cos lettuce and partners with a bold dressing that stands up to the hearty greens.Caesar you say, doesn´t that involve anchovies? I can just see you grimacing the “ewww gross!” face about the anchovies.  You just think you don’t like them.  Anchovies are, in fact, delicious, and nutritious just like this salad.Trust me, a Caesar is no proper Caesar without anchovies.Accept no substitutes.Crispy homemade croutons tossed with olive oil, salt and herbes de Provence,a perfect solution to 3 day old bread and here you have a cheap healthy salad and a clear conscience, having found a use for the remains of the week-ends loaf.Hey-ho I hear the door bell ringing so its off to the jardim for lunch.

Kale Caesar salad

FOR THE CROUTONS
4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
100g 3-day old white bread cut into 3cm cubes

Pre-heat the oven to 200C/390F/ gas mark 5. Toss the bread cubes around in a bowl with the oil.Spread over a baking tray  and bake in the oven, turning occasionally for 20 minutes until golden brown.Remove from the oven and allow to cool.

FOR THE CLASSIC CAESAR DRESSING
2 cloves garlic
4 anchovy fillets
1Tablespoon Dijon mustard
2 eggs plus two egg yolks
Juice of 1 lemon
125ml white wine vinegar
250ml extra virgin olive oil
300ml sunflower oil
Blend all the ingredients in a processor until smooth and creamy.

1 large head curly green kale, centre stems removed 
and leaves torn into bite-size pieces

⅔ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

In a large bowl, toss the kale with the croutons. Add the dressing to taste, reserving any extra for another use. Add the Parmesan, toss again and serve immediately.

You´re having a larp

There is a book in my cookery library that gets taken on and off the shelf from time to time,but always without me having made a recipe from it.Its beautiful dayglo magenta silk cover and magenta and lime green markers makes its luxuriant appearance irresistible, but I just can not do its 674 pages justice.I am not within satellites throw of a specialist Thai food shop, and If I was I am still not convinced that I would be unable to source some of the specialist ingredients necessary to make most of the recipes.

I am talking "Thai Food" by David Thompson.If you are not living in Thailand this book is purely academic.Where in heavens name do I find langsart,assam,betel leaves,durian,fermented siamese watrcress,hydrolised lime water,long leafed coriander,white turmeric,tomalley and so the list goes ever on.The ingredients listings for each recipe are extravagant on column inches, however I took the bull by the horns and decided to have a larp.A larp is an ancient salad.There are many diverse styles of larp,but what they all seem to have in common is that the meat is minced or chopped,then cooked in the dressing,which is spicy and based on dried chillis.Sliced red shallots, shredded mint and coriander are invariable aromatic companions in a traditional Thai larp.Raw vegetables are the usual accompaniment but I found that making vessels of little gem leaves, although unorthodox, was an ideal and cool accompaniment.I had to forego the optional szechuan pepper but I still constantly craved a chilli hotness that I am ever keen on.The dish was delicious and oh so simple to prepare but at the end I felt disappointed.Perhaps this tome will remain on the bookshelf longer from now on.

Larp of Minced pork
500g pork mince
3 garlic cloves peeled
pinch of salt
1 tablespoon rendered pork fat or oil
pinch of palm sugar-optional
1-2 tablespoons fish sauce
3 red (banana ) shallots,sliced
1 tablespoon chopped spring(green) onion
1 tablespoon coriander leaves 

FOR THE PASTE
5 dried long red chillies,deseeded,soaked and drained
pinch of salt
5 red shallots,peeled
5 garlic cloves,peeled
2 tablespoons chopped galangal
2 tablespoons chopped lemongrass
1 tablespoon cumin seeds roasted and ground
1 teaspoon macquem or Szechuan peppercorns,roasted and ground,optional
2 long pepper,roasted and ground
1 sheath of mace,roasted and ground
5 black peppercorns,ground
5 white peppercorns ground
First make the paste: pound the ingredients together using a pestle and mortar,gradually adding one by one,until smooth.Poach the pork mince gently in some salted water until tender-about 10 minutes-perhaps using some offcuts of galangal and lemongrass from the paste.When cool drain the meat reserving the stock.Pound the garlic with the salt.Heat rendered pork fat or oil in a pan and fry the garlic until golden.Add paste and fry until the spices are fragrant.Season with sugar,if using, and fish sauce.Add the pork and moisten with a little of the reserved poaching liquid.Simmer for abvout 5 minutes,moistening further if necessary.
Add the remaining ingredients and put in a bowl on the table with a plate of little gem leaves for people to help themselves.

It´s all in the Olive,stay true to yourself

Writing this blog is something that gives me immense amounts of pleasure. It has unearthed something which I never realised I had in me, a way to express myself through my writing, and more important to make each recipe sound delicious enough to get a reaction in the form of a readers comment, or to be informed that they might take it a step further and recreate the recipe and best of all, that they report back after having cooked it. 

I know dear reader that it may sound selfish to say but this blog is completely self-indulgent.When I started it three years ago all I wanted was to share with others my passion for food and cooking, not only my successes but my disasters too.The idea of a book deal or film rights had never entered my head.I never saw myself as a Julie Powell.I was not even looking to write to acquire a huge following,that would have been self indugent.Now every time I blog a post it is just like giving away something something I treasure and no longer need to keep to myself. Like giving away an item of clothing or a piece of furniture,there will always be someone out there who will appreciate it. I in turn follow other blogs around the world and when I have time post comments on them.It is like returning the favour.I have however noticed a trend among many blogs recently,that they are becoming selling vehicles for products.This is for me like Jamie Oliver selling his soul to Sainsbury´s or  Heston and Delia riding on the Waitrose wagon.I have never been approached by a manufacturer or supplier and I think I would think twice before I said yes, having made sure first that they were asking me to endorse a product I had previously used with success.
I believe in staying true to my principles,my blog will never become the "new product" page of a magazine,and I certainly haven´t dropped to the status of needing food packages sent to me.If I wanted all singing all dancing I would have shouted from the rooftops and covered my blog site with sponsorship and and advertising but NO.I just want to share my ideas with kindred spirits. Certainly I flag up and encourage readers to use a certain, mostly artesan, products that I have discovered,but it is always me that came to the product not the product coming to me.I do not think I would ever consider making money from advertising on my blog.Well, its always fun to consider.But suddenly the tables have turned and people are writing about Casa Rosada.First up Thomas Cook "Departures" magazine invited me to kick off a regular feature called the Hot Plate.Every issue they ask a local nominee to promote their favourite must-try dish of the region and where to eat it.Next comes the May issue of Olive Magazine. They have selected Casa Rosada´s cookery workshop as one of four European cookery courses they are flagging up.Finally, and very timely too, Time Out lisboa have asked us if we would take part in their up and coming 2 por 1 promotion where we offer guests a two night stay for the price of one.This two for one offer, taken together with our cookery workshop, is perfect for any one who is interested in cooking and wants to save on the accomodation.So as Olive says, check in, then check out the kitchen.For further information go to Casa Rosada Workshop revisited.

 

From Russia with love.Coulibiac pillow, a dream of a dish

The salmon are running, so that must mean Coulibiac!

A coulibiac,or Koulibiac as it is sometimes spelt, is a Russian fish pie. As well as its main ingredient( which could be eel,sturgeon,sometimes chicken but more often than not salmon) it contains rice,hard boiled eggs and vegetables.This filling is encased  in a crust of either puff pastry or brioche dough,which is simply wrapped around it to form a sort of pillow shape,rather than being baked in a dish.My description sounds like one of those terrific medieval pies where every luxurious ingredient in the house was jammed into a pie crust out of spite,to get around sumptuary laws.(I must have been thinking subconsciously what a splendid dish this would make for our annual Casa Rosada medieval banquet for Dias Medievais in August). Its like nursery -rhyme meets temple of doom dining conjuring up images of Heston Blumenthal cutting the crust and four and twenty salmon flop onto the table- Now there is a cool idea.If ever  there was second series of Heston´s feasts ?
Why on earth am I making a Russian dish in the Algarve anyway you might say.I don´t know is the answer.The salmon tails in the market were so fresh and appealing, I had puff pastry in the freezer and with a bag of field mushrooms some baby spinach leaves I was well on the way to making one of the best fish pies ever invented.Not that I was expecting  guests, but this majestic dish is also perfect for entertaining as it can all be made well in advance.I remember watching the Hairy Bikers make this on their TV show and I also remember making dear Delia´s version from her "Winter Collection".This time for my revival coulibiac I improvised, taking the best of method and ingredient from both.Lo and behold it was a real joy and a change from a meat dish for the main plate of a Sunday.

Serves 6

I packet of ready-rolled fresh puff pastry

500g ( 11/4 lb ) salmon fillet tail or centre cut in half lengthways, skinned,pin bones removed

75g (3oz) butter

75g (3oz) basmati rice
225ml (8 fl oz) Fish stock
1 medium onion finely chopped
110g (4oz) mushrooms finely sliced
2 large eggs,hard boiled ( 7 minutes from simmering)cut in half length ways
1 Tbsp Chopped fresh flatleaf parsley
1 Tbsp Chopped fresh chives
100g (3½oz ) baby spinach leaves
salt and freshly ground black pepper
I free range egg,beaten for glazing

Melt 1 oz (25g) of the butter in a medium saucepan and stir in the rice.When the rice is coated with the butter,add the stock and a little salt and bring it to a gentle simmer,then stir well and cover with a lid.Cook the rice for 15 minutes exactly,then take the pan off the heat,remove the lid and allow it to cool.While the rice is cooking,take a sheet of buttered foil and lay the salmon on it.Season with salt and pepper.Wrap it up loosely,pleating the foil at the top and folding the edges in to seal the package.Place it on a baking tray and pop it in the oven for just 10 minutes-the salmon needs to be only half cooked,Remove it from the oven,open the foil and allow it to cool.While the salmon and rice are cooling,melt the other 50g (2oz)of butter in a small pan and gently sweat the onion for about 10 minutes until it softens.Add the sliced mushrooms and continue cooking gently for another 5 minutes.
Now take a bowl and combine the rice mixture with the onions and mushrooms, the parsley and chives and mix well.
Cut your pastry into two rectangles the second one 5cm/2in larger than the first one.Lay half of the spinach leaves over the smaller sheet of puff pastry, leaving a 2cm/¾in gap around the edge of the pastry.Place one of the salmon fillets on top of the spinach leaves, then spread the rice mixture over the salmon. Place the second salmon fillet on top of the filling mixture to make a 'sandwich'. Cover the salmon with the remaining spinach leaves.Brush the edges of the puff pastry with beaten egg and cover the salmon filling with the second, larger, sheet of puff pastry. Seal the edges of the pastry parcel together with your fingers, trimming off any excess. Carefully transfer the salmon coulibiac to a greased baking tray. Using a knife, cut one or two small holes in the top of the salmon coulibiac, then brush all over with the remaining beaten egg. Transfer the salmon coulibiac to the oven and bake for 25-30 minutes, or until the pastry is crisp and golden-brown.Serve in slices with a light salad of your choice.