Culture Through Cookery: Best of British

British cookery is often looked down upon, but I wanted to present a recipe that showcased our good local produce, and our other great talent- integration with other cultures.

Salmon with new potatoes is a typical British summer dish. But this version integrates newer flavours. What could be more British than Chicken Tikka Masala, Coronation Chicken, or Spag Bol? None of these dishes would have been recognised by our Victorian forebears, but now they grace our tables regularly, each one tweeked for the British palate.

Crumble is equally delicious, and much more traditional. Bramley apples are one of the UK's best known varieties, and are favoured for their depth of flavour in puddings.

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These Salmon parcels are quick and easy, and easily adapted. They take a short amount of time to prepare and only need about 20 minutes in the oven.

Serves 8

Ingredients:
Small pot sour cream (250ml)
Sunblush tomatoes (8)
Small pot of green pesto (100ml)
8 Salmon fillets
Filo pastry (16 sheets)

Preheat the oven to 160 degrees C.
Skin the salmon fillets and half widthways.
Place two sheets of filo pastry at right angles to each other (i.e. in the shape of a cross).
Dab a teaspoonful of sour cream in the centre.
Place half a salmon fillet on top of the sour cream.
On top add a teaspoonful of pesto and one sunblush tomato.
Place the other halved salmon fillet on top.

Making the Salmon Parcels

Twist the filo pastry together so that the parcel is sealed and place in a baking tray that is large enough for all 8 parcels.
Repeat for the remaining parcels.
Put in the oven for 20 minutes. Check one of the parcels in the centre of the tray to see whether they are cooked. The one in the centre will take longest to cook so if it is done, the others should be also.

Other ideas:
For a more traditional take, add sour cream mixed with finely chopped fresh dill in the middle instead of pesto and the tomato. 

We served this with simple boiled new potatoes and sugar snap peas. 
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Cold Watercress Sauce
This is more of a taste-and-see than a recipe.

Ingredients:
Remainder of the sour cream from the Salmon (or one small pot)
100ml cream
Milk (one pint)
Fresh black pepper to grind.
200g watercress.
zest of one large lemon

If you have a blender, blitz the watercress, with the sour cream and lemon zest (if you don't have a blender, dice by hand with a large knife until very small and add to a mixing bowl with the sour cream and lemon zest).
Mix the ingredients together (either in the blender or bowl).
Add the cream.
Add the fresh black pepper (you will want a lot - say 10 good grinds to start - add more after tasting).
You can serve it like this, if you want a thicker sauce, or add milk until you have the consistency and the texture that you want.

This is excellent served with salmon. If you wanted to simply grill the salmon rather than do something more fancy it would be delicious served as a thick  watercress cream. You could even use this (the thick version again) to replace the other ingredients within the salmon parcel.
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Adding the crumble mixture to the top of the crumble - just about to go in the oven

Apple and Raspberry Crumble
You need:
3 cups plain flour
half-2/3 pat softened butter
half a cup golden demerara sugar (up to a whole cup)
21b/ 1kg Bramley apples, peeled, cored and chopped into about 8 pieces per apple.
350g frozen raspberries

Put the oven on to preheat at 350/170 degrees.
To make the crumble:
Chop the softened butter into small pieces in a large mixing bowl.
Add the flour and rub in with your (clean) hands
Add the half cup of sugar. Add more if you have a sweet tooth.

In a large overproof dish add the apples and raspberries, mixing them together as much as you can without making a mess. Sprinkle the remaining half cup of demerara over them. (n.b. if you want to use less sugar, you could use eating apples rather than Bramleys. Bramleys are bitter but have more depth of flavour.
Add the crumble on top, covering the fruit and patting down the crumble.

Cook for around an hour, until the apples are soft.
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Reactions:
"I couldn't believe that this was British food. My view of British food is that it is boring and tasteless." Nadia
"I couldn't believe how simple the parcels were to make." Katie
"I've always wanted to make a British crumble! Now I know how!" Perrine

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