Panzanella
MasterChef NZ winner Aaron Brunet shares his Panzanella recipe to breathe new life into stale bread.
Salmon and Red Capsicum Dip
This creamy salmon and red capsicum dip can be made cheaply by using salmon offcuts. Simply poach the offcuts and then use your fingers to remove the cooked flesh. Delish!
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Ingredients
- 200g cooked salmon, flaked
- 200g crème fraiche
- 200g cream cheese, room temperature
- 2 red capsicums
- 1 whole garlic bulb
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 teaspoons angostura bitters (optional)
- 2 teaspoons chilli paste
- ¼ cup snipped chives
- ¼ cup fresh chopped herbs like basil, dill or parsley
- Toasted bread, to serve
- 1 lebanese cucumber, sliced into sticks
Method
- Preheat oven to 180°C. Place the whole garlic bulb and red capsicums in a baking dish and drizzle with a little olive oil. Roast for 25 minutes. Remove from oven and place the capsicums in a plastic bag. Seal and allow to cool. The steam from the capsicums will make them easier to peel. Once cool, peel the skin from the capsicum and discard the seeds and membranes. Dice the flesh into small pieces.
- Spoon the crème fraiche and cream cheese into a bowl. Use a wooden spoon to mix in the angostura bitters, chilli paste, chives and chopped herbs. Season to taste with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.
- Cut the garlic in half through the middle and squeeze out the tender roasted garlic pulp. If the inner core isn’t roasted leave it out, as the outer cooked garlic will taste sweeter.
- Add the roasted garlic pulp to the cream mix and beat well. Lastly, fold in the flaked salmon and diced roasted capsicum, until just combined. Keep covered and chilled until ready to serve.
- Garnish with plenty of snipped chives. Serve with slices of toasted bread and cucumber crudites.