Marshmallow Berry Popper

No baking involved for this delicious bite!  Some patience and 1 burner to heat sugars and melt the chocolate.  This dessert can be prepared two days in advance.  Recipe makes about 48 slices.

Chocolate mud cake or any brownie mix will do as base but brush with melted chocolate before pouring the Berry Jelly mixture so that it does not seep into the cake.

300g Coco Pops

400g Chocolate

600g Frozen berries

1 cup sugar

1 1/2 cups water

1 1/2 tbsp gelatin powder

1 1/2 cup sugar

1 1/4 cup water

1 1/2 tbsp gelatin

few drops vanilla essence

300g dark chocolate

75g butter

Line a lamington tin with baking paper,  leaving enough paper on the sides to lift the final slice.

Melt 400g chocolate over a pan of boiling water.  In a medium bowl add coco pops, pour over melted chocolate and using a wooden spoon stir till all pops are coated with chocolate.  Pour mixture in the lamington tin and press slightly using the back of a metal spoon.  Refrigerate to cool for about 10 minutes.

In a medium bowl add frozen berries, 1 cup water and sugar and stir.  Set aside, meanwhile, in a small bowl, add gelatin powder and 2 tbsp water and stir.  Boil 1/2 cup water and add to gelatin mixture and stir till gelatin dissolves completely.  Add gelatin water to fruit mixture and stir.  Blend the fruit mixture to a smooth puree then pass through a sieve to remove pips and thick pulp.  Carefully pour over the coco pop base.  Refrigerate again for at least 2 hours till it sets.

In a medium saucepan, add 1 1/2cup sugar, 1 1/4 cup water and 1 1/2 tbsp gelatin and stir over medium heat till sugar dissolves.  When mixture starts boiling, stop stirring, lower down heat and slow boil for six minutes.  Remove from heat, add vanilla drops and pour in a mixing bowl. Let it cool down to lukewarm. (at this moment if you are in a hurry 10-15minutes in freezer will do)

Whisk on high speed for about 3 minutes or until mixture is thick and creamy.

 Using 1cm fluted nozzle pipe over the Jelly mixture and refrigerate again for three hours or overnight.

Lift the slice from the tin, and using a sharp knife cut into small squares approx 6x6cm and arrange each square in a muffin case. Melt chocolate and butter over baine marie till smooth then brush over each marshmallow slice with chocolate.  Leave refrigerated and consume within 5 days.

Seared Salmon and Buckwheat risotto with Miso and Sea Urchin

Title seems complicated but I could give it one fancy name and have a longer recipe.  It took me just 45minutes during which I enjoyed my favourite Gin Tonic with Cucumber and black pepper!!
Recipe serves 3

500g Fresh Salmon fillets (with skin on)
1 cup buckwheat
500ml prepared miso soup
500ml chicken stock
2 tbsp Sea Urchin Roe
1 medium onion finely chopped
3 cloves garlic crushed
Salt & Pepper
1tbsp butter
2 tbsp Olive oil
1/4 tsp Bottarga Powder(optional)
Alfa alfa flowers & violets (optional)

Heat 1tbsp olive oil and 1tbsp butter in a medium saucepan.  Gently fry onions and garlic till translucent.  Add buckwheat and stir till all grains are coated with butter and contiue to stir for about 1 minute.  Ladle in stock and miso soup one ladle at a time and stir.  Turn heat to low and simmer, adding ladle of stock when it reduce.  Buckwheat takes about 30minutes to cook, however if you are preparing mixture in advance, it keeps on fluffing even off the heat. Keep covered and reserve one last ladle of stock to loosen mixture just before serving.

Meanwhile, or just before serving, prepare salmon by heating a frying pan over medium heat.  Drizzle olive oil over salmon fillets and crush over skin some black pepper and sea salt and fry skin side down for about three minutes. Turn and turn off heat immediately.

Re-heat buckwheat risotto adding the last ladle of stock and stir till all mixture heats up.  Add sea urchin roe and turn off heat immediately.  Spoon buckwheat in serving plate, arrange two small salmon fillets on top drizzle with some olive oil and garnish with flowers.  Finally dust over a little bottarga powder.

Bottarga powder can be found in good fish shops or supermarkes, or whenever you are in Scicily!  It is dried tuna roe.