After rave reviews of our favourite chef Evelyn Vallillee at Ripe Wanaka 2024, we have secured some of her secret recipes to share with you all.
Evelyn Vallillee from Dripping Bowl Wanaka, used the fresh produce from Freshlink Grocer and matched some tasty treats to Quartz Reef Wines.
First – Go and see the team at Freshlink to stock up your fridge and pantry. Then try some of these stunners below, don’t forget to match them with the suggested Quartz Reef Wine to maximise taste!
CHERRY & FENNEL CURED SALMON WITH CHIVE AIOLI & RYE TOAST
Suggested wine pairing: Quartz Reef Methode Traditionnelle Rose NV
Yield: 50 Canapés
INGREDIENTS
SALMON
300g Salmon Filet, pin-boned & skin-on
250ml Eden Orchards Cherry Juice
35g Fennel, cored and chopped roughly
50g Fine Sea Salt
35g Rapadura Sugar
AIOLI
40g Frog Song Farm Chives or Spring Onion
1 Egg
1 Tbsp Apple Cider Vinegar
½ tsp Dijon Mustard
1 tsp Sea Salt
1 Garlic Clove
12 Turns of Cracked Pepper
250ml Cold Pressed Rapeseed Oil
125ml Olive Oil (High Quality – I used Squeaky Hinge)
RYE TOAST
1 loaf People’s Bread – Rye
125g Butter, melted
METHOD
SALMON
(3 days before you want to serve the canapés, prepare the salmon)
Pat salmon dry and set aside
Find a container that the salmon and curing mix will fit tightly in.
In a blender, add the cherry juice, fennel, salt and sugar then purée until smooth. It will look grey but the purple will come out in a few hours.
Pour mixture into container and place salmon flesh side down with all the pink being covered.
(If you are worried about staining the container, you can line this with plastic wrap or use a glass baking dish instead).
Allow to cure for 48 hours and then rinse off mixture with water and pat dry.
Store again in the fridge for at least 8 hours before serving to allow the flavours to distribute throughout the fish.
AIOLI
(Ideally, make Aioli at least 4 hours before serving to allow flavours to soften)
In a blender, add everything EXCEPT oils and purée on medium setting until smooth.
Reduce it to low & slowly pour in the rapeseed oil, then do the same with the olive oil.
Store in a squeeze bottle or small container in the fridge for 1-2 weeks.
RYE TOAST
(Make these as close to serving as possible – max 2 hours before)
Cut bread into slices, remove crusts & cut each slice in quarters (If using the whole loaf, you can cut the crusts off at the beginning).
With a pastry brush, cover both sides of each slice with butter and toast in a fry pan on medium heat, or a panini press until browned.
The bread should be chewy, but not soggy from the butter.
TO ASSEMBLE CANAPE
Lay rye bread on serving platter.
Squeeze or spread enough aioli to cover the blini.
Slice the fish into bite-sized pieces (5-8g) and place onto toast.
Garnish with dill, fennel fawns or coriander.
STRAWBERRY & GOAT CHEESE GLUTEN FREE BLINI
Suggested wine pairing: Quartz Reef Bendigo Pinot Gris 2023
Yield: 30 Blinis
INGREDIENTS
BLINI
130g Pane Ora Gluten Free Bread Mix
7g Yeast
¼ tsp Fine Sea Salt
1 Egg, whisked
200ml Milk, lukewarm
125ml Deodorised Coconut Oil or Butter
WHIPPED GOAT CHEESE
100g Cranky Goat Cheese
70ml Cream
2 Tbsp Honey
Zest ½ a Lemon
TOPPINGS
8-12 Red Bridge Strawberries, quartered or halved
50g Toasted Hazelnuts, crushed
12 Mint Leaves, finely cut (chiffonade)
METHOD
BLINI
(Blini can be made up to 6 hours before or served right away, just allow to cool to room temp)
In a medium sized bowl, mix flour blend, yeast and salt with a fork, set aside.
In a small bowl, whisk egg lightly, set aside.
Heat milk to 40°C then add to whisked egg.
Pour liquid into flour mixture and whisk until there aren’t any lumps.
Cover with a wet tea towel in a warm spot for an hour and use right away or store in the fridge overnight
When mixture is ready, heat 2 tbsp of oil/butter in a cast iron or non-stick frying pan on medium heat until oil until vicious.
Using a dessert spoon, add about 1 tbsp of mixture for each blini and cook until you see bubbles coming through the batter (approx. 30 sec) and then flip & cook for another 30 seconds – 1 minute, depending on pan temperature. Allow 2-3cm between each blini.
Lay blinis on your serving tray if using right away.
If using the batter the next day, you will need to add more milk to reach its original consistency
WHIPPED GOAT CHEESE
Pull cheese out of fridge 30 minutes before blending.
In a medium bowl, add cheese and break up with hand mixer on low.
Add honey and mix for 30 sec then add 1 tbsp of cream at a time.
Scoop into piping bag and use right away or place in container in the fridge and store for up to 5 days.
TO ASSEMBLE CANAPE
Dollop approx. 1 tbsp of whipped goat cheese on blini.
Add strawberry, hazelnut pieces and mint.
Serve immediately.
STEAK SKEWER WITH THYME & BLACKCURRANT REDUCTION
Suggested wine pairing: Quartz Reef Bendigo Pinot Noir 2022
Yield: 20-30 skewers, depending on how thin the meat is sliced
INGREDIENTS
250g Beef Filet or Striploin Steak
2 Tbsp Lard or Ghee for searing
1 500ml Jar of Dripping Bowl Bone Broth
50g Frozen Blackcurrants
2 tsp Dried Thyme
3 Tbsp Rapadura Sugar
100g Sweet & Salty Nibblies (Make it Raw)
2 Tbsp Chopped Parsley
or
2 tsp Fresh or Dried Thyme
20 Small skewers
METHOD
Pull steak out of fridge 30 minutes before you are ready to cook it, pat it dry, then season with salt and pepper.
Heat cast iron pan to med-high and add lard. Once completely melted and viscous in the pan, add your steak, it should be sizzling loudly then cover with a splatter guard if you have one.
Cook approx. 3 minutes on each side or until internal temp is between 54°-57° for med-rare.
(Cook time depends on steak thickness)
Allow to rest at least 30 minutes before slicing, or put in the fridge covered overnight.
WITHOUT CLEANING THE PAN, add bone broth, blackcurrants, thyme and sugar and scrape all the yummy bits off the bottom of the pan that were left over from the steak.
Reduce sauce for 10 minutes on med heat, until the it’s roughly 250ml. Strain off the thyme and blackcurrants and then return to pan and continue reducing for another 5+ minutes or until there are heaps of bubbles on the top of the mixture and it thickly coats the back of a spoon.
Be careful not to burn it!
Pour mixture into a small squeeze bottle or a small container and store at room temperature for up to 3 days, or 2 weeks in the fridge.
In a mortar and pestle or under a pot, crush the sweet and salty mix lightly until the large nuts are broken up.
TO ASSEMBLE CANAPE
If steak is stored in the fridge, place on counter for 30 minutes before serving.
Remove fat cap off meat and slice against the grain into thin slices (minimum 20 pieces).
Weave the slice of meat onto each skewer and place on serving platter.
Season with salt and pepper.
Drizzle the bone broth reduction over all the skewers (except for serving side) and sprinkle the nut mix so it sticks to the reduction.
Garnish with parsley or thyme and serve.
These can be made 4 hours in advance and pulled out of the fridge 30 minutes before serving.
