Simply Raymond Blanc episode 8: Raymond shares his love of new produce from the gardens and explains why seasonality is important and why we should all embrace it.
From his Oxfordshire kitchen, he cooks pan-fried salmon with spinach and chive butter sauce, and rustles up a fricassee of wild mushrooms. Long-time friend Jean-Christophe Novelli pays a visit and bakes him an indulgent tarte tatin, and baked apple with caramel. The chef transforms classic dishes with herbs and spices from his garden, including moules three ways and a slow-roasted harissa lamb shoulder with chickpeas.
It’s been a while since the Michelin-starred chef patron of Le Manoir has been on TV but he returns this morning to share what he describes as delicious, unfussy recipes made from easily available ingredients and using basic equipment. So, no cheffy flourishes, sous vide baths or aerators. Although he does have the advantage of being able to utilise Le Manoir’s fabulous kitchen garden instead of relying on the local supermarket.
The chef shares a collection of simple, rustic recipes that can be put together easily, as well as revealing the workings of the world-famous Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons where he is Chef Patron and which provides much of the fruit and vegetables that go into his dishes. In the first episode, he is joined by Angela Hartnett, who will be cooking cep tagliatelle. Other recipes include meringue with blackcurrant coulis and a heritage salad with beetroot straight from Raymond’s gardens.
Simply Raymond Blanc episode 8
Pan Fried Salmon, with Spinach & Chive Butter Sauce
Pat the salmon fillets dry with kitchen paper. Season lightly with salt and pepper. In a large non-stick frying pan on a medium heat add the oil followed by the salmon fillets, skin side down. Very fresh fish will arc upwards at this point, so using a fish slice press the fillets down for a few seconds so they keep contact with the pan and stay flat against the pan.
Cook the salmon fillets for 7-8 minutes depending on their thickness, until the skin is crisp and golden. If the skin colours too quickly then turn the heat down. You should hear just a gentle sizzle, browning and crisping up the skin beautifully. Turn the fillets over onto the flesh side, remove from the heat and leave the fillets in the pan for a further 1 minute to finish cooking.
Remove the salmon fillets from the pan and leave to rest for 1 minute on a warm plate. Deglaze the pan with the water and squeeze of lemon juice. Reserve. In a small round bottomed saucepan on a medium heat, sweeten the shallot in the teaspoon of butter for 5 minutes without any colour. Add the water, bring to the boil and whisk in the butter to create an emulsion. Remove from the heat and add the lemon juice, chives, tomato and a pinch of salt to taste.
To serve
While the salmon is cooking, on full heat cook the spinach and gently reheat the chive butter sauce if you need to. When the spinach is cooked, place it in the middle of each plate, top with the cooked salmon and spoon the chive butter sauce around.
