Simple Summer Food from Eating Well Everyday

Salmon and Goats Cheese Omelette – a review of Eating Well Everyday:

I tend to run shy of chef recipe books – I generally find the recipes are too complicated for everyday and too high risk for entertaining.  But Eating Well Everyday by Peter Gordon caught my eye – and, breaking my own rule, I was delighted to be asked to review it.

Providores Restaurant and Tapa Room in Marylebone is one of my favourite London restaurants.  Somewhere I go with friends, though I first visited for a New Zealand wine tasting event.  While I loved all the wine, I was so impressed by the food I ended up going back (a number of times now).  Peter Gordon, apart from being something of an expert on New Zealand wine (Providores has the largest selection of premium New Zealand wines of any restaurant in Europe) also turns out delectable, different but very approachable dishes.  Gordon set up the original Sugar Club restaurant in Wellington in 1986 before moving to London where he set up two more Sugar Clubs (both now closed).  The fourth incarnation of the Sugar Club is still running, on the 53rd floor of Sky Tower, Aukland where the fine cuisine is complemented by breath-taking views across the city.  And Providores in Marylebone is still going strong.

What of my rule breaking copy of Eating Well Everyday?  Well, I am delighted to find that it is just the sort of recipe book that works for me.  Peter Gordon is known as the founder of a certain type of fusion cuisine and there are definitely examples of that in the book.  Roast John Dory, Peanuts, Chilli and Coriander with a Coconut Dressing for instance.  Chicken Macadamia Curry with Banana Raita perhaps.  Or even a simpler dish of Fettuccine with Chilli, Basil and Chickpeas.

I’m excited about the fact that most of the dishes use things I already have in a way I would never have considered.  And yet, they are mind-blowingly simple.  It’s the perfect book to browse on a warm early summer afternoon…

Actually it’s not bad for cooking from either – I’ve already tried a couple of recipes and I’ve made the one I am sharing 3 times!  No doubt I will make it again fairly soon too…

I was drawn immediately to Peter’s brunch recipe for Smoked Salmon and Goat’s Cheese Omelette for one reason.  I learnt to cook an omelette using Elizabeth David’s recipe book and somewhere along the way read that you should add a bit of cold water to your egg mixture.  Those of you who are regular readers of London Unattached may remember that I don’t generally eat eggs.  But, with the addition of a judicious quantity of water and a good filling, I do enjoy omelettes.

This recipe is a keeper for me – I love the combination of flavours – fresh parsley, soft, melted goats cheese and a little smoked salmon.  And, it takes just a few minutes to put together.  Perfect for a brunch, light lunch or summer supper.

Without further ado, here’s the recipe for you to try yourself.

5 from 3 votes

Print

Smoked Salmon and Goat's Cheese Omelette

Prep Time

5 mins

Cook Time

6 mins

Total Time

11 mins

 

Peter suggests that you can use hot-smoked or cold-smoked salmon and that the goat's cheese can be replaced with most other cheeses.  I've been using offcuts of cold smoked salmon and have tried the recipe with goats cheese and also with a farmhouse cheddar.

Course: Brunch, Lunch, Supper

Servings: 2

Author: Peter Gordon

Ingredients

• 5 Eggs as fresh as possible
• 1 Handful Flat leaf parsley, coarsely chopped
• 4 Tbsp Cold Water I used half this amount
• 2 Knobs Butter
• 100 g Smoked Salmon, sliced or flaked
• 80 g Goats cheese, crumbled Or your own favourite
• Salt and Pepper

Instructions

1. Crack the eggs into a bowl.  Add the parsley and the cold water.  Season with salt and pepper and use a fork to beat the eggs.  Peter suggests 'for barely 4 seconds to break the yolks'.  I probably beat a little more, just because I don't like any of the white not to be mixed in.

2. Place a 15-24cm frying pan over a medium high heat

3. Add half the butter and when it begins to sizzle pour in half the eggs.  Peter suggests swirling it around a bit and using a spoon or spatula to bring the set outer egg into the centre until it starts to set.  I tend to let the whole thing set in the pan a little, then drawn in the edges and tip the liquid egg under until I have a nearly set mixture

4. Lay half the salmon and half the cheese across the centre and leave for 5 seconds.  Fold over one edge then, if you can, gently flip the omelette over.  Again, I tend to cheat and fold both edges up before flipping - with a slightly smaller pan I'd follow Peter's instructions to the letter, but my pan is on the large side for an omelette and I find my method is manageable.

5. Slid onto a hot plate and repeat to cook the second omelette.

6. Serve with hot buttered toast for brunch.  I've been enjoying mine for supper with a little salad or with fresh asparagus.  It's up to you, just don't add anything too overpowering because you'll find that you have a perfect combination of flavours already.

What next?  Well, I am excited to try more of these recipes because I have a feeling they really will expand my repertoire of ‘Everyday’ dishes.  And some of them are fancy enough for entertaining, without being overly complicated.

If like me, you are a confident cook who has their own repertoire of dishes, I’d recommend this book for you.  It will give you a set of new flavour combinations to explore with recipes that are entirely manageable.  For example, I’m a big fan of goats cheese and like it served as a  goats cheese salad with caramelised nuts and beetroot.  But, I’d never have tried it as an omelette filling, especially with Smoked Salmon.  And if you are a novice cook,  be assured these are well-written recipes that work.  As Peter himself says

‘Tasty and daring, yet simple and straightforward.  From breakfast through to a more fancy dinner party, I guarantee you don’t need to be a chef to make them.’

Eating Well Everyday by Peter Gordon is published by Jacqui Small and available from good bookshops (rrp. £22.00) or from Amazon for £22.00

Want to save this recipe for later?  I’d strongly recommend buying the book, but just in case you don’t want to do so just yet, here’s the pin