In a season groaning with heavy roasts, make like the Italians and enjoy a fish feast on Christmas Eve instead. Executive chef at London Shell Co. Fede Pollame shares his seductively simple modern seafood menu
SERVES 4
HANDS-ON TIME 15 mins
TOTAL TIME 25 mins, plus resting
Starter SMOKED SALMON PANCAKE, TRUFFLE SOURED CREAM AND CHIVES
For the pancakes
◆ 55g plain flour
◆ a pinch of cayenne pepper
◆ 1 medium egg
◆ ½ tsp Dijon mustard
◆ 140ml whole milk
◆ 1 tsp unsalted butter, to fry
To serve
◆ 200g smoked salmon
◆ zest and juice of 1 lemon, plus wedges to serve
◆ 4 tbsp soured cream
◆ 1½ tbsp truffleflavoured oil
◆ 5g chives, finely chopped
◆ dressed pea shoots or salad leaves, to finish
1 Start by making the pancake batter; this can be done the night before, as it benefits from resting in the fridge. Combine the flour and cayenne pepper with a pinch of salt. Crack the egg into another bowl. Add the mustard to the egg and whisk to combine, then add this to the flour mixture to form a paste. Gradually whisk in the milk – adding it slowly will help to produce a smooth batter. Cover and leave to rest in the fridge until needed.
2 For the filling, roughly tear up the salmon into smaller pieces and place in a covered bowl. Combine the lemon juice, zest, soured cream and truffle oil in another bowl and season well. Cover and store everything in the fridge until needed.
3 To cook the pancakes, heat a 20cm pancake pan or frying pan over a medium heat. Add a little of the butter and melt it to coat the base of the pan. Give the batter another whisk then pour a quarter into the pan and tilt around until you have a thin layer. When the top of the pancake starts to appear dry, after about 1-1 ½ minutes, it’s ready to flip. Carefully slide a spatula under the pancake to help release it from the pan and flip it, cooking for a further minute or until the underside develops deep golden patches. Place onto a plate, covering with a clean tea towel to keep warm. Repeat the process to make three more pancakes.
4 To assemble, spread half of each pancake with the soured cream mixture, top with the smoked salmon and some of the chives. Fold the other half of the pancake over the filling and serve with an extra grind of black pepper, a sprinkle of chives and lemon wedges, plus dressed leaves on the side.
PER SERVING
262cals; 15g fa
