LEMON PARMESAN DIP - DIP AU PARMESAN

Not long ago, I suscribed to UK's N°1 magazine "Good Food" and I have been enjoying every issue since then. It is always chock-a-block full of seasonal and scrumptious recipes for any occasion...

While leafing through my April issue, I came upon a dip idea that I found particularly interesting. This "Lemon Parmesan Dip" goes particularly well with asparagus (or any other spring/summer cooked vegetable) and is easily made.

This dip is very fresh, delightfuly tangy and has a wonderfully round Parmesan flavor. Very spring-like and lipsmackingly tasty. The perfect addition to your brunches or picnics!

~ Lemon Parmesan Dip/Dressing ~
Recipe taken from "Good Food" magazine and slightly adapted by Rosa @ Rosa's Yummy Yums 2010.

Ingredients:
The juice of one lemon
85g Unsalted butter, cut into small chunks
25g Parmesan, finely grated
A pinch garlic powder or 1/2 small clove fesh garlic, crushed (optional)
Salt, to taste
Pepper, to taste
Espelette pepper, for sprinkling over the top

Method:
1. Tip the lemon juice into a small saucepan.
2. Over a very low heat, add the butter.
3. Melt and stir the butter into the lemon juice until you have a smooth sauce.
4. Add the Parmesan, garlic and season to taste.
5. Set aside to cool a little (3minutes) and serve warm.

Remarks:
I added some garlic powder to give this sauce a bit more taste. However, you can leave it out. You could add some chopped fresh herbs just before serving (chervil, basil, cilantro).

Serving suggestions:
This sauce is made to accompany asparagus, but you can also use it as a salad dressing/dipping sauce for warm vegetables (fennel, bell peppers, tomatoes, etc...).

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~ Dip/Sauce Au Citron Et Parmesan ~
Recette tirée du magazine "Good Food"et adaptée par Rosa @ Rosa's Yummy Yums 2010.

Ingrédients:
Le jus d'un citron
85g de Beurre non-salé, coupé en petits morceaux
25g de Parmesan, finement râpé
Une pincée d'ail en poudre ou la moitié d'une petite gousse d'ail, écrasée (en option)
Sel de mer, à volonté
Poivre, à volonté
Piment d'Espelette, pour saupoudrer

Méthode:
1. Mettre le jus de citron dans une casserole.
2. Chauffer à basse température et ajouter le beurre.
3. Faire fondre le beurre et l'incorporer au jus de citron tout en le battant afin d'obtenir une sauce homogène.
4. Ajouter le parmesan, l'ail et assaisonner à volonté.
5. Faire refoidir 3 minutes et servir chaud.

Remarques:

J'ai ajouter de l'ail en poudre afin de donner un peu plus de caractère à cette sauce. C'est à vous de voir si vous voulez en ajouter ou non.
Vous pouvez aromatiser cette sauce avec des herbes fraîches hachées que vous incorporerez juste avant de servir (cerfeuil, basilic, coriandre).

Idées de présentation:
Cette sauce est faite pour accompagner les asperges mais vous pouvez tout à fait l'utiliser avec d'autres légumes cuits (fenouil, poivrons, tomates, etc...).

LUMP EGG PASTA WITH SAFFRON SAUCE

Ruth at "Once Upon A Feast" from Toronto (Canada) has decided to organize a weekly event that takes place every Friday. It's called "Presto Pasta Nights" (see infos and rules) and as you have maybe guessed, it's all about pasta!

Her idea is to host a weekly round-up of the recipes that we, foodbloggers, have created/made and want to share with others via her great blog. What an awesome idea, thanks!!!

As I still had two little pots of fish eggs (lump and salmon) left from my Christmas gift (see post), I thought that a dish associating them with pasta would be ideal...

This "Saffron Sauce" is a big hit at my home. It goes ever so well with fish, thus the marriage with the lump eggs could only be good and successful.

Although, I don't particularly like fish eggs (especially salmon eggs, eeeekkk!!!), this recipe was quite to my liking as the taste of the lump eggs was tempered and made more pleasant thanks to the "Saffron Sauce" that added a round, creamy and slightly acid touch that contrasted perfectly well with the particular flavor of the sea (iodide).

I particularly recommend this delicious dish to all the people who, like me, are not very fond of fish eggs, but who can appreciate them only in combination with another ingredients that tend to "hide" a little their unique fishy flavor...

Serves 2-3 people.

Ingredients:
200g Fresh or dry tagliatelle
2 Tbs Unsalted butter
6-8 Tsp Fresh lump eggs
For the sauce:
2 Shallots, finely chopped
1 Tbs Unsalted butter
100ml White wine
1 Tbs Apple vinegar
2 Tsp Mild mustard
1 Cube chicken stock, crumbled
2 Tsp Cornstarch
250ml Heavy cream
A pinch of saffron
Salt, to taste
Pepper, to taste

Method:
1. Place a pan over medium heat and melt the butter, then add the shallots and cook them until translucid.
2. Add the wine, vinegar, mustard and crumbled cube of chicken stock.
3. Stir and let simmer for 5-8 minutes, uncovered.
4. Meanwhile, blend the cream together with the cornstarch.
5. Then, add this mixture to the simmering sauce.
6. Stir and cook until thickened.
7. Add the saffron and let it infuse. Salt and pepper to taste.
8. While the sauce is slowly simmering, fill up a big saucepan with water and bring to the boil.
9. Add the tagliatelle and lower the heat.
10. Cook for about 6 minutes or until the pasta are "al dente".
11. Strain the pasta and return to the pan.
12. Add 2 tablespoons butter and stir well so that the pasta are well coated.
13. Place the tagliatelle on a plate, then add the sauce and top with 2 teaspoons lump eggs.

Remarks:
If desired, you can add a teaspoon tarragon or basil (fresh or dry) to the sauce.
You can prepare the sauce in advance and just reheat it before serving.
The lump eggs can be replaced by salmon eggs or any other fish egg of your choice. Grated "botarga/poutargue" (see infos) would also be fine...
You could use other pasta such as "spaghetti", "fettuccine", "bucatini", "linguini" or green (spinach), red (tomato), black (squid ink) pasta....

Serving suggestions:
Eat this dish alone or accompanied by an arugula salad (see recipe link) and a good bottle of Chardonnay, Sauvignon or dry Champagne.