From the beginning ....

My first memory of food, or when I became aware of my love of food was at my Grandparents home. My Grandparents live in the most beautiful village on the outskirts of Oxford, England. The village seems to be stuck in the past, it hasn't progressed with technology or the modern world. It is untouched, loved and cherished. My Grandfather keeps an alotment and his kitchen garden. In the garden he grows leeks, apples, rhubarb and strawberries. In his alotment he has berries, beautiful berries.

My Grandmother is a fantastic cook. My favourite dishes of hers are; roasted pork with apple sauce, roasted turkey with bread sauce, Vegetarian lasagne, coffee cake and any variety of crumble she makes. She cooks with love, the love for her family, the love of nourishment and the appreciation she has for food.

My mother told me that she once arrived at my Grandparents to find rabbits hanging in the garage, and my grandmother plucking a dead bird. The image of my grandmother preparing an animal for a dish from scratch is a beautiful one to me. She has tought me appreciation for our accesibility to food, my grandmother grew up in the war and was evacuated to the country. Using her experience in that horrible time, having to live with the bare minimum has made her the amazing cook, and the most amazing woman she is now.

My fathers family love their cheese, and every cheese you could think of. At the end of dinner, after the roast, the pudding, comes the cheese plate. At my cousins wedding last April it was amusing to my fiance and mother to watch my grandparents, my father, my aunt, my sister and I getting into a delicous cheese board. I now think nothing can beat a good blue cheese, a creamy ripe brie or a harsh cheddar. I love going to the David Jones food hall in Sydney and sitting at the cheese bar, a plate of cheese, some good bread and muscatels is my food heaven. Unlike other girls my age I can't get too excited about drinking, going out and dancing. I would so much rather have a good meal with just a glass of water to simply appreciate what is going on on the plate, on my palate and my feelings to what I am trying.

I have been brought up as a traditional British girl and I love nothing more than a good roast dinner. Yet in my family, roast dinners come in different forms as my parents are vegetarians (that eat fish). A staple at my grandmother's Sunday table would be Salmon en croute.

Salmon en croute is the most beautiful, simple dish with a fancy name. Made with good quality, fresh fish, this is a winner. We'd eat this most Sundays and it would definately be on our Easter and Christmas table. With Easter coming up, and my plans already in motion for a beautiful whole Salmon en croute, I would love to share the recipe with you. Please do not be upset in my use of bought puff pastry, I have made puff pastry from scratch and believe me, its not worth it when you can by just as good made for you.

Whole Salmon en croute

1 whole Salmon
4 sheets of puff pastry, thawed
1/2 bunch of freshly chopped curly parsley
75g butter
75g plain flour
300ml milk
salt and pepper

I like to get my whole fish from the local fish market, but you should be able to request a whole fish or whole fillets from the supermarket. If you are using a whole fish take both fillets off the bones by removing the head of the fish. Now put your knife above the spine and with gentle sawing motions run your knife along the backbone down to the tail end, as close as you can to the bone to remove one half. Once removed turn the fish over and repeat on the other side. Once stripped discard the bones and continue to de-bone the fillets with tweezers to create a smooth, bone free fillet. Remove the skin on each fillet by placing your knife between the flesh and skin and using the same gently sawing motion close to the skin, remove the fleshy fillet. Place both fillets in the fridge whilst you prepare the filling.

In a sauce pan, melt the butter and add the flour, stir to create a roux (paste). Now continue to add the milk in small amounts whilst continuously stirring. I like to use a whisk to quickly rid the sauce of any floury lumps. Stir the sauce till it has boiled and thickened. Now add seasoning and the parsley, leave to cool.

Take the fish and spread the cool parsley sauce onto one fillet, place the other on top. Lay out 2 sheets of pastry, slightly over lapping and place the salmon sandwich on top, place the other pastry sheets on top and seal all the sides with a little milk. Make sure the parcel is closed completly with little trapped air to avoid any bursts in the oven. Coat the parsel with milk and bake at 180 degrees centigrade for 30 minutes, until the pastry has become golden and crisp.

Serve carved at the table with freshly steamed and buttered vegetables and this will go down a real treat!

My Grandmother is my everything, I love her so dearly, as I do my Grandfather. This couple were made for each other and resemble everything that is good in the world to me. I hope that I become the strong, loving and caring women she is when I grow older and always remeber her in my cooking.