Brown Sugar Cod Salad

Finally we can throw our soup bowls and duvet in the back of the cupboards, and make the most of whats left of the summer. What I'd do for a duel passport so I can chase the sun.
My latest salad use's the best of summer produce and delicate cod baked in brown sugar with fragrant flavours. Virtually fat free and completely satisfying.
Also I must once again thank Etienne for his fresh batch of wonderful and colourful photo's,

1kg cod fillet
4 tablespoons muscovado sugar
1 teaspoon sea salt
50ml fish sauce
1 long red chilli
2 cloves garlic
1 bunch coriander
2 limes
2 large aubergine
4 nectarines
2 baby gem lettuce
50ml extra virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper for seasoning

Method:
Remove the tops of aubergine and slice in half lengthways, then cut each half into 8 wedges and lay over baking tray, season with salt and pepper. Drizzle olive oil over aubergine and bake in oven set at 180oC for 30 minutes.
Place cod fillet on a baking tray and sprinkle with sugar, salt and pour over fish sauce. Peel garlic and roughly chop with chilli, finely slice the roots of coriander and scatter over fish with chilli and garlic. Cut limes into quarters and squeeze out the juice over fish, cover tray in foil and place in oven pre-heated to 180oC for 15 minutes.
Cut the base of the gem lettuce and separate the leaves and wash then pat dry with paper towels. Slice nectarine's in half and remove the stone, slice each half into 4 wedges.
To construct the salad you can either make 4-6 individual portions or one large platter. First place a wedge's of aubergine and nectarine in lettuce leafs and lay out over serving plate. Gently flake fish over salad and dress with fish cooking juice's, lastly garnish with coriander.

Iced Cascara (or Kaffeine's RedBull)

Cascara is a dried berry shell from coffee beans and currently a raging novelty in most serious coffee house's. I say novelty now but I'm pretty sure it will grow to be as popular as dare I say TEA! Usually served in teapots and left to brew for several minutes in hot water, much the same as tea but more potent in caffeine.
James the lead barista at Kaffeine asked me to come up with some sort of cascara based drink he could serve chilled during London's warmer months. I instantly thought cola or red bull but with less tooth decaying ingredients. We sampled 2 different cascara from El Salvador and settle on a variety that had a slight smoky and lingering fieriness to it but ultimately cooling thanks to the watermelon, lime and mint in the syrup. Best served with loads of ice and sparkling water on a stifling hot day to pick one's self up.       
60g cascara
1 watermelon
2 bramley apples
4 limes
750ml apple juice
1/2 bunch mint
3 cardamon pods
2 dried red chillies
125g sugar
Sparkling water to serve

METHOD:
Cut watermelon in half, remove the rind and discard, slice melon into 5cm cubes and put in large heavy based pot. Cut apples and limes into quarters and add to pot along with cascara, apple juice, mint, cardamon and dried chillies. Place pot over a medium heat and cook for 2 hours stirring once and a while to prevent sticking.
Place a large fine strainer (if your stainer isn't fine line with muslin cloth) over bowl and pour in cascara liquid, with the back of a large spoon press down on the sediment squeezing out any excess liquid. Put the cascara syrup back in a clean pot and add sugar, place pot over medium heat and cook for 20 minutes. Leave syrup to cool at room temperature then move into a 1ltr bottle and store in fridge.
To make a drink fill glass with ice cubes and pour in 50ml of syrup (around 3 tablespoons), add 250ml of sparkling water and stir.

Lime Friands

A french almond based cake, usually quite dense however my technique is slightly different and I use flaked almonds and ground them in a food processor just before making the batter. This makes for a moist and lighter end result. I find the pre-ground almonds at supermarkets are too finely ground and dries out.
Also this mixture will make around 24 friands and the batter will keep in the fridge for up to 5 days.

600g flaked almonds
300g caster sugar
250g good quality salted butter
10 egg whites
100ml buttermilk
2 limes
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

ICING:
300g cream cheese
2 limes
150g sugar

METHOD:
First melt butter then leave to cool at room temperature. Place flaked almonds in a food processor and blend for around 2 minutes till finely ground, put almonds in a large mixing bowl. Add to the bowl sugar, baking powder, soda and cinnamon and stir together till evenly combined.
Zest limes and add zest to the dry, in a separate bowl juice limes and add buttermilk, egg whites and vanilla and beat together. Pour wet mixture into the dry and add melted butter and stir together till evenly incorporated.
Grease your friand pan with butter or oil spray and spoon in friand mixture till 3/4 full and place in pre-heated oven set at 180oC cook for 25minutes.
To make icing zest limes using a zester and keep skin peeling to one side for later. Juice limes into a small sauce pan and add sugar then place over a high heat and boil for about 5 minutes till you have a syrup and remove from heat. Put the cream cheese in a mixing bowl and  beat till fluffy then slowly pour in 3/4 of the lime syrup while still stirring cream cheese, mix together till evenly combined.
Once friands have cooked and cooled for around 20 minutes turn out from the pan and leave to cool for another 10 minutes. Using 2 tablespoons quenelle cream cheese icing and place on top of each of the friands. Using a teaspoon place a small amount of reserve lime syrup on top of the friands and finally garnish with a few strips of the lime zest.