PETITE AND OH-SO-PRETTY, THESE GIN & LIME CAKES ARE THE PERFECT FINAL FLOURISH FOR A GATHERING THAT'S FILLED WITH LOVE AND GRATITUDE

SMOKED TROUT & PEA QUICHE Serves 4-6

350g whole hot smoked trout 2 tbsp olive oil

2 small leeks, white part only,

thinly sliced

2 cloves garlic, crushed 5 eggs

300ml pure cream

1 tbsp Dijon mustard

12 sheets filo pastry

85g butter, melted

½ cup grated vintage cheddar 2 tbsp dill tips

1. Peel and discard head from trout. Remove flesh from the bones and flake into large pieces. You should have about 200g meat. Set aside.

2. Heat oil in a medium, non-stick frying pan over medium heat. Add leek and garlic and cook, stirring, for 5 minutes, or until soft. Remove pan from the heat.

3. Whisk together eggs, cream and mustard until combined. Season.

4. Grease a 25cm x 3½cm deep, fluted flan tin with removable base. Place tin on an oven tray. Take 6 sheets of filo and layer atop one another, brushing each sheet with butter as you go. Line tin with layered sheets, pressing into edges with a folded double thickness of pastry. Allow long end of filo to overhang sides.

5. Cover with plastic wrap to prevent filo from drying out. Repeat with remaining 6 sheets and butter, and place in tin in the opposite direction. Spread leek mixture over the base of the pastry. Arrange trout on top. Sprinkle with cheese and 1 tablespoon dill.

6. Pour over egg mixture. Sprinkle with peas and remaining dill. Season. Bake at 180°C for about 55 minutes to 1 hour, or until set in the middle. Lay a sheet of foil over the top of quiche after 40 minutes to prevent filo from overbrowning.

7. Cool for 20 minutes before removing from tin. Serve warm or at room temperature.

FENNEL, APPLE & CUCUMBER SALAD WITH ESCHALOT DRESSING

Serves 4-6

2 small bulbs fennel ¼ cup small mint leaves 1 Granny Smith apple 2 small red apples 1 large cucumber

Eschalot Dressing

2 tbsp white wine vinegar

1 tbsp lemon juice

¼ cup olive oil

2 tsp caster sugar

1 tsp dry pink peppercorns,

lightly crushed

2 tsp baby capers in vinegar ½ tsp Himalayan salt flakes 2 small eschalots or 1 small red

1. To make the dressing, combine vinegar, juice, oil, sugar, peppercorns, capers and salt in a small bowl. Add eschalot or onion and stir to combine. Set aside whilst preparing salad.

2. Trim the ends and outer coarse leaves of fennel. Cut bulbs in half lengthways. Thinly slice fennel halves with a vegetable peeler or mandolin. Place in a bowl of iced water with mint leaves for 15 minutes.

3. Use an apple corer to remove apple cores. Thinly slice apples on a mandolin. Place in iced water with fennel. Thinly slice cucumber on mandolin and place in a large bowl.

4. Drain fennel, mint and apple. Shake off excess water or spin in a salad spinner. Add to bowl with cucumber. Toss and arrange on serving platter. Spoon over dressing to serve.

GIN & LIME CAKES Makes 12

Olive oil cooking spray, for

greasing

80g unsalted butter, at room

temperature

½ cup caster sugar

1 tsp finely grated lime zest 1 egg

1 cup self-raising flour 1/3 cup buttermilk 2 tbsp gin

Edible flowers or grated lime zest

Icing

1¼ cup icing sugar mixture 1 tbsp gin

1-2 tbsp lime juice

1. Preheat oven to 180°C. Grease 12 holes of a mini cheesecake pan (see tip, below) with oil spray. Line bases with small rounds of baking paper. Cut 5cm wide strips of baking paper and line sides.

2. Put butter, sugar and zest in the small bowl of an electric mixer and beat until pale and creamy. Add egg and beat until combined. Sift flour over the top of mixture. Add combined buttermilk and gin and stir until combined and free of lumps.

3. Spoon into holes until three quarters full. Bake cakes for about 20 minutes, or until springy to touch on top and lightly golden. Cool for 15 minutes before inverting and pushing out of pan. Cool on a wire rack over a large tray.

4. To make icing, sift icing sugar into a large bowl. Add gin and 1 tablespoon juice. Mix until combined. Add just enough remaining lime juice until icing has a thick pouring consistency.

5. Place teaspoonfuls of icing on top of each cake and spread to the edges, allowing it to run down the sides. Allow to set completely. Decorate with edible flowers or sprinkle with lime zest.

tip

You can double the mixture and make two batches. Pan must be washed, greased and re-lined for second batch, or make larger cakes in a standard-size muffin pan.