Simon says it's time for Summer (+recipes)

Simon Gault. Photo / Supplied

Feel like you’ve indulged over Christmas? Simon Gault shares these healthy and delicious recipes, perfect for the summer break

Red King Crab with a Trio of Indian, Smoked Chipotle and Moroccan Buffalo Butters

Photo / Kieran Scott

- Serves 6

100g butter
2.4kg large red king crab legs
3 lemons
Smoked chipotle butter
227g Delitia buffalo butter, melted (available from souschef.co.nz)
50ml Tabasco chipotle pepper sauce (smoked)
1 tsp salt
Indian butter
227g Delitia buffalo butter, melted
2 tbsp Simon Gault Home Cuisine
Indian seasoning
½ tsp salt
Moroccan butter
227g Delitia buffalo butter, melted
2 tbsp Simon Gault Home Cuisine Moroccan seasoning
½ tsp salt

Flavoured butters
Heat each measure of buffalo butter in three separate saucepans until it melts. To the first saucepan, add the smoked chipotle Tabasco sauce and the salt. To the second saucepan, add the Simon Gault Home Cuisine Indian seasoning and salt; and to the third, add the Simon Gault Home Cuisine Moroccan seasoning and salt. Set aside the three saucepans to keep warm for 30 minutes so the flavourings have time to infuse. Pour the flavoured butters into separate warm dishes ready for serving (ramekins are best).

Crab
Melt the butter so it will be ready to brush onto the heated crab legs. There are several ways to heat crab, the best being in a steamer. Place the crab into the steamer for 5 minutes. If you do not have a steamer, cooking in the oven or on the barbeque for a short time are acceptable alternatives. Using a pastry brush, brush the crab legs liberally with the melted butter.

Assembly
Cut the lemons in half, then cut each half into three. Remove the seeds and reserve the wedges in the refrigerator ready for use. Serve the crab with the warm flavoured butters and lemon wedges.

Moroccan-Style Marinated Fish

Photo / Sarah Tuck

- Serves 4

2 tbsp red onion, chopped
500g fresh fish fillets (snapper or terakihi, but other white fish would also work)
1 ½ tsp salt
2 tbsp Simon Gault Home Cuisine Moroccan seasoning
100ml fresh lime juice
200ml pineapple juice
1 medium chilli (optional), finely chopped (include seeds if you like hot)
80ml olive oil
1 avocado, diced
½ cup diced mango, finely sliced into julienne strips
½ cup coriander, coarsely chopped
4 iceberg lettuce leaves
80ml coconut cream

1. Place the onion in ice cold water for 5 minutes to soften the flavour, then drain.

2. Cut the fish fillets into uniform thin slices, no more than half a centimeter thick. Season with salt and Simon Gault Home Cuisine Moroccan seasoning and set aside for 1 minute; this will help the flesh absorb the marinade flavours.

3. Add the drained onion, lime juice, pineapple juice, coconut cream, chilli and olive oil and leave to marinate for 25 minutes. Fold in the avocado, mango and coriander. Divide among the 4 lettuce leaves and serve.

Chilled Cucumber and Curly Kale Soup

Photo / Sarah Tuck

This is a really refreshing cold soup. It's a quick and easy dish that can last in the fridge for a couple of days. Great for that last-minute lunch and to give you that "superfood" boost. You can substitute the curly kale with ¼ of a bunch of coriander if you prefer.
- Serves 6

3 cucumbers, peeled and deseeded
1 spring onion, roughly chopped
1 garlic clove, roughly chopped
3 curly kale leaves, or ¼ bunch
of coriander
2 pinches of cumin
1 ½ tsp salt
¾ cup greek yoghurt
10 drops of jalapeno Tabasco
½ cup of hot water
1 tbsp of Simon Gault Home Cuisine vegetable stock
2 tbsp greek yoghurt, for garnish
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1. Roughly chop the cucumber, spring onion and garlic and place into a blender along with the curly kale (or coriander), cumin, salt, greek yoghurt and jalapeno Tabasco. Mix the hot water and vegetable stock concentrate together and add to the blender. Blend for four minutes or until smooth.

2. Pour into a jug and refrigerate until ready to serve. Divide the soup between bowls and garnish the top with a teaspoon of greek yoghurt and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.

Steamed Coconut Mussels

Photo / Sarah Tuck

- Serves 4

3 spring onions, finely sliced
1 thumb fresh ginger, finely sliced
2 cloves garlic, finely sliced
1-2 small red chillis, finely sliced and seeded (add more or less chilli depending on how hot you'd prefer it)
2 tbsp olive oil
1.5kg live green lip mussels
250ml Simon Gault Home Cuisine fish stock
400ml tin or 1 small tin coconut cream (low fat
if desired)
2 limes
½ cup coriander, roughly chopped

1. Clean mussels, discarding any with cracked or broken shells and set aside.

2. Finely slice the onion, ginger, garlic and chilli and mix together. Place a large flat-base saucepan over a low heat and add the olive oil. Gently cook the onion, ginger, garlic and chilli for 3 minutes.

3. Raise the saucepan to a medium to high heat and add the mussels and Simon Gault Home Cuisine fish stock. Cover the saucepan with a lid and cook for 6 minutes or until the shells have opened.

4. Remove mussels from the heat, discard any that do not open during cooking and remove the tongues and beards. To debeard your mussels, pull the threads down towards the pointy end of the shell, discarding the brown foot and any muscle attached to the shell. Place in large serving bowl to keep warm.

5. Add coconut cream to pan and cook until it has reduced by half. This should take about 10 minutes over a medium heat. Squeeze in one of the limes. Place the debearded mussel meat back into their shells and pour the sauce over the cooked mussels.

6. Sprinkle mussels with chopped coriander and serve with a green salad, a wedge of lime and plenty of crusty bread to mop up the juices.

Simon's Bloody Mary

Photo / Sarah Tuck

- Serves 3

500ml McCoy tomato juice
2 tbsp Simon Gault Home Cuisine
Indian seasoning
30ml Lea & Perrins sauce
5ml Tabasco hot sauce
5ml fresh lemon juice
1 tsp Horseradish sauce (Royalty horseradish cream)
30ml port (optional)

Whisk all the ingredients together and then combine 150ml of the tomato juice mixture with one shot of vodka and ice. Add mixture to a cocktail maker and shake well. Serve with ice and garnish with a stick of celery.

Chicken Salad with Sugar Snap Pesto

Photo / Sarah Tuck

- Serves 4

Chicken
4 chicken thighs, skin off
4 tbsp Simon Gault Home Cuisine
Italian seasoning
1 tbsp vegetable oil

Season chicken thighs with Simon Gault Home Cuisine Italian seasoning. Heat a frypan, add vegetable oil and chicken thighs and cook for 5 minutes each side or until the chicken is cooked through. Once cooked, remove from the heat. Slice and set aside.

Sugar snap pesto
Makes 3 cups
1½ cups peanuts
1 red chilli
2 medium garlic cloves
125 ml or juice of 8 limes (to taste)
1 cup peanut oil
60ml fish sauce
50g coriander
1 packet sugar snaps
60ml almond milk

Add all ingredients to a blender and blend until smooth. Pour into a glass jug to serve. Refrigerate the pesto for future use.

To assemble
4 baby lettuces, leafed and loosely torn
36 sugar snaps, just blanched and warm
24 sundried tomatoes
½ cup pine nuts, toasted

In a large bowl add baby lettuce leaves, sliced Italian seasoned chicken, blanched sugar snaps, sundried tomatoes and pine nuts. Pour the sugar snap pesto over the salad, toss and serve.

• simongault.com