How to make rocket-and-pea panna cottas with sesame salmon

Our kitchen garden cook Melanie Johnson makes panna cottas with rocket.

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Rocket is the perfect addition to countless dishes, giving a deliciously peppery and fresh flavour.

Rocket-and-pea panna cottas with sesame salmon and pickled cucumber

Serves 4

Ingredients

  • 100ml single cream
  • 200ml double cream
  • 85g frozen peas
  • 10g rocket
  • 2tbspn chopped chives
  • 3 sheets of gelatine
  • 1 cucumber
  • 200ml white-wine vinegar
  • 3tbspn caster sugar
  • 2 salmon fillets
  • 2tbspn sesame seeds

To serve

  • A handful of rocket leaves
  • A couple of spoonfuls of cooked peas (blanched in boiling water)
  • Lemon wedges
  • Toast

More ways with rocket

Spaghetti with rocket-and-basil pesto

To make the pesto, process the following ingredients to a coarse paste: 1 clove of garlic, a pinch of salt, 25g of pine nuts, 30g of wild rocket, 20g of basil, 35g of Parmesan, the juice of 1 lemon and 125ml of olive oil. Cook pasta as per packet instructions and then stir the pesto through the spaghetti, along with fresh rocket leaves and a little crème fraîche. You can also fold in halved cherry tomatoes, with extra Parmesan and lemon juice on top.

Warm Italian salad (serves 4)

Cut 2 peeled red onions into quarters and fry with a splash of olive oil. Once softened, set aside. Cut 4 rashers of bacon into lardons and fry until crispy. Return the onions to the pan and warm through. Divide 2 sliced avocados between 4 plates, scatter with rocket leaves and spoon the bacon and onions over them. Drizzle each plate with olive oil and balsamic and top with grated Parmesan. Serve with toasted sourdough.

Chicken-and-rocket flatbreads

Top your favourite flatbreads with a handful of rocket, toasted pine nuts, a couple of sundried tomatoes, slices of cooked chicken, a dollop of rocket pesto (recipe above), a spoonful of Greek yoghurt and a scattering of chilli flakes. Roll up and serve immediately.



Melanie Johnson
Melanie Johnson is a food writer, photographer and stylist
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