When the temperatures drops to -23 celsius degrees, I can’t think of anything better than a lobster lunch al fresco style… and that’s exactly what my friend and I did on a sunny day at our countryside. The amazing sunlight hit directly on our terrace and we bundled up in our fur, dabbed on some red lipstick and dropped a bottle of bubbly into the snow before the feasting begun!

It was breathtaking, the intense winter sunlight was low, full of flare as it shimmered through the pine trees and reflected off the crystalized lake. Every breath was greeted with a dainty fog that evaporated into the cold air and the crystal glasses were coated with a light layer of frost. I cuddled into a blush coloured oversized knit, put on my favourite ruffle dress (with layers of thermal pants underneath of course), stepped into my uggs and through on my mink. In true nordic style, I skipped on makeup, let my hair run straight and painted on some ruby-red lips for our luxurious lunch. We sat on reindeer and sheep skin and watched the beauty of the countryside amaze us as we sipped on our ice cold drinks. Every now and then a faint gush of wind caused piles of snow to drop from trees and a few ravens circled the blue sky and we enjoyed one blini at a time, a slow divine day.

These turmeric blinis (or mini pancakes) are really easy to make and showcase a great appetizer or canapé in any given occasion. I thought the classic combination of smoked salmon and cream cheese with a bit of seaweed roe on top always works with lobster and a spinach garlic infusion for some freshness.

How to make turmeric blinis

• 1 1/2 cups flour
• 2 tablespoons ground turmeric
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 2 eggs
• pinch of salt
• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 1 cup milk

Mix everything together until it forms a thick batter. Cook “tablespoons” of batter on a non-stick pan over medium heat until the surface starts to bubble. Flip over and voilá, little blinis are formed! Let them cool before adding the toppings. I made two types of toppings to suit our lobster dish.

Smoked salmon filling

• smoked salmon
• cream cheese
• parsley
• seaweed caviar (fish roe will do as well)

On top of a blini, add some cream cheese, a slice of smoked salmon, a spoonsful of seaweed caviar and chopped parsley. Add ground black pepper on top.

Spinach garlic puree

• 2 handful of baby spinach
• 1 large grated garlic clove
• 100g greek yogurt
• pinch of salt/pepper
• 1 avocado

Blend into a smooth puree with a handheld blender. And place a dollop onto a blini. Add some rich feta, a spinach leaf and more seaweed caviar. Add ground black pepper on top

 

Sage Garlic Green beans

In a medium heated pan, add a generous amount of butter, about 5 sage leaves and some grated garlic ( a few cloves will do). Give it a good stir and add the green beans. Let it cook for about 7 minutes until they are just aldente. Add a pinch of salt and white pepper and sprinkle with roasted nuts.

Serve the lobster on top of the green beans with a generous scoop of aioli sauce.