Favorites from the Thomaston Cafe Kitchen

Chilled Raspberry Soup | Hoppel Poppel Omelette | Maine Crazy Pudding

Haddock Cakes

• 1 onion, cut in 1/4 inch, dice
  (about 1 cup)
• 1 celery rib, cut in 1/4 inch, dice
• 1/2 stick (1/4 cup) unsalted butter
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1 pound haddock or other firm
  white fish fillet
• 2 1/2 to 3 cups coarse fresh bread crumbs
• 2 large eggs, beaten lightly
• 1 Tablespoon Dijon Mustard
• 1 Tablespoon chopped fresh dill or 1 1/2 teaspoon dried
• 1 Tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon freshly grated lemon zest
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, or to taste
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground white pepper or to taste
• Vegetable oil for cooking fish cakes
• lemon wedges

In a large heavy skillet, cook onion and celery in butter over moderate heat, covered, stirring occasionally, until onion is softened. Add cream and fish and simmer covered until fish is just cooked through. Remove skillet from heat and cool mixture slightly. With a fork flake fish and transfer mixture to a large bowl.

In a bowl, combine 2 1/2 cups bread crumbs with all remaining ingredients except oil and add fish to mixture, adding enough remaining bread crumbs until firm enough to shape but still moist.

Chill fish mixture, covered, for at least one hour or as long as overnight.

Form 1/2 cup measures of fish mixture into round cakes and put on a baking sheet lined with wax paper.Brush a griddle or well-seasoned cast iron skillet with oil and heat over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking. Cook fish cakes in batches, 2 minutes on each side or until golden. Serve fish cakes warm with lemon wedges.

Makes 8 fish cakes.

Chilled Raspberry Soup

"A wonderful refresher
on a hot summer day!"

• 1 pint fresh or frozen raspberries
• 1 lb. fresh peaches, destoned and skinless or frozen
• 1 pint orange juice, preferably fresh
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• A pinch of ground cinnamon

Put all ingredients into a blender or food processor, except orange juice. Start pureeing by adding the orange juice gradually until the fruit is liquified. Serve in chilled glasses or bowls with a dab of sour cream and sprig of fresh mint, if possible.

Serves four.

Hoppel Poppel Omelette:
A Farmer's Omelette

When the refrigerator is full of leftovers, pieces of ham, bacon, vegetables and potatoes, it is time to make this simple and fulfilling breakfast/brunch dish.

In a frying pan, sautee about a tablespoon of chopped onions: add a quarter cup of diced cooked potatoes, a slice or two of cooked and broken-up bacon, a slice of chopped ham, green and red peppers, and any vegetable you like (total volume of vegetables not to exceed 1/2 cup). When vegetable mixture is hot, add 3 beaten eggs to it, stirring the mixture rapidly over hot heat until the eggs start to congeal. Add a little salt, pepper, basil and rosemary and put the pan into a hot (375 F) oven for about 5 minutes. Remove carefully from oven and slide the flat omelette onto a hot platter.

Serves one big appetite or two smaller ones.

Maine Crazy Pudding

Cream together:

• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 4 tablespoons butter, unsalted

Add:

• 1 teaspoon salt
  (omit if using salted butter)
• 1 cup milk
• 2 cups flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1 cup raisins (or other dried fruit)

Beat together well, put into a lightly buttered 9 by 11 baking pan.

Top with sauce.
Mix together:

• 2 cups brown sugar
• 4 tablespoons butter
• 4 cups boiling water
• 1/4 cup lemon juice (or orange juice)

Pour over the batter and bake in a moderate to hot oven (375 F) for one hour. Pudding should be soft.  Serve with fresh whipped cream.

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