Frances Atkins has created a lovely picnic on a plate you can fix up rain or shine. Homemade relishes and a sticky tomato jam would be perfect for a picnic hamper but also can be served at home with cheese on toast and some fish of your choice, as Frances suggests here. This dish can also be broken into three parts and served separately as there is nothing finer than cheese on toast or fish served with a perfect relish
Method
1.
Start on the lemon and dill relish. In a small bowl, mix the onions and sugar and leave to macerate for 1 hour
2.
Place the lemons in a pan with the water and a small handful of salt and bring to the boil, cook until soft. Remove from the water and allow to cool
3.
Slice 1 of the lemons in half, scoop out the pulp and discard the skin. Push the pulp through a fine sieve to remove any seeds and pith. Thinly slice the other lemon and remove any seeds during the process
4.
Combine the lemon, onions and sugar in a pan and cook over a low heat for 25-30 minutes. Once the mixture has cooled, add the dill and season to taste with salt. Transfer to a suitable container and set aside until ready to serve
5.
For the aubergine relish, add enough olive oil to coat the base of a large pan and place over a medium to high heat. Add the chilli, shallot, red pepper, aubergine, caraway seeds, cumin and white wine vinegar to the pan
6.
Cook for 5 minutes, reduce the heat and slowly simmer until all the ingredients have softened and fully combined. Finish with the zest and juice of 1 lime and season. Set aside the relish until ready to serve
7.
For the tomato jam, blanch the tomatoes for a few seconds in boiling salted water, allow to cool and then remove the skin. Cut the tomatoes into quarters, and remove the core and pulp using a small sharp knife
Blanching tomatoes
Score a cross in the skin of the base of the tomatoes and place them in a bowl, boil a kettle and pour over the hot water. Leave for a few seconds until the skin near the cross starts to curl. Place in cold water, then peel off the skin
8.
Place the skin and the seeds into a pot of water. Bring to the boil and then cook for 10 minutes or until soft. Strain through a fine sieve
9.
Place a small pan over a medium heat and add a dash of olive oil. Add the sugar, grated ginger and balsamic to the pan and cook for 5 minutes. Reduce the heat and continue to cook until the mixture thickens. Season to taste with salt and pepper and set aside until ready to serve
10.
Preheat the grill to a medium-high heat
11.
To grill the fish, season the fillet and place under the grill until the fish flakes easily when pressed with a fork
12.
For the cheese on toast, combine the cheese, egg, cream and mustard in a bowl and mix thoroughly - the mix should be stiff but spreadable. Season with black pepper and then spread over 4 slices of bread and place under the grill until golden brown
13.
To serve, add a quenelle of each condiment onto each plate. Slice the grilled and smoked fish into 4 portions. Place the cheese on toast next to the tomato jam, the smoked fish with the lemon relish and the grilled fish with the aubergine relish. Sprinkle capers over each plate and serve
Quenelling relish
To quenelle, hold a spoon with the rounded bottom up. Place the far edge of the spoon into the relish with the near edge close to the surface but not touching it. Drag the spoon towards you, twisting your wrist up. The relish should curl up with the shape of the spoon and fold into an egg shape
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