FISH & SHELLFISH
When it comes to everyday cooking, fish is your friend. In a few minutes, you can create something really fantastic, which looks and tastes far more impressive than the amount of effort you need to put in.
It’s all about learning to understand your key ingredients and bringing out their special qualities. Meaty king prawns, with their robust texture and slightly sweet flesh, can take strong flavours. Try the spicy king prawns with guacamole and salsa and you’ll see what I mean – the prawns are brilliant with the zesty salsa, crunchy iceberg and creamy avocado. It’s all about creating great contrasts.
With more subtle-tasting and delicately textured fish, you need a lighter touch – look to introduce harmonious flavourings that make the dish shine. This is where you can go to town with citrus, some of the softer herbs and lovely veg like fennel. Try rainbow trout with pine nut dressing or pollack with orange and dill; both of these show how to achieve a great balance of flavours.
If it’s a speedy dish you’re after, you can’t do better than spaghetti with clam sauce or Portuguese mussel stew. I guarantee you’ll have a brilliant meal on the table faster than you could get a takeaway. Both dishes are easy enough for a weeknight supper, but good enough to dish up for a special weekend dinner too.
Then, just for fun, I’ve included crayfish ‘popcorn’. Crispy, crunchy and moreish, you can serve these as a starter, snack or meal on their own with some salad and a nice bowl of mayonnaise or Marie Rose sauce – a guaranteed crowd pleaser, that one.
I know some people fret about cooking fish and shellfish, but I do hope you’ll have a go at these recipes. The secret is not to worry too much – just relax and enjoy yourself. The most important thing is to keep a close eye on it during cooking, to avoid overdoing it. All fish and seafood keep cooking and firming up a bit after you’ve plated them so you need to allow for this. Once you’ve cracked that, there’s nothing holding you back.
Spicy King Prawns with Guacamole & Salsa >
SPICY KING PRAWNS WITH GUACAMOLE & SALSA
I love this combination of zesty, spicy salsa and big, meaty king prawns. The avocado offers a soft and creamy respite from the heat of the chilli, and crisp, cool iceberg lettuce adds texture. Fold it all up in a flour tortilla or wrap and get stuck in.
SERVES 4
600g peeled raw king prawns, deveined
Vegetable oil, for frying
For the salsa
150ml red wine vinegar
50g caster sugar
300ml passata
1 red onion, halved
4–5 spring onions, trimmed
½ cucumber
Finely grated zest and juice of 3 unwaxed limes
½ bunch each of coriander and mint, chopped
3 garlic cloves, finely grated
2 red chillies, finely diced
2 tbsp chopped salted anchovies
For the guacamole
2 ripe avocados
2 plum tomatoes
3 tbsp lemon juice
2 tbsp chopped coriander
2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tbsp soured cream
To serve
8 flour tortillas
A handful of shredded iceberg lettuce
1 red chilli, sliced into rings
First cook the prawns. Warm a deep sauté pan over a high heat and add a glug of oil. Drop the prawns into the pan and sauté quickly for 1–2 minutes on each side, ensuring they are seared all over, bright pink and cooked through. With a slotted spoon, remove to a plate. Put to one side.
Return the pan to the heat, add the wine vinegar and sugar, and stir to dissolve the sugar. Let bubble for a few minutes until reduced to a glaze. Pour in the passata, bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer gently for about 10 minutes until reduced by a third. Remove from the heat and let cool.
Finely slice the red and spring onions and place in a large bowl. Halve the cucumber lengthways, deseed and dice, then add to the bowl with the lime zest and juice, coriander, mint, garlic, chillies (including the seeds if you like the heat) and anchovies. Stir in the passata mix, check the seasoning and add some salt and pepper if necessary. Set the salsa aside.
To make the guacamole, halve and stone the avocados and scoop the flesh from the skins into a large bowl. Skin, deseed and dice the tomatoes (see Crispy Cheesy Tostadas) and add to the bowl. Add the lemon juice, coriander, Worcestershire sauce and soured cream. Mash together with a fork until fairly smooth and creamy, but still retaining some texture. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Arrange the tortillas on a flat surface and spread evenly with the guacamole. Spoon on the salsa and cover with the shredded lettuce. Scatter over the sliced chilli, arrange the prawns on top and fold up tightly to create delicious wraps. Enjoy immediately!
CRAYFISH ‘POPCORN’
American signal crayfish are now the most common crayfish in British waters. They’re easy to get hold of fresh, or you can buy the prepared tail meat from your fishmonger or supermarket. The cornmeal coating batter I’ve used here gives them great crunch. These crayfish ‘popcorn’ are ideal party food with some mayonnaise to dip them into, or you can serve them as a seafood cocktail starter dressed in Marie Rose sauce.
SERVES 8
500g crayfish tail meat, cleaned
Vegetable oil, for deep-frying
Plain flour, for dusting
For the batter
200g fine cornmeal
100g tapioca flour
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 tsp cayenne pepper
½ tsp bicarbonate of soda
330ml sparkling water, ice cold
To serve
A pinch of smoked paprika
A pinch of sea salt
1 unwaxed pink grapefruit, for zesting
Some good mayonnaise or lime and paprika mayo, for dipping
Pat the crayfish tails dry with kitchen paper and set aside.
Heat about a 12cm depth of oil in a deep-fat fryer to 180°C. Or use a large, deep pan, making sure it is no more than a third full as the oil will bubble up ferociously when you add the crayfish. Use a frying thermometer to check the temperature, if you have one; otherwise drop a cube of dry white bread into the hot oil to test it – if the bread turns golden brown in just under a minute, the oil is up to temperature. Keep a close eye on it and never leave the pan unattended, even for a minute.
While the oil is heating, make the batter. In a large bowl, mix together the cornmeal, tapioca flour, garlic power, black pepper, cayenne pepper and bicarbonate of soda. Whisk in the sparkling water to form a smooth, loose batter.
Dust the crayfish in flour to coat evenly, but shake off any excess. You will need to fry them in batches. Don’t overcrowd the pan, and allow the oil to come back up to temperature between batches. Dip the crayfish into the batter to coat, then lower them into the hot oil and deep-fry for 2–3 minutes until golden brown and crisp.
Carefully remove the crayfish ‘popcorn’ from the oil using a slotted spoon and drain on a tray lined with kitchen paper. Repeat with the remaining crayfish.
Pile the crayfish ‘popcorn’ up high in a bowl and season with a pinch of smoked paprika and a little salt to taste. Finely grate some of the grapefruit zest on top of the popcorn, being careful to avoid adding any of the white pith. Serve immediately, with some mayonnaise to dip them into.
Queen Scallops with Lime & Paprika Mayo >
QUEEN SCALLOPS WITH LIME & PAPRIKA MAYO
These beautiful little scallops are a smaller species than the king scallops you would typically be served in a restaurant, and they have a sweeter flavour. If you have trouble finding them, this recipe works with regular scallops too – in this case, allow 3–5 per person. Always buy fresh scallops in the shell, not frozen ones, and ask the fishmonger to clean them for you, keeping the coral on.
SERVES 4
30–40 queen scallops, cleaned and trimmed but with the coral still on
150g plain flour
50g tapioca flour
1 tbsp smoked paprika
A pinch of salt
Vegetable oil, for frying
100g butter, diced
Juice of 1–2 lemons
For the lime & paprika mayo
3 egg yolks
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
1 tbsp white wine vinegar
Finely grated zest and juice of 2 unwaxed limes
2 tsp smoked paprika
1 tsp salt
500ml vegetable oil
Freshly ground black or white pepper (optional)
To serve
1 unwaxed lime, for zesting
Lime wedges
First prepare the mayo. Put the egg yolks, mustard, wine vinegar, lime zest and juice, smoked paprika and salt into a small food processor and pulse to blend. With the motor still running, add the oil, a drip at a time at first and then more quickly once you’ve added about half the oil. It will emulsify and thicken. Taste and adjust the seasoning, then pass through a sieve into a bowl. Cover and refrigerate until needed.
To prepare the scallops, mix together the flours, smoked paprika and salt in a bowl. Pat the scallops dry with kitchen paper and drop them into the flour mixture. Toss to coat evenly, shaking off any excess.
Warm a glug of oil in a medium-large, non-stick frying pan over a high heat. You may need to fry the scallops in batches, to avoid overcrowding the pan. Cook for just 30–60 seconds on each side before flipping them over. (If using king scallops, fry for 1–2 minutes per side.)
Towards the end of cooking, add the butter to the pan, allow to foam and turn nutty brown and use to baste the scallops as they finish cooking. Squeeze a little lemon juice over the scallops and remove them from the pan.
Serve the scallops immediately, with a sprinkling of lime zest, the lime and paprika mayo and lime wedges.
You’ll have more mayonnaise than you need. Keep the rest in a sealed jar in the fridge for up to 5 days, to eat with prawns, crayfish ‘popcorn’ or crab cakes.
CRAB CAKES
Crab cakes are the ultimate fish cake. It’s important to use the finest fresh crab you can find – the fresher the meat, the sweeter it will taste. If you have time, cook your own crab and pick the meat yourself as this is the best way to ensure the biggest flakes possible.
MAKES 8
1 red pepper, cored, deseeded and finely diced
1 small onion, finely chopped
4 spring onions, finely sliced
2 garlic cloves, finely grated
½ bunch of parsley, tough stems removed, leaves chopped
Finely grated zest of 1 unwaxed lemon
2 tbsp Dijon mustard
2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
½ tsp Tabasco sauce
1–2 tsp salt
1 tsp cayenne pepper
1 egg, plus 1 extra egg white, lightly beaten together
500g white crabmeat, freshly picked over
200g fresh breadcrumbs
Plain flour, for dusting
Vegetable oil and butter, for cooking
Juice of ½ lemon
To serve
Mayonnaise, or lime and paprika mayo
To make the crab cakes, put the red pepper, onion, spring onions, garlic, parsley, lemon zest, all of the seasonings and the beaten egg into a large bowl. Mix together with your hands to ensure all the ingredients are evenly combined.
Gently fold in the crabmeat and 75g of the breadcrumbs. Stir through carefully, just to combine. You don’t want to mash the delicate crab flesh. Cover and chill in the fridge for 30 minutes to firm up – this will make it easier to form the mixture into crab cakes later.
Divide the crab mixture into 8 equal portions then, using lightly floured hands, shape and mould into patties. Transfer the crab cakes to a tray, cover with cling film and chill in the fridge for at least an hour.
When you’re ready to cook the crab cakes, sprinkle the remaining breadcrumbs onto a flat tray or plate. Carefully roll each crab cake in the crumbs on both sides to coat evenly. Gently shake off any excess breadcrumbs.
Heat a generous glug of oil in a large, non-stick frying pan over a medium-high heat. You may need to fry the crab cakes in a couple of batches, to avoid overcrowding the pan. Cook the cakes in the pan for 3–4 minutes on each side until they are golden brown, cooked through and deliciously crisp.
Towards the end of cooking, add a generous knob of butter to the pan and melt until foaming and a rich golden brown. Squeeze in the lemon juice and baste the crab cakes by spooning over the nutty butter and juices.
Transfer to a warmed plate and serve with plenty of mayonnaise and a crisp green salad.
PORTUGUESE MUSSEL STEW
This is a lovely, vibrant and colourful dish, with great texture and flavour. The bigger mussels you can find the better! They’re so quick and easy to prepare and are great for soaking up the flavours of everything else they’re cooked with. Here, the chorizo’s fat and spices are a great seasoning for the sweet and milky mussel meat.
SERVES 4
2kg fresh mussels in their shells
8 tomatoes
4 tbsp olive oil
300g cooking chorizo, thickly sliced
1 onion, diced
4 garlic cloves, finely grated
1 green pepper, cored, deseeded and diced
2 green chillies, chopped (seeds and all)
3 tbsp plain flour
450ml white wine
A bunch of flat-leaf parsley, tough stems removed, leaves finely chopped
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
First clean the mussels. Discard any with broken shells or any that don’t snap shut when you tap them firmly. Pull off the beards and scrape off any large barnacles on the shells, using the back of a knife. Rinse the mussels under cold running water to remove any dirt or grit. Refrigerate until ready to cook.
Skin, deseed and dice the tomatoes (see Crispy Cheesy Tostadas); set aside until needed.
Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan over a medium-low heat. Add the chorizo and sweat gently for a few minutes, stirring frequently, until the chorizo has released some of its tasty red oil. Add the onion and garlic and continue to cook gently for a further 4–5 minutes to soften. Throw in the diced pepper and chillies and sauté for a few more minutes.
Sprinkle the flour into the pan and cook gently for a couple of minutes, stirring all the time, to cook out the flour.
Pour in the white wine and cook for a few minutes longer, stirring from time to time, until the mixture has thickened. Throw the cleaned mussels into the pot, cover with a tight-fitting lid and allow the mussels to steam for 8–10 minutes over a medium heat until all of the shells have opened and they’re cooked through. Discard any mussels that remain shut.
Stir in the diced tomatoes and chopped parsley. Check the seasoning and add some salt and pepper if necessary.
Ladle the mussel stew into warm serving bowls, making sure that everyone has an even helping of both mussels and chorizo. Serve with some lovely crusty bread to soak up all the delicious juices.
CLAM CHOWDER
This rich and soothing soup is usually associated with New England, but it sits very easily on these shores too. Simple to make and with layers of big flavour, this recipe gives you a lot back for the small amount of work you need to put in. Feel free to swap the clams for mussels if you prefer. I like to garnish the chowder with a handful of good pork scratchings, for a bit of added texture and taste.
SERVES 4–6
2kg fresh clams in their shells
400ml water
250g lardons or diced bacon
1 large onion, diced
100g butter, chilled and diced
30g plain flour
750ml whole milk, warmed (but not boiling)
2 medium potatoes, peeled and diced (about 300g prepared weight)
6 tbsp chopped flat-leaf parsley leaves
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
To serve
100g pork scratchings, bashed up
First, clean the clams carefully. Discard any with broken shells, or any that are open and don’t snap shut when you tap them. Wash the clams in a colander or bowl under cold running water to remove any dirt and grit. This may take a while – you need to run the water long enough to clean them properly.
Heat a large saucepan over a high heat. Add the clams, pour on the 400ml water and quickly cover with a tight-fitting lid. Cook for 5–8 minutes, until all of the clams have opened up. Meanwhile, line a large colander with a clean tea towel or a piece of muslin and set it over a large bowl or jug.
Once the clams have opened, remove the pan from the heat. Drain the clams in the muslin-lined colander and reserve the cooking liquor to use later.
Once cool enough to handle, pick the clams from the shells, discarding any that remain shut as they are unsafe to eat. Discard the empty clam shells too. Roughly chop the clam meat and set aside.
Warm a large saucepan over a low heat and add the lardons or bacon. Slowly render the fat and cook for about 10 minutes until the lardons crisp up and turn golden brown. Use a slotted spoon to remove them from the pan and set aside.
Add the onion to the rendered fat in the pan and cook gently, stirring from time to time, for about 10 minutes, until softened. Drop 30g of the butter into the pan and allow it to melt, then sprinkle on the flour. Stir over the heat for a couple of minutes to cook out the raw flour taste, then gradually stir in the reserved cooking liquid and warmed milk. Simmer for a few minutes until thickened slightly.
Add the diced potatoes to the pan and simmer gently for a further 10 minutes until they are almost tender. Stir in the lardons and chopped clams. Cook very gently over a low heat for 5 minutes, making sure you don’t let it boil (or the milk will curdle the chowder).
Gradually stir in the remaining cubes of diced butter – this will thicken and enrich the chowder. Season with salt and pepper to taste and stir through most of the chopped parsley.
Ladle the chowder into warmed bowls and serve sprinkled with the crushed pork scratchings and remaining parsley.
SPAGHETTI WITH CLAM SAUCE
This is my version of that Italian classic, spaghetti vongole. Originally a Venetian peasant dish, it’s now almost as famous as spaghetti bolognaise. I shell the clams to make more of a sauce rather than tossing them through the pasta – it’s a bit more work to prepare, but it’s way easier to eat!
SERVES 6
2kg fresh clams in their shells
350ml white wine
1 dried chilli
100ml olive oil
75g butter
4 banana shallots, finely diced
6 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
2 tsp dried chilli flakes (or more if you fancy)
600g dried spaghetti
3–4 tbsp chopped flat-leaf parsley leaves
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
First, clean the clams (see Clam Chowder). Warm a deep saucepan over a high heat. Add the clams along with the wine and whole dried chilli and immediately cover with a tight-fitting lid. Steam for 5–8 minutes, until the clams have all opened up. Drain the clams in a muslin-lined colander over a bowl or jug (see Clam Chowder) and reserve the cooking liquor to use later.
Once the clams are cool enough to handle, pick the meat from the shells and place in a bowl. Discard any clams that remain shut as these are not safe to eat. Discard the empty shells.
Heat the olive oil and butter in a deep sauté pan or saucepan over a low heat until the butter has melted. Add the shallots and garlic and cook gently for 8–10 minutes, stirring from time to time, until softened.
Whack up the heat and pour in the reserved clam liquor. Bring to the boil then lower the heat and let the liquid emulsify with the butter. It should be lovely and glossy and have thickened slightly. Add the prepared clams to the pot, followed by the chilli flakes. Stir to combine.
Meanwhile, bring a large saucepan of salted water to the boil. Cook the spaghetti for 10–12 minutes until al dente (cooked but still with a bite).
Drain the pasta in a colander, reserving a cupful of the cooking water. Tip the pasta into the pot of clams and toss to combine, loosening with a splash of the pasta water if necessary.
Season to taste with salt and pepper and stir in the chopped parsley. Serve at once, in warmed bowls.
PRAWN & CHICKEN GUMBO
Gumbo is a similar style of one-pot wonder to a good bouillabaisse. Created by the Creoles in South Louisiana at the turn of the nineteenth century, it remains just as popular today as it was then. Of course, there are many variations. Don’t be put off by the lengthy list of ingredients – once they’re in the pan, it’s not a complicated recipe. It’s just full of flavour, so give it a go.
SERVES 8
2 large boneless chicken breasts, skinned
100ml vegetable oil
8 chicken thighs, bone in and skin on
4 rashers of smoked streaky bacon, diced
500g smoked sausage or chorizo, cut into 1cm slices
100g plain flour
2 tsp cayenne pepper
2 tsp smoked paprika
1 large onion, diced
2 green peppers, cored, deseeded and diced
4 celery sticks (tough strings removed), diced
8 garlic cloves, finely grated
4 bay leaves
A small bunch of thyme, tied with kitchen string
1 litre chicken stock
500ml tomato juice
200g okra, sliced into rings
250g peeled raw tiger prawns
4 spring onions, trimmed and sliced
½ bunch of parsley, stalks removed, leaves chopped
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Cut each chicken breast into 4 even-sized pieces.
Heat the oil in a large, heavy-based saucepan over a medium-high heat. When hot, add the chicken thighs and breast pieces and sear for a few minutes until nicely browned. You may need to do this in batches to avoid overcrowding the pan. Remove the chicken from the pan and set aside on a large plate.
Return the pan to a medium heat, add the bacon and cook for a few minutes, stirring frequently, until golden and crisp. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside with the chicken.
Now add the sausage slices to the pan and allow them to colour and release their oil. Once browned, remove them from the pan with a slotted spoon and set aside, with the chicken and bacon.
Place the pan back over a low heat and add the flour – there may be quite a lot of fat in the pan at this stage, but don’t worry. Cook, stirring constantly, for around 8–10 minutes to cook out the flour and make a thick, smooth paste. Once the paste takes on a dark golden brown colour, add the cayenne pepper and smoked paprika and cook for a further minute.
Add the onion, peppers, celery and garlic to the pan. Stir, increase the heat and cook for a few minutes to soften the vegetables. Throw in the bay leaves and thyme.
Return the chicken pieces, bacon and sausage to the pan, along with any juices that have accumulated on the plate.
Pour in the chicken stock and tomato juice and bring to the boil. Lower the heat and simmer gently for around 1 hour until thickened, stirring from time to time. Remove the thyme.
Stir in the okra and cook gently for 8–10 minutes. Now add the prawns and cook for 2–3 minutes until they turn bright pink and are cooked through. Stir in the sliced spring onions and chopped parsley, heat through for a minute then season well with salt and pepper.
Ladle the gumbo into warmed bowls and serve either just as it is or with some steamed rice.
SOUSED KING PRAWNS
Meaty prawns taste so good after a couple of days in this sousing liquor. You can either serve them with some rye crackers or toasted sourdough, or turn them into a salad. Simply toss some big cos lettuce leaves with spoonfuls of the prawns and use the sousing liquid as the acidic part of a vinaigrette, whisking in some more olive oil until you get the balance of flavour you like.
SERVES 6–8, OR MORE AS A STARTER
1.5kg peeled raw king prawns (tail shell intact), deveined
For the cooking liquor
3 celery sticks, thinly sliced
1 unwaxed lemon, thinly sliced
2 tbsp salt
1 tbsp black peppercorns, tied in muslin with kitchen string
About 2 litres water
For the sousing liquor
1 small onion, thinly sliced into rings
3 celery sticks (tough strings removed with a vegetable peeler), thinly sliced
10 garlic cloves, sliced
6 tbsp capers
10 bay leaves
4 tsp fennel seeds
2 tsp celery salt
2 tsp crushed pink peppercorns
2 tsp cracked black pepper
10 dashes of Tabasco sauce
600ml white wine vinegar
1 tbsp salt
700ml olive oil
For the cooking liquor, put the celery, lemon slices, salt and bundle of peppercorns into a large saucepan and pour in the 2 litres cold water. Put the lid on the pan and bring to the boil over a medium-high heat. Turn down the heat so the water is simmering.
Immediately add the prawns, stirring, then take off the heat and cover with the lid. Leave the prawns to poach gently in the residual heat of the liquid for 8–10 minutes until they are bright pink and cooked through.
Remove the prawns with a slotted spoon; discard the cooking liquor and aromatics. Once the prawns have cooled, pat dry using kitchen paper and transfer to a large bowl.
For the sousing liquor, add the onion, celery, garlic, capers, bay leaves, fennel seeds, celery salt, pink and black pepper, and the Tabasco to the prawns. Toss well to distribute the flavourings evenly.
Put the wine vinegar and salt into a jug blender or food processor and whiz to dissolve the salt, then add the olive oil and whiz together again, until the mixture thickens and emulsifies. It should have a lovely glossy sheen to it and be nice and smooth. Pour over the prawns and flavourings in the bowl, stirring to coat them evenly.
Spoon the prawns into cold, sterilised jars or lidded plastic containers. Seal and leave to souse in the fridge for 48 hours. Discard the bay leaves before serving.
The sousing liquid will separate after a while. Simply give the jar or container a shake from time to time to re-emulsify. Eat the prawns within 3 days of sousing.
PICKLED FISH
Lightly pickled fish is delicious served with toasted brown bread and creamed horseradish, as a tasty starter or lunch. I use mackerel here, but any oily fish will work just as well – try it with sardines, herring or red mullet. You can get your fishmonger to fillet the fish for you.
SERVES 5, OR 10 AS A STARTER
10 mackerel fillets, skin on and pin-boned
For the cure mix
1 tsp coriander seeds
1 tsp fennel seeds
1 tsp mustard seeds
1 tsp black peppercorns
1 clove
50g caster sugar
50g flaky sea salt
For the pickling liquor
200ml water
100ml white wine vinegar
80g caster sugar
Finely pared zest and juice of 2 unwaxed oranges
Finely pared zest and juice of 1 unwaxed lemon
Finely pared zest and juice of 2 unwaxed limes
For the vegetables
1 carrot
2 red onions
2 celery sticks (tough strings removed with a vegetable peeler)
2 small turnips
6 French breakfast radishes
1 unwaxed lime, thinly sliced
For the cure mix, grind together the coriander, fennel and mustard seeds, black peppercorns and clove, using an electric spice grinder or pestle and mortar, to as fine a powder as you can. Pass through a fine sieve into a bowl and stir in the sugar and salt.
Coat the mackerel fillets evenly in the cure mix, pressing it gently into the flesh. Lay the fillets on a large plate, cover with cling film and chill in the fridge for 3 hours.
Meanwhile, prepare the pickling liquor. Put the water, wine vinegar and sugar into a medium saucepan and heat, stirring to dissolve the sugar and salt. Bring to the boil, then add the citrus zests and juices. Continue to boil for a couple of minutes, then lower the heat and simmer, uncovered, for 5–10 minutes. Remove from the heat.
Thinly slice all of the vegetables and the lime and place in a large, sealable plastic or glass container, deep enough to hold the liquor and fish. Pour over the pickling liquor, stir to distribute the vegetables evenly and allow to cool.
Once the fish has cured for 3 hours, remove it from the fridge. Rinse it briefly under cold running water and pat dry with kitchen paper.
Add the fish to the container with the pickling liquor and vegetables, making sure it’s all nicely submerged. Cover with a lid and refrigerate for 2 days before eating.
Eat within 2–3 days of pickling, with warm brown toast and creamed horseradish if you like.
SEARED SEA BASS WITH ROASTED PEPPER SALSA
Roasting the peppers gives this salsa an extra layer of flavour. Together with the lime and herb soured cream, it works very well with sea bass or any other meaty fish, such as grey mullet or even tuna or salmon. Get your fishmonger to prepare the fish for you.
SERVES 4
4 sea bass fillets, about 200g each, skin on, scaled and pin-boned
Plain flour, for dusting
Vegetable oil, for frying
A generous knob of butter
A squeeze of lemon juice
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
For the roasted pepper salsa
2 green peppers
8–10 tomatoes
½ cucumber
Vegetable oil, for frying
1 onion, finely diced
3 green chillies, chopped (seeds and all)
4 garlic cloves, finely grated
Finely grated zest and juice of 2 unwaxed limes
3 tbsp chopped coriander leaves and stems
2–3 tbsp olive oil
For the soured cream
150g soured cream
Finely grated zest of 1 unwaxed lime
2 tbsp chopped mint leaves
2 tbsp chopped coriander stalks
First prepare the roasted pepper salsa. Place the green peppers on a baking tray and use a cook’s blowtorch to carefully scorch them all over until they’re blackened. If you don’t have a blowtorch, you can do this under a fiercely hot grill or turn them on a fork directly over a gas ring.
Wrap the charred peppers in cling film or put them in a plastic bag, seal and allow to steam for 5 minutes. Unwrap and peel off the charred skins. Halve the peppers, remove the core and seeds, then cut into small chunks and place in a large bowl.
Skin, deseed and dice the tomatoes (see Crispy Cheesy Tostadas) and add to the bowl with the peppers.
Halve the cucumber lengthways, deseed and dice. Heat a splash of oil in a medium frying pan over a high heat then add the cucumber and sauté quickly for a couple of minutes, until lightly browned. Remove from the heat and add to the bowl.
Return the pan to the heat and add a splash more oil. Throw in the onion and sauté over a high heat for around 5 minutes until softened and browned. Add to the bowl.
Add the chopped chillies, garlic (I like to keep it raw to give the salsa a bit more punch), lime zest and juice, coriander and olive oil to the bowl. Mix together and season with salt and pepper to taste. Set aside until ready to serve.
For the soured cream garnish, put all the ingredients into a small bowl and stir together to combine. Season to taste with salt and pepper then set aside until ready to serve.
To prepare the sea bass, use a sharp knife to make shallow, parallel incisions in the skin (don’t cut into the flesh), to prevent it from curling up during cooking. Dust the fillets with flour and shake off any excess. Season with a little salt.
Heat a large, non-stick frying pan over a medium heat and add a splash of oil. When it is hot, lay the fillets in the pan skin side down and hold them in place until they have relaxed and the skin no longer wants to curl up. Cook for around 3–4 minutes, until the skin is crispy and the fish is almost cooked through.
Flip the fillets over, cook for another 1–2 minutes, then add a knob of butter and a little squeeze of lemon juice. Baste the fish with the buttery juices and remove from the heat.
Serve the seared bass on warmed plates with the salsa and soured cream alongside. The extra salsa will keep in the fridge for 1–2 days – enjoy as a snack with pitta or tortilla chips.
Sunflower Seed Crusted Sea Trout >
SUNFLOWER SEED CRUSTED SEA TROUT
Trout has a wonderful rich and earthy flavour. Coating the fillets with sunflower seeds enhances their depth of flavour; it also gives a lovely textural crunch to contrast with the soft flesh of the fish. Brushing the fish with the sweetened vinegar syrup lifts the dish to a whole new level.
SERVES 6
6 sea trout fillets, about 200g each
Vegetable oil, for frying
75g butter
Juice of 1 lemon
For the vinegar syrup
100ml white wine vinegar
100g caster sugar
For the sunflower seed crust
50g sunflower seeds
50g plain flour
50g coarse cornmeal
1 tsp salt
1 tsp cayenne pepper
First make the vinegar syrup. Put the wine vinegar and sugar in a small saucepan and bring to a simmer, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Increase the heat to high and boil for a few minutes to reduce until thickened and syrupy. Set aside to cool.
For the crust, toast the sunflower seeds in a small, dry frying pan over a medium heat, shaking the pan, for 2–3 minutes until they start to colour; be careful not to burn them. Tip onto a plate and let cool, then using a pestle and mortar, bash the seeds roughly, leaving some whole for an interesting texture.
Tip the flour and cornmeal into a large bowl and mix in the crushed sunflower seeds, salt and cayenne pepper.
Brush the trout fillets on both sides with the cooled vinegar syrup, then dip into the sunflower seed mixture, pressing it in gently to encase and coat the fillets evenly. Pat off any excess.
You may need to cook the trout fillets in batches, to avoid overcrowding the pan. Heat a large, non-stick frying pan over a medium heat and add a splash of oil. Once the oil is hot, place the trout fillets in the pan and gently hold them in place until they feel relaxed. Cook until the crust is golden brown and crisp, around 2–3 minutes. Don’t be tempted to flip them over too soon, or the coating might come away from the fillets.
Carefully turn the fillets over and cook the other side, until the crust is golden and the flesh is soft and succulent. Towards the end of cooking, add the butter to the pan with a squeeze of lemon juice. Baste the fillets with the buttery juices. Remove the fillets from the pan and serve immediately, with the juices spooned over and buttered peas on the side, if you like.
BLACKENED CAJUN REDFISH
This recipe makes a lot of smoke and choke! Stick the extractor fan on full, open all the windows or cook it outside! It’s worth the effort though, as the flavour is fantastic – sweet and spicy, charred and moist, all at the same time. It’s an iconic Cajun dish that’s just my kind of food. Serve it with any of your favourite barbecue relishes and salads.
SERVES 6
6 red snapper fillets or dorado fillets, about 250g each, skin on and pin-boned
100g butter, melted
For the Cajun rub
1 tbsp sweet paprika 1 tbsp salt
2 tsp onion powder
1½ tsp garlic powder
1 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp freshly ground white pepper
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 tsp dried oregano
½ tsp dried thyme
Bring the fish to room temperature. Using a sharp knife, cut a few shallow incisions into the skin of each fillet to help prevent it curling up during cooking. Don’t cut too deeply – you only want to cut into the skin, not the flesh.
To make the Cajun rub, mix all the ingredients together in a bowl until evenly combined.
Brush the fish fillets with the melted butter to coat them all over then lay on a baking tray. Sprinkle over about 3 tbsp of the Cajun rub, gently patting it onto the fillets and making sure they’re evenly covered on both sides. Gently shake off any excess.
You will need to cook the fish fillets in batches, to avoid overcrowding the pan. Heat a large, cast-iron skillet or heavy-based frying pan over a high heat until it’s smoking hot.
Place a couple of fillets skin side down in the pan. Carefully hold them down by pressing with a fish slice or spatula until they have relaxed and no longer want to curl up. Cook until the skin is very well browned – almost black but not burnt! Depending how hot your pan is, this should take 3–4 minutes. You want the fish to be 90 per cent cooked through.
Carefully flip the fillets over with a fish slice and cook the other side for about 2 minutes until crisp. Remove to a plate and keep warm while you cook the rest of the fillets. Serve the fillets as soon as they are all cooked, on warmed plates.
POLLACK WITH ORANGE & DILL
The lovely, white flesh of pollack goes really well with a citrus dressing and the earthiness of the dill. I use a bit of Douglas fir in this dish, which might seem a bit ‘cheffy’ for everyday, but if you can get your hands on some, it’s a fantastic addition and goes brilliantly with the other ingredients. If you can’t, no worries. Just leave it out. I like to serve this with a simple potato salad.
SERVES 4
4 pollack fillets, about 250g each
Vegetable oil, for frying
Flaky sea salt
For the dressing
3 unwaxed oranges
100ml olive oil
150ml cider vinegar
75g caster sugar
A small bunch of dill, chopped, a few sprigs saved for the garnish
2 tbsp Douglas fir pine needles, chopped (optional)
For the coating
175g coarse yellow cornmeal
40g plain flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp garlic powder
For the garnish
1 orange, peeled, all pith removed and cut into segments
First make the dressing. Pare the zest from 2 oranges with a vegetable peeler, keeping a little of the pith on, and cut into small dice. Place in a small saucepan, cover with the olive oil and heat very gently over a low heat, for 20 minutes or until the skin is just soft. Take off the heat and leave to cool.
Squeeze the juice from all the oranges and put into a small pan with the cider vinegar and sugar. Bring to the boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Let it bubble to reduce by two-thirds until thickened and syrupy. Pour into a bowl and allow to cool.
Add the orange zest and olive oil mix to the orange juice reduction and whisk to combine. Stir in the chopped dill and pine needles if using, and set aside until ready to serve.
For the fish coating, mix all the ingredients together in a large bowl. Heat about a 2cm depth of oil in a deep-sided frying pan or sauté pan until it reaches 180°C. Use a frying thermometer to check the temperature, if you have one; otherwise drop a cube of dry white bread into the hot oil to test it – if the bread turns golden brown in just under a minute, the oil is ready.
Dust the fish fillets on both sides with the cornmeal coating, shaking off any excess. You may need to fry them in batches, depending on the size of your pan. Lay the fish in the pan and fry for 2–3 minutes on each side until the crust is crisp and golden brown. Using a fish slice, carefully transfer to a tray lined with kitchen paper to drain. Season lightly with salt.
Serve the pollack fillets on warmed plates, garnished with the orange segments and dill, with the dressing spooned over.
Rainbow Trout with Pine Nut Dressing >
RAINBOW TROUT WITH PINE NUT DRESSING
A fly-fished rainbow trout is a fantastic catch. It has a clean, mild flavour – not in any way ‘dirty’ or ‘muddy’ – which I really like. You could almost cook the fish on a riverbank, having just caught it… just bring a small camping stove and a few choice ingredients.
SERVES 2
100g butter
75g pine nuts
Plain flour, for dusting
2 rainbow trout, filleted and butterflied (you can get your fishmonger to do this for you)
1 tbsp vegetable oil
2 hard-boiled eggs
75ml dry vermouth, such as Noilly Prat
Finely grated zest and juice of 1 unwaxed lemon
Pinch of freshly ground white pepper
2 tbsp chopped marjoram leaves
2 tbsp chopped parsley leaves
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Melt a knob of the butter in a large, non-stick frying pan over a medium heat and add the pine nuts. Toast in the pan, shaking frequently, until they are evenly golden brown. Remove from the pan with a slotted spoon and set aside on a plate.
Season the flour with salt and pepper and scatter on a tray or plate. Lay the butterflied trout fillets in the flour and turn to coat each side well.
Return the frying pan to a medium-high heat. Add the oil and remaining butter to the hot pan. Once the butter has melted and is nicely browned, lay the trout fillets in the pan, flesh side down. Fry until browned on one side, around 2 minutes.
Flip the fillets over and continue to cook them for a further 2–3 minutes on the skin side, using a spoon to baste the fish with the nutty butter. Remove the fish to a plate; keep warm.
Halve the hard-boiled eggs and separate the white and yolk. Slice the egg white and grate the yolk.
Place the frying pan back over a medium-high heat. Once hot, return the pine nuts to the pan then pour in the vermouth and let bubble to deglaze and reduce by half. Add the lemon zest and juice, hard-boiled egg (white and yolk), white pepper, marjoram and parsley. Stir together over a gentle heat to warm through for 1 minute.
Transfer the trout fillets to warmed plates, placing them skin side up, and remove the skin from one of the fillets on each plate to expose the lovely pink flesh. Spoon the pine nut dressing across the trout and serve immediately.