There are more than sixty varieties of fish available in the UK. Sea bass, halibut, red and grey mullet, monkfish and turbot are usually available at good fish counters alongside the familiar cod, haddock, sole and plaice. Fish from warm waters – pomfret, swordfish, parrot fish, snappers and breams – are increasingly common. Although small native brown shrimps are now hard to find, except as potted shrimps, the variety of seafood has widened with the arrival in our shops of spiny Mediterranean lobsters, tiger prawns from Thailand and huge shrimps from the west coast of Africa. The best suppliers identify the source – region, country or ocean – of their fish, although distance is not always a criterion in determining what is freshest.
Fish
Choosing
Buy your fish from a fishmonger or supermarket counter with a fast turnover; check how many customers there are and how appetising the fish looks on the slab. A good fishmonger will give advice about what’s on sale and the best methods for cooking each one. He will also scale, gut and fillet fish, so unless you are a keen fisherman, there is no need to know how to do these jobs yourself. Don’t forget to ask for the bones if you want to make stock.
Nothing beats really fresh fish just out of the water, but for most of us that is seldom attainable. However, icing or freezing top-quality fish on the fishing vessel immediately after it is caught does preserve flavour and freshness. The fish is cleaned and kept chilled in ice at 0°C until (ideally) it reaches the customer in a few days’ time. Alternatively it is flash-frozen to very low temperatures, and when thawed may have better flavour and texture than a ‘fresh’ fish that has spent too long in transit from the docks. Freshness is the key to successful fish cookery, so it is a good idea to go shopping with an open mind rather than a planned menu, and buy what is best.
Fish and health
The connection between eating unsaturated fats and the low incidence of heart disease was recognised some years ago and fish is an excellent source of unsaturated fats; white fish have less than 1% fat.
Oil-rich fish such as herring, mackerel, salmon, sardine and tuna are even more beneficial. They supply omega-3 fatty acids which have been shown to help reduce fats in the blood and lessen the risk of a heart attack.
Whole fish
The best whole fish look as though they are alive, with an overall bright appearance, undamaged shiny scales, red gills and full rather than sunken eyes. The flesh should feel elastic and firm when pressed and the smell be clean and sweet – the smell of the sea, in fact.
Fillets and steaks
If possible, have fillets and steaks cut to order because whole fish keep better than pieces. If not, look for cuts that are translucent and bright, with no blemishes or bruises. The flesh should be resilient when touched; ask the sales person to press a finger into it, and if it leaves an indentation, buy something else. Avoid fillets and steaks that are dry or show yellowing edges or are standing in too much water – they will have no taste and a soggy texture. As with whole fish the smell must be sweet and clean. If you buy pre-packed fish, inspect it as much as you can; bad fish and shellfish can be smelled through the packaging, but if it is just about to go off, the odour may not yet penetrate.
Fishermen should take time to gut their catch to eliminate as quickly as possible the main source of bacterial infection, and then keep it properly iced.
Farmed fish
The quality of farmed fish varies greatly depending on the conditions in which they are raised. Farmed fish are fattier because they have less exercise. Farmed salmon often have a fatty deposit along the belly and may have white streaks of fat in the flesh which are almost certainly a sign that they have been farmed in sheltered waters. Salmon farmed offshore in water with strong currents where they swim a lot will, however, be more like wild salmon. Density makes a difference: 14–18kg per cubic metre allows the fish room to swim; if they are packed in at 25–30kg per cubic metre they obviously have less space. Feed is important, too; a high percentage of fat will make the fish grow quickly but will not improve texture.
Apart from looking for excessive fat when buying fish, it is almost impossible to tell a well-farmed fish from a poor one. If you have a good fishmonger it is reasonable to suppose that he buys from a reliable source, and he should be able to tell you about it. Most salmon on sale these days is farmed, as is rainbow trout and the rather tasteless so-called sea trout which is nothing more than a rainbow trout grown to a larger size in sea cages – a far cry from a wild sea or salmon trout. Farmed bass, gilt head and other breams, cod, halibut and turbot are also on sale, often through supermarkets. My fishmonger reckons bream and bass are acceptable, although the flavour of the bass is diminished because of its limited diet, but he finds the texture and flavour of turbot and halibut poor and will not stock them. However, given the severe problem of over-fishing in some waters, it is likely that we shall see more and more farmed fish in our shops. But on the farming front there are problems other than the quality of the fish. There is evidence that intensive salmon farming is depleting stocks of wild salmon as the fish become infested with sea lice from the farms and die. Poor farming practices are also causing marine pollution, which governments have to address.
Cured fish
Before refrigeration, preserving fish to last through the winter was a necessity for survival. Drying, salting and smoking are now practised because we like the taste, whether of kippers or caviare. Smoked salmon and trout, Finnan haddock and Arbroath smokies are the specialities of our islands. With the exception of smoked salmon and trout which are eaten raw, cold-smoked fish such as kippers and haddock are best gently poached. Hot-smoked fish like eel, mackerel, Arbroath smokies and cod roe do not need cooking, although they can be lightly grilled. Salt herring is popular in northern France and Belgium. The Dutch consume huge quantities of lightly salted maatjes and green herring as soon as the season starts at the end of May; their other delicacy, smoked eel, is available all year. In Germany and Scandinavia they prefer soused herrings and rollmops, and the Swedes have their renowned gravadlax.
The peoples of the Mediterranean basin salt anchovies and have a passion for salt cod imported from Norway and Iceland. Whole books of recipes are devoted to it in Portugal and in Venice, the salt cod capital of Italy. New England and the eastern seaboard of Canada also have a tradition of salt cod stews, chowders and boiled fish dinners. Although not much appreciated in Britain, where it is hard to buy good quality salt cod, it is well worth trying; buy the best you can find from a Spanish, Portuguese or Italian shop and soak it for 12–24 hours to get rid of the salt.
Storing
Fish is best eaten as soon as possible after purchase. If it is properly iced when bought, fish can keep for a day or two, perhaps longer; much depends on when it was caught. Ideally, fish should be kept at 0°C, which is lower than the temperature of a domestic refrigerator (usually around 4°C). Put steaks and fillets in a covered dish and stand it on an ice pack. Gutted and wrapped whole fish keep well between ice packs.
Quantities (for a main course serving)
In general, you need less of a rich meaty fish than of a light lean fish. Quantities also depend on how the fish is to be cooked, what other ingredients will be used and whether you plan to make a rich sauce. When buying steaks or fillets of a dense-fleshed fish such as tuna, swordfish or salmon, allow 150–180g per person; for round fish and larger flatfish such as halibut or turbot allow 200–250g; of the more delicate flatfish such as flounder or plaice you may need to allow 300g. For fish on the bone allow about 450g per person, but if the fish has a large head and heavy bones (e.g. John Dory, snapper) you will need more. If you are cooking a large whole fish, about 350g per person should be enough. Buy one small fish (about 250g), such as red mullet or trout, per person.
Cleaning and preparing
Normally the fishmonger will do the work for you, but if you need to do it yourself – for instance, if you are lucky enough to be given a fish freshly caught from river or sea – here are the essentials you need to know.
Trimming
Use scissors to cut away the fins on either side, along the belly and the back, and to cut the tail into a ‘V’ shape.
Removing the head
If the head is to be removed – and some fish are cooked with their heads intact – insert a heavy knife behind the gills, cut firmly and deeply, cutting through the bone.
Scaling
Scaly fish are almost always scaled before cooking. It is a messy job because scales tend to fly about, but it is quite easy – simply scrape the scales with the back of a knife or a fish-scaler, working from the tail to the head. I prefer to work on a large board, holding the fish by the tail, but some people find it easier to work under running water.
Gutting
Using a small knife make a slit along the belly from the anal vent to the gills. If there is roe, detach the sacs carefully and put them aside for cooking. Loosen the innards with your fingers and pull them out, then scrape out the kidneys that remain attached to the backbone. If the fish is to be cooked with the head on, the gills must be removed because they taste bitter. Either pull them out through the stomach cavity or lift the gill flaps, cut the gills loose with scissors and then remove them. Discard the guts and gills and wash the fish thoroughly, getting rid of all blood.
Cutting steaks from round fish
Start behind the head and with a heavy knife cut thick even slices. If necessary, hit the back of the knife with a wooden mallet to cut through the spine. Make sure to keep the knife vertical.
Boning a round fish
Continue the cut made to gut the fish down to the tail. Hold the upper fillet back and run a knife blade between the transverse bones and the flesh of the side that is lying on the work surface. For a small delicate fish this is better done with the fingers. When the bones are loose along one side, turn the fish over and perform the same operation on the other side.
Taking care not to tear the flesh, open the fish as wide as possible and run the knife down both sides of the spine. Again, for a delicate fish, do this with your fingers. Use scissors to cut through the spine at either end and lift it out.
To bone small oily fish (herring, mackerel) remove the head, open the fish as wide as possible and place it, skin side up, on a board. Press firmly with the fingers along the bone. Turn the fish over and lift out the bone; cut it loose at the tail and remove any small bones left behind.
Filleting round fish
You need a long-bladed filleting knife for this job. Lay the cleaned fish on a board with the backbone towards you. Insert the knife horizontally and cut through the skin from head to tail along one side of the backbone with a long continuous stroke. Now cut down to the backbone just behind the gills. Hold the fish steady and, with the knife still horizontal, slice into the fish behind the head, feeling for the backbone with the blade. Keep the knife in contact with the bone as you cut down the length of the fish, slicing the fillet away from the bones. Turn the fish over and repeat with the other fillet. Tidy up any ragged edges. Use tweezers to remove any pin bones.
Filleting flat fish
Use a knife with a long pliable blade. Put the fish, dark skin side up and tail towards you, on a board. Cut round the edge of the fish with the point of a knife to outline the fillets. You will feel the little bones that support the fins. Next, cut the fish to the bone around the head. Cut through to the backbone from head to tail. Insert the knife, almost flat, between the head end of one fillet and the ribs and cut with long strokes to free the flesh. Keep the blade in contact with the bones. When the upper part of the fillet is freed, lift it and continue cutting along the length. Turn the fish round and repeat to remove the second upper fillet. Turn the fish over and follow the same procedure for the lower fillets. Trim any ragged edges.
Skinning fillets
The skin is easier to remove after cooking and most fish are roasted or grilled with the skin on. If the skin has to be removed before cooking, put the fillet, skin side down, on a board. Make a small cut at the tail end with a sharp heavy knife to separate skin and flesh. Hold the skin firmly and slip the knife between the skin and the flesh. With the knife almost parallel to the skin, use short strokes to separate them, keeping the skin taut and lifting and pushing the fillet in front of the knife.
Use the bones and skin to make stock (p. 6).
Skinning whole flat fish
The dark skin (and sometimes the light one) of flat fish is removed before frying and grilling. Remove the upper dark skin by cutting it across where the tail joins the body. Loosen the skin with the tip of the knife until you can grasp it firmly. Salt your fingers to give them a better grip, or use a cloth to hold down the tail with one hand and pull the skin decisively towards the head with the other.
To remove the white skin, turn the fish over when you reach the head, hold the fish by the head and keep pulling the skin down the white side until you reach the tail. Alternatively, repeat the process described for the dark skin, cutting it loose at the tail.
Remember to remove the gills and gut before cooking.
Cooking methods
With the exception of large whole fish, fish cooks very quickly and you can prepare a meal in minutes. The flesh needs only to become opaque – remove it from the heat as the last translucence disappears; if cooked at too high a temperature or for too long, fish becomes dry and loses its flavour and may disintegrate. It is best to err slightly on the side of undercooking, and take into account that the fish continues to cook while being served.
Whatever the cooking method, the cooking time for whole fish, steaks or fillets (but not seafood) is calculated by the thickness of the fish at its thickest part, not by its weight or length. After a long period of extensive tests, the Canadian Department of Fisheries published the rule that fish should be cooked for 10 minutes per 2.5cm of thickness. This is a reliable method to follow, but it is not quite foolproof because, for example, if the sides of a whole fish are slashed at intervals the heat will reach the centre more quickly than with an uncut fish. Also, for a very large whole fish the overall size should be taken into account.
To see if fish is done, press the thickest part with your finger; it should feel firm and slightly resistant. Another method is to insert a fork or the tip of a knife into the thickest part and gently flake a little of the fish to see if it is opaque. With a whole round fish, the spines of the dorsal fin will pull loose when it is ready.
Poaching
Poaching is a simple way of cooking fish as long as some basic rules are observed. The fish is immersed in simmering liquid, which must barely move, and certainly never bubble for that will overcook the fish and make the flesh fall apart. It is most suitable for large fish to be cooked whole – salmon is the classic example – but works well too for sea bass, carp, a small cod, and for flatfish like brill and turbot. Smoked haddock fillets are extremely good poached in milk and water.
Fish is poached in a court-bouillon (p. 5) flavoured with herbs and vegetables or in a fish stock (p. 6) made with fish bones and trimmings as well as vegetables. The fish remains quite plain when poached, so it is a good idea to reduce some of the cooking liquid to make a sauce.
In any event, don’t throw out the court-bouillon after poaching your fish; use it for a soup or stew or boil it down and freeze it for later use.
Steaming
Steaming is cooking over rather than in liquid, which may be water or a court-bouillon (p. 5). Fish needs gentle even steam produced by simmering water; the blasts of steam produced by water at a rolling boil will overcook it. Steaming is a plain method, but the fish can be enhanced with herbs, spices or vegetables, or placed on a bed of seaweed. The Chinese, who are masters of fish steaming, use black beans (p. 242), spring onions and ginger as flavourings. Put a piece of foil or a plate with a rim under the fish in the steamer basket so that the juices from the fish are not lost.
Steaming is best suited to small to medium-sized whole fish such as sea bass, grey mullet or bream or to fillets and steaks.
Stewing and braising
Stewing is similar to poaching, but the liquid in which the fish is cooked is served as part of the dish. The fish or seafood may be sautéed first and the stew will include vegetables and flavourings. A stew should only simmer, not boil, or the fish will break up. Cut the fish to pieces of similar size to ensure even cooking; more delicate fish and shellfish may be added towards the end of the cooking time.
Firm-fleshed fish such as sea bass, monkfish and conger eel work well in stews; flaky fish such as cod and hake are good too, but must be timed carefully so they do not fall apart. Stewed octopus is terrific.
To braise fish, sauté it and combine with vegetables and flavourings as above, but add only a little liquid. A whole fish, such as red snapper, bream, salmon, turbot or carp is excellent braised on a bed of vegetables. Shark, monkfish and other firm fillets or steaks, cut into evenly sized pieces, are also good for braising.
Grilling and barbecuing
These are two of the most successful ways of cooking fish and seafood. Both are suitable for small to medium-sized whole fish, for meaty steaks or kebabs of tuna or swordfish, salmon or monkfish. Oily fish such as sardines, herring and mackerel will baste themselves from within. Thin flatfish fillets – sole, plaice, dabs – are not suited to barbecuing, but will grill well. Flaky white fish – cod, haddock, hake – are also best grilled because they start to collapse almost as soon as they are done.
For the barbecue it is worth buying a fish basket which can be adjusted to hold the fish tightly; its long handles make it easy to turn. Whether grilling or barbecuing, the heat should not be too high when cooking fish. Slash the sides of whole fish and rub with oil and chopped herbs. Alternatively marinate fish and use the marinade to baste the fish while cooking.
Baking and roasting
Baking or roasting, whichever name you choose, is a good method for cooking a whole fish. Slash the sides at intervals, put flavourings in the cavity and cook at medium or high heat. The skin protects the flesh and the spine conducts heat evenly. Use only thick steaks or fillets for roasting. Fish is usually roasted with vegetables with which it is served. Baste it from time to time with oil, stock or wine.
Whole fish can be wrapped in foil, or fillets enclosed in a papillote, a parcel made with foil or parchment paper, and then baked. Preparation is quick and none of the juices or flavour is lost.
Sautéing, frying and stir-frying
A non-stick frying pan is a great help; the fish will not stick and you need less fat. Before sautéing heat the pan. When it is really hot, add the fat – clarified butter* which can be heated to higher temperatures than ordinary butter without burning, or a mixture of clarified butter and oil. The fat must be hot enough or it will be absorbed by the fish, but if it gets too hot the fish will burn on the outside before it is cooked through. Add the fish to the pan over medium to high heat, sear the outside, then lower the heat and turn the fish to finish cooking. Avoid overcrowding. The fish should be crisp on the outside and moist inside. Drain it on kitchen paper and do not cover it or it will lose its crispness.
Fish to be sautéed can be dusted with flour or breadcrumbs, either plain or flavoured with dried herbs or spices. You can make a quick sauce by adding liquid – fumet or stock (p. 6), wine, lemon juice, water – to the pan after the fish has been taken out, boiling it down to thicken a little, flavouring it, and finishing it with a spoonful or two of oil or butter or cream. Alternatively a salsa (pp. 380–2) makes a good accompaniment to sautéed or fried fish.
Sautéing works well for small and medium-sized flatfish – sole, flounder, plaice – and for small round fish such as trout, red mullet, mackerel; also for most fillets and steaks.
Many oriental dishes of fish and vegetables are stir-fried. As with sautéing, it is important to heat the pan or wok before the oil is added, and to maintain a high temperature, otherwise as liquid is given off by the vegetables the food will start to steam. Only fish with a firm texture are suited to stir-frying; delicate flaky fish will disintegrate. Foods for stir-frying are cut to a fairly small size to ensure even cooking in a very short time.
Deep-frying
For deep-frying, small whole fish (for example, whitebait) or small fillets are best; thick pieces of a bigger fish are likely to frizzle on the outside, leaving the inside raw. Protect the flesh with a coating of flour, egg and breadcrumbs or batter (see fritto misto of scallops and vegetables, p. 266, and tempura batter, p. 497) and dry the surface of the fish as much as possible before coating so that there is less spattering when it goes into the hot oil. The oil must be very hot so that the coating crisps and seals the flesh; if it is not hot enough the fish will absorb it and become ‘fatty’; too hot and the fish will burn. See p. 99 for more details on deep-frying temperatures. Only cook small quantities at a time because the temperature of the oil will drop when the fish is put in. The fish is ready when the coating is golden brown – a matter of minutes – and should be drained on kitchen paper and eaten straight away before it loses its crispness. Do not cover it. Japanese tempura uses a light batter to coat fish and vegetables which are deep-fried and served with a dipping sauce.
Microwaving
The microwave comes into its own for fish cooking, especially if you are cooking small quantities. The precise timing of the microwave helps ensure perfectly cooked fish but, as with other methods, err on the side of undercooking initially and if necessary reset the oven for short intervals until it is cooked through. Microwaving is best for simple dishes in which the fish would otherwise be poached, steamed or braised, but in the microwave the amount of liquid used is tiny. For more complicated dishes, I find it more trouble than it is worth. Whole fish should be slashed on each side so the skin doesn’t burst. Position fillets or steaks with the thicker parts to the outside of the dish. Make sure to use a dish that is suitable for the microwave and cover with the lid or microwave plastic film. If it is not covered the moisture in the fish evaporates too quickly.
Remove the skin from fillets; gut and remove heads, tails and fins from whole fish. No liquid is necessary since the fish will cook in its own juices, but if you wish to add stock, wine or lemon juice for flavouring do not put in more than 4 tbs per 150g of fish. Marinating fish before microwaving works well.
By far the best book on everything to do with the microwave is Barbara Kafka’s Microwave Gourmet; I have followed her advice for the cooking times given here. The times given are for a 600–700 watt oven with a carousel at 100 per cent power.
To steam 1cm-thick fillets of 180–200g
1 fillet 2 min
2 fillets 2½ min
4 fillets 5 min
To steam 2cm-thick fillets or steaks of 200–25og
1 fillet/steak 3 min
2 fillets/steaks 4½ min
4 fillets/steaks 6 min
Arrange fillets side by side; steaks should be placed with the thin belly flaps to the centre. Cover tightly.
To steam whole fish of 250–300g
1 fish 2 min
2 fish 3–3½ min
4 fish 5–6 min
Arrange very small fish with their tails to the centre; bigger fish can be placed head to tail. Cover tightly, or wrap in microwave film before putting on a plate. Leave whole fish to rest, covered, after cooking.
Marinades
Marinades are important in preparing fish to be grilled, roasted or fried; they tenderize the flesh and enhance flavour. In most cases, fish needs only 1–2 hours marinating before cooking, and it is best done in the refrigerator, but bring to room temperature before cooking. The marinade can be used to baste the fish during cooking. Some recipes here have a marinade included; for more choice, see pp. 386–8.
Round large-flaked fish
Essentially members of the cod family – cod, coley, haddock, hake, whiting – these fish have white flesh that breaks into large thick flakes when cooked. The taste is mild. They are very adaptable; apart from being the usual fish for fish and chips, members of the cod family can be poached, steamed, braised, pan-fried, grilled or baked (see cooking methods pp. 235–9). Well-flavoured sauces – mustard (see below), tartare, horseradish (p. 365), salse verde (p. 367) – make good accompaniments.
See also bourride (p. 255) and fish curry (p. 257).
Poached cod with mustard sauce
This is a quick and easy recipe: even if you have to make the court-bouillon, it won’t add more than 20 minutes to the preparation time. Hake or haddock could replace the cod.
For 4
½ quantity of court-bouillon (p. 5)
2 shallots, peeled and chopped
200ml white wine
200ml water
100ml crème fraîche
100g butter
1 tbs Dijon mustard
salt and freshly ground pepper
4 pieces of cod fillet, with skin, weighing 170g each
Heat the court-bouillon gently, and meanwhile prepare the sauce. Put the shallots, wine and water in a pan, bring to the boil and cook until only a small amount of liquid remains. Stir in the crème fraîche and reduce by half. Now add the butter, a little at a time, using a whisk to blend it in. Do not have the heat too high for this operation. When all the butter is incorporated, stir in the mustard, taste and season with salt and pepper. Remove the pan from the heat and keep warm.
Bring the court-bouillon to the boil if it is not yet there, slip in the cod fillets, bring back to the boil and simmer for 10 minutes. Lift out the fish, draining it thoroughly, and remove the skin. Strain the court-bouillon and use as the base for soup or a sauce.
Serve the cod with the sauce and new or mashed potatoes.
Roast cod with couscous and pomegranate and avocado salsa
Other firm fish fillets such as haddock or monkfish or tuna steaks could be used instead of cod.
For 4
pomegranate and avocado salsa (p. 382)
250g couscous
5–7 tbs olive oil
3 shallots, peeled
2 courgettes
1 red or yellow pepper
1 tbs chopped mint
4 cod fillets, about 170g each
Start by preparing the salsa and leave it at room temperature for an hour or two for the flavours to mingle.
Heat the oven to 200°C, 400°F, gas 6. Next prepare the couscous according to the instructions on the packet; or see p. 202. Dress with a little of the olive oil. Chop the shallots finely, dice the courgettes and pepper. Heat 1–2 tbs oil and sauté the shallots for 2 minutes, add the courgettes and cook for 2 minutes more. In a separate pan, sauté the pepper in 1 tbs oil for 2 minutes. Use a fork to combine the vegetables with the couscous, add the mint and keep warm.
Lightly oil a baking dish which will hold the cod in one layer. Heat 2 tbs oil in a frying pan and quickly sauté the fillets, 1 minute on each side. Transfer them to the baking dish and roast for 5 minutes.
To serve, spoon couscous into the centre of each warmed plate and place a piece of cod on top. Spoon some of the salsa to one side.
Roast hake on a bed of vegetables
Hake is often underrated in Britain, and much of the catch finds its way to Spain where it is prized. If you can buy a good-sized hake, this is an excellent way to cook it; bream, grey mullet, salmon or bass can also be cooked in the same way. In the south of France, a monkfish tail on the bone (called a gigot de mer) is often roasted on a bed of vegetables after being spiked with slivers of garlic, as would be a leg of lamb. The vegetables can be varied, according to what is available – aubergines, green or red peppers, fennel bulbs are all suitable.
For 4–6
a small bunch of mixed herbs – thyme, rosemary, oregano, savory
5 tbs olive oil
2 onions, peeled and finely sliced
3 courgettes, cut in 1½ cm slices
4 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
6 tomatoes, peeled, seeded and coarsely chopped
salt and freshly ground pepper
1 hake weighing 1.5–2kg
juice of 1 lemon
200ml white wine
Heat the oven to 190°C, 375°F, gas 5. Chop the herbs finely. Heat 3 tbs olive oil in a pan and sauté the onions for 3–4 minutes until soft, then add the courgettes and crushed garlic. When the courgettes are lightly coloured, stir in the tomatoes and most of the herbs, season with salt and pepper. Cover and simmer for 10 minutes.
Lightly oil a gratin or other oven dish big enough to hold the fish and vegetables. Slash the sides of the fish in 2 or 3 places, rub it with salt and pepper, press some of the remaining herbs into the cuts and put the rest into the cavity. Spread the vegetables over the dish, lay the fish on top, pour over the lemon juice and wine and drizzle 2 tbs of oil over the top. Roast for 30–40 minutes; test with the point of a knife near the backbone – the flesh will flake easily when it is ready. Serve straight from the dish.
Fish steaks with black bean sauce
The Chinese often cook a whole fish in black bean sauce for a special celebration. The same sauce can be used for steaks with great success. Cod, haddock, hake and salmon are all suitable. In Singapore they add chopped chillies; if you like hot food add 2–3 chillies to the garlic and ginger paste.
Black bean sauce is a thick Chinese sauce based on fermented soy beans and is particularly good as a base for cooking fish and vegetables. It is available in jars from supermarkets and oriental shops.
For 4
2 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
1 tsp peeled and chopped ginger
3 tbs sunflower oil
4 fish steaks, weighing about 180g each
3 tbs black bean sauce
120ml water
1 tbs light soy sauce
4 spring onions cut in 3cm pieces
lemon or lime juice
1 tbs sesame oil
Pound the garlic and ginger to a paste with a pestle and mortar. Heat a frying pan or wok, add the oil and fry the fish for 1 minute on each side. Remove from the pan and set aside. Add the ginger and garlic to the oil and stir-fry for 1 minute, then put in the black bean sauce and stir-fry for 1 minute. Return the fish to the pan, pour over the water and soy sauce, bring to the boil and simmer, uncovered, for 4–5 minutes, depending on the thickness of the steaks. Put in the spring onions for the last 2 minutes.
The sauce should have reduced to a few tablespoons, but if necessary, put the fish on a serving dish, keep warm and boil the sauce down a bit more. Taste – it probably won’t need more salt, because the beans and soy sauce are salty – and add lemon or lime juice.
Pour the sauce over the fish, sprinkle with the sesame oil and serve with rice.
Round firm fish
These fish vary greatly in size from the small red mullet to huge swordfish and tuna. In between come sea bass, a number of breams, grey mullet, gurnard, monkfish, salmon and snapper. Small fish are sold whole or filleted for poaching, grilling and baking; larger fish are usually sold only as steaks or fillets. The flesh varies in texture from neat, small flakes with a delicate flavour (bass, bream) to firm medallions (monkfish) or meaty steaks (swordfish or tuna); these are best braised, grilled or baked and served with a well-flavoured sauce.
Steamed sea bass
Steaming is the best way to cook a really fresh fish. This recipe uses Chinese flavourings which also work well with bream, snapper or carp. Sichuan pepper (fagara) is a small red-brown berry, the fruit of a prickly ash tree. It is used extensively in Chinese cooking and has a spicy-woody fragrance and a numbing effect in the mouth rather than a pungent peppery taste. Discard any loose black seeds since they are bitter. It is available from oriental shops and some supermarkets.
For 2–3
1 bass weighing 750–900g
50g finely chopped smoked ham
1 tbs light soy sauce
1 tbs rice wine* or dry sherry
2 tsp sesame oil
¼ tsp crushed Sichuan pepper or white peppercorns
3cm piece fresh ginger, peeled and chopped finely
1 tsp salt
garnish
3 spring onions, chopped finely
1 tbs sunflower oil
1 tbs sesame oil
Clean the fish thoroughly and make 3 slashes in each side. Combine the ham, soy sauce, wine, oil, pepper and ginger and mix well together. Rub the fish all over and in the cavity with salt. Push some of the flavourings into the slashes, rub them over the skin and put the remainder into the cavity.
Place the fish on a plate with a rim, curving it if necessary, and put the plate in the steamer or on a rack in a wok. Pour 6–8cm hot water into the steamer or wok, cover and steam over simmering water for 12–15 minutes. Make a small cut near the backbone to see if the flesh flakes easily, but don’t let out too much steam while doing so.
Lift out the fish, keeping all the juices on the plate with it. Scatter the spring onions over the top. Heat the two oils slowly in a small pan and when very hot pour the liquid over the fish and serve at once. If you wish, offer the dipping sauce below.
Soy and ginger dipping sauce Combine 4 tbs light soy sauce with 2 tsp shredded fresh ginger.
Bream baked in a salt crust
No dish could be simpler than this: all you need is a handsome fish and a lot of coarse sea salt. A bream would be my first choice, but bass and snapper can also be used.
For 4
1 bream weighing 1–1.5kg
about 1.5kg coarse sea salt
Heat the oven to 220°C, 425°F, gas 7. Have the fish gutted and trimmed but not scaled. Put an even layer of salt, about 1cm thick, in a baking dish just big enough to hold the fish and lay the fish on it. Cover the fish entirely with salt until you have a mound of salt and no sign of the fish. Bake for 25 minutes for a fish weighing 1kg, 35 minutes for one weighing 1.5kg. For a fish weighing less than 1kg, cook for 20 minutes. Remove from the oven, break and carefully lift off the salt crust, and then remove the skin. Lift off the top fillets, take out the backbone and remove the lower fillets.
Serve with extra virgin olive oil, lemon quarters and a mill of black pepper or with salsa verde (p. 367) or sauce vierge (p. 360).
Red mullet with sauce vierge
This is a quick dish to make during the summer when the garlic is young and tomatoes are ripe.
For 4
sauce vierge (p. 360)
2 tbs olive oil
8 red mullet fillets
salt and freshly ground pepper
Have the sauce ready before cooking the fish. Heat the oil in a frying pan and fry the mullet fillets, skin side down, for 2 minutes, then turn and fry the flesh side for 30 seconds. Lift the fillets onto a warm serving dish, season lightly, spoon over the sauce and serve.
Poached salmon
I learned to poach salmon from Jane Grigson’s Fish Cookery, and I give her instructions here. You will need a fish kettle; if you don’t own one, your fishmonger may have one for hire. Alternatively, an approximation to poaching can be achieved by baking in the oven (p. 237, p. 246).
Tear off a piece of foil large enough to wrap the salmon. If the fish is very large make two straps out of more foil to help lift it when it is cooked. Lay them across the big piece to either side of the centre, then brush the foil with oil. Put the cleaned salmon in the middle of the foil and fold up the sides and ends to make a loose parcel. Twist the edges to close tightly.
For salmon to be served cold: Put it on the tray in the fish kettle; if necessary turn the tail up the side of the pan. Add cold water to fill the pan almost to the top. Bring slowly to the boil, allow the water to bubble a few times, then remove the kettle from the heat and put it in a cool place. Leave undisturbed for several hours, until the water is quite cold. Lift out and unwrap the parcel and you will have a perfectly cooked salmon.
For salmon to be served hot: Fill the fish kettle half full with water and bring to the boil. Put in the wrapped salmon on the strainer tray. Bring back to a steady simmer, then start the timing. For fish weighing up to 2kg allow 5 minutes per 500g; up to 3kg 6 minutes. Let stand for 10 minutes before unwrapping the parcel.
Don’t forget when cooking a large fish that thickness should be more of a guide to cooking time than weight alone. If you have a very large fish, cut it in two or three pieces, wrap and cook each one separately, then mask the joins with a garnish when it comes to serving.
To serve, lift the salmon on its straps onto a long dish or oiled piece of wood. Remove the skin from the top fillet, leaving head and tail intact. Garnish simply with a bunch of watercress and, if you wish, very thin rounds of lemon or cucumber along the fish. Serve cold with mayonnaise (p. 362) or salsa verde (p. 367) or hot with béarnaise (p. 374) or sorrel sauce (p. 377).
Microwaved salmon with ginger and lime
For 4
2 tsp sesame oil
2 tsp soy sauce
1 tbs peeled and finely chopped ginger
1 tbs dry sherry
1 unwaxed lime
4 pieces of skinned salmon fillet, 1cm thick, each weighing 180g
salt
2 spring onions
Combine sesame oil, soy sauce, ginger and sherry and rub the mixture into the salmon. Marinate for 30 minutes. Grate the rind from the lime and squeeze out 4 tsp juice. Arrange the fish in a microwave dish, season lightly with salt and pour 1 tsp lime juice over each fillet. Cover tightly and steam at full power for 5 minutes. Serve the salmon with its juices, sprinkled with lime zest and chopped spring onion with wedges of lime on the side.
Salmon trout baked in foil
Baking in foil is a simple and quick method of preparing a fish weighing 1–2kg. Bass, bream, grey mullet can all be cooked in this way. I have used flavourings of shallot, tarragon sprigs and lemon for the salmon trout because it has a delicate flavour; a more robust fish would benefit from crushed garlic and coriander leaves. When baking the fish, reckon 10 minutes per 2.5cm thickness at its thickest part, but also bear in mind the overall size of the fish. A 1.5kg fish will take about 40–45 minutes.
For 4–6
1–2 tbs olive oil
3 shallots, peeled and chopped
4–5 sprigs tarragon
2 lemons, peeled and sliced thinly
1 salmon trout weighing 1–1.5kg
salt and freshly ground pepper
2 tbs white wine or vermouth
2 tbs fish fumet (p. 6), optional
Heat the oven to 220°C, 425°F, gas 7. Tear off a piece of foil large enough to make a baggy wrapping for the fish, making sure there is enough foil at each end of the fish to close the parcel tightly. Place the foil on a baking sheet and oil the central part lightly. Scatter shallots, tarragon and lemon on it, lay the fish on top, put more flavourings inside and on top of the fish. Season with salt and pepper. Lift up the long sides of the foil, then the short sides so that the fish lies in a sort of box. Pour in 1 tbs oil, the wine or vermouth and the fumet if you have some. If not, depending on the size of the fish, you may wish to add a little more wine. Bring the long sides of the foil together, close the top seam of the parcel, folding it at least double and pinching it closed. Make similar seams at the head and tail ends. The parcel should be loose, but airtight.
Bake the fish, following the guidelines on cooking time above. Open the parcel carefully from the top and insert the point of a knife near the backbone. If the fish flakes easily it is ready. Transfer the fish to a warmed serving dish, remove the upper skin and spoon over the juices, or if you are not confident about lifting it out, transfer the whole parcel and serve it from that.
Baked snapper with chermoula
Chermoula is an excellent Moroccan seasoning mix for fish. Garlic, onion, parsley, coriander, chilli powder and paprika form the basis, together with one or more of the other staple spices of Moroccan cooking – saffron, cumin or cinnamon. Sometimes the peel of a preserved lemon is added to the mixture. Chermoula can be used for a whole fish as here, or with steaks that are pan-fried. Grey mullet, bass, bream or hake are all suitable.
The list of ingredients may look forbiddingly long, but the marinade is quickly prepared, and the rest is done in the oven.
For 4–6
1 large or 2 medium snappers weighing 1.5–2kg, scaled and gutted
800g-1kg ripe tomatoes
salt to taste
150g cracked green or purple olives
For the chermoula
3 garlic cloves, peeled
1 tsp salt
I onion, peeled and chopped finely
small bunch flat-leaf parsley, chopped
small bunch coriander, chopped
1 tsp paprika
¼ tsp chilli powder
½ tsp cumin
peel from 1 preserved lemon (p. 513), chopped finely (optional)
6 tbs olive oil
juice of 1 lemon
Wash the fish and pat dry. Make sure all the scales are removed because you can’t see them once the fish is covered with the chermoula, and it is unpleasant to get one in your mouth. Slash the sides in two or three places.
Crush the garlic with the salt and combine with the other chermoula ingredients to make a thick paste. Rub well all over the fish, making sure some goes into the slashes and into the cavity. Put the fish in a dish and leave in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours, or even overnight, to allow the flavours to develop.
Take the fish from the refrigerator at least 30 minutes before it is to be cooked and place it in an ovenproof dish. Heat the oven to 190°C, 375°F, gas 5. Slice the tomatoes and put them over the fish. Season lightly with salt and scatter around the olives. Spoon over any remaining chermoula. Drizzle a little oil over the top if there is not much chermoula left.
Cover with foil and bake for 35–45 minutes, depending on the size and number of fish. Serve from the dish.
Variations
• Replace the tomato slices with thin slices of lemon from which you have removed the pith and rind.
• If you wish, slice thinly and parboil 1kg potatoes and put them in layers under the fish before baking.
• If you have used the chermoula to marinate fish steaks, pat the fish dry with paper towels, dust with flour and fry until golden brown on both sides. Serve with lemon wedges.
Swordfish kebabs
I’ve chosen swordfish here, but kebabs can be made with any firm textured fish; tuna and monkfish are other excellent choices. Other marinades for fish are given on p. 386.
For 4
700g swordfish steaks
½ small red onion, peeled and chopped finely
1 garlic clove, peeled and chopped finely
2 bay leaves, torn
handful flat-leaf parsley, chopped
1 tsp paprika
salt to taste
3 tbs white wine or vermouth
4 tbs olive oil
Cut the fish into 3cm cubes. Combine all the other ingredients except for 2 tbs oil and rub over the fish. Leave to marinate for at least 2 hours. Thread the swordfish cubes onto skewers (if you use wooden ones, soak them in water for 10 minutes first) and brush the fish with the remaining oil. Grill over charcoal or under a very hot indoor grill, turning once.
Allow about 3 minutes per side. Serve with quartered lemons and salmoriglio (p. 377). Other good accompaniments would be coriander chutney (p. 383), tarator sauce (p. 364) or tomato vinaigrette (p. 359).
Microwaved trout with gremolata
For 2
1 unwaxed lemon
1 trout, weighing 400–500g
salt and freshly ground pepper
3 tbs chopped parsley
1 large garlic clove, peeled and chopped finely
Grate the rind from the lemon and squeeze out 2 tsp juice. Sprinkle a little of the juice inside the fish and season well. Mix the parsley, garlic and lemon rind. Stuff the cavity with half of this gremolata mixture. Season the outside of the fish, splash over the remaining lemon juice and wrap the fish tightly in microwave plastic film. Put it on a plate and steam at full power for 1½ minutes. Turn the fish and steam for another 1½ minutes. Leave to stand for 1–2 minutes before unwrapping. Lift the top fillet, remove the bone, then the lower fillet. Scatter over with the remaining gremolata.
Tuna steaks with Seville orange marinade, olives and pine nuts
This dish has Sicilian influences in the flavourings: pine nuts or almonds, green olives, capers, parsley or mint, sometimes raisins or currants and, of course, garlic occur in many dishes from that beautiful island. If it is not the season for Seville oranges, use the juice of 1 sweet orange and 1 lemon.
For 4
small bunch of parsley
4 tuna steaks, weighing 150–180g
juice of 2 Seville oranges and grated rind of 1
2 bay leaves
salt and freshly ground pepper
2 tbs olive oil
2 tbs pine nuts
20 green olives, stoned and cut in half
1 tbs capers
Strip the parsley leaves off their stalks. Marinate the tuna steaks in half the orange juice with the parsley stalks and bay leaves for up to 1 hour. Lift out the steaks, season with salt and pepper on both sides and brush lightly with oil. Grill, or fry in a hot non-stick pan, for 2–3 minutes on each side, depending on thickness.
Meanwhile heat the remaining juice in a small pan with the grated orange rind, pine nuts, olives and capers and cook gently for 2–3 minutes. Spoon the sauce over the steaks and garnish with the chopped parsley leaves.
Oil-rich fish
This group, also round in form, includes anchovies, herring, mackerel and sardines. They are small, sleek fish with fairly soft flesh. In varying degrees, they are rich in fats, including omega-3 fatty acids. Salmon and tuna are also oil-rich but are included in Round firm fish on p. 243 because they are firm and can be cooked in a greater variety of ways than the small, soft-fleshed oily fish.
Poach, grill, bake or fry these with herbs and spices and serve with sharply flavoured sauces (mustard, p. 359 and horseradish, p. 365) and salsas to counteract the oiliness. See also marinated herring (p. 40).
Barbecued sardines
Fresh sardines straight from the grill are perfect garden and beach food. Serve them with parsley, salsa cruda (p. 380), or tomato sambal (p. 384).
For 4
12–16 sardines, scaled and gutted
juice and grated rind of 1 large or 2 small unwaxed lemons
2 tbs sunflower oil
2–3 sprigs of thyme
½ tsp crushed black peppercorns
salt
Put the sardines in a shallow dish, mix together all the other ingredients and pour over the fish, making sure they are all coated. Leave to marinate for 20–30 minutes. Grill, turning once, and allow 3–4 minutes on each side. Brush with the marinade after turning. Serve with the salsa or sambal and crusty bread.
Baked mackerel with orange and coriander
For 4
4 small mackerel, filleted
juice of 1½–2 oranges
1 tsp finely crushed coriander seeds
salt and freshly ground pepper
2 tbs chopped coriander leaves
Heat the oven to 190°C, 375°F, gas 5. Arrange the mackerel fillets in a shallow ovenproof dish and pour over the orange juice. Season with coriander seed, salt and pepper. Cover the dish and bake for about 15 minutes. Serve from the dish with the fresh coriander leaves scattered over the top.
Variation
Baked stuffed mackerel Stuff 4 medium mackerel with a mixture of 50g fresh breadcrumbs, 1 finely chopped shallot, 1 tbs chopped tarragon, 1 tbs chopped parsley, 2–3 tomatoes, seeded and diced, the juice and grated rind of 1 unwaxed lemon, salt and freshly ground pepper. If you remove the backbone first (p. 234), they will be easier to stuff. Bake, covered, in a well-buttered dish for 25–30 minutes at 190°C, 375°F, gas 5.
Flat fish
This is another group that varies greatly in size, from the large halibut and turbot to brill, John Dory, skate, the various soles, plaice and dabs. Turbot and dover sole have succulent firm flesh and are rightly prized. Brill is somewhat softer, while halibut tends to be drier. John Dory is firm fleshed and well flavoured, though often neglected because of its ugly appearance and fierce spines. The small fish – lemon sole, plaice, dabs – have soft flesh that is easy to overcook. Halibut and turbot are usually sold as steaks; the smaller fish are sold whole and may be cooked whole or filleted. Skate is different from the others in that it has a cartilaginous rather than a bony structure; it is sold as wings which have a fine-textured flesh. Flat fish can be poached, steamed, fried, grilled or baked.
Béarnaise (p. 374), sauce vierge (p. 360) and sorrel sauce (p. 377) make fine accompaniments.
See also fish and shellfish ragoût (p. 255).
Steamed brill with mushrooms and leeks
Brill is a rather neglected flatfish, somewhat smaller than a turbot with a similar texture and fine flavour, and it is much cheaper. I’ve used small cap mushrooms in the recipe, but wild mushrooms such as pieds de mouton or chanterelles, even for part of the quantity, would enhance the flavour. I don’t recommend large field or portobello mushrooms because they darken the sauce.
For 4
400g mushrooms
400g leeks, white part only
1 shallot, peeled and chopped finely
2 tbs olive oil
100ml fish stock or use the brill bones and head to make stock (p. 6)
salt and freshly ground pepper
90g butter
1 brill, weighing about 1.5kg, filleted
Slice the mushrooms. Slice 300g of the leeks into rounds; cut the remainder in half lengthways, then into 10cm lengths and cut each piece into julienne* strips. Put the shallot to soften in the olive oil and add the mushrooms when it has taken colour. Sauté, stirring, until the mushrooms have given up their liquid and absorbed it again. Stir in the sliced leeks, pour over the stock and season with pepper and salt. Cover and simmer.
Heat 20g of the butter in a small pan and sauté the julienned leeks, shaking and stirring the pan, until it is just cooked, but retains a bite. Set aside.
Season the brill, place the two fillets on plates with rims that will fit inside the steamer, and steam over simmering water for about 5 minutes. If the fillets are thick they may take a little longer.
While the fish is steaming, stir small pieces of the remaining butter into the vegetables. To serve, spoon the mushroom and leek onto a warm serving dish or individual plates; divide each brill fillet in two, remove the skin, and place the fish on top and garnish with the sautéed leek.
Poached skate with vinaigrette
For 4
1 recipe for court-bouillon (p. 5)
1kg skate wings
1 tbs lemon juice
1 tbs olive oil
½ tbs chopped parsley
½ tbs chopped tarragon
½ tbs chopped chervil
1 tbs capers
½ fennel bulb, chopped finely
2 small tomatoes, peeled, seeded and diced
salt and freshly ground pepper
Heat the court-bouillon gently in a wide pan until it boils. Cut the skate wings into sections if they are very large. Add the fish to the pan, bring back to the boil and simmer for 8–10 minutes. Lift out the skate, draining it well. Strain the court-bouillon and pour 100ml into a bowl. Add the lemon juice, olive oil, herbs, capers, fennel and tomato, and season to taste.
Remove the skin from the skate, pour over the vinaigrette while the skate is warm and leave to marinate for 15 minutes. Serve at room temperature.
Grilled sole
The sole is the finest of the small flat fish and it responds well to simple treatment. Plaice, flounder and lemon sole may all be grilled too, but will cook in about half the time.
For 2
2 Dover sole, each weighing 300g
2 tbs lemon juice
30g butter, preferably clarified butter*
salt and freshly ground pepper
Remove the skin from both sides of the fish (p. 235) or ask the fishmonger to do this. Sprinkle with lemon juice and brush with melted butter. Under a pre-heated grill, cook for 4–5 minutes a side, turning the fish once. Season lightly and serve with pats of savoury butter (p. 385) on top.
Steamed turbot with sorrel sauce
Turbot is a beautiful firm-fleshed fish with an excellent flavour and a price to match; halibut or if you can find it, John Dory, make good and more affordable substitutes.
For 2
sorrel sauce (p. 377)
2 pieces of turbot fillet, each weighing 170g
salt and freshly ground pepper
Make the sauce. Season the turbot fillets, put them on a plate with a rim that fits inside the steamer and steam over simmering water for 6–8 minutes, depending on the thickness of the fish. Test with the point of a knife; the flesh should flake easily.
Arrange the turbot on warm individual plates, spoon a little of the sauce over each piece and serve the rest separately.
Fishcakes
Good fishcakes are delicious; they need a high proportion of fish to potato and lively flavourings. The English version is flavoured with tarragon and shallot, the second uses classic Indian spicing. Almost any fish can be used for this recipe, but salmon is the only oily fish I find successful.
English fishcakes
For 4
500g potatoes, peeled
30g butter or 2 tbs olive oil
500g fish fillet, skinned
2 shallots, peeled and chopped finely
2 tbs tarragon leaves, chopped
2 tsp anchovy essence (optional)
salt and freshly ground pepper
flour
1 egg and dried breadcumbs (optional)
oil for frying
Boil the potatoes in salted water, drain and mash them with the butter or olive oil. Poach the fish for 8–10 minutes until it becomes opaque or steam it in the microwave, which will take 3–3½ minutes depending on the thickness of the fillets (p. 239). When it is cool enough to handle, remove all bones and flake the fish. Mix it carefully with the potato, adding the shallots, tarragon and, if using, anchovy essence. Season with pepper and a little salt; the anchovy essence will provide more salt. Shape the mixture into 8 flat cakes in your hands and coat them in seasoned flour – using a plain pastry cutter you can shape the outside more evenly – then pat the cake flat with a knife. Do not make the cakes too big, they are fragile. I prefer to cook my fishcakes like this, but if you wish for a firmer, crunchy coating, lightly whisk the egg, then pass the floured fishcakes through the egg and coat them in breadcrumbs.
Heat a little oil in a frying pan and fry the fishcakes over moderate heat for 2–3 minutes each side. Turn them carefully with a spatula. Drain on kitchen paper. Serve with lemon quarters.
Indian spiced fishcakes
Mashed sweet potato makes a pleasant change from ordinary mash in spiced fishcakes.
For 4
500g sweet potatoes, peeled
30g butter or 2 tbs sunflower oil
500g fish fillet, skinned
seeds of 3 cardamom pods*
2 tsp coriander seed
1 tsp anise or fennel seed
½ tsp chilli powder
1 small onion, peeled and chopped finely
salt
flour
1 egg and dried breadcrumbs (optional)
oil for frying
Boil the potatoes in salted water, drain and mash them with the butter or oil. Cook and flake the fish as described above. Grind together the cardamom, coriander and anise or fennel seed, and combine with the chilli powder. Mix the fish, potato and onion; season with the spices and with salt. Form the mixture into 8 flattened cakes with your hands and coat in flour. For more crunchy fishcakes, lightly whisk the egg, pass the floured fishcakes through it and then coat in breadcrumbs. Fry in a little hot oil over moderate heat for 2–3 minutes on each side, turning once. Drain on kitchen paper and serve with coriander chutney (p. 383) or raita (p. 384).
Fish stews
Why, I wonder, do the English have no native fish soup or stew? The Scots have Cullen Skink, but further south nothing. For islanders, we are certainly rather conservative, basic even, in our fish tastes, and yet nothing could be simpler than a fish stew. Just about every country in the world that has a coastline has recipes for fish stews.
Bourride
This is a classic provençal dish which is less well known than bouillabaisse, but infinitely easier to make outside the region because it does not rely on such a wide variety of local fish. Use whatever white fish looks good when you go shopping: choose 2 or 3 different types – cod, bass, whiting, monkfish, gurnard are all suitable. Oily fish are best avoided. What is important is to take the time to make an aïoli and to take care that it does not curdle when adding it to the broth.
For 4
aïoli (p. 363)
700ml fish stock made from the trimmings (p. 6)
1.5–1.8kg fish fillets including heads and bones
8 slices of french bread, slightly dried out in the oven
Make the aïoli and set aside. Strain the stock into a wide shallow pan and bring to a simmer. Poach the fish fillets or steaks over very low heat for 10 minutes. If the stock starts to boil, remove the pan from the heat. Lift out the fish, cover and keep warm. Set aside 1 tbs of aïoli per person. Put the rest into a pan and add a ladleful of broth off the heat. Stir well with a wooden spoon. Add the rest of the broth, a little at a time, making sure it blends in. Put the pan on a very low heat and stir constantly until the broth thickens enough to coat the spoon. The texture should be smooth and velvety. Pay close attention because if it curdles, it cannot be retrieved.
To serve, put the slices of bread in a deep dish or soup tureen and pour over the broth. Serve the fish and the reserved aïoli to accompany the soup.
Fish and shellfish ragoût
For 6
300g red mullet fillet
250g firm white fish fillets (sole, brill, monkfish, or a mixture)
500g mussels
150ml white wine
150ml vermouth
300ml fish stock (p. 6)
2 leeks, white part only, sliced finely
500g medium or large cooked prawns, peeled
150ml single cream
a little lemon juice
salt and freshly ground pepper
50g butter
Cut the fish fillets into equal-sized pieces, about 50g each. Scrape the mussel shells clean and pull out the beard protruding from between the shells. Discard any that are broken or that won’t close when tapped. Put them in a heavy pan with the white wine, cover and cook over high heat for 3–4 minutes until they have opened: discard any that don’t. Tip them into a colander placed over a bowl to collect the cooking liquor. Remove the mussels from the shells, keeping 8 or 12 of the best-looking mussels for the garnish.
Pour the vermouth into a heavy pan and reduce to 3 tablespoons. Add the stock and the strained mussel liquor, and reduce by half. Add the leek and simmer for 1– 2 minutes, then carefully put in the pieces of fish. Simmer for another 1–2 minutes, then add the prawns and mussels and let them heat through. Lift out all the fish and shellfish and arrange them in 4 warmed bowls.
Add the cream to the pan and simmer for 2 minutes. Do not let it boil. Taste and season with a squeeze of lemon juice, salt and pepper. Finally, whisk in the butter in small pieces. Spoon the sauce over the fish, garnish with the reserved mussels and serve.
Waterzooi
This Flemish stew is usually made with freshwater fish (perch is good) or chicken, but in Antwerp and other coastal towns it is often made with monkfish.
For 4
1kg monkfish
2 shallots, peeled
2 leeks, white part only
2 carrots, peeled
2 inner stalks celery
30g butter
4–5 saffron threads
200ml dry white wine
300ml fish stock (p. 6)
salt and freshly ground pepper
juice of 1 lemon
4 tbs finely chopped parsley
150ml single cream
2 egg yolks
Bone the monkfish, remove all the filmy grey skin and cut into slices about 3cm thick. Chop the shallots finely, cut the leeks, carrots and celery into julienne* strips. Heat the butter in a large heavy pan and gently sweat* the vegetables until soft, but make sure they do not brown. Crush the saffron and soak in a little hot water for a few minutes. Lay the pieces of fish on top of the vegetables and pour over the wine, stock and saffron. Season with salt and pepper. Bring to the boil, then simmer over moderate heat for 10 minutes.
Remove the fish and keep warm, bring the liquid back to the boil, add the lemon juice and parsley, taste for seasoning. Beat together the cream and egg yolks, stir in a ladleful of the cooking liquor, then pour this mixture back into the pan and stir for a moment or two over very low heat. Do not let it boil or the egg will curdle.
Distribute the fish among 4 warm soup plates, pour over the broth and vegetables. Serve with bread or boiled potatoes.
Fish curry
This is a richly flavoured curry which is not too hot – if you would like it hotter, add more chillies. It is easy to make in larger quantities for a party. When it is available, pomfret is a good choice, but I’ve used cod, hake and monkfish successfully too. Fresh curry leaves can be bought from Indian shops; if you can’t find them you can try dried leaves, but often they don’t have much flavour. Even without curry leaves the dish will still have a good taste. If you take the trouble to heat the whole cumin and coriander seeds in a dry frying pan for a few minutes or two before grinding them, the flavour will be improved.
For 4
1 tbs tamarind* paste (or 2–3 tbs lime juice)
2 tbs sunflower oil or ghee*
½ tsp mustard seeds (p. 76)
2 sprays curry leaves (optional)
2 onions, peeled and chopped
2 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped
1 tbs peeled and chopped fresh ginger
½ tsp turmeric
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
6 green chillies, split in 2 and seeds removed
2 tomatoes, quartered
salt to taste
200g coconut cream blended with 350ml hot water
750g fish steaks
Soak the tamarind paste in 2–3 tbs water. Heat the oil and put in the mustard seeds and curry leaves. Cover with a lid because the seeds will pop and fly about. When this has happened, add the onions and fry gently until they soften and turn a light gold, about 5–8 minutes. Now put in the garlic and ginger and fry for 2–3 minutes, stirring frequently. Stir in the spices, chillies and tomatoes. Add salt if you wish.
Pour in the tamarind liquid and half the coconut milk. Stir well to mix all the ingredients together. Bring to a simmer. Put in the fish steaks and the remaining coconut milk. Cover and simmer until the fish is cooked – about 5–10 minutes, depending on how thick it is. Serve with plain rice, or rice garnished with chopped dill.
Seafood
Choosing
Freshness is especially important for shellfish, and this is helped by much of it being still alive when sold. Whole clams, mussels and oysters must be alive with their shells closed; do not buy them if many have gaping shells. If a shell is slightly open, it will respond to a light tap and close up if the mollusc is alive; if it doesn’t, discard it. Opened oysters are best avoided; they have often been rinsed in water before being put on ice. This ruins the flavour and starts deterioration. Scallops are still occasionally found live in their shells; the fishmonger will open and clean them. If they are ready cleaned, look for firm glistening flesh; avoid any that are withered or flabby, or scallops lying in water because they absorb it.
In contrast to the indifferent quality of much farmed fish, shellfish such as mussels, oysters and queen scallops are raised very successfully with no loss of flavour.
Live crabs and lobsters should move quite energetically when you buy them; if they have spent too long in a tank or a box of seaweed they may be sluggish. Small lobsters tend to have a better flavour than the very large ones. Crabs and lobsters should feel heavy for their size. To buy a cooked crab or lobster, go to a reputable fishmonger who boils them himself. Do not buy a crab with a crack or hole in its shell because the meat will be watery and overcooked. Spiny or rock lobsters which have no claws are usually sold as tails, either frozen or precooked.
Prawns and shrimps are sold cooked or raw, but most have been frozen straight after the catch. Avoid dry-looking cooked shrimps and prawns since they will be overcooked.
The flesh of squid and cuttlefish should be creamy beneath the outer membrane; octopus has white flesh beneath a grey skin. Squid and cuttlefish are often frozen immediately after the catch and are still frozen on the fishmonger’s slab. If you buy them frozen, thaw in the refrigerator. Avoid any that are lying in water because they, too, absorb it. Medium- and smaller-sized creatures tend to have more tender flesh than the huge ones sometimes on offer.
As with fish, all shellfish should smell sweet with no hint of ammonia.
Storing
Molluscs need to breathe, so keep them in a bowl or open bag in the refrigerator. They will keep for 1–2 days if necessary at the normal refrigerator temperature. Lobster and crab should be cooked the day they are bought; put them in a box of seaweed or on wads of damp kitchen paper in the refrigerator until you are ready to cook.
Thawed prawns and shrimps will only be good for a day or two at most; but frozen will retain flavour and texture for up to 3 months if stored in the freezer. Defrost them in the refrigerator.
Remove the innards from squid and its relations when you get them home (if bought frozen, wait until thawed) and store in the refrigerator for no longer than a couple of days.
Quantities
For 1 person, allow 350–500g mussels in the shell, or about 150g shelled. Allow 6–12 oysters or clams and 4–6 scallops or large prawns per person, depending on how they are to be served. A 1.25–1.5kg lobster will satisfy 2 people; a crab weighing 750g-1kg will yield about 350g meat, enough for 3. For squid, cuttlefish and octopus, allow about 180–200g per serving before cleaning.
Cleaning and preparing
Mussels
Put them in a large bowl or sink full of cold water. Discard any that have broken or gaping open shells. Scrape any barnacles from the shells and remove the beard by tugging it firmly. As each one is cleaned, place it in a bowl of clean water. Cook the mussels immediately after cleaning. Never leave them standing in fresh water.
Oysters
There are many different types of oyster, but all are opened in the same way, and you will need a proper oyster knife: this has a short strong blade and guard between the blade and the handle. Scrub the shells briefly under running water. Hold the oyster in a cloth in the palm of your hand, flat shell uppermost, or hold it firmly on a cloth on a flat surface. Insert the blade between the shells near the hinge – this may take a bit of force. Lever and twist the blade and run it around until you sever the muscle that holds the shells together. Lift off the top shell and run the knife around the oyster to loosen it from the bottom shell. Wipe away the inevitable bits of broken shell; if they are too fine, strain the liquid through muslin (p. 528); the strained liquid may either be returned to the shell or added to a sauce. If the oyster is gritty, rinse it in its own liquid but do not add water since that will ruin the flavour.
If you intend to cook the oysters, opening them is made easier by steaming briefly or cooking for a minimum time (about 2 minutes for 6, 3½ minutes for 12 in a covered dish) in a microwave oven until the shells open slightly. Don’t leave them for too long or they will start to cook.
Clams
Open clams in the same way as oysters.
Scallops
Cut off the dark intestinal thread along the side, and any traces of the brownish skirt and the tough white muscle on the side. The red or orange coral is edible. If the scallops are of very different sizes, slice the large ones horizontally to achieve the same thickness.
Prawns and shrimps
To shell prawns and shrimps, twist the head to detach it from the body. Peel back the ‘legs’ and pull them and the shell away from the flesh. Hold the tail shell and gently pull the flesh loose.
Crab and Lobster
Squid
Squid may appear daunting and strange, but they are very easy and quick to clean. Pull and twist the head to separate it from the body, removing the innards with it. Cut the tentacles from the head just above the eyes; they will remain joined together by a thin circle of flesh. Within the circle of flesh is the hard ‘beak’ which you squeeze out with your fingers and discard. Discard too the head and innards, keeping the ink sac if you want to use it in the sauce. The transparent pen, as the rudimentary bone is called, can be hooked out of the body with your finger and discarded. Wash the tentacles and body, removing any mucus from inside the pouch. Peel off the reddish-purple skin with your fingers; it comes away easily. Pull off the edible fins on either side of the body and skin them too. The squid (body, fins and tentacles) is now ready for use.
If you are making an oriental dish or intend to grill it, you may need to score the squid. Cut the body open and put it onto a board, inside uppermost. With a sharp knife, cut lightly into the flesh in parallel lines, then turn the squid and make another set of cuts at right angles, to create a diamond pattern. The cuts help to tenderize the squid.
Cuttlefish
Cuttlefish can be prepared in the same way as squid, but it is easier to cut the body open, and lift out the oval bone. Discard the membrane that covers the innards. If you want to use the ink, remove the sac carefully, otherwise discard it with the rest of the guts. Cut the tentacles from the head and press out the beak, as with squid. Wash thoroughly and strip away the outer skin; having a much thicker membrane than the squid, it needs to be pulled firmly.
Octopus
Sever the ring of tentacles. Turn the body inside out and discard the guts and the beak (see above), also the ink sac unless you wish to use it. The skin is quite tough; rubbing it with salt may help to remove it, but it is more easily peeled off after cooking. Baby octopus are tender enough, but larger ones would benefit from beating with a mallet. At the Sydney fish market, you can see them being thrown around in cement mixers. At home, a good way to tenderize octopus is to plunge it into a large pot of boiling water for a few seconds, lift it out to cool slightly, then repeat the process twice more. Then add flavourings, bring the water back to the boil, put in the octopus and simmer until tender.
Cooking methods
For more detailed information on cooking methods, see pp. 236–9. Take care not to overcook seafood; it quickly becomes tough and rubbery.
Boiling
Prawns, raw in the shell, are plunged into well-salted boiling water and cooked until they turn pink. They will take 2–5 minutes, depending on size. Taste one to see if they are ready; undercooked prawns have a mushy texture, overcooked they are tough.
Boiling is too vigorous a method, in fact, for cooking most seafood, but crab and lobster are brought to the boil and simmered.
Crab Many people feel squeamish about cooking crabs and lobsters, but they do taste so much better than most that can be bought ready-prepared unless you have a source which you know prepares dressed crabs daily. Crabs become less active if put in the refrigerator for a few hours or in the freezer for an hour before cooking. Put the crab into very well-salted water (use 100g salt per litre of water), bring to the boil and simmer for 10 minutes per 500g. Remove to cool in a colander.
When it is cool enough to handle, lay the crab on its back and twist off the claws and legs. Crack them with a mallet or nutcracker and, using a flat metal skewer where necessary, scrape out all the flesh. To remove the flesh from the shell, twist back the tail flap and lift out the body section. Discard the grey-white gills and the small stomach sac just behind the mouth. Pick the flesh into two bowls, one for white meat, the other for brown. Take your skewer again and a teaspoon and poke out the flesh from all the crevices of the body. Make sure you do not put bits of thin shell or cartilage in with the meat. This is a long and fiddly, but rewarding, job.
If you want to serve the meat in the shell, break off the jagged edge, scrub out the shell and arrange brown meat down the side and white on either side. For purists, freshly dressed crab needs only a little freshly ground black pepper and lemon juice, but mayonnaise or remoulade sauce (p. 363) go well with it too.
Soft-shell crabs, which are crabs that have moulted and not yet grown into a new hard shell, are in season in late spring. Except for the gills they can be eaten whole and are excellent sautéed or stir-fried.
Lobster The easiest way to cook a lobster is by boiling. Use plenty of well-salted water – 100g salt to 1 litre of water – or a court-bouillon (p. 5) and, after weighing the lobster, plunge it in head-first when the water is at a rolling boil. When the water returns to the boil, lower the heat so it simmers and start to time the cooking, allowing 10 minutes for the first 500g and 4 minutes for each additional 500g. Remove the lobster from the pot and wait until it is cool enough to handle.
To serve in the shell, insert the tip of a large heavy knife in the cross mark behind the head and cut down to the tail. Return to your starting point and cut through the head. Discard the gravel sac just behind the eyes, the feathery gills and the grey-black intestinal thread that runs down the tail. Remove the creamy light green tomalley and, from a female lobster, the roe (both can be used for sauces).
To remove the flesh from the shell, put the lobster on its back, twist off the legs close to the body and extract the meat with a skewer. Detach the claws and crack them with a mallet or sturdy knife and remove the meat neatly, discarding the cartilage. Cut along each side of the body. Remove the stomach sac, the tomalley and any roe. Lift the flesh from the tail end, loosening it if necessary with a small knife, and detach it from the shell.
Lobster can be served hot with hollandaise sauce (p. 373) or cold with mayonnaise, gribiche sauce (p. 362) or a light aïoli (p. 363).
Poaching
This is a particularly good method for cooking scallops; they will take about 1 minute to become opaque. Cook shelled prawns in the same way; they will take 1–3 minutes to turn pink, depending on size.
Steaming
This is a successful method for prawns and scallops; allow a little longer than you would for poaching. Mussels and clams steam in their own juices in a closed pan.
Stewing and braising
Uncooked lobster, octopus and squid, cut into even-sized pieces, can benefit from long cooking in a sauce.
Grilling or barbecuing
Prawns and scallops can all be grilled or barbecued. Mussels and clams can be put on the grill over a barbecue; when their shells open, they are ready. Squid can be cooked very fast on a barbecue or griddle plate if it has been opened and scored (see 260); otherwise, it needs long slow cooking. Anything in between turns the texture rubbery.
Baking and roasting
This is good for prawns and scallops, especially in a papillote, a parcel made with foil or parchment paper.
Sautéing and stir-frying
Sautéing works well for soft-shell crabs, lobsters, prawns, scallops and squid. Lobsters, prawns and scallops all stir-fry beautifully. Seafood must be raw: if it has been cooked in advance, it will get tough, although you can stir a few cooked prawns into a sautéed dish at the last moment.
If you want to prepare a sautéed lobster dish, you need first to kill the lobster by driving a knife through the spinal cord. Put the lobster in the refrigerator for a few hours or freeze for 1 hour to reduce activity. Drive the tip of a very sharp knife through the centre of the cross behind the head. Cut decisively and firmly. Death is instantaneous. Follow the instructions above for splitting a lobster in two or, if you want to keep the tail in whole slices, chop across the join between the head and tail with a heavy cleaver. Now cut off the claws and legs and crack them. Cut the tail in slices following the joints in the shell. Split the head lengthwise and remove stomach sac and gills, tomalley and roe. Keep the latter two for the sauce.
Deep-frying
This is successful with squid rings and small shellfish – such as prawns, scallops, oysters. They are usually coated in a batter (p. 266, p. 247). See p. 99 for more details on deep-frying temperatures.
Microwaving
It is advisable to keep microwaving for small quantities and simple dishes. The cooking times given below are again from Barbara Kafka’s Microwave Gourmet.
To steam medium and large prawns
in shell, 250g 2–3 min
in shell, 500g 3–4 min
shelled, 250g 2–3 min
Cover the plate or dish tightly.
To steam scallops
250g 2 min
500g 3 min
Cover the plate or dish tightly.
Marinades
The marinades given on pp. 387–8 are used mostly for prawns, which only need to be marinated briefly.
Mussel and potato stew
A simple cold weather supper dish.
For 4
small bunch of parsley or coriander with long stalks
2kg mussels
75ml water
1 glass dry white wine
4 stalks celery
4 medium potatoes
2 tbs olive oil or 30g butter
1 onion, peeled and chopped
2 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped
freshly ground black pepper
4 tbs chopped parsley or coriander leaves
Strip and reserve the leaves off the parsley or coriander. Clean the mussels (p. 259). Put them in a large pan with the water, wine and herb stalks over high heat. Cover and shake the pan from time to time. When the mussels are open (discard any that don’t), scoop them into a colander standing in a bowl, and remove them from their shells to a small bowl. Spoon over a little of the cooking liquid and cover so they don’t dry out; if you are going to wait some time to finish the dish, put them in the refrigerator. Strain all the mussel liquor through a fine sieve lined with muslin (p. 528), leaving any large bits of grit in the pan.
Peel the strings from the celery (use a potato peeler) and cut the stalks into 2cm pieces; peel and cut the potatoes to chunks of a similar size. Heat the oil or butter in a heavy pan and lightly sauté the onion until it is transparent. Add the garlic, celery and potatoes, season well with black pepper. The mussels usually provide enough salt. Stir all the vegetables in the fat for a moment or two, then pour over the mussel liquor. Cover the pan and bring to the boil, then simmer for 15–20 minutes until the potatoes are almost ready. If there is too much liquid, remove the lid for the last 5 minutes so that it reduces somewhat. Add the mussels to the pan and allow them to heat through for 2–3 minutes. Taste for seasoning, add the chopped parsley or coriander leaves and serve with crusty bread.
Variation
• For a richer dish, whisk together 2 egg yolks and 100ml thick cream, pour in a ladleful of the cooking juices, then pour the whole back into the pan. Do not let the stew boil or it will curdle. Let it thicken and serve at once.
Seared scallops with tomato and basil butter
For 2
8 large scallops
6 ripe plum tomatoes
15g basil leaves
salt and freshly ground pepper
60g butter
2 tbs lemon juice
2 tbs olive oil
Detach the roes (coral) from the scallops and save for another dish such as a fish stew or soup. Cut the scallops into 2 or 3 discs. Peel and seed the tomatoes and cut them into dice. Tear the basil leaves into small pieces; combine with the tomatoes and season. Melt the butter, stir in the lemon juice, then the tomato and basil mixture. Taste and season lightly. When the tomato has warmed through, put the pan to one side. Heat a non-stick frying pan, add the oil and sear the scallops for 1 minute until browned. Turn and sear the other side for 30 seconds, no more. It is very easy to overcook scallops, so only put a few in the pan at a time. Arrange the scallops on warmed plates and spoon the sauce around them.
Fritto misto of scallops and vegetables
Scallops take well to deep-frying in a light coating batter which seals in their flavour. I do not much like the roe (coral) deep-fried and prefer to keep that for a fish soup or other dish. Sliced young artichokes or pieces of red pepper could be used instead of the vegetables given here.
For 4
2 fennel bulbs
3 small courgettes
8 medium mushrooms
8 large scallops
oil for deep-frying
For the batter
4 heaped tbs flour
pinch of salt
2 eggs
2 tbs olive oil
6 tbs water
Remove the outer layers from the fennel bulbs and cut each one into 8 pieces. Trim the courgettes and cut lengthways into 4 or 6 pieces, and then into 5cm strips. Cut the mushrooms in half and cut the scallops into two rounds.
To prepare the batter, sift the flour and salt into a bowl, make a well in the centre and add the eggs and oil. Mix in the flour and gradually stir in the water until you have a smooth thick cream. Make sure the oil is hot before starting to fry. If you have a deep-fat frying thermometer, 190°C, 375°F is the correct temperature; if not, test with a bread cube (p. 99). Above all, do not let the oil reach smoking point. Fry the foods in the order listed. Dip each piece into the batter and lower into the oil on a wire scoop or slotted spoon. Do not fry more than a few pieces at a time. They will be done after 3–4 minutes. Lift them out, drain on kitchen paper to remove excess oil, and keep warm in a low oven until the scallops are ready. Pile up on a warm dish and serve with lemon quarters immediately, while the batter is crisp.
Barbecued prawns with sweet chilli sauce
Choose large tiger or king prawns for this dish. Grilling over charcoal gives the prawns a better flavour than putting them under an indoor grill.
For 4
16 large uncooked prawns
1 stalk lemon grass*
½ small chilli, sliced finely
1 small garlic clove, peeled and sliced finely
½ tsp sugar
pinch salt
3 tbs sunflower oil
sweet chilli sauce (p. 370)
Shell the prawns and remove the black vein. Discard the outer layer of the lemon grass and, using the bottom third only, slice it finely. Put 8 short wooden skewers in water to soak so that they will not burn. Put the prepared chilli, garlic and lemon grass in a bowl with the sugar, salt and oil and marinate the prawns for 30 minutes, during which time the sauce can be prepared.
Take 4 prawns, push 1 skewer through the tail end of each, leaving space between them, and push a second skewer through the ‘head’ end (so that you have a small ladder). Nick the flesh of each prawn on the underside. Repeat with the rest of the prawns. Brush with a little of the oil from the marinade and barbecue or grill over medium heat for about 2 minutes each side.
Serve with the chilli sauce and, if you wish, a salad of cucumber and mint, dressed with 3 tbs rice vinegar, 3 tbs water, 2 tbs sugar and a pinch of salt.
Microwaved spiced prawns
For 2
250g medium uncooked prawns
¼ tsp turmeric
¼ tsp freshly ground pepper
¼ tsp garam masala*
2 tsp chilli sauce (p. 518)
good pinch salt
1 tsp lemon juice
salad leaves lightly tossed in a vinaigrette
Shell the prawns and remove the black vein. Put them into a dish, combine all the other ingredients except the salad leaves and toss with the prawns to coat them. Cover and marinate for 10 minutes. Arrange the prawns with their tails to the centre on a plate suitable for the microwave, cover and cook at 100% heat for 2-2½ minutes. To serve, arrange the prawns on a bed of salad leaves.
Crab tart
For 6
shortcrust pastry for a 26cm tin, baked blind (pp. 490–1)
200g ricotta or curd cheese
2–3 tbs dry sherry
salt and freshly ground pepper
good pinch cayenne
2 tbs chopped chives
2 tbs chopped parsley
400g white crabmeat
2 eggs
about 60ml single cream or milk
Heat the oven to 190°C, 375°F, gas 5. Mix the ricotta with the sherry, seasonings and herbs. Pick over the crabmeat to remove any bits of shell or cartilage and stir into the ricotta. Whisk the eggs lightly and stir them in with enough milk or cream to make a smooth mixture. Turn the filling into the pastry shell and bake for 30–40 minutes until it is set and lightly browned. Cool on a rack for a few minutes before removing from the tin.
Lobster Courchamps
I find lobster best boiled and served cold with a sauce. Mayonnaise and its related sauces – gribiche, remoulade (pp. 362–3) – are good but to my taste rather too rich. I prefer the Courchamps sauce given by Elizabeth David in An Omelette and a Glass of Wine. She named it after the Comte de Courchamps, author of one of the books in which she found the recipe. He called it Sauce for Boiled Lobster.
For 2
1 lobster, boiled (p. 262)
2 shallots, peeled and chopped finely
leaves from 2 sprigs tarragon, chopped
2 tbs chopped parsley
salt and freshly ground pepper
1 tsp Dijon mustard
24–30 drops soy sauce
6 tbs fruity olive oil
juice of ½ small lemon
1 tsp anisette or Pernod
Once your cooked lobster has cooled, cut it in half. Extract the red and creamy parts from the split lobster and pound them in a mortar. Mix with the shallots, tarragon and parsley. Add the seasonings, and gradually stir in the olive oil, then the lemon juice. Finally add the anisette or Pernod. Put the sauce into two small bowls next to each plate so that the lobster can be dipped into it. The lobster can be cut into thick slices and replaced neatly in the shells.
Squid with peas
For 6
1kg small squid
3 tbs olive oil
1 small onion, peeled and chopped finely
2 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped finely
100ml white wine
100ml water
2 tbs chopped parsley
salt and freshly ground pepper
300g small fresh or frozen peas
Clean the squid as described on p. 260. Slice it into 1cm rings and divide the rings of tentacles in two. Heat the oil in a heavy pan and sauté the onion until it turns a golden colour. Add the garlic and continue to sauté, but do not let it brown. Pour in the wine and water, and add the squid and parsley. Season with salt and pepper. Cover the pan and simmer over low heat for 30 minutes. Add fresh peas to the pan now and continue to cook for a further 15–20 minutes. Cooking time for squid varies greatly, so check to see if it is cooked – when it is ready it can be pierced easily with the point of a knife. Frozen peas should be added when the squid is almost tender since they take only a few minutes to cook. Taste for seasoning before serving.