fish kebabs with garlic butter

Serves 4

Preparation time 25 minutes, plus marinating

Cooking time 15 minutes

450 g (14½ oz) cod fillet, skinned and cut into bite-sized chunks

75 g (3 oz) thinly sliced pancetta, halved

8 small tomatoes

200 g (7 oz) chestnut mushrooms

1 red pepper, cored, deseeded and cut into chunks

100 g (3½ oz) butter

1 tablespoon olive oil

finely grated rind of 1 lemon

2 garlic cloves, crushed

1 tablespoon chopped parsley

1 tablespoon chopped thyme

salt and pepper

Wrap the fish chunks in the pieces of pancetta. Using a sharp knife, cut a small cross in the base of each tomato. Thread the pancetta-wrapped cod, tomatoes, mushrooms and red pepper chunks alternately on to the soaked wooden skewers. Place in a shallow ovenproof dish.

Melt 25 g (1 oz) of the butter with the oil in a saucepan, stir in the lemon rind and season with a little salt and pepper. Brush over the kebabs and leave to marinate in the refrigerator for about 1 hour. Place the kebab dish on the upper rack of the halogen oven.

Set the temperature to 250°C (482°F) and cook the kebabs for 10–15 minutes, turning them once or twice, until cooked through.

Meanwhile, melt the remaining butter in the pan and stir in the garlic, parsley and thyme. Season lightly and serve spooned over the kebabs, accompanied by rustic bread for mopping up the juices.

For sauce vierge to serve instead of the garlic butter, skin 4 tomatoes and scoop out the seeds. Chop the flesh into small dice. Put 100 ml (3½ fl oz) olive oil in a small saucepan and stir in½ teaspoon crushed coriander seeds, ½ teaspoon crushed cumin seeds, a small handful of chopped herbs such as parsley, chervil, tarragon and chives, 1 crushed garlic clove, a little seasoning and the chopped tomatoes. Warm through gently before serving with the kebabs.