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Spring fish dishes
It's a great time of the year for some fishy business. Check out your fish supplier - for most people this means the local supermarket - to see what's on offer. And make a point of buying something new that you've never cooked before. Here are some ideas....
TARTARE OF SALMON WITH AVOCADO AND DILL OR MINT
Here's an idea inspired by a dish I had at Patricia Quintana's great restaurant in Mexico City, Izote. Diced salmon is marinated in lime or lemon juice till opaque, mixed with cubed avocado and packed into ramekins. To serve, the ramekins are inverted and drizzled with dressing.
Serves 8-12 depending on your menu
600g boneless, skinless salmon fillet
juice of 1½ lemons or 3 limes
2 small green or red chiles, seeded and finely chopped
1-2 spring onions/scallions, finely chopped
1 packet of dill or mint, finely chopped
8 tbsp olive oil
2 avocados
salt and pepper
- Cut the salmon in small dice, about the size of your little fingernail
- Put the fish in a bowl, add lemon or lime juice and leave to marinate for a couple of hours
- Drain the fish through a strainer and put it back in the bowl; reserve the juice in another small bowl
- Add the chopped chiles, spring onions and herbs to the fish
- Whisk the oil into the juice to emulsify, add salt and pepper
- Brush out 6 ramekins with a little oil
- Skin and stone the avocados and cut them in dice the same size as the fish
- Mix them into the fish and add a little of the oil/juice
- Divide the fish between the oiled ramekins, press down firmly and cover with clingfilm - press it right into the surface of the tartare to prevent the avocado blackening
- To serve, invert the ramekins onto plates and drizzle the rest of the oil/juice around, garnish with extra herbs
WINTER WARM SALAD WITH RED MULLET AND BLOOD ORANGE DRESSING
A last-minute, super-speedy salad of delicious contrasts: white chicory leaves, dark green lamb’s lettuce, red mullet and a blood orange dressing.
Serves 4
2 heads chicory (if possible 1 white and 1 red)
100g mâche/Nüsslisalat (lamb’s lettuce)
4 tbsp vinaigrette
4 small fillets of red mullet
salt and pepper
1 tbsp olive oil
juice of 2 blood oranges
sprigs of fresh herbs (chervil, chives)
- Arrange the chicory leaves in a star shape in soup bowls and put a nest of lamb’s lettuce in the centre
- Cut the fish fillets in 2-3 bias-cut strips
- Season the fish and dust lightly in flour – shake off any excess in a colander
- Heat the oil fiercely in a heavy pan and fry the fish pieces very briefly, turning them once
- Sprinkle with a little lemon juice and arrange them decoratively over the salad
- Tip the blood orange juice into the pan, swirl it around, let it reduce to about 3 tablespoons
- Splash the reduced juice over the fish
- Sprinkle with fresh herbs of your choice, and serve at once with crusty bread
MUSSELS IN THAI GREEN OR RED CURRY SAUCE
WITH BLACK RICE
This makes a dramatic starter or main course dish (shame I haven't got a picture - I'm on the case!) - bright orange mussels on a bed of black rice with a spicy coconut milk sauce.
Serves 4 for a main course, 8 for a starter
2 kg mussels in the shell
1 shallot, finely chopped
1 large piece ginger, sliced
zest of 1 lime, pared off with potato peeler
optional: 2-3 Kaffir lime leaves
1-2 teaspoons Thai green or red curry paste
1 x 400ml can coconut milk
300g black rice (or Basmati or Thai rice)
flat-leaf parsley or coriander/cilantro leaves to garnish
- Scrub the mussels well and pull out the beards - discard any that are gaping open and don't close when tapped sharply
- Put mussels in a large pan with shallot, ginger, lime zest and leaves, cover with a lid and cook over high heat until all the shells are gaping open (at least 5 minutes, maybe more)
- Remove pan from the heat, tip the mussels into a colander set over a large bowl
- Discard any that have not opened. Shell the rest and set aside
- Strain mussel juices through a muslin (or J-cloth, or coffee filter paper) into a bowl and measure out 1 cup (250ml) (freeze the rest for another use)
- Put mussel juice into a saucepan, mix in the curry paste and add the coconut milk
- Warm some soup bowls
- Cook rice in boiling salted water till al dente, following the instructions on the packet
- At the last minute, heat the sauce gently, add the mussels and let them heat through for a couple of minutes
- Divide the rice between heated soup bowls, spoon the mussels and sauce over, garnish with coriander/cilantro or parsley leaves
FISH FILLETS WITH A HERBY CRUMB CRUST
Any fillets of firm white fish will do for this quick fishy fix – take a look in your fish counter and see what’s best and/or on special. Sea bass, rascasse, cod, coley or haddock all work well.
Serves 4
600g firm white fish fillets
salt and pepper
3 thick slices day-old baguette-type bread, crusts removed and cut into chunks [OR 150g fresh white breadcrumbs]
a handful of chopped fresh herbs (e.g. parsley, chives, chervil)
2 tbsp olive oil
1 clove garlic, mashed
juice of ½ a lemon
- Season the fish with salt and pepper and arrange in a single layer in a lightly oiled ovenproof dish
- If you have a food processor, put the bread chunks into it and process with the herbs and a little salt till nicely crumbly
- Through the funnel, add the oil, garlic and lemon juice and process in short bursts till well mixed
- [Alternatively, in a bowl, stir together the breadcrumbs, finely chopped herbs, oil, garlic and lemon juice]
- Spread the crumb mixture over the fish, pressing down well
- Chill the fish until ready to bake
- Heat the oven to 220oC/425oF
- Bake for 8-10 minutes or until the fish is just opaque and the crust lightly golden
PINK AND WHITE FISH LASAGNE WITH GREEN SAUCE
A beautiful and delicious mixture of pink fish (salmon, trout) and white (whatever's good and fresh) layered with fresh lasagne sheets and a fabulous green cilantro sauce.
Serves 4
a good bunch of cilantro, chopped
a walnut-sized piece of fresh ginger, peeled and sliced
1 clove garlic, mashed
200ml stock or water
200ml crème fraîche épaisse (lightly soured cream)
1 tsp Maizena (cornflour/cornstarch)
salt and pepper
250g fresh lasagne sheets (store-bought or home-made)
2 good-sized skinless, boneless white fish fillets (ca. 500g)
1 large skinless, boneless pink fish fillet (ca. 300g)
- Put the cilantro (leaves and stalks), ginger and garlic in a liquidizer with the water/stock, cream, Maizena, salt and pepper
- Blend till smooth, then pour into a saucepan
- Bring the sauce to a boil and simmer for 5 minutes; set aside
- Oil an ovenproof dish and cut the lasagne sheets to fit
- Season fish fillets with salt and pepper
- Put a little sauce in the bottom of the dish, add a layer of lasagne sheets, some sauce and one of the white fish fillets
- Follow with another pasta sheet, more sauce and the pink fish fillet
- Add another pasta sheet, more sauce and the second white fish fillet; finish with a sheet of pasta and more sauce (= 4 layers pasta/sauce + 3 layers fish/sauce)
- Cover with foil or microwave-safe plastic wrap (depending on how you plan to cook it – see below) and refrigerate dish if not baking immediately
- To cook the fish lasagne:
- EITHER (conventional oven): heat oven to 180oC and bake foil-covered fish for 30-35 minutes or until thoroughly hot (test with a skewer held to the cheek)
- OR (microwave): microwave fish (covered with microwave-safe plastic wrap) on maximum for 6-8 minutes or until thoroughly hot (test with a skewer held to the cheek)
HAPPY FISHING!
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