Curried Monkfish & Cauliflower

  This recipe is very much a ‘by taste’ one and so the quantities are variable to taste etc. I normally serve this as a started as it is quite rich with the fish and lashings of butter!!

Ingredients (serves 2):

• Monkfish tail (de boned and film removed) approx 300gms
• Banana shallot finely diced
• 150gms (ish) salted butter
• Large handful of cauliflower florets
• Mild curry powder - Large tbsp
• Almonds - toasted 2 tbsp (or hazlenuts if you have an alergy!)
• Sugar - ½ tsp (ish)
• Salt pepper to taste

Melt half of the butter in a frying pan and soften the shallot. Add monkfish pieces and curry powder, stir well. Whilst cooking, lightly steam the cauliflower florets then drain and add to the pan with the remaining butter. Season to taste and add a small pinch of sugar. Finally stir in the nuts and serve.

Kedgeree

 A firm favourite in our house! I tend to serve with Mango Chutney as a condiment....

Ingredients (serves 2/3 ish):

• 220g of smoked haddock
• 1 cup of long grain rice (I use basmati as I have a sack of it!!)
• 15ml of lemon juice
• 75ml of single cream
• pinch of grated nutmeg
• pinch of cayenne pepper
• 2 hard bolied eggs cut into wedges
• 25g of diced butter
• fresh parsley
• salt & pepper

Place the haddock in a frying pan and cover with water and then poach for about 10 mins. Remove from the pan and remove the skin and any bones. Reserve the liquid for the rice as below.

The volume of rice needs to have double the quantity of cooking liquid. If there is not enough, then top up with water. Bring this all to the boil and simmer for about 15mins. Preheat the oven to 180degC.

Remove the rice when tender and stir in the lemon juice, cream, flaked fish, nutmeg and cayenne pepper. Stir in the eggs with care and then transfer the whole mixture into a buttered baking dish and dot the top with the butter as well. Bake for about 25mins.

Serve with a little chopped parsley, check the seasoning and add Mango Chutney to the side if you fancy it! As the fish is salty, check first before adding any salt. For a richer dish, the rice quantities can be reduced and the haddock and cream can be increased.

Enjoy....

Lobster Thermidor (sauce)

I have had a few varieties of sauce that is served as Thermidor, whether it be for Crab or Lobster. Some of them are great and some are so so. This one I would put into the great category  I like it because it it doesn't use any cheese. Feel free to experimnet with a little Parmesan or Old Winchester.

This sauce was supposedly created in France to celebrate a play called Thermidor.....and the word comes from Greek, meaning heat. Well there you have it, enjoy!

Ingredients:

• 1 large shallot, finely chopped
• 200ml of fish stock
• 200ml of white wine (dry and good quality)
• 300ml of bechemal sauce
• 100ml of Double cream
• 1 tsp of Dijon Mustard
• 1 tsp of English mustard powder
• 50g of butter (chilled and diced)
• Salt
• Pinch of cayenne pepper

In a saucepan add the white wine, stock and shallot and boil and reduce until about 1/3rd left. Add the bechemal and and cook over a low heat for about 15-20 mins stirring every now and then. Pour in the cream and simmer for 5 mins. Mix the English mustard with a little water and then add both mustards to the sauce and cook for a couple of minutes. Now take off the heat and whisk in to the sauce bit by bit.Taste and season with salt and cayenne. I have been advised that you can add a little brandy at the end of the cooking - I have not tried it but is sounds like a good idea!

What you now do is your choice! But I would be tempted next time to try this with some grilled fresh mussels - done in a sort of gratin!

My sister has pestered me to put this up on the blog - I hope you enjoy and if you need me to come over and do some tasting, let me know!

Smoking Food...!

Now I don’t mean finely chopping dried herbs and rolling up in a Rizla or dried meat rolled up in a smoke herring skin like a cigar, I mean hot smoking food to cook it or enhance its flavour – and then eat it! I was recommended this little gadget http://tinyurl.com/25xaj6g (many places sell them, not just Amazon) and I am delighted with the initial results. The only issue I have is that Mrs H has a slight issue with smoke – even a tiny bit, so I’m going to have to find a way of using it outside or in the shed. The smoker is pretty good at keeping most of the smoke inside itself but some does escape and even the hob extractor doesn’t take it all away.

It worked well, even on my electric hob and about 25 minutes was just right to smoke a gutted rainbow trout – I used apple wood dust which came with the smoker. The result was a moist and delicately smoked fish without spoiling the lovely flavour of the trout. Its goiung to take a little practice but I am looking forward to smoking some sausages and maybe even some smoked mash! Will keep you updated on the progress….

Crayfish Fishcakes

In a desperate try to get a decent spicy fishcake, I tried using a tub of crayfish bought from the local supermarket – a few tweeks here and there, and voila – delish!

Ingredients (Serves 2 hungry people):

• 1 Tub of peeled crayfish tails
• 1 tbsp of Thai fish sauce
• 1 chopped green chilli
• 1 tbsp of red thai curry paste
• 1 small piece of ginger – grated
• 1 clove of garlic – roughly chopped
• 2 tbsps of chopped fresh coriander (inc stalks)
• Juice of ½ lime
• ½ tsp sugar (ideally palm sugar but any will do)
• 1 tbsp of dried breadcrumbs
• 2 eggs – beaten
• 1 tsp chopped thai basil leaves
• Veg oil for shallow frying

Put the crayfish, fish sauce, chilli, paste, ginger, garlic, lime into a blender and blitz for a very short while – but make sure it is roughly chopped and not too fine. Put this mix into a bowl and combine with the eggs, breadcrumbs, coriander, and basil and ensure the mixture is well mixed together. You should be able to form little patties of the mixture and they should keep their shape. If the mixture is a little liquid, add a few more breadcrumbs. Fry the patties in vegetable oil and make sure they are well cooked on one side before turning over. Serve with some sweet chilli dipping sauce and maybe some cucumber relish.

Coquille St Jacques

I’m not sure, these days, what is the correct version for this dish, but this recipe is pretty darn good and very easy…

Ingredients (serves 4 starters):

• Pack of Queen Scallops
• 100gms of Chestnut Mushrooms – sliced
• 30gms butter
• 30gms plain flour
• 250ml of water
• 125ml of dry white wine
• 1 tbsp butter
• 1 shallot – sliced
• 2 tbsps double cream
• ½ cup of grated parmesam
• ½ cup of dry breadcrumbs
• Salt & Pepper

In a small saucepan, mix the wine, water and shallot and then put the scallops in the pan and bring to a simmer. Gently simmer for 5 minutes. Remove the scallops and keep warm. Keep the cooking liquid for the sauce.. In a small pan, fry the chopped mushrooms in a knob of butter until soft, bowned and all the liquid has gone. Now for the sauce! Melt the butter in a pan and stir in the flour until all blended. Now over a low heat, gradually stir in the saved cooking liquid and until you get a rich sauce – quite thick. Season with salt and pepper and stir in the cream.

Place equal portions of the scallops and mushrooms in small ovenproof bowls or dishes (I use a large squat ramekin) then pour over the sauce unitl it has just covered the scallop mix.Mix the parmesan and breadcrumbs together and then sprinkle liberally over the top. Warm in a hot over for a short while (10 mins) and finish off under the grill until the topping is golden brown if not already so! Enoy. Make sure you have a little fresh bread handy to mop up any sauce…..

Fish Stew (or Bouillabaisse)

This recipe gives you a soup that is ‘strained’ of the bits but has the fish in it giving a rich taste and allowing you to enjoy the texture of the meats. Mrs H. is not that keen on squid or mussels etc so I used white fish, salmon and prawns but you could use anything you fancy or anything that is on offer at the market – inc mussels!

Ingredients (Serves 4):

• 1 small fillet of cod
• 2 small fillets of other white fish – different textures – say 200gms each
• 1 small fillet of salmon
• Small pack of peeled prawns
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 3 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
• 1 leek, finely chopped
• 1 carrot, finely chopped
• ½ bulb of fennel, finely chopped
• (I used 5 mini fennel bulbs)
• ½ tsp fennel seeds
• 1 tin of chopped tomatoes (440gms)
• 1 tsp of tomato puree
• 2 small sprigs of thyme
• 1 bay leaf
• 500ml of fish stock
• 1L of water
• ½ tsp of saffron stamens
• 1 tsp of salt
• ½ tsp smoked paprika
• Pinch of chilli powder
• Charlotte potatoes – peeled and turned or chopped
• 1 tbspish Chopped parsley

Remove the bones and skin from all the fish and chop into decent size chunks and put to one side.

Heat the oil in a pan and fry the onion, garlic, carrot, leek and fennel and cook gently for 10 minutes until soft but not coloured.

Stir in the tomatoes, puree, fennel seeds, thyme, bay leaf and any fish trimmings (if you kept them). Add the stock, water and saffron and bring to the boil. Gently simmer uncovered for around 45 minutes. About half way through, add the potatoes. When it has reduced to about 1 litre remove from the heat, remove potatoes with a slotted spoon into a dish and then strain mixutre into a clean pan. Keep the potatoes warm (ensure they are firm but edible!) Now its time to taste and season accordingly. Bring back to a simmer and add the cod and white fish . After a few minutes, add the prawns and stir in the chopped parsley. When all cooked, which isn’t long, add the potatoes and serve immediately with warm crusty bread in large bowls – I am now drewling again and may have to cook this again tonight!

The secret is to cook the fish in stages so that the firmer cuts cook first and the softer ones cook last. I have seen some recipes for this where 15 different fish are used and cooked in separate pans and added just at the last minute into the dish – now there is dedication!

Sea Bass, Mullet, Monkfish are all great. For a change I tried Tilapia fillet and Vietnamese River Cobbler ! Whatever you choose it will taste great!

Salad of Smoked Mackerel and Beetroot

There are just times when I cook something and it is perfect – not often, I have to say – but this is one of those occasions that did it. It’s also a dish that kept well in the fridge for a second bash the next day – it was just as good!

Ingredients (serves 4 as a starter):

• 250g Pack of cooked beetroot
• 70gms of caster sugar
• ½ tsp of sugar
• 80ml of white wine vinegar
• ½ tsp of vinegar
• 150ml of water
• 1 tbsp of creamed horseradish sauce
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• ¼ tsp English mustard powder
• Salt and pepper
• 100ml of double cream
• 1 small onion sliced
• 2 smoked mackerel fillets (skinned)
• Watercress as a garnish

There are 3 parts to this and all easy. Firstly chop the beetroot up and place in a bowl. In a pan, boil the water and add the 70gms of sugar to it to dissolve. Add the onion and simmer for 4 or 5 minutes then add the vinegar. Take off the heat and add this mixture to the beetroot and allow to cool and infuse, stirring occasionally.

Whip the double cream gently until just starting to peak and then carefully fold in the lemon juice, sugar, mustard, horseradish and vinegar together with salt and pepper. You should then get a lovely soft but firm horseradish cream. It is not strong but this can be changed by using a stronger horseradish sauce and more of it!! Lastly, drain the beetroot mix and then arrange the beetroot and onion on the plate with a dollop of the cream and the watercress around the plate. Break up the mackerel and scatter over the beetroot salad. Needless to say, it goes with saying that you can use fresh horseradish and freshly cooked beetroot. Either way - Enjoy - if you like beetroot, you'll love this.

Tuna with Garlic, Chilli, Lime and Ginger Salsa

A quick meal to enjoy! Who needs fast food when you have this!

Ingredients:

• 2 medium sized Tuna Steak
• 1 clove of garlic - crushed
• 1 thumb sized piece of ginger – finely chopped
• 1 red chilli – to taste – finely chopped
• Juice of one lime
• 1 teaspoon of sugar
• Splosh of olive oil

Mix the garlic, chilli, ginger, lime, oil and sugar in a bowl and leave to one side.

Sear the Tuna in a hot pan (I use vegetable oil) until cooked to your taste. My preference is to have the centre of the steak just pink. However don’t over cook it as the fish is spoilt when over cooked.

Serve with you choice of side dish and sprinkle the salsa over the steak. I served mine with a ‘nutty’ rice – I’ll post this shortly.

Monkfish with Crayfish Rissotto

I am still perfecting this. The Risotto is about there but the sauce…. Well I know what I want… but any suggestions welcome

Ingredients:

• Risotto Rice
• Knob of butter
• 2 Shallots, finely chopped
• 1 clove of garlic, finely chopped
• Glass of decent dry white wine
• 500ml of quality fish stock
• ½ Cup of chopped monkfish
• ½ Cup of Crayfish tails
• Sea Salt and Freshly ground black pepper
• Freshly grated parmesan
• For the sauce – TBA

The problem with this dish is getting a decent fish stock. If, like me, you are sometimes strapped for time I will use a pre-made stock. This time I tried buying fresh fish stock from Waitrose – it was dreadful – in fact I have sent a letter of complaint to Waitrose as it was so bad. So I ended up making my own! Use any recipe but add any offcuts from the monkfish to it. For this dish I use monkfish tails. In France it is possible to get baby monkfish tails – easy to fillet and cut up. The bones are ‘chucked’ into the stock. Fry the shallots in butter add garlic and when soft, add the rice and coat well. Add the wine and stir until absorbed. Then add the stock, a ladleful at a time until it is absorbed into the rice. The rice should still be firm when finished but not crunchy. Finally stir in the crayfish, monkfish and a couple of tablespoons of parmesan. Serve in the centre of the plate and pour sauce around the edge. You could even consider adding fresh cooked samphire to the top of the risotto mound!

The sauce I want is a lobster bisque type sauce but I am struggling to get it right at the moment. I will edit this post when it is done!!

Lobster and Rice!

As Tescos were selling off frozen lobster at a fiver each, I thought I would buy a couple to have a salad with at the weekend. Once I had removed all the meat from the shells I found that the flavour was a little bland (what did I expect!) so there was a quick change of plan. I warmed the coursely chopped meat in garlic butter and served with a warm 'nut' rice.

 

Ingredients for rice (serves 2 - well!):

 

• 1/2 cup of basmatic rice
  
• 60ml shelled pistachios
  
• 60ml pine nuts
  
• 60ml of small sultanas
  
• 1 small onion chopped
  
• Butter and oilive oil
  
• Saffron
  
• 1/2tsp Salt
  

 

Boil the rice with the safron and salt until tender and then rinse, drain and leave to drain whilst preparing the rest.

Fry the onions in a small amount of butter until starting to turn golden. Then add the remaining ingredients to slightly toast the nuts etc. When toasted, add the drained rice and cook until warmed though for a few minutes or so.

 

Serve with the lobster spooned over the top!

Monkfish and Chorizo Hotpot

I did this recipe on Friday and whilst it went down well, I thought it a shame to use monkfish as it was drowned in the stong flavours.

 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/database/roastedmonkishandcho_90936.shtml

 

I was also unsure as to the paprika / salt mix, so I will try it again but tone down the paprika etc.

 

It was still a decent and unusual dish.

Tuna & Scallop Thai Curry

From the leftovers in the fridge came a delightful dish.

Ingredients (serves 2):

• 1  small fillet of Tuna (sliced)
  
• 10 small queen scallops
  
• Handful of trimmed Mangetout
  
• Carton of Coconut Milk
  
• 1 onion, chopped
  
• 1 tbsp of Thai green curry paste
  
• 2 tbsp of fresh ‘paste’ comprising, ginger,garlic,whole red chilli, fresh coriander,lime zest from one lime, juice of one lime and lemon grass – similar quantities
  
• (This fresh paste give the curry a clean taste and tangy flavour that bought pastes cannot.)
  
• 1 tsp sugar
  
• A few Kaffir Lime leaves
  
• 1 tbsp of oil
  
• 1 cup of Jasmine Rice
  

Fry the onion in the oil until soft . Then add the Thai pastes and fry for a minute. Add the coconut milk, sugar and lime leaves and leave to simmer for 15 minutes. Add the remaining ingredients and continue to simmer for about 5 to 10 mins.  Serve with Jasmine rice that is well cooked and has been left to drain well.

The textures are great and the flavours delightful. If I had tried to create this it would have failed!

Smoked Haddock with Bubble & Squeek!

Ingredients (to serve 4):

• 4 Smoked Haddock Fillets
  
• Half pint of milk
  
• 4 large potatoes
  
• 4oz butter (unsalted)
  
• Handful of chpped cabbage (winter greens etc)
  
• 4 eggs
  
• Salt & Pepper
  
• Beurre Blanc Sauce - see recipes below
  

Do you spell squeak with 2 ‘e’s or an ‘ea’? Well who cares! This is a fantastic main course that will always impress and is guaranteed to get everyone finishing their plates.

There are 4 main parts – the bubble, the fish, the sauce and the egg – the sauce is as described earlier and so I will outline the other steps:

The Bubble can be prepared by boiling potatoes until tender, mashing – I prefer to use a potato ricer which always gives good smooth mash – and then whisk in plenty of butter. Season with salt and pepper.

When I say plenty of butter, I mean it! Cook some cabbage – winter greens  (I usually steam mine)  and when cooked, shred and then add butter to coat. This can then be stirred into the mash and left to one side, covered until ready to fry.

Meanwhile gently poach smoked haddock fillets in milk until just cooked – this only takes a few minutes per fillet. Transfer to a tray and keep covered and warm in the oven until ready to serve. I remove the skin just before serving to ensure they remain whole. The skin will come away easily and the haddock will flake sho be gentle!

You can now fry the bubble and squeak mixture until it starts to brown on the pan and then keep warm until it is ready to serve. I often cover the fying pan with foil and place in the oven.

Poach eggs carefully in boiling water (add vinegar to the water to help) to poach.

You can now prepare the plates, which have been previously kept warm – mash on the plate, next the haddock on the mash (skin removed), then the poached egg on the top and rounded off with a liberal pour of the beurre blanc sauce. Just great.

NB. You can prepare the poached eggs by cooking for less time and then removing early from the water and plunging into iced water. When you are ready to serve add to boiling water for 1 minute. I tend to time it all so that the eggs come straight out of the pan onto the haddock.