Seared Salmon on Chargrilled Nicoise Salad

Recipe courtesy of Hello Magazine many years ago.

This dish is served with sugar snap peas and sun-blush tomatoes, this is an elegant and colourful way to serve salmon.

Serves: 4

Ingredients:
225g (8oz) new potatoes
225g (8oz) sugar snap peas
6 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
225g (8oz) sunblush tomatoes
100gg (4oz) black olives
100g (4oz) anchovy fillets
50g (2oz) roasted peppers, chopped
4 tbsp lemon flavoured oil
Sea salt and cracked black pepper
4 x 75g (3oz) Scottish Salmon fillets
Small bunch of fresh basil

Method:

Boil the potatoes in a pan of salted water until just cooked. Drain, cool and cut each potato into six wedges.
Blanch the sugar snap peas in a pan of salted water for 30 seconds. Drain, cool under cold water and slice into fine strips.
Heat a ridged grill pan until smoking. Brush the potato wedges with 2 tablespoons olive oil and cook on the grill for 20 seconds on each side. Transfer to a bowl and add the tomatoes, olives, anchovies, peppers and sliced sugar snaps. Add the lemon, oil, salt and pepper and toss lightly.
When ready to serve, reheat the grill pan, brush the salmon fillets with 2 tablespoons olive oil and cook for 1 minute, skin side down. Turn the fillets over, turn off the heat and leave to cook for 2 more minutes. Blend the basil with the remaining olive oil.
Arrange the salad on serving plates with the salmon on top, skin side up. Spoon the basil oil around.

White Fish with Butternut & Ginger Mash

Recipe courtesy of Psychologies Magazine (April 2021) and taken from The Right Carb by Nicola Graimes.

Mash doesn’t have to mean potatoes. Try carrot, sweet potato, parsnip, celeriac or beans. This recipe celebrates Asian flavours of coconut, ginger, chilli and coriander.

Serves : 4

Ingredients :
2 tblsp extra virgin olive oil
3 cm piece fresh ginger, peeled and cut into thin matchsticks
4 thick hake fillets, or other sustainable firm white fish, such as haddock
20g butter
Sea salt and black pepper
Steamed long-stem broccoli and lime wedges, to serve

For the mash :

1kg butternut squash, peeled and cut into chunks
4 whole garlic cloves, peeled
5cm piece fresh ginger, peeled and sliced
2 red jalapeno chillies, deseeded and diced
115ml unsweetened drinking coconut milk
Juice of 1/2 lime
2 handfuls of chopped coriander

First make the mash. Put the squash in a saucepan with the garlic and ginger, cover with water and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat and simmer until tender. Drain and pick out the ginger. Return the squash to the pan and add half the chilli, most of the coconut milk and the lime juice.
Mash until smooth, adding coconut milk as needed. Season with salt and pepper and stir in three quarters of the coriander leaves. Taste and add more lime juice, if needed.
Meanwhile, heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a frying pan over a medium heat, add the ginger and fry for 2 minutes until crisp. Remove and drain on kitchen paper.
Season the fish with salt and pepper. Add the remaining oil and the butter to the pan and heat over a high heat. Place the fish in the pan, skin-side down, then reduce the heat to medium. Cook for 3-4 minutes until the skin is crisp and the flesh has cooked two thirds of the way up. Turn the fish, baste and cook for a further 2 minutes until just done.
Spoon the mash onto plates. Top with the broccoli and fish and scatter over the ginger, chilli and coriander leaves.

Spiced Salmon Pilaf

Recipe taken from the Lidl Easter Brochure – April 2021.

Serves : 4; Prep Time : 10 mins; Cook Time : 35 mins

Ingredients :

1 tbsp olive oil
4 salmon fillets
2 onions, finely chopped
A thumb-sized piece of fresh ginger, peeled and finely grated
2 garlic cloves, finely grated
1 tsp cumin
300g basmati rice
800ml vegetable stock
300g baby spinach
200g frozen peas
Small bunch of coriander, stalks finely chopped, leaves roughly chopped
1/2 lemon, juice only
2 tbsp flaked almonds, toasted
Onion and garlic dip

Heat the oil in a large non-stick frying pan (one with a lid) and add the salmon fillets skin-side down. Fry over a medium heat for 8-10 minutes, turning to cook each side, until just cooked through. Remove the fillets from the pan onto a plate, instead adding the onion to fry for 8 minutes. While the onion is cooking, discard the salmon skin and gently flake the fillets into large chunks.
Add the garlic to the pan and stir in the ginger for kick, cooking for a further minute, then stir in the cumin and rice. Stir well, then pour in the stock to give the rice added richness. Season and cover the pan with its lid, cooking for 15 minutes or until the rice is tender.
Add the spinach to the pan and cover with the lid, allowing it to wilt for 2 minutes, then stir through the peas, coriander stalks and most of the leaves.
Gently fold through the salmon flakes, squeeze over the lemon juice and serve scattered with the toasted almonds for crunch. Add a contrasting creaminess with some generous spoons of the garlic dip, garnishing with a final pinch of coriander.

Monkfish with Bubble and Squeak cake, garlic spinach, poached egg and cream sauce

Recipe courtesy of Hello Magazine many years ago.

Monkfish with Bubble and Squeak

Serves : 4

Ingredients – Bubble and Squeak :
6 medium potatoes, boiled and mashed
6 small shallots, blanched in boiling water until softened
1 parsnip, blanched and chopped
6 Brussels sprouts, blanched and chopped
450g (1 lb) green cabbage, blanched and chopped
Salt and pepper
Olive oil

Ingredients – Spinach :
A large bunch of spinach leaves, stalks removed
1 garlic clove, peeled and crushed

Ingredients – Cream Sauce :
2 shallots, peeled and finely chopped
15g (1/2 oz) clarified butter
150ml (1/4 pt) double cream
2 tsp Dijon mustard
2 tsp crème fraiche

Other Ingredients :
4 x 150g (5oz) pieces of monkfish tail fillet
4 poached eggs

Step One : Preheat the oven to 200oC / 400oF / Gas Mark 6. Mix together the potato, shallots, parsnip, sprouts, cabbage and seasoning with a dash of olive oil and spread out in a roasting tin. Roast for approximately 40 minutes until golden.

Step Two : Rinse the spinach and cook in a pan with the garlic and the rinsing water on the heat for a few minutes until wilted.

Step Three : For the sauce, saute the shallots in the butter until softened. Add the cream and bring to the boil. Stir in the mustard and whisk for 3 minutes before adding the crème fraiche.

Step Four : Fry the monkfish in a hot pan in a little olive oil, searing over a high heat on all sides to begin with and then lowering the heat or transferring to the oven to finish cooking.

Step Five : To serve, cut four round cakes from the bubble and speak and top with the spinach and monkfish. Place the eggs alongside and spoon around the sauce.

Wild Salmon Sashimi, Spring Onion, Shiso Leaf and Yuzzo dressing

Recipe taken from Hello Magazine many years ago.

Serves : 4

Ingredients :
700g (1 1/2 lb) salmon fillet, any bones removed
100ml (4 fl oz) yuzzo
Juice of 2 oranges
Juice of 2 limes
Juice of 1 lemon
1 tsp finely chopped fresh ginger
100ml (4 fl oz) olive oil
100ml (4 fl oz) Japanese soy sauce

To garnish :
Finely sliced spring onion
Japanese pickled ginger
Shiso leaves

To serve :
Wasabi paste
Soy sauce

Step One : Slice the salmon as thinly as possible and arrange on four serving plates.

Step Two : Whisk together the yuzzo, orange juice, lime juice, lemon juice, ginger, olive oil and soy sauce and spoon 2-3 tablespoons over each serving.

Step Three : Scatter the sliced spring onion, ginger and shiso leaves over the top and serve with wasabi paste and soy sauce for dipping.

Pan-fried Diver Scallops, baby fennel, tomato, lemon and coriander

Recipe courtesy of Hello Magazine many years ago.

Serves : 4

Ingredients :
50ml (2 fl oz) lemon juice, plus an extra squeee
150ml (1/4 pt) olive oil, plus a little extra for frying
1 tblsp crushed coriander seeds
4 bulbs of baby fennel
A handful of fresh basil leaves, thinly sliced
8 plum tomatoes, peeled, deseeded and diced
Rock salt and black pepper
12-16 diver-caught scallops, depending on size, roes removed

Salad :
1 bag of rocket
A handful of chervil sprigs
6 tblsp vinaigrette dressing

Step One : Mix together the lemon juice, olive oil and coriander and leave for several hours.

Step Two : Blanch the baby fennel in a pan of salted boiling water for 3-4 minutes or until just tender but still with a little bit of crunch.

Step Three : Pour the lemon, oil and coriander mixture into a pan and heat until it comes to the boil. Add the basil, tomatoes, fennel and seasoning. Keep over a gentle heat while you fry the scallops.

Step Four : Heat a heavy non-stick frying pan, add a little olive oil and when very hot fry the scallops until coloured on one side. Turn over, season with salt, pepper and a squeeze of lemon juice and colour on the other side, taking care not to overcook them.

Step Five : Spoon the vegetables and cooking liquid on to serving plates. Toss the rocket and chervil with the vinaigrette. Arrange the scallops on the plates and pile the rocket salad in the centre. Serve at once.

Tuna, red onion, potato and rocket salad

Recipe courtesy of Co-op Food Magazine.

Serves : 6 (as a side dish)

Ready in 30 minutes

Ingredients :
300g fresh tuna steak
1 tsp olive oil
650g baby new potatoes
1 medium red onion (chopped)
1 tblsp capers (optional)
1 bag rocket leaves

Dressing :
1 dessertspoon balsamic vinegar
1 tblsp olive oil
Juice of half a lemon
1/2 tsp Dijon mustard (optional)

Step One : Heat a griddle or frying pan until hot. Add a tsp of oil to the pan and then cook the tuna on both sides until done. Cool a little, then chop into chunks.

Step Two : Boil the potatoes in a separate pan of water, drain and mix in the tuna.

Step Three : Add the chopped onion and capers (if using). Put all the dressing ingredients into a clean jar and shake until emulsified the add to salad mix.

Step Four : Store in fridge or cool bag until needed. When ready to eat, toss the rocket leaves into the salad and serve.

Smoked Trout with Chicory, Apple and Almond Slaw

Flavours and textures that work together in the same way as Waldorf salad. Crunchy apple and leaves, toasted almonds and fresh dill, all delicious with the trout. If you want to make the slaw in advance, fold the sliced apple in some lemon juice before combining with the other ingredients to prevent browning, and reserve the toasted almonds until you are ready to serve.

Serves : 4

The Dressing Ingredients:
2 tblsp dill, roughly chopped
125ml (4 fl oz) soured cream or crème fraiche
A good squeeze of lemon juice
Seasoning, to taste

The Salad Ingredients:
200g (7oz) smoked trout fillet, torn into slivers
2 sweet apples, cored, halved and sliced into fine batons
2 medium heads of chicory, separated into leaves and finely sliced lengthways
2 heaped tblsp flaked almonds, lightly tasted in a hot, dry frying pan

Step One : Beat together the dressing ingredients and fold into the salad ingredients (reserve a few flaked almonds).

Step Two : Arrange a small pile of slaw on each plate, top with slivers of trout and dress with remaining almonds.

Linguini with Mussels and Walnut Parsley Pesto

A Delia Smith recipe taken from the Radio Times many years ago.

For me, Mussels are still a luxury food that cost very little money. I don’t think anything can match their exquisite, fresh-from-the-sea flavour. In this recipe every precious drop of mussel juice is used which gives a lovely concentrated flavour. Now that mussels come ready cleaned and prepared, it makes the whole thing very simple and easy: all you have to do is put them in cold water, then pull off any beardy strands with a sharp knife, using them as soon as possible and discard any that don’t close tightly when given a sharp tap.

Serves : 4

Ingredients:
900g (2 lb) mussels, cleaned and prepared; 175g (6oz) linguini or other pasta; 1 tbsp olive oil; 1 shallot, peeled and chopped; 1 clove garlic, chopped; 175ml (6 fl oz) dry white wine; Salt and freshly milled black pepper.

For the pesto:
10g (½ oz) walnuts, chopped; 25g (1oz) curly parsley, leaves only; 1 clove garlic, peeled; 2 tbsp olive oil; Salt and freshly milled black pepper.

To serve: 2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley

Method:

First prepare the pesto: select a large pan that will hold the mussels comfortably, then in it heat a tablespoon of olive oil and sauté the walnuts in the hot oil to get them nicely toasted on all sides – this will take 1-2 mins. Place the walnuts and any oil left in the pan into a liquidiser or food processor, add the parsley and garlic, the remaining tablespoon of oil and seasoning, then blend everything to make a puree.
Next you need to deal with the mussels: heat the olive oil in the same pan that you sautéed the walnuts in, add the shallot and chopped garlic and cook these over a medium heat for about 5 mins or until they’re just soft. Now turn the heat up high, tip in the prepared mussels and add the wine and some salt and pepper. Put on a closely-fitting lid, turn the heat down to medium and cook the mussels for about 5 mins, shaking the pan once or twice or until they have all opened.
During those 5 mins bring another large pan of salted water up to the boil. Then when the mussels are cooked, remove them from the heat and transfer them to a warm bowl using a slotted spoon and shaking each well so that no juice is left inside. Keep 8 mussels aside still in their shells, for a garnish. Then remove the rest from their shells and keep them warm, covered with foil in a low oven.
Then place a sieve lined with muslin or gauze over a bowl and strain the mussel liquor through it. This is very important as it removes any bits of sand or grit that get lodged in the shells.
Now it’s time to pop the pasta into the boiling water and put a timer on for 8 mins (some pasta might need 10 mins so follow the instructions on the packet). Then pour the strained mussel liquor back into the original saucepan and fast-boil to reduce it by about one third. After that turn the heat to low and stir in the pesto.
Now add the shelled mussels to the pesto sauce and remove from the heat. As soon as the pasta is cooked, quickly strain it into a colander and divide it between two hot pasta bowls. Spoon the mussels and pesto over each portion, add the mussels in their shells and scatter over the parsley. Serve absolutely immediately with some well-chilled white wine.

Visit my shop to download this and 9 other Pasta recipes in the Pasta Volume 1 book. A recipe card is also available for download here.

Classic Fish Bisque

Serves : 6
Prep : 1 hour 20 min
Cook : 30 mins

Ingredients:
8oz/225g shrimps or prawns with shells on
2 bay leaves
1 leek, trimmed and sliced
2 sticks of celery, sliced
1 carrot, sliced
6 peppercorns
2oz/50g butter
1 small onion, peeled and chopped
1oz/25g plain flour
2 tblsp/30ml tomato puree
3 tblsp/45ml dry sherry
8oz / 225g cod fillet, skinned
Pinch of cayenne pepper
1 tblsp/15ml freshly squeezed lemon juice
3 tblsp/45ml double cream
Salt and pepper

Croutons:
4 slices white bread
3 tblsp/45ml olive
2 cloves of garlic, crushed
2 tblsp/30ml chopped fresh parsley
4 tblsp/90ml single cream

Step One : Peel the shrimps or prawns, reserving the shells and set aside. Place the shells in a large pan with the bay leaves, leek, celery, carrot and peppercorns. Pour over 1pt/600ml cold water and bring to boil. reduce heat, cover and simmer for 1 hour.

Step Two : Strain the stock through a sieve lined with muslin and set aside. Melt the butter in a large pan and fry the chopped onion very gently for about 10 minutes, until softened. Sprinkle over the flour and cook, stirring for 1 minute.

Step Three : Gradually pour the stock over the onion, stirring until thickened slightly. Stir in the tomato puree and dry sherry. Add the peeled shrimps or prawns. Cut the cod fillet into bite-sized cubes and add to the pan. cover and allow the soup to simmer for 15 minutes.

Step Four : Stir in the cayenne and lemon juice. Allow to cool a little then liquidise in a food processor, in batches, until very smooth. Return to a rinsed out pan and stir in the cream and seasoning to taste. Heat through until almost boiling.

Step Five : To make the croutons, remove the crusts from the bread and cut into small squares. Heat the oil in a pan and fry the garlic for 1 minute. Add the cubes of bread and cook gently on both sides until just golden. Drain croutons on absorbent kitchen paper then toss in the chopped parsley.

Step Six : Spoon the fish bisque into warmed serving dishes, top with a few croutons and add a swirl of cream to serve.