Seafood Bisque

Ingredients:

20g (¾ oz) butter
650g (1 lb 5oz) small shrimps or prawns (in the shell)
1 medium onion, peeled and chopped
2 leeks, roughly chopped
1 stick celery roughly chopped
1 medium carrot, roughly chopped
2 cloves of garlic, peeled and chopped
½ tsp fennel seeds
250g (8 oz) fillet salmon, skin and bones removed, cut into 2 cm pieces
1 tbsp tomato purée
125ml (4 fl oz) dry white wine
80g (2 ¾ oz) Arborio rice
2.5l (85 fl oz) fish stock (made with good cubes is fine)
1 bay leaf
2 sprigs of thyme
100ml (3 fl oz) double cream
Ciabatta, to serve

Serves: 8 Prep time: 15 mins Cook time: 40 mins
Cals per serving: 269 Fat: 13g

Step One: Heat the butter in a large saucepan over a medium-low heat and fry the prawns (in their shells), onion, leeks, celery, carrot, garlic and fennel seeds for about 6-7 minutes, or until the vegetables start to soften.

Step Two: Add the salmon, tomato purée, white wine, rick, stock, bay leaf and thyme and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat and simmer very gently for about 40 minutes.

Step Three: Let the soup cool a little and blend with an electric blender or with a hand-held stick blender until smooth. Strain the soup through a sieve (it needs to be nice and smooth). Taste and season with salt and pepper.

Step Four: When ready to serve, add the double cream and bring back to just under the boil.

Tip: If you’re feeling extravagant, add cooked crabmeat at step 2 for a richer flavour.

Recipe courtesy of Easy Living Magazine

Whole Barbecued Fish

Cook time: 30 mins

Ingredients: 4 small or 2 larger whole fish, such as red or grey mullet, or red snapper, gutted; juice of 2 limes or lemons; 6 tblsp extra virgin olive oil; 6 fresh bay leaves or sprigs of marjoram, plus extra to garnish. A pinch of dried thyme.

Score the fish diagonally with a sharp knife. Rub inside and out with half the lime juice, salt and pepper, and 2 tbsp of the olive oil. Place the bay leaves inside the fish and sprinkle with a pinch of thyme.
Place the fish over the hot barbecue coals (or under a hot grill), preferably in a wire basket or wrapped in foil, and cook for about 10 minutes on each side, or longer for larger fish.
Sprinkle with the remaining olive oil and lemon juice, garnish with bay leaves or marjoram and serve immediately with a Greek salad.

Wire basket for cooking the fish:

Cod Fish Fingers

A Gary Rhodes recipe

This delicious dish works just as well with salmon as cod. Once you’ve made it, you’ll see the humble fish finger in a whole new light.

These really are just fillet of cod cut into fingers. I normally take 4 x 6-8oz (175-225g) fillets and cut them in strips/fingers allowing 3 per portion. This recipe can also be used for canapés. Just cut the fish, cod or salmon (both work), into 1 in (2.5cm) cubes. Then crumb and deep-fry before sitting on cocktail sticks. These are good fun and very tasty with the sour tartare sauce.

Serves : 4
Ingredients: 1 tblsp freshly chopped parsley; fresh breadcrumbs made from 10-12 slices white bread; zest and juice of 2 lemons; salt and pepper; 2 eggs, size 2; 2-3 tblsp milk; 4-6-8oz (175-225g) cod fillets, cut into fingers; plain flour for dusting; 1 dsp each chopped shallots, capers and gherkins; 5-10 fl oz (150-300ml) sour cream; oil for deep-frying

In a large bowl, mix ¾ of the freshly chopped parsley with the white breadcrumbs and the lemon zest. Season with salt and pepper. In a separate bowl, beat together the eggs and milk.
Season the fish fingers with salt and pepper and then lightly dust with flour. Dip into the egg mix then into the crumb mix. These are now ready for frying or can be re-dipped in the egg and re-crumbed to give a thicker, crunchier finish. Set aside.
To make a sour Tartare sauce to accompany the fish fingers, mix the chopped shallots, capers and gherkins with the remaining parsley and the sour cream. Season then add the lemon juice to taste. Pour into a small serving dish.
Heat the oil to 170oC/325oF in a deep-fat fryer. The fish fingers can now be deep-fried in batches for 5 minutes or until golden brown and crispy. Serve with the homemade Tartare sauce.

Plaice with Lime Vinaigrette

A very quick and simple recipe allowing you to enjoy the natural flavours of the fish. Don’t be tempted to over cook the plaice, it really does only take minutes.

Serves: 4; Prep: 15 minutes; Cook: 6 minutes

Ingredients: 1/4 pt (150ml) olive oil; rind and juice of 2 limes; 2 tsp/10ml capers, drained and chopped (optional); 1 tsp/5ml caster sugar; salt and pepper; 2 tbsp /30ml chopped fresh dill; 4 small plaice fillets, skinned; 2 oz /50g plain flour; 1/4 tsp/1.25ml paprika; 1 egg, beaten; 2oz / 50g butter

Method:

To make the dressing, blend together 4 fl oz (100ml) of the olive oil, grated rind and juice of the limes, capers if you are using them, sugar, salt and pepper to taste. Stir in the dill.
Wash and thoroughly dry the plaice. Mix together the flour and paprika. Season. Dip each fillet lightly in beaten egg, then coat thinly in seasoned flour.
Heat 1 tbsp/15ml olive oil and the butter in a large non-stick frying pan. Cook the fillets for 2-3 mins on each side or until the fish is golden brown and cooked through. If you frying pan is not big enough, fry the fish in batches and keep it warm in a low oven.
Serve the plaice with the vinaigrette dressing, accompanied by a raw baby spinach, onion and tomato salad.

Visit my shop to download this and 9 other Fish & Seafood recipes. A recipe card is available for download here.

Prawn and Squid Provencale

A French recipe. Fresh prawns and squid in a tomato sauce, this dish can be served hot or cold.

Serves: 4; Prep: 30 mins; Cook: 15 mins; Cals: 326

Ingredients: 6 tbsp/90ml olive oil; 3 shallots, finely diced; 3 cloves of garlic, finely diced; 3 stalks thyme; zest of 1/2 lemon, finely grated; 1/2 pt/300ml Muscadet; 1 lb/450g tomatoes, peeled, seeded and cut into 1/2in/1cm cubes; 8oz/225g prawns or mussels; 8oz/225g squid, cleaned and cut into rings; salt and freshly ground black pepper; 2 tbsp/30ml chopped fresh parsley; 4 black olives, stoned and cut into thin strips; 4 green olives, stoned and cut into thin strips

Heat 3 tbsp/45ml of the olive oil in a non-stick pan and gently sauté the shallots, garlic, thyme and lemon zest until the shallots are soft and golden. Add the Muscadet and reduce by two thirds. Remove the thyme and leave to cool.
When the shallot mixture has cooked, add the tomatoes and the prawns or mussels.
Dry the squid on kitchen paper and season well. Heat the remaining olive oil in a non-stock frying pan and stir fry the squid in batches for a couple of seconds until white and firm. Return all the squid and the tomatoes to the pan. Mix thoroughly, then heat through if serving hot, or chill if serving cold. Stir in the parsley and olives and garnish with extra parsley before serving.

Visit my shop to download this and 9 other Fish & Seafood recipes. A recipe card is available for download here.

Salmon Brochettes

A main course dish

Cook time: 20 mins

Ingredients: 375g (12oz) salmon steak, cut into cubes; 8 rashers smoked streaky bason; 8 cherry tomatoes; 2 tbsp olive oil and 1 tbsp balsamic or wine vinegar.

For the sauce: 1 small red onion and 1 garlic clove, both finely chopped; 1 small glass of white wine; 1 diced tomato; 1 tbsp each of chopped, fresh tarragon and parsley, and 125g (4 fl oz) fish stock.

To serve: mashed potato with finely chopped garlic and spring onion added

To make the sauce, bring to the boil half the onion with the garlic, wine, tomato, tarragon and parsley. Cook over high heat for 3-4 minutes until reduced to 2 tbsp. Add the stock and boil until it has reduced to 4 tbsp, strain and season. Thread 8 skewers, using a slice of bacon to 3-4 cubes of salmon. Alternate the bacon and salmon, letting the bacon wind its way from end to end of each skewer. Place a tomato at the end. (If using wooden skewers soak in cold water for 30 minutes beforehand).
Lay the skewers on a plate, sprinkle with the remaining onion, oil and vinegar, and leave for 10 minutes. Cook quickly over hot barbecue coals (or under a hot grill), turning several times. Drizzle with the sauce and serve with garlic and spring onion mash.

Visit my shop to download this and 9 other Fish & Seafood recipes. A recipe card is available for download here.

Lightning Prawn Salad

You could add quartered hard-boiled eggs for a more substantial meal.

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

Ingredients: 12 cooked new potatoes; 4 tomatoes, roughly chopped; 1 seeded red pepper, in strips; 6 spring onions cut into lengths on the slant; 225g (8oz) best peeled prawns; strips of zest of an orange

For the dressing: 4 tblsp sunflower oil; 1 tblsp white wine vinegar; 1 tsp Dijon mustard; juice of ½ an orange; salt and ground black pepper; 1 tblsp flat parsley, chopped

Chunk cooked potatoes and place in a bowl with tomatoes, pepper, spring onions, prawns and orange zest. Shake dressing ingredients in a screw top jar and pour over salad. Toss to mix and coat. Serve immediately.

Skewered Fish

Serves: 4; Prep: 15 mins plus overnight marinating; Cook: 20 minutes

If you don’t want to use scallops or prawns, use an extra 8oz (225g) cod fillet instead. For a real treat cook them on a barbecue.

Ingredients: 1 lb (450g) cod fillet; 4 rashers streaky bacon; 8 scallops or large prawns; 2 lemons; 2 onions, 1 tbsp / 15ml lemon juice; 2 tbsp / 30ml runny honey; 2 tbsp/30ml light soy sauce; 1 tbsp/15ml tomato puree; 1 tbsp/15ml wholegrain mustard; salt and pepper

Cut the cod fillet into large pieces. Using the back of a knife, stretch the rashers of bacon. Halve each one and wrap each half around each scallop or prawn.
Thickly slice the lemon and quarter each slice. Peel and cut the onion into large pieces. Thread fish, scallops, lemon and onion onto 8 skewers and place in a non-metallic dish.
Mix together the remaining ingredients until smooth. Pour over the fish, cover and marinate for at least 1 hour, preferably overnight, basting with the marinade occasionally.
Preheat the grill to high. Cook the skewers in a foil-lined grill pan for about 10 minutes or until cooked. Baste with the marinade during the cooking.
Serve immediately on a bed of rice with any remaining marinade spooned over.

Tuna Fishcakes

Serves: 6; Cals per portion: 291; Prep time: 20 mins; Cooking time: 15 mins

Ingredients: 400g can line caught tuna in brine, drained; 3 ½ oz (90g) instant mashed potato powder; 1 tbsp freshly chopped parsley; 2 tsp lemon juice; 1 egg, size 3, beaten; 2oz (50g) wholemeal breadcrumbs; 2 tbsp butter, melted; salad leaves, lemon wedges and dill sprigs to garnish

For the sauce: ½ pt/300ml soured cream; 2 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed; 1 tbsp lemon juice; 2 tbsp freshly chopped dill; lemon zest to garnish

Place the tuna in a large mixing bowl and flake well with a fork.
Place potato powder in a separate bowl, add 13fl oz (375ml) boiling water, then mix well and stir into the tuna, along with parsley and lemon juice. Season, then leave to cool slightly and shape into six equal-sized fishcakes.
Place egg in bowl and breadcrumbs on a plate. Roll fishcakes in egg, then in breadcrumbs until coated. Cook on barbecue or under hot grill, brushing with butter and turning, for 15 mins.
Meanwhile, make the sauce: Mix together all ingredients and garnish. Garnish fishcakes, serve with sauce.

Salmon and Broccoli Crumble

Serves: 4; Prep: 35 mins; Cook: 30 mins

Ingredients: 14 3/4 oz/418g can pink or red alaska salmon; 8oz/225g broccoli; 1oz/25g butter; 1 onion, peeled and chopped; 4 oz/125g button mushrooms, sliced; 1 oz /25g plain flour; 1/2 pt/300ml dry white wine; 1/2 pt/300ml milk; 3oz / 75g plain flour; salt and pepper; 3oz/75g butter; 3oz/75g fresh breadcrumbs; 2oz/50g cheddar cheese, grated; 1oz/25g Parmesan, grated.

Preheat the oven to Mark 5 / 375oF / 190oC. Drain salmon and remove all the skin and bones. Break into chunks and leave aside. Trim broccoli, cut into smallish florets and cook in bioled salted water until tender. Drain well.
Heat the butter in a pan and fry the onion until soft. Add mushrooms and fry for 2 minutes. Stir in the flour and cook for 1 minute. Remove from heat. Gradually, stir in white wine and milk. Bring to the boil, stirring, then simmer for 2 minutes. Season well, mix in salmon and broccoli and pour into an ovenproof dish.
Place the flour in a bowl, rub in the butter, then add the breadcrumbs. Stir in the Cheddar and Parmesan, reserving a little Parmesan. Spoon crumble over the fish mixture and sprinkle with Parmesan. Bake for 30 minutes, until browned.