A fishy’ dinner suggestion from the Great British Chefs website

 

Grilled sea bass, crisp okra fingers, coconut rice and dhal sauce

by

Vineet Bhatia

 

Ingredients

Grilled sea bass

Crispy okra

Coconut rice

 

Dhal sauce

 

Method

 

First make the dhal sauce. Wash the lentils under cold running water, then place in a deep pan and cover with 4 times their volume of water. Leave to soak for an hour

 

Put the lentils on the heat and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat, cover and simmer until the lentils are soft and broken down, skimming off any scum from the surface. Add more water, if necessary, to prevent the lentils sticking to the base of the pan

 

Heat the vegetable oil in a separate pan and add the cumin seeds. When they begin to splutter, add the garlic, ginger and green chilli and sauté until the garlic begins to colour lightly

 

Add the turmeric, red chilli powder and the chopped onions, and sweat. Add the tomato, cook for 2 minutes, then pour the mixture over the lentils. Season with salt and stir together well

 

Blitz the lentils until smooth, put back on the heat and add the butter, adjust the seasoning and keep warm

 

For the coconut rice, cook the basmati rice slightly less than the packet instructions tell you so it retains a little bite. Drain thoroughly

 

Heat the oil in a heavy-based pan, add the butter and sprinkle in the mustard seeds. When they begin to pop, add the ginger, green chilli and curry leaves. Sauté for 30 seconds, then add the shallot and grated coconut. Reduce the heat and sauté until the shallot is softened but not coloured

 

Now add the cooked rice, lemon juice and salt. Toss the rice until heated through, then remove from the heat, and stir in the chopped coriander

 

For the okra, mix together the spices and coriander stalks and toss with the okra. Add the lemon juice and some salt and set aside for 2 minutes. Add the gram flour a little at a time until it lightly coats the okra

 

Deep-fry in vegetable oil heated to 175°C until golden and crisp, then drain on kitchen paper (if you don’t have a thermometer, check it is hot enough by adding a cube of bread to the oil. It should start to bubble and fry, but not burn, the moment it has been added)

 

Season the sea bass fillets with sea salt and pepper. Heat the oil on a large, flat griddle (or in a heavy-based frying pan) over a medium heat and add the fish, skin-side down

 

Fry for about a minute, until seared underneath, then turn and cook the other side. Remove from the pan and leave to rest for 2 minutes

 

Place a ring mould on each serving plate and fill with the rice. Top with the fish, and arrange the okra over it. Spoon the dhal sauce around the fish, making a moat. Serve immediately

A fishy’ dinner suggestion from the Great British Chefs website

 

 

Steamed mussels with cider, leeks and chorizo

by

Georgina Fuggle

 

Ingredients

 

Method

 

To begin, scrub the mussels and remove any sand or beards, knock away any barnacles if you discover them. Discard any open mussels that refuse to close even when given a sharp tap. Rinse well under cold water and set aside

 

Heat the olive oil and butter in a large saucepan over a medium heat and sauté the chorizo. Fry for a few minutes until you have a rust coloured bubbling lava at the bottom of the pot. Add the garlic, chopped leeks and thyme and cook for a further few minutes, until the leek begins to soften and loose their shape

 

Turn up the heat and add the cider and mussels. Cover tightly with a lid and steam for 5–7 minutes, shaking the pan once or twice to encourage the mussels to open. Reduce the heat to a simmer and, using a large slotted spoon, remove the mussels to deep warmed bowls. Pour the cream into the juices and cook for a further couple of minutes before dredging your waiting mussels. Sprinkle parsley liberally and serve with a chunk of bread to mop up leftover juices

 

A fishy’ dinner suggestion from the Great British Chefs website

 

Smoked haddock baked with Parmesan and peas

by

Henry Harris

 

Ingredients

Smoked haddock

Parmesan glaze

Pomme purée

To serve

Parmesan

 

Method

Begin by preparing the pomme purée. Cut the potatoes into large, even chunks and place in a saucepan with enough cold water to cover. Season the water with a good few pinches of sea salt and place over a high heat

 

Bring to the boil, reduce to a simmer and cook for 20-30 minutes until tender. To test, insert a knife into a few pieces of potato to ensure they are tender all the way through. Strain and leave to steam and dry out, uncovered, for 4-5 minutes

 

Pass through a mouli or vegetable mill using the finest sieve attachment, then return to a clean saucepan over a low heat. Use a large spoon to stir and dry out the potatoes for a further 5-10 minutes

 

At the same time, bring the milk to the boil and once ready, add 1/3 of the milk to the potatoes, beating to incorporate. Add the butter slowly in small amounts, stirring thoroughly to combine

 

Add small amounts of the remaining milk to create very creamy, smooth, buttery mash - it may not require all of the milk. Add more butter to taste (optional)

 

Add salt and pepper to taste and finish with 2-3 grafts of freshly grated nutmeg. Set aside until required

 

For the Parmesan glaze, add the cream, egg yolk, Parmesan and a dash of Tabasco to a bowl and mix well to combine. Set aside

A fishy’ dinner suggestion from the Great British Chefs website

 

Crab and tiger prawn fettuccine

by

Paul Ainsworth

 

Ingredients

  • 500g of fettuccine, fresh (if using dried allow extra cooking time according to pack instructions)

For the sauce

 

Method

Bring a large pan of salted water to the boil, in preparation for the pasta

 

Meanwhile, heat the vegetable stock in a separate pan and whisk in the butter to make an emulsion. Set to one side until required

 

Place a frying pan over a high heat and add a generous dash of olive oil. Once the oil is nice and hot add the prawns to the pan and sauté, turning over after 30 seconds until they're juicy and pink. Add the garlic purée, sliced chilli and a good squeeze of lemon juice to the pan followed by 50ml of the vegetable emulsion. Simmer for 1 minute until reduced

 

Cook the pasta in the pan of boiling water for 2-3 minutes if fresh, or according to packet instructions if dry. Strain and place the pasta into the prawn pan, mixing thoroughly. Season to taste, then add the cherry tomatoes and chopped parsley

 

To serve, put the pasta in a bowl and cover with the fresh white crab meat, rocket and pine nuts. Add a squeeze of lemon juice and a drizzle of olive oil, then serve immediately with crusty bread

A fishy’ dinner suggestion from the Great British Chefs website

 

Baked soy salmon with enoki mushrooms, lemon soy vinaigrette and ginger jam

by

Andy Waters

 

Ingredients

Marinated salmon steaks

Lemon soy vinaigrette

Ginger jam

To plate

 

Method

Preheat the oven to 190˚C/gas mark 5

Place all ingredients for the marinade in a large bowl and mix to combine

 

Remove the skin and bones from the steaks and form into rounds. Add the salmon pieces to the marinade and leave in the fridge for 1-2 hours

 

Remove the salmon pieces and lay onto a baking tray, forming back into round shapes if untidy

 

Spoon a little of the marinade over the top of the salmon, cover lightly with tin foil and cook in the oven for 10–15 minutes

 

For the ginger jam, peel and roughly chop the ginger in a food processor until you have 100g of ginger pulp in total

 

Place the ginger in a saucepan with the sugar and water. Bring to a simmer and cook gently for around 30-45 minutes until slightly thickened. Add the minced chilli 10 minutes before taking off the heat

 

Pour into a sterilised jar and seal immediately. The jam will keep for 2-3 months

 

Meanwhile, prepare the enoki mushrooms by trimming off the stalks and separating into individual pieces. Combine together with three quarters of the watercress leaves and store in the fridge

 

For the vinaigrette, whisk together all of the ingredients

 

To plate, spoon a small knob of ginger jam into the centre of each plate. Remove the mushrooms and watercress from the fridge and dress generously with the lemon soy vinaigrette. Divide the salad between each plate onto the ginger jam

 

Carefully place the hot salmon medallions on top of the salad. Finish with another small spoon of ginger jam, the additional watercress and a drizzle of the vinaigrette. Serve immediately