Smoked Mackerel and Chorizo Potatoes

Ingredients

200g piece chorizo, roughly chopped

2 small onions, chopped

900g potatoes, cut into small cubes

250g cherry tomatoes, halved

4 peppered smoked mackerel fillets, skinned

Large handful of fresh parsley leaves, chopped

Method

1. Heat a large, non-stick frying pan over a high heat. Add the chorizo and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes, until most of the oil has been released. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside.

2. Reduce the heat to medium and add the onions and potatoes to the pan. Coat in the oil from the chorizo and cook for 12-15 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until the potatoes are just tender and the onions golden.

3. Stir the tomatoes and chorizo into the pan. Flake the mackerel fillets with a fork and add them to the pan. Gently mix and cook for 2 minutes, until piping hot. Stir in the parsley. Divide between 4 plates and serve with a mixed leaf salad.

Smoked Mackerel Carbonara

320 g pasta

1 onion

1 clove garlic

130 g smoked boneless mackerel fillets

olive oil

2 large free-range eggs

100 ml semi-skimmed milk

40 g Parmesan cheese

Cook the pasta in a pan of boiling salted water according to packet instructions.

Chop onion & garlic

Chop up  the mackerel

Put the onions and garlic into a large frying pan on a medium heat with a lug of oil and a pinch of salt and pepper, stirring occasionally.

After 5 minutes, mackerel and cook for a further 5 minutes,

Meanwhile, whisk the eggs and milk together, then finely grate in the Parmesan.

Reserving a cupful of cooking water,

drain the pasta and toss it into the mackerel pan.

take the pan off the heat for a few seconds and stir in a good splash of the reserved water to cool it

Quickly pour in the egg mixture and shake and stir together until thickened, silky and evenly coated,

serve with an extra grating of Parmesan, a good pinch of pepper (and a squeeze of lemon juice, if you like.)

Fish Tacos

Fish Tacos

INGREDIENTS

2  medium tomatoes, seeded and finely chopped

1  small red onion, peeled and finely chopped

1  clove garlic, minced

½  cup roughly chopped cilantro

1  jalapeño, halved lengthwise, seeded and cut crosswise into half moons (optional)

¼  cup mayonnaise

½  cup sour cream

2  limes, 1 halved and 1 cut into wedges

  Kosher salt

  Freshly ground black pepper

1  tablespoon canned chipotle pepper, finely chopped (optional)

½  cup flour, preferably Wondra or other fine-milled flour

1 ½  teaspoons chili powder

½  cup milk

¼  cup peanut oil, plus a splash more for greasing pan

  Pat of butter

1  pound flounder or any firm white-fleshed fish, cut across the grain of the flesh into strips about 1/2 inch wide by 3 inches long

12  6-inch fresh corn tortillas

2  cups shredded green cabbage

  A saucy hot sauce, like Tapatio or Frank’s

PREPARATION

In a medium bowl, combine the tomatoes, onion, garlic, cilantro and jalapeño (if using).

In a small bowl, whisk the mayonnaise and sour cream until combined. Season to taste with the halved lime, salt, pepper and chipotle (if using).

In a medium bowl, mix together the flour, chili powder and 1 1/2 teaspoons each of kosher salt and black pepper. 

Pour the milk into another medium bowl, and place the fish into it.

Pour 1/4 cup of the peanut oil into a 12-inch frying pan and place over medium-high heat until it shimmers and is about to smoke. 

Remove the fish pieces from the milk bath and dredge them lightly through the flour mixture, shaking to remove excess. 

Add the butter to the pan. 

Place some fish pieces in the oil, without crowding them, and cook until deep golden brown on one side, 3 to 4 minutes. 

Turn carefully and cook for 1 minute more.

 Remove to a warmed, paper-towel-lined plate and sprinkle with salt. 

Repeat with the remaining fish.

Meanwhile, lightly grease a skillet with a drizzle of oil and set over medium heat. 

Heat the tortillas, one or two at a time, until they are soft and hot. Keep them warm, wrapped in a dish towel.

Fill each tortilla with 3 pieces of fish, browned side up, followed by tomato salsa and a pinch of cabbage. Drizzle with the cream sauce. Serve 2 to 3 tacos per person, with lime wedges and hot sauce on the side.

Garlic Butter Prawns

Ingredients

• 250g (9 oz) butter
• 
  
• 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
• 
  
• juice of half a lemon
• 
  
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 
  
• half a bunch fresh parsley, chopped
• 
  
• 1kg (2 lb) medium fresh prawns - shells removed with tails attached, and deveined

Preparation method



1.Preheat oven to 230 C / Gas mark 8.

2.In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine the butter, mustard, lemon juice, garlic and parsley. When the butter melts completely, remove from heat.

3.Arrange prawns in a shallow baking dish. Pour the butter mixture over the prawns.

4.Bake in preheated oven for 12 to 15 minutes or until the prawns are pink and opaque.

Kedgeree

kedgeree

Ingredients

• Two large knobs of butter (25g)
• An onion
• Garlic – a clove or equivalent puree
• 200g (basmati) rice
• 500ml of stock
• 200g (ish) smoked mackerel
• 2 (or 3) eggs – hard-boiled

Spices:

• 2tsp of curry powder
• Or ½ teaspoon of Cayenne, Paprika, Turmeric, Cumin, Garam Masala

Method

1. Put the eggs onto boil, using your preferred hard-boil method.

2. In a large saucepan/stock pan, melt the butter in the pan and add the onion & garlic. Fry until the onion is soft then add the spices and fry together for a minute (add a little water if they stick). This should smell *great*.

3. Stir the rice into the onion & spices, and fry for a minute until the rice is well coated, then add about half of the stock. Simmer for about 10 minutes (or until the rice is just about ready), adding more veg stock as necessary. Avoid stirring it too much – just as much is needed to avoid it sticking to the bottom of the pan.

4. While the rice is cooking, remove the skin (and any obvious bones/sharp bits) from the smoked mackerel and flake it into bitesize pieces. Once the eggs are cooked, shell them and chop them into similar size pieces. Also, while you’re at it, if you’re adding coriander leaves, chop them up now so they’re ready to drop in at the end.

5. Once the rice is just about cooked, toss the flaked mackerel, chopped egg and chopped coriander leaves into the pan and stir in so that it’s well distributed. Lower the heat as low as it will go (or turn it off entirely if you’re using a heavy bottomed pan that holds heat well) and place a lid on the pan, and let it stand for a minute or two — the trapped steam will finish cooking the rice and warm up the mackerel & egg.

6. Serve on its own or with some yummy crusty bread.

Chowder

Chowder

• 150g smoked cod or smoked haddock
• 1 bay leaf
• olive oil
• 20g butter
• onions , finely chopped
• sweetcorn
• 300g potatoes , peeled and diced
• garlic cloves , crushed with 1 tsp sea salt
• ½ tsp dried thyme
• 200ml milk

   1. Put the fish in a pan with the bay leaf and 600ml/1 pint boiling water. Cover and simmer for 2 minutes. Turn off the heat and leave to stand, covered, for a further 5 minutes. Drain, reserving the liquid, then flake the fish.

   2. Heat the oil and butter in a deep saucepan. Add the vegetables and garlic and fry over a high heat until starting to soften. Stir in the thyme and the reserved cooking liquid and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 10 minutes until the vegetables have softened.

   3. Pour half the soup into a bowl and mash with a potato masher or fork. Return to the pan with the milk and fish. Simmer for 3 minutes, taste and season if needed. Sprinkle with chopped parsley to serve.

Bourbon Marinade

Bourbon Marinade Recipe – a good marinade for chicken, pork, fish

Ingredients

• 1.5 tablespoon bourbon
• 1.5 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tablespoons brown sugar
• ½ tablespoon olive oil
• ½ tablespoon dijon mustard
• 1 cloves garlic, crushed
• ½ teaspoon ginger
• ½ teaspoon pepper

Recipe Preparation:

Combine all ingredients and whisk until blended. 

Baja Sauce

Baja Sauce -  a spicy/creamy sauce for Fish Tacos

• 473ml / 2 cups sour cream
• ¼ cup of milk 
• 1 medium fresh green chili pepper 
• ¼ teaspoon Cumin 
• 1-2 cloves of garlic
• Fresh Lime Juice from ½ a lime
• Fresh Coriander (optional)
• Crushed Red Pepper Flakes (use if needed)
• Salt to taste

you want the sauce to sit for a while prior to serving.

Crush, peel and chop the garlic

Cut the chili

Put the sour cream in a food processor along with chili, cumin, lime juice and garlic and process on medium for a few seconds.

Start slowly adding milk until you get a thinner consistency- if it’s too thin just add a bit more sour cream until it’s just right.

Give it a taste. It should be very spicy- if not, add chili flakes to get the heat up! Since the sause is going to be served with sweet fish and salsa you can bring the heat up higher than you might normally enjoy if it were just on its own.