Trout with Warm Black Eyed Bean Salad

Trout with Warm Black Eyed Bean Salad

Pulses are much underutilised but are such a great vehicle for flavour. This warm black eyed bean salad could be done with an alternative bean (butter beans or canalenni perhaps).

The fish is simply seasoned and grilled as the natural flavour is not required to be messed with - there is enough in the beans.

Ingredients

one small tin of black eyed beans
3 spring onions
2 tablespoons of olive oil
juice of half a lemon
sprig of fresh thyme
half a glass of white wine
6 french beans
6 cherry tomatoes
12 black olives
dressing made from 1 tablespoon olive oil, 2 teaspoons red wine vinegar a teaspoon of pesto.
Good handfull of fresh parsley

Method

drain and rinse the tin of black eyed beans. Place in a saucepan with the lemon juice and olive oil. Add the spring onions (finely chopped)and the thyme. Let this come p to a simmer and reduce the heat.
On the side chop the cherry tomatoes in half and mix in the black olives and the dressing.
Add the wine to the pan and then the french beans, slowly bring the pan back up to the simmer and add the tomatoes, olives and dressing mix.
Slowly bring back up to the simmer and just before serving add the chopped parsley.

Serve with a grilled trout - simply trim the tail, head and fins then season with sea salt and grill until cooked through.

Taramasalata

Our house could probably boast a supply of taramasalata vast enough to feed a Parthenon full of Greeks for a week. The way to avoid this is to not use too much roe (like I did). Either way if there are any suggestions of how to convert Taramasalata into something else (cos whilst it's nice there is only so much that I can take) please send them through sharpish.

Ingredients

100g cod roe
an onion
stale bread (4 slices)
50ml olive oil
paprika

Method

Start by grating the onion. I used a food processor to save my eyes. Then soak the bread (I had a left over homemade loaf which is denser than the shop bought air pumped guff) in water and squeeze out the liquid. Add this to the onion and mix i the food processor. As it is mixing add the olive oil.

Cod roe is a funny thing to handle. The roe is inside a skin/sac and can be squeezed out like piping icing.

My error was to use 5 times the roe in the recipe above, I just asked for a whole roe from the fishmonger and didn't appreciate the weight of them. You live and learn as they say.

Mix the roe into the food processor and serve. I sprinkled it with paprika and served with black olives and warm pita bread.

Clam Paella

This is partially inspired by TV chef Tomasina (bad spelling I expect) who has just started a new Cook's Tour series on Spain.

There is no traditional Spanish element to this as I chose Clams and Pollock because they looked good and fresh when I went out shopping.

Either way not a bad accompaniment to a glass of white wine on Good Friday.

Ingredients

a chopped onion
a red pepper
a green pepper
2 beef tomatoes
2 cloves of garlic
12 Clams
a good head end piece of Pollock (Any white fish would substitute well)
Arborio rice (2 ladles worth)
a pinch of saffron
Fish Stock (I made my own)- 4 ladles worth
Parsley

Method

Start by softening the onion in olive oil, move to the outer edge of the pan (Tommi's tip) then add the chopped peppers and garlic. After a couple of minutes move the peppers and garlic to the edge of the pan and add the tomatoes - to prepare the tomatoes chop into large chunks and add a shake of sea salt, this aids bringing out the sweetness (apparently). Again wait a couple of minutes and move the tomatoes to the edge of the pan then add the Pollack (cut into 3cm cubes). When the fish is sealed move to the outer edge of the pan and add the clams (Vongoles if you are French). Add the rice and saffron, then add the stock. Turn the heat down low and cook for 20-25 minutes -another top tip from Tommi is to not stir the paella once the stock has been added! This does make for varied texture in the rice (i.e. some of it doesn't cook right good).

The fish stock is something that I concocted myself. I used the pan from Jerusalem artichoke & carrot soup making and used a standard vegetable stock cube with two tablespoons of home made taramasalata (see tomorrow's blog entry for recipe).
Top off with chopped parsley in olive oil and a finely chopped garlic clove - eat with loved ones

Trout with Parsley, Prawn and Caper Sauce

Trout with Parsley, Prawn and Caper Sauce

This was a dinner shared with my mates Dan and Tom. As such we enjoyed a nice glass of wine with the food followed by a truck load of beer, port and cheese then Jagermeister after eating.

Ingredients

Trout fillets
Chopped parsley
salt and pepper

For the sauce
30g goats butter
clove of garlic (crushed)
100ml milk
50g grated parmesan cheese
chopped parsley
a handful of cooked prawns
6 capers

Method

Coat the trout in olive oil and season, scatter with chopped parsley and wrap in foil. Cook the trout for 15 mins in a pre-heated moderate over (180 degrees C).

For the sauce melt the butter with the crushed garlic in a saucepan. When melted stir in the flour and cook out for 30 seconds. Gradually add the milk, stirring continuously with a wooden spoon. Add the capers and when boiled and thickened add the parmesan and the chopped parsley. At the last minute add the prawns

Pour over the fish to serve.

I served this with a spinach and rocket salad and some slow roasted peppers and mushrooms

Thai Style Prawn Porridge

Thai Style Prawn Porridge

This is a bit of a thrown together dish but dead tasty. Not authentic Thai, more inspired by Thai flavours.

Ingredients

300g King prawns (shelled and pre cooked)
2 bok choi, roughly chopped
a sliced red pepper
2 cloves of garlic (crushed)
1cm root ginger (sliced finely)
small piece of dried galangal
a birds eye chillie
one tin of coconut milk
150g cous-cous
Chopped corriander

Method

Heat some groundnut oil in a frying pan and add the garlic, ginger, galangal and chillie for one minute. Keep the chillie whole rather than chopped.
Add the pepper and bok choi for a further minute then add the tin of coconut milk.
After 3 minutes add the cous-cous - this is definitely not Thai style but makes the porridge texture.
After five minutes add the prawns then serve and sprinkle with chopped corriander.

Fish Florentine

Fish Florentine

This is rich and calorie packed but dead tasty as a treat.

Ingredients

2 haddock fillets (skinned and boned)
150ml dry white wine
good handful of spinach
50 grammes butter
plain flour
150ml milk
75ml double cream
100 grammes grated mature cheddar cheese
110 grammes dried bread crumbs
dash of mace

Method

Poach the fish fillets in the wine for about 10 minutes. Remove from the poaching liquid and flake the fillets.
Make a sauce by melting the butter in a sauce pan and adding the flour.
Cook for 30 seconds and then start gradually adding the milk and stirring with a wooden spoon.
When the sauce boils and thickens remove from the heat and stir in the cream and half the cheese.
Stir until the cheese is absorbed then add the fish and the mace.
Steam the spinach for 5 minutes (so that it keeps some shape rather than going to a pulp).
Layer in ramekins spinach, fish, then spinach. Top with breadcrumbs and then more grated cheese.

I served with French beans and mashed potatoes.