Smoked mackerel pate

From Jamie’s Ministry of Food
Serves 4 to 6
Ingredients

200g smoked mackerel fillets
2 spring onions
1 lemon
100g light Philadelphia cream cheese
1 tablespoon creamed horseradish
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 small loaf of good-quality bread
1 punnet of cress

To prepare your pâté

• If you want to pull the skin off each piece of mackerel, do this now and discard it
• Trim and finely slice the spring onions
• Break the mackerel into chunks
To prepare your pâté

• Finely grate over the zest of one of your lemons, then cut it in half
• Put the cream cheese into a large bowl with the creamed horseradish
• Chop up the mackerel, spring onions and lemon zest on a chopping board, mixing everything together as you chop until you have a coarse paste

• Add this to the bowl with the cream cheese and horseradish
• Season to taste with salt and pepper
• Squeeze in the juice of your zested lemon, and mix again

Pasta with prawns

From Knorr Recipes
Ingredients

2 Knorr Chicken Stock Pots
250g spaghetti
4tbsp olive oil
3tbsp chopped shallot
1 garlic clove, chopped
Tip of 1 chilli, very finely chopped (optional)
70ml dry white wine
30ml Knorr Chicken Stock, made from a diluted Knorr Chicken Stock Pot
4tbsp very finely chopped parsley
10-12 raw tiger prawns, shelled and de-veined

Method

1. Bring a large pan of water to the boil. I season my pasta water with Knorr Chicken Stock Pots; the delicate chicken flavour goes well with seafood. Add in the Knorr Chicken Stock Pots, stir until dissolved and bring back to the boil. Add in the spaghetti, bring to the boil, cover and cook until cooked to taste. I like mine al-dente, so I allow around 9 minutes. Stir the spaghetti now and then to prevent it sticking.

2. After the spaghetti had been cooking for 7 minutes, pre-heat a large, heavy-based frying pan to make it nice and hot. Add the olive oil to the frying pan, heat through briefly then add in the tiger prawns.

3. Let the tiger prawns cook briefly, then turn them over so that they cook evenly on each side. As they cook, the prawns will turn opaque and pink. It’s important not to overcook them, so keep a close eye on them. It’s attention to details like this that makes all the difference.

4. Add in the chopped shallot, then the garlic and chilli and fry briefly. Add in the white wine and cook, stirring. Add in the Knorr Chicken Stock and 2 tbsp of the chopped parsley to the prawns. Mix well as you want the olive oil, white wine and stock to blend together to form the sauce.

5. Once the spaghetti is cooked to your taste, turn off the heat under the spaghetti. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the spaghetti from its cooking water to the frying pan. This is the way my mother used to do it. Toss the frying pan, coating the spaghetti in the prawn mixture. Serve at once in two bowls, garnished with the remaining parsley. I’ve used raw prawns here, but, if you prefer, you can substitute cooked peeled prawns or a packet of seafood mix. It’s your choice.

6. Don’t waste your pasta water. It’s got the flavour from the Knorr Chicken Stock Pot in it and starch from the pasta in it, which is a natural thickener. Use it in a gravy, a soup or a stew.

Festive fish pie

From 101 Fish & Seafood Dishes – Tried and Tested Recipes
Serves 6
Ingredients

200g smoked salmon
4 plum tomatoes, skinned, seeded
400g raw king prawns
500g cod fillet cut into 2.5cm chunks
2.5cm piece of fresh root ginger
50g butter
50g plain flour
425ml milk
150ml dry vermouth
142ml carton single cream
3 tbsp chopped fresh dill
juice of 1/2 lime

For the topping
700g potatoes peeled,
good pinch of saffron strands
25g butter

Cut the salmon into strips and chop the tomatoes. Mix these with the prawns and cod in a buttered overproof dish

Chop the ginger. Bring the butter, ginger, flour milk and vermouth to the boil in a non stick pan, whisking all the time until until thickened and smooth. Reduce the heat and simmer for 2 minutes, then season and leave to cool, stirring occasionally. When cooled to room temperature, stir in the cream, dill and lime juice. Taste and season. pour over the fish.

Slice the potatoes and boil in a pan of water with the saffron and some salt until just tender, thend rain. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 200 degrees.

Arrange the potatoes, overlapping, over the pie mixture. Melt the butter and brush over. Bake for 30-40 minutes until golden.

Cod and prawn bake in a cheese sauce

From Irish Cooking by Clare Connery
Serves 4

Ingredients
450ml / ¾ pint milk
¼ onion
6 peppercorns
Blade of mace
1 bay leaf
A few parsley stalks
50g / 2oz butter
450g / 1 lb cod fillets, skinned
50g / 2oz button mushrooms, sliced
125g / 4oz cooked peeled prawns
30g / 1 ½ oz plain flour
1 tablespoon lemon juice
125g / 4oz grated Cheddar cheese
Salt and pepper

Put the milk into a saucepan with the onion, peppercorns, mace, bay leaf and parsley stalks. Bring to the boil, and then remove from the heat and leave to infuse while preparing the remaining ingredients.

Melt the butter in another saucepan and use a little to brush the inside of a 1.6 litre / 2 ¾ pint ovenproof pie dish. Cut the cod into finger size strips, place in the pie dish and scatter the mushrooms and prawns on top.

Strain the milk through a sieve, then discard the contents of the sieve. Add the flour to the remaining butter in the saucepan, stirring to blend. Gradually stir in the strained milk to make a smooth sauce.

Bring to the boil, stirring constantly until the sauce thickens. Season with salt and pepper and lemon juice and add two thirds of the grated cheese. Stir until melted.

Pour the sauce over the fish, sprinkle with the remaining cheese, place on a baking sheet and cook in a preheated oven 180C, Gas 4 for 20 – 25 minutes until golden brown.

I love the taste of the white sauce! To the extent I made too much, and that’s why it looks a lot more than it actually is. I am saving up the cheese sauce so that I can have pasta with it.

Prawn pilaf

From Gordon Ramsay’s Best Menus
Serves 4

Ingredients

500ml light chicken stock
4tbsp olive oil
1 large onion, peeled and finely chopped
1 garlic clove, peeled and chopped
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
1.5 tsp mild curry powder
10 cardamom pods
few thyme sprigs (leaves only)
200g basmati rice
sea salt and black pepper
20 large tiger prawns (in shells)

Heat oven to 200C. Cut a circle of baking paper big enough to cover an overproof pan. Cut a steam hole in the centre. Bring stock to boil in another pan.

Heat olive oil in ovenproof pan, add garlic, onion, spices and thyme. Stir over medium heat for 2-3 minutes, then tip rice in and stir well. Add some salt and pepper and toast the rice for a minute. Pour in the boiling stock and arrange the prawns on top of the rice in a single layer.

Lay the baking paper on top to cover, then transfer pan to oven. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until rice is tender and has absorbed most of the liquid. Leave to stand, still covered with the paper, for 5 minutes before serving.

Rice was undercooked but the taste was pretty good! More practice required.

Soy-baked salmon with zingy salsa

From Cook with Jamie
Serves 8
Ingredients

150ml low-salt soy sauce
75ml rice mirin or rice wine
a large thumb-sized piece of fresh ginger, peeled
1 lemon
2 limes
1kg side of salmon, scaled and pin-boned

for the salsa
1 red pepper, deseeded and finely chopped
2 fresh green chillies, deseeded and finely chopped
extra virgin olive oil
a few sprigs of fresh mint, leaves picked
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Cooking a side of salmon is really simple and a great recipe to have up your sleeve even if you’re not feeding a crowd, as the leftover fish will work really well flaked through a salad or pasta the next day. The salsa adds a lovely kick to contrast with the sweetness of the salmon.

Pour the soy sauce into a bowl with the mirin or rice wine. Finely grate in the ginger and the zest from the lemon and limes. Mix well then carefully pour into a large sandwich bag. Add the salmon to the bag, loosely folding it to help it fit. Squeeze out any excess air so the salmon is completely covered then tie a knot in the bag and pop in the fridge to marinate for around 1½ hours.

Preheat your oven to 200ºC/400ºF/gas 6. Ten minutes before the salmon has finished marinating, put an ovenproof griddle pan on a high heat to get nice and hot. When the time’s up, transfer the salmon to a plate and pat it dry with kitchen paper, discarding the soy marinade. Sear the salmon for 1 minute on the screaming hot griddle pan, skin-side down, then place in the hot oven to cook for 10 to 12 minutes, or until cooked through.

Meanwhile, make the salsa. Mix the chopped pepper and chillies in a bowl with the juice of the zested limes and twice as much extra virgin olive oil. Finely chop and add the mint leaves and a pinch of salt and pepper then have a taste and tweak the seasoning if needed.

Serve the salsa with the lovely baked salmon, roasted sweet potatoes and a fresh green salad.

Creamy salmon kedgeree

From Irish Cooking – Clare Connery
Ingredients
Serves 4

50 g Butter
1 large onion (finely chopped)
175 g long grain rice (cooked until just tender)
500 g cooked salmon (boned and flaked)
3 hard-boiled eggs (roughly chopped)
2 tblsp parsley (finely chopped)
150 ml Cream
salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 tsp chives (finely chopped to garnish)

Melt half the butter in a large pan, add the onion and fry until it is soft.

Stir in the cooked rice, and season well with salt and pepper.

Add the salmon, eggs, parsley and cream, folding them carefully into the rice to prevent the fish and eggs from breaking up too much.

Pile the kedgeree into an ovenproof dish.

Grease a sheet of foil with the remaining butter and use to cover the dish.

Heat thoroughly in a preheated oven, 180°C (350°F/Gas 4) for 15 minutes.

When hot, serve sprinkled with the chives.

Was in Dublin for a wedding, and I continued my habit from buying cookbooks from the countries I have been to. Bought this irish cookbook to test out its recipes, and started with this kedgeree dish. Very very creamy and filling, and quite tasty too.

Crab and rocket spaghetti

From Waitrose Recipe
Serves 4
Ingredients

300g essential Waitrose spaghetti
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1-2 red chillies, finely chopped
Zest and juice of 1 lemon
100g pack Seafood and Eat it Cornish White Crab
100g pack Seafood and Eat it Cornish Brown Crab
110g bag wild rocket
50g Parmigiano Reggiano, grated

Cook the spaghetti according to pack instructions, drain and set aside. Heat the oil in the same pan and fry the chillies and lemon zest for 1 minute. Add both crab meats, lemon juice and rocket and cook for 1-2 minutes until wilted.

Stir in the reserved spaghetti and Parmigiano Reggiano and serve.

This recipe is so ridiculously easy, 15 minutes to cook, and the taste of the crab was heavenly. I added some garlic as I just thought that there must be garlic in a dish like this.

Mussel, haddock and salmon stew

From BBC Saturday Kitchen
Serves 4
Ingredients

1litre/2 pints fish stock
1kg/2lb 3¾oz mussels, scrubbed and de-bearded
pinch saffron
¼ tsp curry powder
500ml/1pint double cream
For the stew
250g/9oz smoked haddock, cut into 1.5cm cubes
200g/7oz salmon, cut into 1.5cm cubes
4 carrots, cut into 1cm cubes and blanched
2 potatoes, cut into 1cm cubes and blanched
1 leek, cut into 1cm cubes
2 tbsp flatleaf parsley, roughly chopped
salt and freshly ground black pepper
To serve
4 slices country bread, griddled

Bring the stock to the boil, then add the mussels and cook for 3-4 minutes until the mussels are open. Discard any mussels that do not open.
Strain the stock into a saucepan, reserving the mussels.
Pull the mussel shells in half, discarding the halves without the mussel meat, and keep to one side.
Place the pan with the stock back on the heat and reduce the temperature to a simmer.
Add the saffron, curry powder and cream, then bring it back to a simmer.
Add the fish, carrots, potatoes and leek and simmer for 2-3 minutes until tender.
Add the parsley and cooked mussels and stir through.
Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
Serve with the griddled bread.

This is now my current favourite cream based fish stew. The addition of saffron and curry powder brings this stew to a completely new level!

Pasta Puttanesca or Working Girl’s Pasta

Jamie’s Dinners
Serves 4

Ingredients:
A handful of fresh basil
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Zest and juice of 1 lemon
Extra virgin olive oil
Two 8-ounce tuna steaks, chopped into bite-size chunks, or 2 cans of good-quality tuna, drained
14 ounces penne or spaghetti
8 anchovy fillets
2 cloves of garlic, peeled and finely chopped
2 handfuls of soaked capers
A handful of black olives, pitted and roughly chopped
1 to 3 small dried chiles, crumbled to your taste, or 1 fresh red chile, deseeded and finely sliced
2 handfuls of really ripe tomatoes, finely chopped
Optional: a swig of white wine
A handful of fresh flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped

Smash the basil to a pulp with a pinch of salt and pepper. Add the lemon zest and juice and 2 good lugs of extra virgin olive oil. Mix this up and either rub over your chopped-up fresh tuna or mix with your broken-up canned tuna and allow to marinate.

Get a large pan of salted boiling water on and cook the pasta according to the package instructions. As soon as you put the pasta on, put 3 or 4 good lugs of extra virgin olive oil into a large frying pan and put on the heat. As the pan starts to get warm, add your anchovy fillets and allow them to fry and melt. At this point add your garlic, capers, olives, and chili and stir around for a couple of minutes. If you have used fresh tuna, add it to the pan now with all of the marinating juices and sear it on both sides. When done, add the tomatoes and a little swig of white wine if you have some. If you have used canned tuna, add it to the pan at the same time as the tomatoes. Bring to a boil, then simmer for around 5 minutes, stirring regularly with a spoon, breaking the tuna up into smaller pieces. What you don’t want to do is overcook the tuna so it goes tough. You want it to be soft and silky. Correct the seasoning carefully with salt and pepper.

The pasta should now be ready, so drain it in a colander, reserving some of the cooking liquid. Toss the hot pasta with the hot tuna sauce, add the parsley, and mix well. You may need a few more lugs of olive oil and a spoonful of cooking water to make the sauce nice and loose.

One of my go-to recipes for good wholesome seafood pasta.