Everyday Seafood - Nathan Outlaw (2016)
Starters and small bites
Crab pâté with pink grapefruit
For this beautiful starter, make sure your crabmeat is in tip-top condition, as the dish really shows off its quality. Trust me, you will get a few wows when your guests, family and friends try it. I like to serve it with a pile of lightly toasted sourdough.
Serves 4 as a starter
300g white crabmeat (from a 1.5kg freshly cooked crab)
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
For the pâté
200g brown crabmeat, sieved
1½ sheets of bronze leaf gelatine
30ml brandy
A pinch of cayenne pepper
A pinch of ground cumin
200ml double cream
2 tbsp lime juice
For the pink grapefruit jelly
2½ sheets of bronze leaf gelatine
300ml freshly squeezed pink grapefruit juice (from about 2 grapefruit)
50g caster sugar
A pinch of sea salt
To garnish
1 pink grapefruit, segmented
Mustard cress
A drizzle of olive oil
To serve
Sourdough bread
Pick through your crabmeat, checking for any shell or cartilage to discard. Put the white crabmeat into a bowl and season with salt and pepper to taste. Put 4 tbsp into a small bowl for the garnish and refrigerate. Divide the rest equally between 4 small bowls or ramekins.
To make the pâté, soak the gelatine in a shallow dish of ice-cold water for about 5 minutes to soften. Heat the brown crabmeat, brandy and spices in a small pan over a low heat. Simmer gently for a minute, then add the cream and heat through.
Remove the gelatine from the dish and squeeze out the excess water, then add it to the brown crab, off the heat, stirring to melt. Transfer to a blender and blend for 1 minute, adding the lime juice and a pinch of salt. Pass the mixture through a sieve into a jug and pour it equally over the white crabmeat in the bowls. Place in the fridge to set.
While the crab pâté is setting, make the grapefruit jelly. Soak the gelatine in ice-cold water, as above, to soften. Put the grapefruit juice, sugar and a pinch of salt into a pan and bring to the boil. Remove the gelatine from the dish and squeeze out the excess water, then add to the juice mixture, off the heat, stirring until fully melted. Leave to cool, but don’t let it set.
When the pâté is set, pour the cooled, liquid jelly evenly over the surface and return to the fridge to set.
Take the pâté out of the fridge around 20 minutes before serving to bring it to room temperature. Cut away the peel and pith from the grapefruit and cut out the segments from between the membranes; cut these into smaller pieces.
To serve, spoon the reserved white crabmeat on top of the pâté. Add the grapefruit pieces, scatter over some cress and drizzle with olive oil. Toast the sourdough and serve with the pâté.
Crab Scotch quail’s eggs with watercress mayonnaise
Okay, so these little nibbles are not real Scotch eggs, but they are just as tasty in my opinion, and they work so well with the peppery watercress mayonnaise. If the idea of crab doesn’t float your boat, we do a fabulous smoked fish version too - just replace the crab with smoked haddock and proceed in the same way.
Makes 12; Serves 4 as a starter
For the crab mix
200g fresh cod fillet, diced
75g brown crabmeat, sieved
200g white crabmeat, picked
Finely grated zest of 1 lemon
2 tbsp chopped chives
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
For the eggs
14 quail’s eggs (includes 2 extras in case of breakage)
100g plain flour, for coating
2 medium (hen’s) eggs, beaten
100g day-old bread, blitzed in a blender to crumbs
Sunflower oil for deep-frying
For the watercress mayonnaise
2 egg yolks
¾ tsp English mustard
20g Davidstow Cheddar, grated
1½ tbsp white wine vinegar
3 tbsp watercress, chopped
300ml sunflower oil
To serve
1 lemon, cut into wedges
Put the cod fillet into a food processor with a good pinch of salt and blend for 30 seconds. Add the brown crabmeat and blend for a further 30 seconds. Scrape into a bowl and add the white crabmeat, lemon zest, chives and seasoning. Mix together well, cover and place in the fridge.
Place the quail’s eggs in a pan, cover with cold water and bring to the boil over a high heat. Meanwhile, get ready a bowl of ice-cold water. As soon as the water begins to boil, take the eggs out of the pan and plunge them into the ice-cold water. Let cool, then peel the eggs.
Set up three bowls: one with flour, one with beaten eggs and one with breadcrumbs. Using clean hands, carefully mould the crab mixture around each quail’s egg and pass through the flour, then the egg and finally the breadcrumbs to coat. Put the eggs to one side, or in the fridge if you are cooking them later.
To make the mayonnaise, put the egg yolks into a blender or small food processor with the mustard, grated cheese, wine vinegar and watercress. Process for 1 minute and then, with the motor still running, slowly pour in the oil. Once it is fully emulsified, stop the machine and season the mayonnaise with salt to taste. Transfer to a bowl, cover and refrigerate.
When ready to serve, heat the oil in a deep-fat fryer or other suitable deep, heavy pan to 160°C. Deep-fry the Scotch eggs in the hot oil, in batches as necessary, for about 3 minutes until golden. Drain on kitchen paper and season with a little salt.
Spoon the watercress mayonnaise into a bowl. Place the Scotch eggs on a warm platter with the bowl of mayonnaise and lemon wedges.
Pancetta-wrapped oyster fritters with cucumber and mint dipping sauce
Oysters and bacon are a great flavour combination. Their salty and rich flavours need something to cut them, and that’s where the zingy dipping sauce comes in - it has a little kick from the chilli too. A cucumber and fennel salad brings the whole dish together with its lovely fresh textures.
Serves 4 as a starter
12 live Pacific oysters
50ml olive oil
1 white onion, peeled and finely chopped
½ fennel bulb, tough outer layer removed, finely chopped
100g fresh breadcrumbs
2 tbsp chopped mint
2 tbsp chopped curly parsley
Finely grated zest and juice of 1 lime
12 thin slices of pancetta
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
For the dipping sauce
1 cucumber
1 shallot, peeled and finely chopped
½ fennel bulb, tough outer layer removed, finely chopped
A small bunch of mint, leaves picked and finely sliced
1 large green chilli, deseeded and finely chopped
3 tbsp fish sauce
3 tbsp cider vinegar
3 tbsp water
For the salad
1 cucumber
1 fennel bulb, tough outer layer removed
1 tsp toasted black onion seeds
Juice of 1 lime
A generous drizzle of extra virgin olive oil
Open the oysters and strain their juice through a muslin-lined sieve into a bowl. Chop the oysters and then add them to the juices.
Heat a frying pan over a medium heat and add the olive oil. When it is hot, add the onion and fennel and cook for about 5 minutes until softened. Tip into a bowl and allow to cool slightly.
Add the oysters and juice, breadcrumbs, herbs, lime zest and juice to the softened veg and mix well. Season with pepper (you won’t need salt because the oysters have enough).
Divide the mixture into 12 even-sized balls and roll them into rugby ball shapes. Lay the pancetta slices on a board and place an oyster ball on each one, then wrap in the pancetta.
Preheat your grill to its highest setting. Oil the grill pan, place the fritters on it and put to one side.
For the dipping sauce, halve, peel and deseed the cucumber, then cut into 5mm dice. Place in a bowl with all the other ingredients and toss to mix. Divide between 4 small dishes and set aside.
For the salad, halve, peel, deseed and finely slice the cucumber. Finely slice the fennel, using a mandoline if you have one. Toss the cucumber, fennel and onion seeds together, season with a little salt and dress with the lime juice and olive oil.
To cook the fritters, place them under the grill and cook for 3 minutes on one side, then carefully turn them and cook for another 3 minutes.
Divide the salad between 4 starter plates and place a dish of dipping sauce on each one. Once the fritters are cooked, divide them between the plates and serve.
Prawn cocktail quiche
I love a good prawn cocktail, who doesn’t? This picnic quiche is a little nod to the 70s classic. It has the same flavours but no limp lettuce or tasteless tomato. You can make a big one if you wish, or little canapé sized ones as I sometimes do; just adjust the cooking time accordingly. Prawn cocktail will never be the same again!
Serves 6 as a starter
For the pastry
250g plain flour
150g unsalted butter, diced
1 tsp fine sea salt
2 tsp finely chopped rosemary
1 medium egg, beaten
3 tbsp milk
Egg wash (1 egg yolk beaten with 2 tbsp milk)
For the filling
15 raw tiger prawns, peeled, deveined and halved
3 medium eggs
300ml double cream
50ml good quality tomato ketchup, ideally homemade
½ tsp Tabasco
5 spring onions, trimmed and sliced
10 cherry tomatoes, halved
50g Parmesan, freshly grated
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
To make the pastry, put the flour, butter, salt and rosemary into a food processor and process until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Add the egg and milk and pulse briefly until the dough comes together. Shape the pastry into a disc, wrap in cling film and rest in the fridge for at least 1 hour. Preheat your oven to 190°C/Fan 175°C/Gas 5.
Roll out the pastry on a lightly floured surface to the thickness of a £1 coin and use to line a loose-based rectangular flan tin, about 25 x 10cm and 3cm deep, or an 18cm round flan tin, 3cm deep.
Line the pastry case with a sheet of greaseproof paper and add a layer of baking beans. Rest in the fridge for 15 minutes.
Bake the pastry case for 15 minutes, then lift out the paper and beans and brush the pastry with egg wash. Return to the oven for 3 minutes, then remove and set aside. Turn the oven down to 160°C/Fan 145°C/Gas 3.
For the filling, lightly beat the eggs, cream, tomato ketchup and Tabasco together and season with salt and pepper. Scatter the spring onions and cherry tomatoes in the pastry case, followed by the prawns, distributing them evenly. Pour on the egg and cream mixture, then sprinkle with the grated Parmesan. Bake for 25-30 minutes until the custard is set and the pastry is golden.
Leave the quiche in the tin on a wire rack to cool a little before slicing. Either eat warm or leave it to cool completely and take to the beach or park.
Crispy fried grey mullet, chilli jam
I serve these crisp-fried fish bites on cocktail sticks on a platter with a dish of chilli jam. They are great as a pre-dinner bite, or handed around at a party. Grey mullet is ideal for this sort of cooking because it has a decent oily content that stops it drying out. Mackerel, sardine and salmon are good alternatives. You’ll probably have more chilli jam than you need, but it will keep for a few weeks in the fridge in a sealed container, and is delicious with cheese and cold meats.
Serves 4 as a starter, or up to 8 as a bite
400g grey mullet fillet, skinned and pin-boned
2 tbsp chopped coriander
Finely grated zest of 1 lime
½ tsp ground cumin
½ tsp cayenne pepper
100g gluten-free self-raising flour
120ml Cornish Pilsner (or similar beer)
Sunflower oil for deep-frying
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
For the chilli jam
1 red onion, peeled and finely diced
4 red peppers, cored, deseeded and finely sliced
6 red chillies, deseeded and finely sliced
3 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped
400g tin plum tomatoes
300g soft brown sugar
150ml red wine vinegar
2 lemongrass stalks, tough outer layers removed, finely chopped
To serve
1 lime, cut into wedges
To make the chilli jam, put all of the ingredients into a heavy-based pan (I use a cast-iron one) and add a pinch of salt. Bring to the boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar, then lower the heat and simmer gently, stirring occasionally, for about 45 minutes until the jam is well reduced. Once it starts to catch on the bottom of the pan, stir constantly over the heat until it looks like bubbling lava. Transfer to a bowl and leave to cool. (Once cooled, the jam can be kept in the fridge in a sealed container.)
Cut the mullet into roughly 4cm chunks. Mix the chopped coriander, lime zest, cumin, cayenne and a good pinch of salt together in a bowl. Add the mullet pieces and toss to mix. Leave to marinate for 30 minutes.
To make the batter, mix the flour and beer together until smooth. Heat the oil in a deep-fat fryer or other suitable deep, heavy-based pan to 180°C. Season the fish with salt and pepper.
You will need to cook the fish in 2 or 3 batches. One at a time, dip each chunk into the batter to coat, then carefully lower into the hot oil. Deep-fry for 3-4 minutes until cooked and crispy. Gently lift the fish out and drain on kitchen paper. Keep warm while you cook the rest.
Sprinkle the fish chunks with a little salt and spear onto cocktail sticks. Serve immediately, on a platter or individual plates with a bowl of chilli jam and lime wedges on the side.
A Cornish style of smoked brandade
My version of the French brandade, using Cornish smoked haddock and saffron, may upset purists, but who cares - it tastes really good! It’s versatile, too. You can dress it up in individual bowls to serve as a posh starter with toasted sourdough, or you can just whack it in the middle of the table with a pile of raw vegetables and everyone can dip away.
Serves 8 as a starter
500g finest smoked haddock or smoked pollack, skinned and pin-boned
2 large baking potatoes, peeled
A pinch of saffron strands
300ml whole milk
2 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped
2 bay leaves
200ml cold-pressed rapeseed oil (ideally Cornish), plus a drizzle to finish
2 tbsp flat-leaf parsley leaves, finely sliced
Juice of 1 lemon, or to taste
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
To serve
Sourdough bread, thickly sliced
Cut the potatoes into large even-sized chunks and place in a saucepan. Cover with water and add salt and the saffron. Bring to a simmer and cook for about 15 minutes until soft.
Meanwhile, pour the milk into another pan and add the garlic and bay leaves. Bring to a simmer over a medium heat, then add the fish. Take the pan off the heat and leave the fish to cook in the residual heat of the milk for 6 minutes. Remove the fish and flake into a food processor; reserve the milk.
Tip the potatoes into a colander and leave them to drain and dry off for a few minutes. Meanwhile, gently warm the rapeseed oil in a pan.
Purée the fish in the processor then, with the motor running, slowly pour in the warm oil and the reserved milk through the funnel. Once it is all incorporated, add most of the parsley, saving a little for the garnish.
Add the potatoes to the mixture and blitz for 30 seconds. Finally, add most of the lemon juice and a good sprinkling of pepper.
Scrape the brandade into a bowl and give it a good stir. Taste and adjust the seasoning, adding more lemon juice if required.
Just before serving, toast the sourdough slices. Serve the brandade topped with a drizzle of rapeseed oil and the remaining parsley, with the toasted sourdough on the side.
Hot-smoked salmon pâté, whisky jelly
Salmon and whisky is a pairing I’ve been serving in various ways since I opened my first restaurant, Black Pig, in 2003. Good quality hot-smoked salmon is available from good delis, supermarkets and online - it’s well worth buying superior smoked fish because the texture and flavour will be better. If whisky isn’t your thing, you could use the same recipe to create a beetroot jelly, swapping the whisky for beetroot juice.
Serves 6 as a starter
For the pâté
400g hot-smoked salmon, skinned
Finely grated zest and juice of 1 lime
100g full-fat cream cheese
150g full-fat Greek yoghurt
1 tbsp creamed horseradish
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
For the whisky jelly
2 sheets of bronze leaf gelatine
200ml Laphroaig whisky
40g caster sugar
To serve
12 slices of rye bread
Grated zest of 1 lime
To make the pâté, put the hot-smoked salmon into a food processor with the lime juice and blitz for 20 seconds. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and add the cream cheese, yoghurt, horseradish, lime zest and some salt and pepper. Blitz for 1 minute: you want the pâté to be almost smooth, with a little texture from the salmon. Divide between 6 ramekins or other small dishes, cover and refrigerate.
To make the jelly, soak the gelatine in a shallow dish of ice-cold water for about 5 minutes to soften. Put the whisky and sugar into a pan and heat gently until the sugar has dissolved and the liquor is almost at a simmer.
Remove the gelatine leaves from the dish and squeeze out the excess water. Add to the whisky, off the heat, and stir until melted. Leave to cool completely, but don’t let it set.
Pour the cooled, liquid jelly evenly on top of the pâté and return to the fridge to set.
Take the pâté out of the fridge around 20 minutes before serving so that it comes to room temperature.
When ready to eat, toast the rye bread. Sprinkle the lime zest over the pâté and serve immediately, with the toast.
Jacob’s favourite cod’s roe dip
My son Jacob adores this dip. It was originally created as a bar snack to serve with drinks at Outlaw’s Fish Kitchen in Port Isaac and has been on the menu ever since. Easy to make, it’s a great dish for a party and keeps well in the fridge for 3-4 days. I serve it topped generously with smoked paprika and garlicky olive oil, with a pile of warm flatbreads to tear and scoop up the dip. You should be able to get good smoked cod’s roe from your fishmonger, although you may need to order it in advance. Alternatively, you can order it online from www.thecornishfishmonger.co.uk.
Serves 6 as a starter, or up to 10 as a bite
400g smoked cod’s roe, rinsed and membrane removed
4 garlic cloves (unpeeled)
500ml olive oil
100g good quality crustless white bread
About 100ml milk
40g Dijon mustard
Juice of 2 lemons
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Smoked paprika to sprinkle
To serve
Flatbreads
Put the garlic and olive oil into a saucepan over a medium heat and heat until the oil starts to bubble around the garlic cloves. Turn the heat down slightly, so that the garlic doesn’t fry, and cook gently for 20 minutes. When the garlic is soft, take the pan off the heat. Leave to infuse and cool completely.
Meanwhile, break the bread into chunks and place in a bowl. Pour on the milk and set aside to soak.
When the oil is cold, remove the garlic cloves with a slotted spoon and peel them; reserve the oil.
Put the cod’s roe, mustard, lemon juice and garlic into a blender or food processor. Squeeze the bread to remove excess milk, then add to the blender and blitz for 1 minute. With the motor running, slowly add most of the garlic oil through the funnel until the mixture thickens and has the consistency of mayonnaise; save some oil for serving.
Season with salt and pepper to taste and blend for another 20 seconds. Scrape into a bowl, cover and refrigerate until needed.
When ready to serve, sprinkle the dip generously with smoked paprika and drizzle with the reserved garlicky olive oil. Accompany with plenty of warm flatbreads.
Polenta coated gurnard, sweetcorn, red onion and tomato relish, jalapeño mayonnaise
I particularly like to cook with Mexican flavours in the summer - it just feels right - and this is a great dish to make when tomatoes are at their peak. Gurnard has a lovely sweet flavour and nice firm texture, which is well suited to deep-frying in this way. Grey mullet and bass also work well here.
Serves 4 as a starter
2 gurnard, about 600g each, filleted and pin-boned
100g plain flour, for coating
2 medium eggs, beaten
150g fine polenta
Sunflower oil for deep-frying
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
For the sweetcorn, red onion and tomato relish
6 ripe plum tomatoes
2 corn on the cobs
3 tbsp olive oil
4 small red onions, peeled and cut into 5mm dice
2 green chillies, deseeded and finely chopped
Juice of 2 limes
2 tbsp caster sugar
3 tbsp chopped coriander, plus a few sprigs to garnish
For the jalapeño mayonnaise
2 egg yolks
15ml verjus or white wine vinegar
30g jalapeño chillies in vinegar, drained
250ml sunflower oil
15g flat-leaf parsley, leaves picked and chopped
10g coriander, leaves picked and chopped
25g rocket leaves, chopped
15g Parmesan, freshly grated
To serve
2 limes, halved
To make the relish, using a small, sharp knife, scoop out the core from each tomato and score a crisscross on the bottom of each one. Place in a bowl, pour on boiling water to cover and leave for 30 seconds. Lift out the tomatoes, peel away the skins and roughly chop the flesh; set aside.
Cut the sweetcorn kernels from the cobs, by standing the cobs upright on a board and cutting downwards with a sharp knife.
Heat a large frying pan over a high heat and add the olive oil. When hot, add the onions, chillies and sweetcorn. Cook, stirring, over a high heat for about 3 minutes until the onions and sweetcorn start to soften and colour. Add the chopped tomatoes with a good pinch of salt and cook for 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and add the lime juice, sugar and coriander. Stir well, then set aside in the pan.
For the mayonnaise, put the egg yolks, verjus and chillies in a blender or small food processor and blitz for 30 seconds. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and blitz again for a few seconds. With the motor running, slowly add half the oil in a thin, steady stream through the funnel. Add the parsley, coriander, rocket, Parmesan and a large pinch of salt. Blend for 1 minute. Add the remaining oil in a steady stream, blending until the mayonnaise is thick. Taste and correct the seasoning, then spoon into a bowl, cover and refrigerate until needed.
Set up three bowls: one with flour, one with beaten eggs and one with polenta. Pass the gurnard fillets through the flour, then the egg and finally the polenta to coat. Place the coated fillets on a plate.
Heat the oil in a deep-fat fryer or other suitable deep, heavy pan to 180°C. Deep-fry the fillets in the hot oil, in batches, for about 3 minutes until golden. Remove and drain on kitchen paper, then sprinkle with salt.
To serve, share the relish between 4 plates. Add a gurnard fillet and a good spoonful of mayonnaise to each plate and finish with a sprig of coriander and a lime half.
Fried oyster bap, cucumber and mint relish
If any of your friends or family say they don’t like oysters, get them to try these. I’ve converted no end of staunch avoiders with crispy deep-fried oysters! I wouldn’t fry - or even cook - a native oyster; it’s the cheaper and bigger farmed oysters that you want here. Opening oysters might seem a bit daunting at first but, once you have done a few, you’ll become more confident.
Serves 4 as a snack
12 live rock oysters
100g plain flour, for coating
2 medium eggs, beaten
100g Japanese panko breadcrumbs
Sunflower oil for deep-frying
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
For the cucumber and mint relish
2 cucumbers
100ml cider vinegar
50g caster sugar
1 red onion, peeled and finely sliced
1 garlic clove, peeled and finely chopped
1 tsp fennel seeds
1 green chilli, deseeded and finely chopped
2 tbsp chopped mint
1 tbsp chopped flat parsley
To serve
4 floured baps, split almost in half
1 bunch of watercress, leaves picked
First make the relish. Halve the cucumbers lengthways, then scoop out the seeds with a teaspoon and discard. Slice the cucumber flesh into half-moon shapes and place in a bowl. Season with salt, then leave to draw out the excess water for 30 minutes.
Heat the cider vinegar, sugar, red onion, garlic and fennel seeds in a pan until the sugar has dissolved, then remove from the heat.
Squeeze the cucumber to remove excess water, add to the vinegar mixture and give it a good stir. Leave to cool completely, then stir in the chopped chilli and herbs. Set aside until ready to serve.
Set up three bowls: one with flour, one with beaten eggs and one with breadcrumbs. Open the oysters, drain off the juices and check for any fragments of shell. Pass the oysters through the flour, patting off any excess, then through the egg and finally into the breadcrumbs to coat. The oysters can stay in the breadcrumbs until you are ready to fry them.
When ready to serve, heat the oil in a deep-fat fryer or other suitable deep, heavy pan to 180°C.
Toast your baps and place 2 tbsp of the relish and some watercress on each base.
Deep-fry the oysters in the hot oil for 1 minute until golden and crisp. Remove and drain on kitchen paper. Place 3 crispy oysters on each bap base and close the lid. Serve at once.
Lobster risotto balls, basil and orange mayonnaise
This is my version of the Sicilian classic arancini. It’s a great recipe and a real crowd pleaser. At my first restaurant, I cooked a lobster risotto flavoured with orange, basil and spring onions, which became a signature dish. I’ve used the same combination here because it works so well.
Makes about 20; serves 10 as a starter
2 live lobsters, about 800g each
1 litre vegetable stock
250g carnaroli rice
1 bunch of spring onions, trimmed and finely sliced
100g Parmesan, freshly grated
Finely grated zest of 1 orange
30 basil leaves, finely sliced
1 medium egg, beaten
150g plain flour
500g dried breadcrumbs
Sunflower oil for deep-frying
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
For the basil and orange mayonnaise
2 egg yolks
Finely grated zest of 1 orange
30ml white wine vinegar
450ml light olive oil
4 spring onions, trimmed and sliced
20 basil leaves, finely sliced
Put the lobsters in the freezer 30 minutes before cooking to sedate them.
Bring a large pan of well salted water to the boil. To kill the lobsters instantly, place them on a board and insert the tip of a strong, sharp knife firmly into the cross on the back of the head, then plunge the lobsters into the boiling water. Bring back to the boil and cook for 8 minutes.
Remove the lobsters from the pan to a tray and leave until cool enough to handle. Twist and pull the claws, legs and head away from the tails. Put the heads into a pan with the vegetable stock. Crack the claws and extract the meat. Using scissors, cut open the tail shell along its length. Pull the shell apart and remove the tail meat in one piece. Cut this meat in half lengthways and remove the dark intestinal tract. Cut the tail and claw meat into small pieces, put into a bowl, cover and refrigerate.
For the lobster balls, bring the stock (and lobster heads) to the boil. Add the rice with a pinch of salt and bring back to the boil. Lower the heat and simmer until the rice has absorbed all the stock. Take off the heat and discard the heads. Stir in the spring onions, Parmesan, orange zest and some pepper. Spread the rice out on a tray and cool in the fridge.
Meanwhile, for the mayonnaise, put the egg yolks, orange zest and wine vinegar into a blender or small food processor and blend for 30 seconds then, with the motor running, slowly add the olive oil in a steady stream. If it gets too thick, add 1 tsp water, then continue. Transfer to a bowl, stir in the spring onions, basil and salt and pepper to taste; set aside.
Once the rice is cold, stir in the sliced basil and lobster meat. Break off pieces and roll into balls, roughly the size of a golf ball. In a bowl, mix the beaten egg and flour together with some salt and pepper until smoothly combined. Place the breadcrumbs on a tray. Heat the oil in a deep-fat fryer or other suitable deep, heavy pan to 160°C.
Pass the lobster balls through the egg mix and then into the breadcrumbs, turning to coat all over. Deep-fry in the hot oil, in batches if necessary, for about 2 minutes until crisp and golden. Drain on kitchen paper and season with salt. Serve hot or cold, with the mayonnaise on the side.
Poached eggs with bottarga, salmon roe and horseradish mash
This is a breakfast treat for all seafood lovers. Bottarga - the salted, pressed, air-dried roe of either tuna or grey mullet - is considered to be one of the great food delicacies of the world. Of the two, I prefer the more refined, subtle flavour of grey mullet bottarga, which is also more sustainable. The keta caviar - salmon roe - is a lovely addition. To give the dish a comforting feel, I sit the poached eggs on a creamy horseradish mash and liven it up with a grating of fresh horseradish at the end.
Serves 4
1 bottarga, about 100g (you won’t need all of it for this recipe)
100g keta caviar (ideally wild Alaskan)
8 large eggs
50ml white wine vinegar
For the horseradish mash
3 large baking potatoes
1 fresh horseradish root, peeled
150ml single cream
100ml whole milk
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
To serve
1 lemon, cut into 4 wedges
Preheat your oven to 200°C/Fan 185°C/Gas 6.
For the mash, bake the potatoes on an oven tray for 1 hour or until tender. Set aside until cool enough to handle. Meanwhile, grate 50g of the horseradish and put into a saucepan with the cream and milk. Bring to a simmer and remove from the heat.
Cut the potatoes in half, scoop out the flesh and pass through a potato ricer into a bowl, or mash with a potato masher. Fold in the creamy milk to give a soft mash texture. Season with salt and pepper to taste, bearing in mind the bottarga and keta are salty. Keep warm.
To poach the eggs, bring a large pan of water to a simmer with the wine vinegar added. Crack each egg into a small individual cup or ramekin and add to the simmering water. (There is no need to stir the water - if your eggs are fresh they will form a nice shape instantly.) Cook the eggs for 3 minutes.
Meanwhile, lay some kitchen paper on a plate ready to drain the eggs. When the eggs are cooked, remove them with a slotted spoon and trim away the escaping bits of egg white if you wish. Drain on the kitchen paper and season with salt and pepper.
Spoon a portion of horseradish mash onto each of 4 warmed plates and make a well in the middle with the back of the spoon. Place 2 poached eggs in each well and slice the bottarga over the top. Add small spoonfuls of keta, followed by a good grating of horseradish. Serve immediately, with a wedge of lemon.
Fish finger roll, pea and mint mayonnaise
Believe it or not, this is where it all started for me, with those bright orange crumbed fish bricks from the magic cold place! I’d like to tell you that my love of fish started with bouillabaisse in Provence, or whole turbot cooked over coals in San Sebastian, but no, it was the humble fish finger. Now, of course, I make my own. Eaten burger-style, with lettuce, gherkins and a pea and mint mayonnaise, they are surprisingly good. For a buffet or kids’ party, buy smaller rolls and cut smaller fish fingers.
Serves 4 as a snack
600g haddock fillet, skinned, pin-boned and cut into fingers
100g plain flour, for coating
2 medium eggs, beaten
100g breadcrumbs
Sunflower oil for deep-frying
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
For the pea and mint mayonnaise
2 egg yolks
100g fresh or frozen peas
1 tsp English mustard
5 tsp malt vinegar
2 tbsp chopped mint
300ml sunflower oil
To serve
1 iceberg lettuce, finely shredded
2 large gherkins, grated
4 good quality focaccia or other large rolls, split in half
1 lemon, cut into wedges
First make the mayonnaise. Put the egg yolks, peas, mustard, vinegar and half of the mint into a blender or small food processor and blend for 30 seconds. Then, with the motor running, add the oil in a slow, steady stream through the funnel until it is fully emulsified. Stop the machine and add the remaining mint and some salt and pepper, then blend for 30 seconds. Transfer the mayonnaise to a tub, check the seasoning and refrigerate until needed.
Set up three bowls: one with the flour, one with beaten eggs and one with breadcrumbs. Pass the fish, one piece at a time, though the flour and pat off any excess, then through the egg, and finally through the breadcrumbs. Place the breaded fish on a plate. Heat the oil in a deep-fat fryer or other suitable deep, heavy pan to 180°C.
Combine the shredded lettuce and grated gherkins with 2 tbsp of the mayonnaise and mix well, then share equally between the roll bases.
Now fry your fish fingers for 4 minutes until golden and crisp, turning as necessary to colour evenly. When the fish is ready, drain on a plate lined with kitchen paper and season well with salt.
Lay the hot fish fingers on the rolls and top with a dollop of mayonnaise. Close the lids and serve immediately, with lemon wedges.