Straight from the sea - Everyday Seafood - Nathan Outlaw

Everyday Seafood - Nathan Outlaw (2016)

Straight from the sea

Raw scallops, celeriac broth and green chilli

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Raw scallops always go down well when we serve them in the restaurants so I wanted to share a favourite recipe of mine here. Prepare it during the autumn and winter, when celeriac is at its best. I make a stock and a pickle from the celeriac and finish the dish with celeriac crisps and a drizzle of chilli oil.

Serves 4 as a starter

12 very fresh scallops, shelled, cleaned and roes removed

For the celeriac broth

1 large or 2 small celeriac, peeled and diced

2 tbsp sunflower oil

A good squeeze of lemon juice

Sea salt

For the celeriac pickle

½ celeriac, peeled and cut into matchsticks

75ml cider

75ml cider vinegar

75ml water

75g caster sugar

A small handful of coriander, leaves picked and chopped

For the celeriac crisps

½ celeriac, peeled

Sunflower oil for deep-frying

For the green chilli oil

30g coriander, leaves picked

300ml light olive oil

2 green chillies, chopped (seeds left in)

To finish

1-2 green chilli(es), deseeded and finely chopped

First make the chilli oil. Add the coriander to a pan of boiling salted water and blanch for 30 seconds, then lift out and plunge into a bowl of cold water to refresh. Drain and squeeze out the excess water, then place in a blender. Add the olive oil and chillies and blitz thoroughly. Pour into a container and place in the fridge for 24 hours. Decant just before serving.

For the broth, weigh the diced celeriac and note the weight. Heat a pan (large enough to hold the celeriac comfortably) and add the olive oil. Add the celeriac and cook over a medium heat until caramelised all over, at least 20 minutes. Add the same volume of water as the weight of the celeriac and bring to the boil. Lower the heat and simmer for 20 minutes.

Strain the liquid into a clean pan. (Save the celeriac for a stew or mash with your next meal.) Bring the liquor to a simmer and let bubble until reduced to about 150ml; it should be a lovely golden brown colour. Strain again and allow to cool. Cover and refrigerate until required.

For the pickle, put the celeriac matchsticks into a bowl. Heat the cider, vinegar, water, sugar and a pinch of salt in a small pan to dissolve the sugar and bring to the boil. Pour over the celeriac, cover and let cool.

For the crisps, finely slice the celeriac, using a mandoline, if you have one. Heat the oil in a deep-fat fryer or other suitable deep, heavy pan to 150°C. Line a tray with kitchen paper. Fry the celeriac slices in batches, as necessary: lower into the hot oil and fry until golden all over. Remove with a strainer, drain on the kitchen paper and sprinkle with sea salt. Allow to cool.

To assemble, drain the pickled celeriac and toss the chopped coriander through it. On a clean board with a sharp knife, slice the scallops in half horizontally and season with a little salt.

Share the scallops and celeriac between 4 warmed shallow bowls. Gently warm the broth in a pan and add salt and lemon juice to taste. Divide equally between the bowls and finish with a drizzle of chilli oil and a sprinkling of chillies. Serve at once, garnished with the celeriac crisps.

Raw salmon with vodka, orange and horseradish

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This dish is really quick and fun to make. You can even let your guests do it for themselves if you want! The most important thing is to get hold of some super-fresh salmon. I use organically farmed Loch Duart salmon; for me it works perfectly in the raw and cured salmon dishes I serve.

Serves 4 as a starter

400g very fresh salmon fillet, skinned

1 orange

1 bunch of spring onions, trimmed and finely sliced on the diagonal

2 tbsp freshly grated horseradish

6-8 tbsp lemon vodka

8 tbsp olive oil

Sea salt

Tarragon leaves, to finish

Chill 4 flat serving plates in the fridge. Cut away the peel and pith from the orange, then cut out the segments from between the membranes. Cut the orange flesh into small pieces.

Using a very sharp knife and a clean board, slice the salmon thinly (or dice it into small pieces if you find it easier).

Lay the slices of salmon on the chilled plates. Sprinkle with a little salt, then scatter over the spring onions, orange and horseradish.

Mix together the vodka and olive oil and spoon over the salmon equally. Garnish with tarragon leaves and eat immediately.

Raw tuna with green olive sauce

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Tuna served this way is just fantastic. Taking a beautiful loin of tuna and searing it very quickly in a hot pan does so much for the flavour, because the inside stays raw and contrasts beautifully with the seared exterior. The sauce is based on a classic salsa verde, with the addition of green olives. It’s a great dish for a party because it can be prepared in advance.

Serves 4 as a starter

600g very fresh loin of tuna (yellowfin)

Light olive oil for cooking

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the green olive sauce

3 spring onions, trimmed and thinly sliced

1 garlic clove, peeled and finely grated

2 tbsp capers in wine vinegar, drained

4 tbsp pitted green olives

4 good quality tinned anchovy fillets in oil, drained

Finely grated zest and juice of 1 lemon

A handful of flat-leaf parsley, leaves picked

½ handful of mint, leaves picked

100ml olive oil

20 basil leaves, finely sliced

Season the tuna loin all over with salt and pepper. Have ready a bowl of iced water big enough to hold the tuna loin.

Place a non-stick heavy-based frying pan over a high heat until the pan is very hot. Lightly oil the tuna and lay it in the hot pan. Sear evenly all over, turning as necessary, then plunge the tuna into the iced water to stop the cooking. Once it is cool, lift out and pat dry with kitchen paper. Wrap the seared tuna tightly in cling film and chill in the fridge for at least 30 minutes until ready to serve.

To make the sauce, put the spring onions, garlic, capers, olives and anchovies on a board, sprinkle with the lemon zest and chop together until the mixture almost turns into a paste. Transfer to a bowl.

Chop the parsley and mint leaves together, add to the sauce and mix well. Add the lemon juice and olive oil and mix again. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Finally add the sliced basil and fork through. Set aside to allow the flavours to mingle (but not in the fridge).

I like to slice the tuna and lay it out on one large plate to place in the centre of the table, but you can plate it individually if you wish. Sprinkle with a little sea salt and serve with the green olive sauce,

Citrus-cured brill with anchovy mayonnaise, basil and pistachios

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Like turbot, brill has a lovely firm texture that makes it ideal for curing and easier to slice once cured than other flat fish varieties. It just takes the salt a bit longer to work its magic though the dense flesh. This is my version of a dish that Pete Biggs, my longstanding head chef, developed at Outlaw’s at The Capital Hotel in London. The balance between all the components is lovely. Turbot works equally well here, or try very fresh plaice instead - reducing the curing time by an hour.

Serves 4 as a starter

500g very fresh brill fillets, skinned and trimmed

For the cure

100g sea salt

80g caster sugar

Grated zest of 1 lemon

Grated zest of 1 lime

Grated zest of 1 orange

100ml white wine

For the anchovy mayonnaise

2 egg yolks

1 tsp English mustard

4 good quality tinned anchovy fillets in oil, drained

3 tbsp water

2 tbsp lemon juice

300ml sunflower oil

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

To finish

4 tbsp pistachio nuts roasted in the shell, shelled and roughly chopped if preferred

8 basil leaves, thinly sliced

Basil oil or olive oil to drizzle

For the cure, put the sea salt, sugar, citrus zests and white wine into a food processor and blitz for 1 minute. Lay the brill fillets on a tray and sprinkle the mixture over them. Turn the fillets over in the cure a few times to ensure they are coated all over. Cover with cling film and place in the fridge to cure for 3 hours.

To make the mayonnaise, put the egg yolks, mustard, anchovies, water and lemon juice into a small food processor and blitz for 1 minute. With the motor running, slowly add the oil in a thin, steady stream through the funnel until it is all incorporated. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Transfer to a bowl, cover and refrigerate until needed.

When the time is up, wash the cure off the brill fillets with cold water and pat dry with kitchen paper. Wrap the fish tightly in cling film and place back in the fridge for an hour to firm up. (At this stage you can freeze the fish for up to 1 month.)

Using a sharp knife and a clean board, slice the brill thinly and lay it equally on 4 plates. Spoon on the mayonnaise, in small blobs, so you have some with each mouthful of fish.

Finish with a sprinkling of chopped pistachios and sliced basil. Finally, drizzle on some basil or olive oil. Serve cold or at room temperature.

Verjus-cured monkfish with pumpkin seeds and grape dressing

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Verjus is a natural grape product that we use in various ways in our kitchens. It isn’t something you would usually associate with curing fish but I was determined to give it a try and after a few attempts I came up with this recipe. I think the simplicity of this dish is beautiful. The textures of the pumpkin seeds and grapes work so well with the soft cured monkfish.

Serves 4 as a starter

600g very fresh monkfish fillet, skinned and trimmed

For the cure

200g sea salt

100g caster sugar

2 tbsp rosemary leaves

100ml verjus

For the grape dressing

2 shallots, peeled and finely chopped

100ml verjus

2 tsp Dijon mustard

100ml olive oil

10 green seedless grapes, sliced

10 red seedless grapes, sliced

Sea salt

For the garnish

400ml sunflower oil, for deep-frying

150g pumpkin seeds

Finely grated zest of 1 lemon

2 tsp finely sliced flat-leaf parsley leaves

For the cure, put the salt, sugar and rosemary into a food processor and blitz thoroughly.

Lay the monkfish on a tray and sprinkle evenly with the salt mixture. Turn the fish over a few times to ensure it is coated all over. Drizzle the verjus evenly over the fish, then wrap the whole tray in cling film and place in the fridge to cure for 3 hours.

When the time is up, unwrap the fish and wash off the cure with cold water, then pat dry with kitchen paper. Wrap the fish tightly in fresh cling film and place back in the fridge for an hour to firm up. (At this stage you can freeze the fish for up to a month.)

To prepare the pumpkin seed garnish, put the oil in a small, deep, heavy pan, add the pumpkin seeds and heat slowly over a medium heat until the seeds begin to puff up. As soon as they start to pop, carefully take the pan off the heat. Using a slotted spoon, remove the seeds from the oil and drain them on a tray lined with kitchen paper. Season with salt and allow to cool.

To make the dressing, put the shallots and verjus into a small pan, bring to the boil and then tip the contents of the pan into a bowl. Add the mustard and whisk to combine. Now add the olive oil in a slow, steady stream, whisking all the time. Season with salt to taste and add the sliced grapes.

Using a sharp knife and a clean board, slice the monkfish as thinly as possible and lay it equally on 4 large plates. Spoon the dressing over the fish, sharing the grapes evenly. Scatter over the lemon zest, parsley and pumpkin seeds, then serve.

Gin-cured sea trout with apple and fennel

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Wild sea trout is, for me, a delicacy. I actually prefer it to salmon and find it responds particularly well to curing. Using strong alcohol in the cure helps to achieve a pronounced flavour and the combination of gin, apple and fennel works well here. This is a good dish for a party because it can be prepared in advance and whipped out of the fridge when you’re ready to serve.

Serves 6 as a starter

1 very fresh side of wild sea trout, skinned and pin-boned

For the cure

250g sea salt

250g caster sugar

2 tbsp juniper berries, crushed

150ml gin

For the apple and fennel salad

200ml olive oil

2 shallots, peeled and finely sliced

4 juniper berries, finely chopped

100ml cider vinegar

30ml gin

2 fennel bulbs, tough outer layer removed

3 eating apples, such as Braeburn

3 tsp finely sliced tarragon

For the cure, put the salt, sugar and crushed juniper berries into a food processor and blitz for 3 minutes.

Lay the sea trout on a tray and sprinkle evenly with the cure mixture. Turn the fish over in the cure a few times to ensure it is coated all over. Drizzle the gin evenly over the fish, then wrap the whole tray in cling film and place in the fridge to cure for 4 hours.

When the time is up, unwrap the fish and wash off the cure with cold water, then pat dry with kitchen paper. Wrap the fish tightly in fresh cling film and place back in the fridge for an hour to firm up. (At this stage you can freeze the fish for up to a month.)

To make the dressing, put the olive oil, shallots and chopped juniper berries into a small pan over a medium heat until the oil just begins to bubble. Take the pan off the heat and add the cider vinegar and gin.

Slice the fennel as thinly as possible, using a mandoline if you have one, and place it in a bowl. Peel, core and grate the apples, then add to the fennel with the tarragon. Toss to combine and dress the salad with half of the dressing, keeping the rest to finish the dish.

Using a sharp knife and a clean board, slice the trout as thinly as possible and lay it equally on 4 large plates. Scatter some of the salad over the fish and drizzle with the remaining dressing; bring to room temperature before serving. Serve the rest of the salad in a bowl on the side.

Raw mackerel with apple, celery and bacon

Eating mackerel raw, straight out of the sea, is something everyone should try. The texture and flavour is unique, indeed I would go so far as saying that flavourwise mackerel is the best fish to eat raw. Marrying it with apple, celery and bacon is really successful. This same dish works well with salmon, trout or scallops.

Serves 4 as a starter

2 very fresh large mackerel, filleted, pin-boned and skinned

4 rashers of smoked streaky bacon

1 eating apple, such as Braeburn

1 shallot, peeled and finely chopped

2 tsp chopped chervil

2 tsp chopped chives

3 tbsp mayonnaise

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the pickled celery

3 celery sticks, de-stringed (with a peeler)

75ml white wine

75ml white wine vinegar

75ml water

75g caster sugar

1 tsp fennel seeds

To assemble and serve

4 slices of wholemeal or seeded bread, for toasting

A handful of watercress, stalks removed

Cold-pressed rapeseed oil to drizzle

Lemon wedges

First, prepare the pickled celery. Finely slice the celery and set aside. Heat the wine, wine vinegar, water, sugar and fennel seeds in a pan to dissolve the sugar. Add a pinch of salt and bring to the boil. Take the pan off the heat and add the celery. Cover with cling film, pushing it down onto the surface to keep the celery fully submerged in the liquor. Leave to cool.

Preheat your grill to the highest setting. Lay the bacon on the grill rack and grill on both sides until crispy. When cool enough to handle, chop the bacon and set aside.

Using a very sharp knife and a clean board, slice the mackerel into 5mm thick slices. Peel, quarter and core the apple, then cut into small dice.

Put the mackerel and diced apple into a bowl with the shallot, bacon and herbs. Toss everything together well and add the mayonnaise. Mix well again and taste for seasoning - a grinding of pepper will probably be welcome, but the bacon may well provide enough salt.

To serve, drain the pickled celery. Toast the bread on both sides and place on the serving plates. Share the mackerel mixture equally between the slices of toast. Scatter the watercress over the plates and put a pile of pickled celery on one side.

Finish with a drizzle of rapeseed oil and serve with lemon wedges.

Curry-cured grey mullet with pickled peppers and coconut yoghurt

My head chef, Simon Davies, at Outlaw’s Fish Kitchen in Port Isaac, Cornwall, came up with this one. It’s a great spring/summer dish. The fish takes on all of the curry flavour and its texture is transformed. Pickled peppers, coconut yoghurt and fragrant coriander balance it perfectly. This dish will also work well with bass, bream and mackerel.

Serves 4 as a starter

500g very fresh grey mullet fillet, skinned and pin-boned

For the cure

50g fine sea salt

50g caster sugar

20g hot curry powder

For the pickled peppers

1 red pepper

1 yellow pepper

75ml white wine

75ml white wine vinegar

75ml water

75g caster sugar

1 garlic clove, peeled and crushed

For the coconut yoghurt

200g full-fat Greek yoghurt

100g thick coconut milk

Sea salt

To finish

2 tsp chopped coriander

Curry oil to drizzle

Micro coriander cress (optional)

For the cure, mix the salt, sugar and curry powder together in a bowl. Lay the fish on a tray and sprinkle evenly with the cure mixture. Turn the fish over in the cure a few times to ensure it is coated all over, then wrap the whole tray in cling film and place in the fridge to cure for 6 hours.

For the pickled peppers, peel, halve, core and deseed the peppers. Slice the peppers thinly and place in a bowl. Put the wine, wine vinegar, water and sugar into a small pan and heat to dissolve the sugar, then bring to the boil. Add the crushed garlic clove and pour the over peppers. Cover the bowl with cling film and leave to cool.

For the coconut yoghurt, mix the yoghurt and coconut milk together in a bowl until evenly combined and season with salt to taste. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

When the curing time is up, wash the cure off the fish in cold water and pat dry with kitchen paper. Wrap the fish tightly in cling film and return to the fridge for an hour to firm up.

Slice the grey mullet as thinly as possible and share between 4 plates. Drain the peppers and toss them with the coriander and a drizzle of curry oil. Taste for seasoning, adding a little salt if you like.

Share the peppers between the 4 plates, finishing with spoonfuls of the yoghurt, extra curry oil and coriander cress, if using.

Beer-cured salmon with cucumber and seaweed salad

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Salmon has the perfect texture and balance of oiliness for curing. I like to experiment with different cures and this combination of beer and seaweed is something I came up with for a charity dinner. It’s always a challenge to cook fish for large numbers, so I decided not to cook it at all, but cure it instead! Fortunately it went down well. The cucumber and seaweed salad is the ideal complement.

Serves 4

500g very fresh wild or organic farmed salmon, trimmed and skinned

For the cure

100g sea salt

100g soft brown sugar

150ml strong beer (I use Sharp’s Honey Spiced IPA)

For the cucumber and seaweed salad

1 large cucumber

100ml olive oil

70ml light rapeseed oil

50ml white wine vinegar

1 large shallot, peeled and finely chopped

2 tsp mixed seaweed flakes

Sea salt

For the salad cream

2 egg yolks

2 tsp dried seaweed

2 tsp English mustard

2 tsp caster sugar

2 tbsp lemon juice

100ml rapeseed oil

150ml double cream

To garnish

1 tbsp dried seaweed flakes

To cure the salmon, lay the fish on a tray and sprinkle evenly with the salt and sugar. Turn the fish over in the cure a few times to ensure it is coated all over. Drizzle evenly with the beer, then wrap the whole tray in cling film and place in the fridge to cure for 6 hours.

For the cucumber salad, put the oils and wine vinegar into a pan with the shallot, seaweed and a pinch of salt. Bring to a simmer over a medium heat and let bubble for 2 minutes, then remove from the heat and allow to cool.

Meanwhile, halve the cucumber lengthways, peel, then scoop out and discard the seeds. Thinly slice the cucumber into half-moon shapes. Lay the cucumber slices in a dish and pour the cooled liquor over them. Cover with cling film, pushing it down onto the surface to keep the cucumber fully submerged. Leave to stand for at least an hour.

To make the salad cream, whisk the egg yolks, seaweed, mustard, sugar and lemon juice together in a bowl for 1 minute, then gradually whisk in the rapeseed oil, a little at a time, until fully incorporated. To finish, slowly whisk in the cream and season with salt to taste. Cover and refrigerate until required.

When the salmon curing time is up, unwrap the fish and wash off the cure under cold running water, then pat dry with kitchen paper. Wrap the fish tightly in fresh cling film and place back in the fridge for an hour to firm up.

To serve, slice the cured salmon into 1cm thick pieces and divide between 4 plates.

For the dressing, drain off some of the liquor from the cucumber salad into a bowl and add some of the shallots too. Arrange some of the cucumber salad over the salmon and spoon on the dressing. Dress the plates with salad cream and seaweed flakes; bring to room temperature before serving. Serve the rest of the salad in a bowl on the side.

Ginger-cured mackerel, beetroot chutney

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This dish has a real kick to it from the ginger and basil, but the mackerel is well up to handling those bold flavours. It would be perfect for a light lunch, or you could easily scale it up for a dinner party. If you have any chutney left over, keep it in the fridge to serve with cheese, cold meats etc. Salmon is a great alternative to the mackerel; just give it an extra 3 hours’ curing.

Serves 4

4 large mackerel, heads removed, gutted, filleted and pin-boned

For the cure

200g sea salt

150g caster sugar

2 tsp black peppercorns

2 tsp coriander seeds

100g fresh ginger, peeled and grated

For the beetroot chutney

100ml olive oil

1 red onion, peeled and finely chopped

1 garlic clove, peeled and finely chopped

50g fresh ginger, grated

600g fresh beetroot, peeled and grated

300g brown sugar

600ml cider vinegar

2 bay leaves

4 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and grated

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the basil and ginger crème fraîche

75g fresh ginger, peeled and grated

20 large basil leaves

200ml full-fat crème fraîche

To finish

Cold-pressed rapeseed oil

For the cure, put the salt, sugar, peppercorns and coriander seeds into a food processor and blitz for 3 minutes. Add the grated ginger and blitz for another 2 minutes.

Lay the mackerel fillets on a large tray and sprinkle evenly with the cure mixture. Turn the fillets over in the cure a few times to ensure they are coated all over. Wrap the whole tray in cling film and place in the fridge to cure for 1 hour.

Meanwhile, make the chutney. Heat the olive oil in a large pan over a medium heat. When it is hot, add the onion, garlic and ginger. Sweat for 1 minute, then add the beetroot and sweat for a further 2 minutes. Now add the brown sugar and cider vinegar and bring the mixture to a simmer. Add the bay leaves and let simmer until the liquid becomes syrupy. Add the grated apples and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Transfer to a bowl, season with salt and pepper to taste and leave to cool.

For the crème fraîche, put the grated ginger and basil leaves into a blender with the crème fraîche. Blitz for 2 minutes until smooth. Season with salt and whiz for another 30 seconds. Transfer to a bowl, cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

When the fish curing time is up, unwrap the fish and wash off the cure with cold water, then pat dry with kitchen paper.

Slice the fish as thinly as possible and arrange it on 4 plates. Spoon the beetroot chutney into the centre and finish with a drizzle of rapeseed oil. Serve the basil and ginger crème fraîche on the side.