Everyday Seafood - Nathan Outlaw (2016)
Bowl food
Chilled asparagus soup, crabmeat and seaweed oil
When asparagus is at its best in the UK, so are the prized male ‘cock’ crabs and it makes perfect sense to pair these two delicacies. The result is magic and one of my all-time favourites. I finish this simple dish with a drizzle of emerald green seaweed oil, which I make from the gutweed we gather around the beaches close to the restaurants. If you find it hard to get hold of, make a parsley or chive oil following the same method instead.
Serves 4 as a starter
250g white crabmeat (from a 1.5kg freshly cooked crab)
Olive oil for cooking and serving
2 shallots, peeled and finely sliced
1 potato, peeled and thinly sliced
1 litre vegetable stock
600g asparagus, woody parts removed, thinly sliced
300ml double cream
A squeeze of lemon juice
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
For the seaweed oil
2 large handfuls of gutweed, thoroughly washed and picked
A large handful of spinach leaves
500ml sunflower oil
To prepare the seaweed oil, bring a pan of water to the boil, add the seaweed and spinach and blanch for 30 seconds. Remove and plunge into a bowl of iced water to cool. Drain thoroughly and squeeze out all excess water. Tip into a blender, add the oil and blend thoroughly. Transfer to a bowl or jug, cover and refrigerate until needed.
To make the soup, heat a large saucepan over a medium heat and add a drizzle of olive oil. When hot, add the shallots and potato and cook for 2 minutes. Pour in the stock, bring to the boil, then lower the heat and simmer for 10 minutes until the potato is cooked.
Add the asparagus and cook for 1 minute. Meanwhile, set a bowl (large enough to hold the soup) over another bowl filled with ice.
Pour the cream into the soup, bring back to the boil and season with salt and pepper to taste. Transfer to a blender, let cool slightly, then blitz until smooth. Pour the soup into the bowl (over ice) to cool it quickly.
When the soup is cold, cover and place in the fridge until ready to serve. Chill 4 soup bowls too.
When ready to serve, check the white crabmeat for any fragments of shell or cartilage. Divide most of the crabmeat between the chilled soup bowls, holding a little back for the garnish. Season the crabmeat and add a drizzle of olive oil and a squeeze of lemon juice.
Give the soup a good stir and check the seasoning again. Share the soup equally between the bowls and top each one with some crabmeat. Finish with a drizzle of seaweed oil.
Prawn noodle soup
One of the best memories I have of Singapore is the food markets and stalls. I love the fact that you can sit in the market and try all the different foods that are on offer. The prawn noodle soup I tasted there was something else. I wasn’t quite sure how they made it, but after a few trials I think this is pretty close… it tastes good anyway.
Serves 4 as a starter
For the stock
500g raw Atlantic prawns in shell, plus extra shells and heads (see below)
A generous drizzle of sunflower oil
4 garlic cloves, peeled and sliced
1 litre water
For the soup
1 tbsp sunflower oil
200g piece of smoked streaky bacon, cut into lardons
4 spring onions, trimmed, white and green parts separated and sliced
2 red chillies, deseeded and thinly sliced
2 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped
5 tbsp fish sauce
2 tbsp white wine
300g rice noodles
16 raw tiger prawns, shelled and deveined (keep shells and heads for stock)
2 pak choi, sliced into strips
70g bean sprouts
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
To make the prawn stock, heat the oil in a sauté pan, then add the garlic and cook until golden. Add the prawns (plus the extra shells and heads from the shelled prawns for the soup) and cook until they turn orangey red all over. Crush the prawns with the back of a spoon, then add the water and bring to the boil. Add a good pinch of salt and simmer for 25 minutes. Strain through a sieve into a bowl and set aside.
To make the soup, heat the oil in a large saucepan. When it is hot, add the bacon, white spring onions, chillies and garlic. Sweat for 5 minutes, stirring every so often.
Now pour in the prawn stock, bring to a simmer and cook gently for 10 minutes. Stir in the fish sauce and wine. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Tip the rice noodles into the pan and cook for 3 minutes. Add the prawns and pak choi and cook for a further 2 minutes until they turn orangey red. Finally, add the green spring onions and bean sprouts.
To serve, ladle the soup into 4 warmed bowls, dividing the noodles, beansprouts, pak choi and prawns evenly. Serve at once.
Sweetcorn soup with scallops and pickled red onions
This is a brilliant soup to make in late summer when fresh sweetcorn is at its best. It proved a real crowd pleaser when I served little bowls of it in the restaurant as a pre-dinner amuse bouche. Beautiful seared scallops complement the sweetcorn flavour perfectly, while the pickled red onions cut the richness and stop the soup becoming too sweet.
Serves 4 as a starter or light lunch
12 fresh scallops, shelled and cleaned (roes retained if in good condition)
4 corn on the cobs
Olive oil for cooking and to drizzle
75g unsalted butter
4 tsp chopped coriander leaves
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
For the pickled red onions
2 small red onions, peeled and finely sliced into rings
100ml red wine
100ml red wine vinegar
100g caster sugar
100ml water
Cut the sweetcorn kernels from the cobs, by standing the cobs upright on a board and cutting downwards with a sharp knife.
Heat a drizzle of olive oil and the butter in a large saucepan over a medium heat, then add the sweetcorn. Cook for 15-20 minutes, stirring every couple of minutes so the corn toasts at the edges but does not burn. Pour in enough water to barely cover it and bring to a simmer. Cook for about 15 minutes until the sweetcorn is tender.
Meanwhile, prepare the pickled onions. Put the red onion slices into a bowl. Heat the wine, wine vinegar, sugar and water in a small pan to dissolve the sugar, then bring to the boil. Add a pinch of salt and pour this pickling liquor over the onion slices. Cover and leave to cool.
When the corn is tender, blitz with the cooking liquor in a blender, or using a stick blender in the pan, for 3-4 minutes until smooth. Return to the pan (if necessary) and taste for seasoning, adding salt and pepper as you like. If the soup is too thick, add a little more water. Leave over a low heat while you cook the scallops.
Heat a large non-stick pan frying pan over a medium heat and add a drizzle of olive oil. Season the scallops with salt and place, one by one, in the hot pan, remembering where you placed the first one. Cook for 2 minutes until golden, then carefully flip them over in the same order you placed them in the pan. Take off the heat and allow the scallops to finish cooking in the residual heat.
Drain the pickled onions (you can save the pickling liquor to use again).
Bring the soup back to a simmer and divide between 4 warmed bowls. Place 3 scallops in each bowl and add some pickled red onion slices and a scattering of chopped coriander. Finish with a drizzle of olive oil and serve immediately.
Clam and prawn chowder
I make lots of different chowders, especially in winter, as I love the hearty and warming feeling it gives you when you eat one. This is a favourite: the salty clams and almost crunchy texture of the prawns are great with the rich broth. I like to add plenty of fresh herbs and a splash of verjus at the end to lift the flavours. Feel free to change any of the ingredients, but stick to the technique - it works so well.
Serves 4 as a starter or light lunch
16 raw prawns, shelled and heads removed (keep for cooking) and deveined
2 large handfuls of live surf, Venus or carpet shell clams
800ml whole milk
200ml double cream
2 garlic cloves, peeled, halved (germ removed) and finely chopped
300g potatoes, such as Maris Piper, peeled and thinly sliced
125ml verjus
50ml cold-pressed rapeseed oil, plus extra to drizzle
2 large banana shallots or 6 ordinary shallots, peeled and finely chopped
1 leek, outer layer removed, halved lengthways, washed well and finely sliced
2 celery sticks, de-stringed (with a peeler) and cut into 1cm dice
1 small celeriac, peeled and cut into 1cm dice
1 red chilli, halved, deseeded and finely sliced
100ml dry cider
500ml fish stock
½ handful of dill, leaves picked and finely chopped
½ handful of tarragon, leaves picked and finely chopped
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
To make the chowder, pour the milk and cream into a large pan and add the garlic and potatoes. Tie the prawn heads and shells in muslin and add to the pan. Bring to a simmer and simmer for 10 minutes or until the potatoes are soft.
Meanwhile, heat another large pan with a tight-fitting lid over a high heat. When hot, add the clams and 100ml verjus. Immediately put the lid on and steam for 3 minutes until the shells open. Tip the contents of the pan into a colander set over a bowl, to catch the juices. Set aside.
Wipe the pan clean and place over a medium heat. When it is hot, add the rapeseed oil, followed by the shallots, leek, celery, celeriac and chilli. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes without colouring. Now pour in the cider and fish stock and bring to a simmer. Cook for 10 minutes until the vegetables are softened.
In the meantime, remove and discard the muslin bag of prawn shells from the chowder pan, then tip the contents of the pan into a blender and blitz until smooth. Add to the vegetables and stock, along with the reserved clam juice. Stir and check the seasoning, adding salt and pepper to taste.
Pick three-quarters of the clams out of their shells, leaving the rest in. Bring the chowder to a simmer. Add the prawns and cook for 2 minutes, until they turn pink, then add all the clams, herbs and the remaining splash of verjus.
Turn off the heat and stir the chowder gently to avoid breaking the clam shells. Ladle into a warmed tureen or soup bowls and drizzle some rapeseed oil over the surface. Serve straight away.
Red mullet and mushroom miso broth with shiso oil
This Japanese style broth may not be authentic, but I can whip it up in minutes at home and it tastes so good. The combination of red mullet and East Asian mushrooms is amazing. You should be able to buy dashi flakes quite easily, but shiso might be a little more difficult to find. Shiso is like a Japanese basil, so you could use basil in its place. If you don’t have time to make the shiso oil, add a splash of toasted sesame oil instead.
Serves 4 as a hearty starter or light lunch
2 red mullet, about 500g each, scaled, filleted and pin-boned
50ml light rapeseed oil, plus extra for oiling
1 litre water
1 tbsp instant dashi flakes
2 tbsp white miso paste
50g dried ceps
6 spring onions, finely sliced (white and green parts separated)
50g shimeji mushrooms
50g eryngii (or oyster) mushrooms
75g shiitake mushrooms
1 garlic clove, peeled and finely chopped
Juice of 1 lime
300g packet dried udon noodles
200g tofu, cut into cubes
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
For the shiso oil
2 handfuls of shiso leaves
100g spinach leaves
50g fresh ginger, peeled and finely chopped
2 tsp caster sugar
200ml light rapeseed oil
First make the shiso oil. Have a bowl of iced water ready. Bring a pan of salted water to the boil, add the shiso and spinach leaves and cook for 1 minute. Remove immediately and plunge into the iced water to cool quickly. Drain and squeeze out the excess water.
Put the shiso and spinach into a blender and add the ginger, sugar, rapeseed oil and some salt and pepper. Blitz for 2 minutes, then pour into a jug or bowl, cover and refrigerate.
Preheat your grill to high. Oil a grill tray and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Slice each red mullet fillet into 2 equal pieces, lay on the grill tray and turn to coat in the oil and seasoning, then place skin side up. Set aside.
Put the water and dashi flakes into a saucepan over a medium heat and bring to a simmer, then whisk in the miso paste and dried ceps. Cover the pan, remove from the heat and leave to stand for 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, heat a frying pan over a medium heat and add the rapeseed oil. When hot, add the white spring onions and all of the mushrooms. Cook for 3 minutes, then add the garlic. Season with salt and pepper to taste and add the lime juice, stirring to deglaze. Remove from the heat and put to one side.
Strain the miso liquor through a fine sieve into a clean pan, discarding the ceps, and bring to the boil. Add the noodles and cook for 2 minutes until they are just tender.
Cook the fish under the grill for 2 minutes. Add the green spring onions and tofu to the broth and heat for 1 minute.
Ladle the broth, noodles and mushrooms into 4 warmed bowls, sharing them equally. Add 2 pieces of red mullet to each bowl and finish with a drizzle of shiso oil. Serve at once.
Smoked haddock soup with poached egg and pancetta
Smoked haddock makes such a lovely, comforting soup. It marries perfectly with egg and bacon in this hearty chowder for a nourishing lunch or supper, or even brunch, if you fancy. It’s worth buying really good quality smoked haddock - avoid that cheap, bright yellow dyed stuff.
Serves 4 as a hearty starter or light lunch
600g smoked haddock fillet, skinned, pin-boned and diced (trimmings saved)
200ml fish stock
200ml milk
100ml double cream
Olive oil for cooking and to drizzle
2 white onions, peeled and finely chopped
1 celery stick, de-stringed (with a peeler) and thinly sliced
2 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped
1 large potato, peeled and diced
6 thin slices of pancetta
100ml white wine vinegar
4 large eggs
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Pour the fish stock, milk and cream into a saucepan and add the smoked haddock trimmings. Bring to the boil and then take off the heat.
Place another large saucepan over a medium heat and add a little olive oil. When hot, add the onions, celery and garlic. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 4 minutes, then stir in the diced potato. Strain the creamy milk and stock mixture over the vegetables and bring to a simmer. Cook gently for 8-10 minutes until the potatoes are soft. Let cool slightly then transfer to a blender and blitz until smooth.
Meanwhile, preheat your grill to high and lay the pancetta on a grill tray. Bring a large pan of water to a simmer with the wine vinegar added.
Place the pancetta under the grill and cook until crispy. Carefully crack the eggs into the simmering water. (There is no need to stir the water - if your eggs are fresh they will form a nice shape instantly.) Poach the eggs for 3 minutes.
Meanwhile, add the smoked haddock to the soup and cook gently for 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and taste for seasoning, adding salt and pepper if you wish.
Cut the grilled pancetta in half. When the poached eggs are ready, drain them on kitchen paper.
Share the soup equally between 4 warmed bowls. Place a poached egg in each bowl, season with pepper and surround with the crispy pancetta. Add a generous drizzle of olive oil and serve straight away.
Razor clam and scallop soup with coconut, lemongrass and chilli
If you enjoy fragrant Thai flavours, you will love this dish. The classic Thai aromatics really help to bring the flavours of the seafood alive. I’ve used razor clams and queenie scallops, but prawns or any other shellfish will work. The chilli oil is a nice finishing touch if you like a bit of heat.
Serves 4 as a hearty starter or light lunch
2kg live razor clams
20 queenie scallops, cleaned, or 8 standard scallops, cleaned and halved
50ml sunflower oil
2 red onions, peeled and finely sliced
3 lemongrass stalks, tough outer layers removed, finely chopped
50g fresh ginger, peeled and finely grated
2 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped
2 bird’s eye chillies, deseeded and finely chopped
2 x 400ml tins coconut milk
2 tbsp fish sauce
3 tbsp lime juice
A handful of coriander, leaves picked
2 handfuls of baby spinach leaves
Chilli oil to finish
Check that your clams are alive and closed; discard any that are open. Place a large pan with a tight-fitting lid over a high heat. When hot, add the clams with a mugful of water. Immediately put the lid on and steam the clams for 2 minutes until the shells open. Tip the contents of the pan into a colander set over a bowl, to catch the juices. Leave to cool.
Wipe the pan clean and place over a medium heat. When hot, add the oil, followed by the onions, lemongrass, ginger, garlic and chillies. Cook, stirring, for 2 minutes, then pour in the coconut milk and bring to a simmer. Allow to simmer for 5 minutes.
Meanwhile, prepare the clams. Remove the meat from the shells, then cut away and discard the sandy and black parts. Slice the meat into even-sized pieces and set aside. Pass the clam juice through a fine sieve into a bowl and reserve.
Add the fish sauce, lime juice, coriander, spinach and strained clam juice to the coconut liquor and bring back to the boil. Stir in the scallops and return to a simmer. Remove from the heat and stir in the razor clam meat; the scallops will finish cooking in the residual heat.
Ladle the soup equally into 4 warmed bowls. Drizzle with a little chilli oil and serve, with crusty bread.
Parsley soup, smoked mackerel, horseradish and lemon oil
I often make this quick and healthy soup at home - even the kids like it! The smoky oiliness of mackerel is great with fresh tasting parsley and spinach, and the horseradish adds a lovely kick. You can vary the leafy green veg and/or herb if you like. If you want to make the soup in advance, chill it down quickly in a bowl over ice to retain that lovely green colour and fresh flavour.
Serves 4 as a lunch
6 smoked mackerel fillets
50ml light olive oil, plus extra to drizzle
50ml unsalted butter
2 banana shallots, peeled and finely chopped
3 garlic cloves, peeled, halved (germ removed) and finely chopped
2 large Maris Piper potatoes, peeled and finely sliced
1.5 litres fish or vegetable stock
2 tbsp creamed horseradish
3 handfuls of flat-leaf parsley, leaves picked
100g baby spinach leaves
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Horseradish and lemon oil, to finish
Cut each smoked mackerel fillet into 3 pieces.
Heat a large saucepan over a medium heat and add the 50ml olive oil with the butter. When hot, add the shallots and garlic and cook for 2 minutes until translucent. Now add the potatoes with some salt and pepper. Cook, stirring constantly, for 2 minutes.
Pour in the stock, bring to a simmer and cook until the potato is soft, about 8-10 minutes. If you don’t cook it enough, the soup will have a grainy texture. Tip the contents of the pan into a blender and add the creamed horseradish.
Wipe the pan clean, return to the heat and add a drizzle of olive oil. When hot, add the parsley and spinach and cook until wilted.
Tip the parsley and spinach into the blender and blend until smooth (see note). Return the soup to the pan, heat until piping hot, then taste and adjust the seasoning if necessary.
Divide the soup equally between 4 warmed bowls and top with the pieces of smoked mackerel. Finish with a drizzle of horseradish and lemon oil.
Note Be very careful when blending a hot soup, as hot air builds up in the jug and will burst out of the top if it is not released. I suggest you pulse it slowly at first with a cloth over the top, then as the soup begins to blend down, blitz in the usual way.
Mussels with sage, cider and clotted cream
When I opened Outlaw’s Fish Kitchen in Port Isaac I wanted to do a new mussel dish that screamed out ‘Cornwall!’ and showed off our fantastic mussels. This is that dish: a marriage of cider, apple, sage and clotted cream. Flavours that to me work wonders with the plumpest and juiciest mussels. A simple, quick dish that really impresses every time I cook it.
Serves 2 as a starter or light lunch
1kg live mussels
A drizzle of cold-pressed rapeseed oil
2 small white onions, peeled and sliced
8 sage leaves, finely sliced
100g Cornish clotted cream
200ml medium dry cider
1 Braeburn apple, peeled, cored and diced
2 tbsp chopped flat-leaf parsley
Freshly ground black pepper
Wash the mussels and pull away the hairy beard attached to one end of the shell. Discard any mussels that are open and refuse to close when pinched back together, and any that have damaged shells.
Place a large pan that has a tight-fitting lid over a high heat. When it is hot, add the oil, followed by the onions. Cook, stirring frequently, for 3 minutes, until they soften and singe at the edge.
Add the mussels, sage and clotted cream, cover and cook for 30 seconds. Lift the lid, pour in the cider and re-cover. Cook for 3 minutes. Lift the lid to check if the mussels are open. If not, put the lid back on and cook for a further 30 seconds, or until all, or most of the mussels are open.
Add the diced apple and chopped parsley and toss to mix. Divide the mussels between 2 warmed bowls and pour over the tasty liquor. Serve at once, with crusty bread and butter.
Pan-fried scallops, creamed chicory, orange and tarragon dressing
This dish is very popular when it goes on any of our menus. The scallops we get are hand-dived off the south coast of Cornwall and have a unique texture and taste. Our supply is dependent on the weather, so we treasure them as a luxury ingredient. Their incomparable sweet flavour and beautiful texture really shine through in this simple dish.
Serves 4 as a starter or light lunch
16-20 fresh scallops, shelled and cleaned (roes retained if in good condition)
Olive oil for cooking
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
For the chicory
2 chicory heads, outer leaves removed, shredded
50ml olive oil
75g unsalted butter
30g caster sugar
1 white onion, peeled and finely sliced
Finely grated zest and juice of ½ orange
150ml double cream
For the orange and tarragon dressing
1 orange
8 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
To finish
3 tsp chopped tarragon
For the chicory, heat a large frying pan over a medium-high heat and add the olive oil, butter and sugar. When hot, add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, for 2 minutes. Now add the chicory and cook for 2 minutes, turning from time to time.
Turn the heat down under the chicory to medium and add the orange zest and juice. Let the juice bubble away, then add the cream. Bring to a simmer and let simmer for 5 minutes. Remove from the heat.
Meanwhile, for the dressing, cut the peel and pith from the orange and cut out the segments from the membranes over a bowl to catch any juice. Slice the orange segments and place in a bowl with the extra virgin olive oil and some salt and pepper. Set aside.
To cook the scallops, heat a non-stick pan until very hot. Season the scallops with salt and drizzle some olive oil into the pan. Carefully place the scallops in the pan, one by one, remembering where you placed the first one. Turn the heat down to medium and cook for 2 minutes. Now flip the scallops over in the same order you placed them in the pan and cook for a further minute. Take the pan off the heat and allow the scallops to finish cooking in the residual heat.
To serve, warm up the creamed chicory if need be, then taste and correct the seasoning. Divide the chicory between 4 warmed plates or shallow bowls and top each serving with 4 or 5 scallops. Add a good drizzle of orange dressing and sprinkle with the chopped tarragon. Serve warm.
Crab with tomatoes, chilli, green peppercorns and herbs
On a trip to Singapore I became a little obsessed with crab dishes and set about recreating the exciting street food I had eaten. The crabs we have in the UK are different to those in Asia, which are smaller and have softer shells. Still, it’s easy enough to flavour our crab in the same way and cook it in a similar fashion. You need plenty of bread and beer with this scrumptious spicy dish.
Serves 6
3 live brown crabs, about 1.5kg each
For the sauce
100ml olive oil
3 white onions, peeled and chopped
2 bunches of spring onions, cut into fine julienne, white and green parts separated
6 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped
2 green chillies, sliced (seeds left in)
14 ripe plum tomatoes, chopped
150ml verjus
600ml white wine
2 tbsp green peppercorns
2 tbsp chopped tarragon
2 tbsp chopped chives
3 tbsp chopped parsley
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
To make the sauce, heat the olive oil in a large frying pan over a medium heat. When hot, add the onions, white spring onions, garlic and chillies and cook for 4-5 minutes until the onions are soft and starting to colour. Add the tomatoes and cook, stirring occasionally, for 4-5 minutes.
Add the verjus and cook for a further 5 minutes, then pour in the wine and let it bubble to reduce down. Add the green peppercorns and season with salt and pepper to taste. Simmer for another couple of minutes, then remove from the heat and set aside.
To cook the crabs, bring a very large pan of very salty water (30g salt to 1 litre water) to the boil. When it is almost boiling, lay each crab on its back on a board. Lift the flap near the bottom and plunge a large cook’s knife into the point underneath to kill the crab instantly. Immediately plunge the crabs into the boiling water and cook for 12 minutes.
Lift the cooked crabs out onto a large tray and leave until cool enough to handle. Hold the crab in both hands and use your thumbs to push the body up and out of the hard top shell. Twist off the claws and legs and crack them. Remove and discard the dead man’s fingers, stomach sac and hard membranes from the body shell. Now, cut the body in half and then into quarters.
To finish the dish, heat the sauce and add the green spring onions and chopped herbs. When the sauce comes to a simmer, taste for seasoning and adjust as necessary. Add all of the crab, give it a gentle stir and warm through for a couple of minutes.
To serve, carefully tip the contents of the pan into a large warmed serving dish. Place in the centre of the table with finger bowls, spoons, beer and bread.
Cockle and seaweed risotto
This risotto is versatile. I love the pairing of cockles and seaweed, but you could use any seafood in place of the cockles, or even a mixture of seafood if you wish. Similarly, any good seaweed will work, even crushed nori sheets that you buy for sushi - it just needs to be dehydrated and blitzed, to tenderise in the risotto. Adding the hot stock little by little and stirring continuously helps to release the starch from the rice grains, giving you that wonderful, creamy end result. Have all the ingredients prepared before you start, so you can concentrate on the stirring.
Serves 4
1kg live cockles
150g granary or sourdough bread, crusts removed and torn into pieces
50ml light olive oil, plus extra to drizzle
1 litre vegetable or fish stock
50g unsalted butter
1 large white onion, peeled and finely chopped
1 fennel bulb, tough outer layer removed, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, peeled, halved (germ removed) and finely chopped
240g carnaroli risotto rice
50ml white wine vinegar
100ml dry white wine
2 tbsp dried seaweed flakes, plus an extra 1 tsp to garnish
100g Parmesan, freshly grated
8 spring onions, trimmed and thinly sliced
A handful of tarragon, leaves picked and chopped
A handful of dill, leaves picked and finely chopped
Grated zest of 1 lime
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Preheat your oven to 200°C/Fan 185°C/Gas 6. Put the pieces of bread on an oven tray, drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Bake in the oven for 10 minutes until golden and crispy.
Meanwhile, bring the stock to a simmer in a saucepan over a low heat and keep it at a steady simmer.
Place another large heavy-based saucepan over a medium heat and add the olive oil and butter. When the butter starts to bubble, add the onion, fennel and garlic and cook for 3 minutes until the onion is translucent. Add the rice and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes.
Tip the crisp bread pieces onto a plate lined with kitchen paper to drain; set aside.
Pour the wine vinegar and wine into the rice pan and cook, stirring, until reduced right down to almost nothing, about 3 minutes. Add the 2 tbsp dried seaweed. Now add the stock, a ladleful at a time and cook, stirring slowly and continuously with a wooden spoon, for 12 minutes. Allow each ladleful of stock to be fully absorbed before you add the next.
Next add the cockles along with another ladleful of stock and cook for 2 minutes, or until the cockles start to open. Immediately add the grated Parmesan, spring onions and chopped herbs and turn off the heat.
Give the risotto a careful stir and share between 4 warmed plates. Scatter over the crisp bread pieces and lime zest, and finish with a sprinkling of seaweed. Serve immediately.
My fish stew
Fish stew exists all around the globe. Where you are, or where you live, determines what goes in. I like to use fish with a firm texture that will give a real depth of flavour. Roasting the fish heads and bones - and cooking the vegetables in the way I do here - really intensifies the flavours. The scallops are a nice touch of luxury; along with the mussels, they add their own unique quality.
Serves 8
1 monkfish tail, about 1.5kg, bone removed and reserved, trimmed of sinews
2 gurnard, 600g each, filleted (heads and bones reserved)
8 large or 16 medium scallops, shelled and cleaned
40 live mussels, de-bearded and rinsed (see mussels with sage, cider and clotted cream)
1 garlic clove, peeled and chopped
1 rosemary sprig, leaves picked and chopped
Zest of 1 lemon (microplaned)
100ml light olive oil
1 large cod head, cleaned
300ml white wine
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
For the stew
2 onions, peeled and sliced
4 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
2 fennel bulbs, finely chopped
2 red peppers, cored, deseeded and sliced
½ tsp dried chilli flakes
Zest and juice of ½ orange (zest microplaned)
A big pinch of saffron strands
3 bay leaves
1 rosemary sprig
50g tomato purée
8 ripe tomatoes, chopped
To serve
1 large baguette
Light rapeseed oil for frying
1 garlic clove, halved
Spicy anchovy mayonnaise
Preheat your oven to 180°C/Fan 165°C/Gas 4.
Cut the monkfish into 8 equal chunks. Halve each gurnard fillet to give 8 pieces. Put the monkfish, gurnard, scallops and mussels into a bowl and add the garlic, rosemary, lemon zest, olive oil and some salt and pepper. Mix carefully, cover and leave to marinate in the fridge for 1 hour.
To make the stock, line a roasting tray with a sheet of baking parchment. Lay the cod head and reserved fish heads and bones on the paper and roast for 25 minutes. Turn them over and roast for another 25 minutes.
Place the tray over a medium heat on the hob. Add the wine, stirring and scraping to deglaze. Simmer for 5 minutes, then tip everything into a big cooking pot and add water to cover. Bring to the boil and skim off any impurities from the surface. Lower the heat and simmer for 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, heat another large pan over a medium heat and add a drizzle of olive oil. When it is hot, add the onions, garlic, fennel and red peppers. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes. Now add the chilli flakes, orange zest, saffron, bay and rosemary and cook for 2 minutes. Stir in the tomato purée and cook, stirring frequently, for 5 minutes.
Add the chopped tomatoes and orange juice. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes. Pour the stock through a sieve onto the vegetables and simmer for 20 minutes. Taste and adjust the seasoning, if necessary.
In the meantime, cut the baguette into thin slices. Heat a 1cm depth of rapeseed oil in a wide pan. When hot, shallow-fry the bread slices until golden on both sides. Drain the croûtes on kitchen paper, rub with the cut surface of the garlic and season with salt.
Add the monkfish to the stew base and cook for 1 minute, then add the gurnard and mussels and cook for another 2 minutes. Finally add the scallops and cook for 1 minute.
Serve the stew in the centre of the table with the croûtes and spicy anchovy mayonnaise on the side.
Monkfish, bean and bacon stew
This stew is very simple and quick to cook. It’s a recipe that has saved me a few times when I’ve been really up against it. I’ve used beans here but potatoes also work well. You can include seasonal vegetables too, if you like - I often add squash in the autumn and asparagus during spring. Monkfish is great for this sort of dish because it can handle bold flavours and it doesn’t break up on cooking. If you can’t get hold of monkfish, try using gurnard, grey mullet or prawns - they all work well.
Serves 4
600g monkfish fillet, trimmed and cut into equal chunks
A drizzle of olive oil
50g unsalted butter
2 red onions, peeled and chopped
2 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped
120g piece of smoked streaky bacon, cut into lardons
400g tin cannellini beans, drained
1 tbsp thyme leaves
1 litre fish or vegetable stock
A handful of flat-leaf parsley, chopped
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Heat a large pan over a medium heat and add the olive oil and butter. When hot, add the onions and garlic and cook until the onions begin to colour. Add the bacon and cook for 5 minutes, stirring from time to time to make sure it colours evenly. No burnt bits!
Add the cannellini beans, thyme and stock and simmer for 20 minutes. Now add the monkfish and poach gently for 4 minutes. Season with salt to taste.
To finish, add the chopped parsley and stir gently. Share the stew equally between 4 warmed bowls and serve some green vegetables on the side, if you wish, and hunks of good crusty bread.
Cuttlefish curry with chickpeas and spinach
Cuttlefish is perfect for a curry, because it readily takes on the spicing and responds well to slow cooking; this is especially true of bigger cuttles. If you can’t get hold of cuttlefish, or simply want a quicker curry, you can use a firm fleshed fish like monkfish or gurnard instead. I’ve used curry powder here for convenience, but you can grind and mix your own spices if you prefer.
Serves 4
600-800g cuttlefish, cleaned and cut into equal chunks
Sunflower oil for cooking
2 white onions, peeled and chopped
4 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped
2 tbsp chopped fresh ginger
2 red chillies, deseeded and chopped
2 tsp Madras curry powder
1 tsp garam masala
1 aubergine, peeled and diced
600g ripe tomatoes, chopped
400ml tin coconut milk
400g tin chickpeas, drained
100g baby spinach leaves
A handful of coriander, leaves picked
Sea salt
Heat a large sauté pan over a high heat, then add a drizzle of oil. When hot, add the cuttlefish chunks and fry for 3 minutes, turning as necessary to colour evenly. Transfer the cuttlefish to a colander set over a bowl.
Place the pan back over a medium heat and add another drizzle of oil. When hot, add the onions, garlic, ginger and chillies. Fry for 5 minutes until the onions are softened and starting to brown. Stir in the curry powder and garam masala and cook for another 2 minutes.
Now add the aubergine and tomatoes and cook for another 5 minutes until the vegetables begin to collapse. Give the curry base a really good stir and then return the cuttlefish to the pan. Pour in the coconut milk and top up with enough water to just cover everything. Bring to the boil and add a good pinch of salt.
Turn the heat down so that the curry is simmering very gently and cook for 1½ hours, topping up the liquor with more water if necessary to ensure everything remains covered.
When the cuttlefish is soft and cooked, add the chickpeas and cook for a further 15 minutes, but don’t add any more water now - you want the liquor to reduce and thicken.
Add the spinach and coriander, then taste for seasoning, adding more salt if required.
Share the curry equally between 4 warmed bowls and serve with yoghurt and rice if you like. I prefer to eat it on its own with naan bread to mop up the sauce.
Joe’s kedgeree
This recipe is dedicated to Joseph Tyers, a truly gifted chef who is sadly no longer with us. Joe’s parents found it in the collection of recipes he wrote and told me it was one of his favourites. I didn’t have the opportunity to taste the kedgeree cooked by Joe, but I’ve since made it several times and it’s always well received. So this is Joe’s recipe, not mine. I hope you enjoy it… we all have.
Serves 4
400g smoked haddock, skinned
300g long-grain rice
4 medium or large eggs
A splash of sunflower oil
50g unsalted butter
2 shallots, peeled and finely chopped
1 leek (white part only), well washed and finely sliced
1 celery stick (de-stringed (with a peeler) and finely sliced
1 garlic clove, peeled and finely chopped
A pinch of saffron strands
½ tsp curry powder
700ml fish stock
2 tsp chopped coriander leaves
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 lemon, cut into wedges, to serve
Preheat your oven to 200°C/Fan 185°C/Gas 6. Check the smoked haddock for any pin-bones and cut it into 2cm squares; set aside.
Wash the rice in cold water 4 or 5 times, changing the water each time. Drain and allow to stand in the colander for 15 minutes.
Add the eggs to a pan of simmering salted water, return to a simmer and cook for 8-10 minutes. Drain and briefly run under cold water to cool, then peel and slice.
Place a large ovenproof sauté pan over a medium heat and add the oil and butter. When hot, add the shallots, leek, celery and garlic and cook for 2 minutes without colouring.
Add the rice to the pan, stir and cook for 1 minute. Now add the saffron and curry powder and stir well over the heat.
Pour in the fish stock and bring to a simmer. Put the lid on and place the pan in the oven for 15 minutes or until the rice is cooked.
Remove from the oven, stir through the pieces of smoked haddock and immediately put the lid back on. Leave to stand for 3-5 minutes; the fish will cook in the residual heat.
Remove the lid and carefully fold through the sliced boiled eggs and coriander. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve the kedgeree in warmed bowls, with lemon wedges on the side.
Cod and ox cheek stew
This is a really heart-warming winter bowl of food. Ox cheeks have a great flavour and become meltingly tender if you cook them right. Here they make a brilliant partner for meaty cod cheeks. Both can handle beer quite well, so the marriage is a happy (cheeky!) one. Monkfish cheeks work equally well here, if you happen to come across them. I like to serve this with a swede, carrot and horseradish mash.
Serves 4
500g cod cheeks, trimmed of sinews
2 ox cheeks, trimmed of sinews
75ml olive oil
2 tbsp plain flour
100g piece of smoked streaky bacon, cut into lardons
4 shallots, peeled and chopped
6 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped
2 rosemary sprigs, leaves picked and chopped
4 tbsp tomato purée
6 ripe plum tomatoes, chopped
100ml red wine vinegar
500ml Sharp’s Doom Bar beer
4 carrots, peeled and halved lengthways
4 tsp chopped parsley
Grated zest of 1 lemon
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Preheat your oven to 140°C/Fan 125°C/Gas 1.
To cook the ox cheeks, heat a heavy-based ovenproof sauté pan over a medium-high heat, then add 3 tbsp of the olive oil. Dust the ox cheeks with the flour, seasoned with salt and pepper. Add the ox cheeks to the pan and fry for 4 minutes, turning as necessary to colour evenly all over. Using a slotted spoon, remove the ox cheeks to a plate.
Add the remaining olive oil to the pan, followed by the bacon, shallots, garlic and rosemary. Sweat over a medium heat for 3-4 minutes, then add the tomato purée and cook for a further 4 minutes. Add the chopped tomatoes and cook for another 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Return the ox cheeks to the pan and add the wine vinegar and beer. Bring to a simmer, then top up the liquor with enough water to cover the ox cheeks. Bring back to a simmer, put the lid on and transfer the pan to the oven. Cook slowly for 4 hours. To check that the ox cheeks are done, lift the lid and pierce one with a knife; it should pass through easily. If there is some resistance, they will need a bit longer in the oven.
In the meantime, steam or boil the carrots until just tender.
Once the ox cheeks are cooked, transfer the pan back to the hob. Add the cod cheeks to the stew, along with the carrots. Return to a simmer and poach gently for 3-4 minutes.
To serve, share the stew equally between 4 warmed bowls. Finish with a sprinkling of chopped parsley and grated lemon zest. Serve with mash.
Braised octopus with romesco sauce
Octopus goes down really well with my customers. It’s definitely one of those things they eat when they are out because they think it’s hard to get right at home. Nonsense, octopus is really simple to do! Follow my recipe and you will wonder why you haven’t tried it before. The lovely Spanish romesco sauce works really well with the caramelised octopus.
Serves 4
1 octopus (double sucker species), about 1kg (defrosted if frozen)
Olive oil for cooking
1 onion, peeled and chopped
4 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped
3 bay leaves
3 tsp sweet smoked paprika
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
For the romesco sauce
20g crustless white bread
3 tbsp olive oil
3 red peppers, quartered, cored and deseeded
200g ripe plum tomatoes, halved
30g blanched almonds
30g skinned hazelnuts
2 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped
2 tbsp sherry vinegar
400g tin cannellini beans
1 bunch of spring onions, sliced
To serve
Sweet smoked paprika to sprinkle
Heat a pan large enough to hold the octopus and add a generous drizzle of olive oil. When hot, add the onion, garlic, bay leaves and smoked paprika and cook for 2 minutes. Add the whole octopus and some salt and pepper. Put the lid on and cook for 1 hour, or until the octopus is tender. To check, insert a knife into a tentacle; it should cut through with ease. If not, continue to cook, checking every 10 minutes until it is ready.
Meanwhile, make the sauce. Preheat your grill to high. Blitz the bread in a blender to crumbs. Oil and season the peppers and tomatoes all over, then lay skin side up on a large grill tray. Grill until the skins are blistered and blackened. Peel away the skins when cool enough to handle.
Place a frying pan over a medium heat and add a drizzle of olive oil. When it is hot, add the nuts and fry, stirring occasionally, until golden all over. Tip out onto a plate and leave to cool. Heat a little more oil in the pan and fry the breadcrumbs and garlic until golden and crisp.
Tip the garlicky crumbs into a blender, add the tomatoes, peppers and nuts and pulse to a rough paste. Add the sherry vinegar with some salt and pepper and blend for 10 seconds. Transfer to a bowl and set aside.
When the octopus is cooked, lift it out on a tray and leave until cool enough to handle. Reserve the stock. Cut off and reserve the tentacles. Slit open the main body and remove the ink sac, stomach and eyes carefully. Chop all the main body meat up and put to one side.
When ready to serve, in a large pan, mix the cooled, chopped octopus body meat into the sauce. Add the beans, spring onions and 200ml of the octopus stock (or more if you prefer a ‘soupy’ dish). Heat through.
Meanwhile, place a frying pan over a high heat. Oil and season the tentacles. When the pan is hot, add a little oil, then the tentacles. Cook for 2 minutes on each side until nicely coloured and lightly charred.
Season the stew and share between 4 bowls. Slice the tentacles and share between the bowls. Sprinkle generously with smoked paprika and serve.