Torta de pescado – fried fish sandwich with chipotle mayo and coleslaw

To make the batter for the fish (like cod), place 75 gr flour and 100 ml beer in a medium-sized bowl and whisk together until smooth. Season with a pinch of salt and set aside

Mix together 75 gr red cabbage, finely shredded, with 75 of pineapple cubes, chopped coriander and lime juice to taste.

Mix 3 tbsp mayo with 2 tbsp chipotle from a jar.

Make the guacamole by slicing an avocado into cubes. Season with lime juice, a tbsp jalapeño relish, salt and a pinch of dried chilli flakes

Heat a pan of oil (or switch on a deep-fryer) to 180°C. Sprinkle some flour onto a plate and lightly dust the fish portions evenly. Dip the fish into the batter then carefully lower into the oil. Cook for 3–4 minutes on each side until perfectly golden. (By the way I bought mine ready fried from the fish shop, much easier)

Remove the battered fish and place on a plate lined with kitchen paper to drain any excess oil. Sprinkle with sea salt and a squeeze of fresh lime juice

Now assemble the sandwiches; spread a spoonful of guacamole on the base of each roll, top with two or tree pieces of fish and add a generous helping of the coleslaw. Finish with a dollop of punchy, smokey chipotle mayo and the top of the roll

(Recipe by The Kitchen with Great British Chefs)

PS Or use fish fingers from the freezer:

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Sole with asparagus, samphire, mousseline and shrimps

After making this recipe (and the result was delicious) I'd say: don't try this at home.

Because it is clearly from a chef who has two assistants to help him. Just before serving you have to do 3 things at the same time: making the sauce, frying the fish and grilling the asparagus.


But, if you insist: pre-heat the oven at 65°C and put your plates in to warm.


Peel 4 white asparagus, cook them in about 9 mins., then keep warm in the oven.
Slowly clarify 75 gr butter in a small saucepan. When the butter has completely melted, skim the surface using a small skimmer. Decant the clarified butter. Keep warm.

Boil 25 gr samphire for 3 mins. Drain, dry and mix with a bit of butter. And keep warm in the oven.

Beat 50 ml whipping cream until you obtain a whipped cream, using an electric whisk. Set aside.

Then it's time for the grand finale.

Place 2 egg yolks in a sauté pan. Season with salt and a pinch of Piment d'Espelette. Add 2 tbsp of water.

1 - Vigorously beat the eggs, using a small whisk...... making 8-shaped movements, while cooking on slow heat.

Cooking should be done at a temperature of approximately 65°C in order to obtain a sabayon sauce. (Prefer the use of a stainless steel or copper saucepan.)

When the preparation has the consistency of a cream, take the recipient off the heat. (Every motion of the whisk should be such that you can see the bottom of the recipient.) During the cooking process, if you notice the egg yolks are too thick, you can add a little extra water.

Away from the heat, gradually add the clarified and decanted butter to the sabayon sauce, and combine with a small whisk. Add some drops of lemon juice.

Gently add the whipped cream to the hollandaise sauce.

Combine gently with a rubber spatula. Adjust the seasoning if needed.
Keep warm on low heat. Do not use bain-marie cooking, as this could cause the sauce to collapse.

2 - At the same time take the cooked asparagus from the oven and grill them in a hot grillpan.

Cut each spear in 3 pieces

• 3 - Also heat a large skillet over high heat. Add in about 3 tablespoons butter.         Saute 4 fillets of sole, cooking on each side (on high heat about 2 minutes per side) or until just cooked through.

Serve as shown, with some brown shrimps. And: good luck!

(Based on this recipe by Broes Tavernier)

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Chicken livers with a Roquefort and walnut butter

       The original recipe was for veal kidneys, which I don't like very much, so I     
       made it with chicken livers.

Begin with the (delicious) Roquefort-and-walnut-butter. Melt in a small saucepan 50 gr butter with 25 gr Roquefort, 1/4 finely chopped clove of garlic and 3 drops of Tabasco. Set aside.

Once cooled crumble another 25 gr  Roquefort into the butter mix  and carefully fold with 15 gr chopped walnuts and  chopped parsley. 
Taste for seasoning, then scoop into a 4 cm service ring to make a nice roll                   >

Cover with cling film. 
Chill in the fridge to set.

To prepare the chicken livers (2 or 3 pp), remove the fat and trim away any sinew. Set aside while you make the mash.

When the potatoes are cooked  bring some milk to the boil in another pan. Drain the potatoes and allow to steam and dry uncovered, mash them and add some milk to make the mash more liquid and beat to combine.

Gradually stir in cubes of butter, allowing any lumps to melt completely before each addition. Once the butter has been added, stir in more small splashes of milk to create a very smooth, buttery mash. If desired, add more butter to taste.

Season with salt and pepper and finish with gratings of nutmeg. Keep piping hot while you cook the livers. Melt 20 gr butter in a frying pan and when it begins to foam, add the chicken livers and fry for a couple of minutes on each side. 

Add 1 tbsp of Armagnac and 2 tbsp of strong veal stock and cook for a further 20 seconds. Remove the pan from the heat and spoon the mashed potato onto plates.

Make a well in each mound of mash and place the livers inside the well.

Place a slice of the Roquefort butter over each portion of the livers (freeze the rest for next time). Serve immediately with a little chopped parsley.

(Based on this recipe by Henry Harris)

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Fillet of brill in prawn sauce

 The original recipe was based on lobster, which I cannot afford, so my sauce was made from a pre-made prawn bisque from my freezer.

Each time I cook with prawns I freeze the shells and heads. 

When I have about 500 gr its time to make a nice bisque. It is simple:

Put them in 1,5 litre of water, add a glass of white wine, 2 halved onions (unpeeled, the skin colours the bisque), 2 bay leaves, 1 clove of garlic, 10 peppercorns, a couple of halved tomatoes,1 tbsp tomato paste, a couple of celery stalks (incl some leaves), half a bunch of parsley, some chopped carrots.

Bring it all up to a boil with a splash of cognac and allow to simmer for 30 minutes, covered until the stock is well infused by the shells. Then I take everything out and reduce the liquid till a nice brown bisque is the result. Which goes into the freezer for opportunities like today.

For the sauce you need 200 ml. Add 25 ml cream and bring to the boil again. Then set aside

Use a mandoline to shave 3 green asparagus lengthways before cooking for 3 mins with 100 gr samphire.

Season 2 fillets of brill and place them, skin-side down, in a hot pan with a little olive oil. Cook until golden brown. To replace the lobster I fried some prawns  along them (and kept the shells and heads of course). Turn the brill over and then take the pan off the heat. Allow the fillets to cook through off the stove. 

Put the samphire in the centre of warmed bowl plates. Add the shaving of asparagus and place the brill on top.

Reheat the sauce and whisk in 30 gr unsalted butter. 
Season to taste, then pour on and around the brill. 
Finish with the prawns, a spoonful of caviar 
(which I cannot afford so I used black seaweed pearls 
from... IKEA) and an edible flower. 

(Here is the original recipe by Simon Hulstone)

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Ceci n'est pas un dessert !

Preheat the oven to 160°C.

Wash several different beetroots well then wrap in foil with 1 sprig of thyme, 1 bay leaf, a pinch of sea salt, 10 black peppercorns, olive oil and water. Ensure that the foil is sealed so that the beetroots will steam in the parcel. Cook for 45 minutes, until a metal skewer, or sharp knife, goes easily through the beetroot

Leave the beetroots to cool before peeling away the skin and cutting some in quarters, others in slices

Then make a lemon dressing whisk together a tbsp of lemon juice, a pinch of salt, slowly drizzle in 3 tbsp olive oil 

Next make the beetroot coulis, roughly chop 100 gr cooked red beetroot and place in a blender with 10 gr red wine vinegar, 10 g Worcestersauce, 3 drops of Tabasco, a pinch of salt&pepper and blend until smooth

To plate spread the coulis in the middle of the plate in a circle. Place ½ burrata per person on top and season with sea salt and olive oil

Dress the  beetroots with the lemon dressing and arrange around the plate. Garnish with cress and edible flowers.

(My variation on a recipe by Xavier Boyer)

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Corona cooking : Homemade lasagna

Pre-heat the oven at 220° C (for dried lasagna sheets) or 180° C (for fresh sheets).

This is a recipe for seventeen portions, two to eat right out of the oven, still bubbling and fifteen to freeze and enjoy later during these uncertain times. Or...to give away!

First blacken 4 red paprikas under the grill.

Chop 4 onions and mince 2 cloves of garlic.

Wash 2 courgettes (preferably one green and one yellow) and halve them lengthwise, then slice. 

Fry 1500 gr minced meat (half beef, half pork) in 2 batches, seasoned with 1 tsp nutmeg, 1 tsp paprika, 1 tsp garlic powder, 1 tsp onion powder, 1 tsp cove powder, 1/2 tsp black pepper and 1/2 tsp salt.
Set aside.

Sweat the onion and garlic, then add a bottle of tomato pasata, a can of diced tomatoes, a tbsp tomato paste, and a bouquet garni (fresh thyme, marjoram, rosemary) and let it stew for 30 mins. Taste and season with pepper and salt.

In the meantime peel the paprikas and cut into strips.

Remove the fresh herbs from the sauce, add the paprika strips, with the minced meat. 

Oil a large baking tin (40x 32 x 7 cm) and cover the bottom with 8 lasagna sheets.

Cover with 1/3 of the tomato/meat mix.

Then 1/3 of the courgette slices.

Cover that with 400g white (Bechamel) sauce and finish with 150 gr grated cheese.

Repeat this 2x (but on the 2nd layer add slices of 2 celery sticks with the courgette)

Then bake in the oven for 30 mins.

(A Janneke Muileboom recipe)

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< Put the frozen package in a 180°C   
   oven for 50 mins to get this result

Mackerel pâté with pickled cucumber

For the cucumber pickle, add 600 ml water to a pan and place over a medium-high heat. Add 30 gr salt, 2 cloves, 4 black peppercorns, 1/2 tsp caraway seeds, 1/2 tsp mustard seeds, a bay leaf and a sprig of fresh tarragon. As soon as the water boils, remove from the heat and allow to cool.

Once the mixture is cold, add 50 ml Chardonnay vinegar to the pan. Place a sliced cucumber in a jar and cover with the vinegar mixture.
Leave until required, the longer the better

Check 250 gr smoked mackerel for bones, pull apart with a fork.

Add 2 tsp sambal, 1 tbsp lemon juice, 1 tbsp ketjap asin, 2 tbsp crême fraiche, 1 tbsp chives and 1 tbsp shredded mint.

Season with salt&pepper.

Serve as quenelles, with smoked paprika, daikon cress and toast.

Recipes: Linda Bonn (mackerel) and Simon Hulstone (cucumber)

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Asparagus, poached egg, Parmesan

Steam asparagus for about 3 to 4 mins

Poach eggs

Serve as shown, add slivers of Parmesan cheese

Season with sea salt and pepper, dress with olive oil and Crema de Balsamico.

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Potato dischetti with anchovy and capers

Boil potatoes until cooked but not overly soft. When cooled, if so desired, peel the potatoes and slice into 5mm thick rounds.

Rinse some capers and mix them together with chopped black olives. Set aside.

Make a dressing by blending together olive oil, lemon juice, parsley, oregano, salt and pepper

Place the potato slices on a large platter and drizzle herb dressing on each slice.

When the platter is covered, sprinkle the olive and caper mixture on top of the rounds. 

Finish with anchovies and serve slightly warm or room temperature

(Recipe by Amy Gulick)

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Black cod with pea shoots, mint and Thai dressing

Begin by preparing the salad. Place some mint leaves, pea shoots, coriander leaves, thinly sliced shallot, thinly sliced chili, parboiled mange tout (split in half)and dill in a bowl and set aside.

For the dressing, combine the juice of 2 limes, 1 tbsp grated palm sugar and a tbsp fish sauce in a small bowl and stir to combine. Set aside until required

To cook the fish, place a large non-stick pan over a high heat. Once hot, pour in a small dash of vegetable oil and add black cod fillet, skin-side down

Press the fish down gently with a spatula to evenly brown the skin andcook for a further 2-3 minutes. Flip the fish over and cook on the other side until the fish firms up and is just cooked through - this should take an additional 3-5 minutes depending on the size of the fillet. Remove from the pan and allow to rest for 1 minute. 

Meanwhile, dress the salad, mixing to coat all of the ingredients. 

Place the fillets onto plates and arrange the salad and edible flowers on top. Pour over any excess dressing, sprinkle some sesame seeds (which I forgot) on top and serve immediately

(Recipe by Andy Waters on Great British Chefs)

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Pan-fried salmon & Asian vegetable wok

 

1. 
   

With a mandoline or food processor, finely slice a carrot and 1/4 zucchini. 

Finely slice 1/4 Chinese cabbage, 50 gr snow peas and 60 gr shitake mushrooms with a long sharp knife. 

In a large bowl, add all the vegetables together with 50 gr soybean sprouts. Set aside. 

Grate 2 gr ginger and add to a bowl. Add 15 gr oyster sauce, 25 gr soy sauce, 2 gr palm sugar, 5 gr sesame oil and 5 gr sunflower oil. and mix well. Set aside.

 
Heat a nonstick pan over medium heat. Season deboned salmon fillets with salt and place in the pan. Cook for 5 minutes on the same side for crispy salmon. Then flip to the other side and cook for an additional 2 minutes.

In the meantime, heat a wok or a large pan over high heat. Add the vegetables to the wok and cook for 2 minutes. Then add the desired amount of sauce and cook for few seconds. Remove from the heat.

Place the vegetable wok and the salmon on the plate. 

Serve warm. Bon appétit!

(Recipe by Vincent Guiheneuf on Cookniche.com)

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