Smoked mackerel, beetroot, avocado, prawns.

A few bits of smoked mackerel, some fried prawns. Half a beetroot thinly sliced, the other half pureed with 120 ml chicken stock
Half an avocado diced, the other half pureed with 120 ml vegetable stock, then I added 1 leaf of gelatine.
Some thinly sliced red onion, a few dollops of mayo/horseradish... that's all folks.

(Inspired by Belgian masterchef Mario Aerts)

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Miso glazed skrei, carrot and ginger sauce and crispy cavolo nero

1. Place 1 tbsp mirin, 1 tbsp soy sauce, 1 tbsp sake (or sherry) and 20 gr sugar in a small saucepan. Heat gently and mix until all the sugar has dissolved. Remove from heat and whisk in 20 gr white miso paste together with a tsp sesame oil until combined. Leave to cool to room temperature. Coat the skrei with the marinade, cover with cling film and infuse overnight.                                                                                                                   
2. The next day, melt a tbsp  butter in a pan over a medium heat. Add 4 chopped carrots and  1 tbsp grated ginger and cook for 3 to 4 minutes. Pour in 250 cl vegetable  stock, reduce heat and simmer for a further 8 to 10 minutes. Once the carrots are cooked and the liquid has reduced by two thirds, transfer the vegetables and cooking liquid to a blender and purée. Once silky smooth, season to taste.
3. Remove the thick vein of some cavolo nero leaves (or kale). Cover lightly with oil, salt and pepper. Spread onto a baking tray and roast for 11 minutes (at 160°C) until crisp. Leave to cool.
4. Heat oven to 200°C. Drain a handful of  chickpeas and rinse. Transfer to a kitchen towel and pat dry. Spread out onto a baking tray, season with a drizzle of oil, salt and paprika and roast for 25 minutes until crisp.
5. 10 minutes prior to the chickpeas being cooked turn your attention to the Skrei. Heat the oil in a non-stick pan over a high heat. Sear the Skrei for 2 minutes on each side, caramelising its exterior. Transfer to a baking tray and place in the oven for 8-10 minutes until golden brown. Serve on a drizzle of puree, delicately sprinkle the chickpeas and garnish with the crispy cavolo nero.  
   

(Here the original recipe by Michel Roux on seafood from Norway)

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Sea bass, cauliflower purée, glazed chicory. Pine nut and raisin dressing

For 2 pers. : 200g sea bass. 1 cauliflower, 100g butter, 100ml milk, 50ml cream, 40g raisins, 20g pine nuts, 10 leaves of coriander, 10g capers1 chicory, 1 orange, 1 lemon, 20ml red wine vinegar 20g icing sugar, heaped tbsp curry powder, 100ml olive oil and some chopped coriander to garnish 

Start with the curry oil: Toast the curry power in a dry pan and, in a separate pan, heat the olive oil to approximately 60°C. Then pour the olive oil over the curry powder, strain and leave to one side to cool.

Then prepare the dressing:  Place the raisins in a bowl of hot water and set aside until they have plumped up. Assemble the dressing — mix the pine nuts, raisins, capers, coriander and curry oil.

For the cauliflower purée: Chop the cauliflower into smaller pieces, keeping a few small florets for garnish. Melt the butter in a pan and sweat the cauli ower pieces off  until softened. is should take about three minutes.Whilst the chunks of cauliflower are cooking in the butter, place the smaller cauliflower florets in boiling water for about one minute. Take off  the heat, drain and put to one side. Add the milk to the pan with the larger cauliflower pieces and cook until tender. Drain the cauliflower and place in a blender with the cream until smooth. Season with a little salt and pepper.

Time for the chicory: Grate the zest from the lemon and orange and place in a bowl with the juice of half the lemon and half the orange.Remove the root from the chicory, take off  a couple of the outer leaves and cut the chicory in half lengthways.Heat a non-stick pan and melt a small amount of butter.
Place the cut side of the chicory into the icing sugar, tap o any excess and place in a hot pan.

While the chicory is cooking, heat a small amount of the dressing in a separate pan and add the cauliflower florets, just long enough for them to take on the colour of the curry oil.

Returning to the chicory, de-glaze the pan with a splash of vinegar and add the zest and juice from the orange and lemon. Turn the chicory to cook both sides. is will also let the juices reduce down to a lovely syrup.

Season the fish, heat another pan and fry it in a little oil, skin side down, for two minutes. 

Turn the fillets over and cook for another minute or two.

To plate up, place a spoonful of the cauliflower purée in the centre of the plate and drag the purée down, creating a smeared look.
Place the chicory diagonally across the purée, position the fillet on top of the chicory and put a few spoonfuls of the raisin and caper dressing on the plate.

Add the cauliflower florets on top of where you have positioned the dressing, sprinkle with a little chopped coriander and drizzle some of the remaining curry oil around the plate. Enjoy!

Recipe from Eurestfood. Here's a video

PS Next time I'll make this without the chicory. Less work and just as nice!

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Potato tuile, guacamole, smoked halibut

Start a day in advance with making lemon jelly from 60 cl lemon juice, 20 cl sugar water, 20 cl water and 1 leaf of gelatine. 
For the tuiles: mix 160 gr boiled potatoes with 5 tbsp of grated Parmesan, 20 gr butter, 1 tsp Curry Madras till you have a smooth substance. Preheat the oven on 160C, put baking paper on an oven tray and put 4 heaps of the potato mix on it. Flatten with a spoon. Bake till golden brown and crisp, do the same with the other side after turning. Take out to cool.
In the meantime make the guacamole from 1 avocado, 1 tbsp coriander, 1 tsp lime juice, the zest of the lime and a knifepoint of piment espelette.

Put a tbsp guacamole on each tuile, then some smoked halibut and finally some lumpfish roe. (unless you prefer caviar).

(my interpretation of a recipe from Belgian chef Peter Goosens)

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Scallops, orange butter

For the sauce reduce 400 cl fresh orange juice till 150 cl is left. Add 50 cl chicken stock. Then whisk in 50 gr cold salted butter.

Fry the scallops in a dry pan.

Serve with orange parts.

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Small fajita, smoked mackerel, avocado

Plus a sauce of creme fraiche and horseradish

Pheasant, Sauerkraut, sauce Calvados

For the sauce (per 2 persons) reduce 200 ml apple juice and 20 ml Calvados till 1/3 is left, then add 200 ml cream and reduce again till nice and thick.

Just before serving: cut an apple in small cubes and add to the sauce

Pan-fry 2 pheasant breasts in butter, softly so the don't dry out, about 4 mins per side.

Serve with sauerkraut, casselerrib and potato croquettes

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Halibut, tomatoes, basil, corn

Preheat the oven to 200 C. 

Sprinkle the halibut ( 150 gr fillet pp) on both sides with salt and pepper. Heat 2 tbsp oil in a large skillet with an ovenproof handle over medium-high heat until it begins to shimmer but is not smoking. Place the fillets skin side down in the hot oil and sear until the fish begins to turn color, 2 to 3 minutes. Turn the fillets and add 1 tbsp lemon juice, 100 cl white wine and 3 tbsp butter to the pan. As soon as the butter melts and becomes foamy, add a tbsp rinsed capers and 12 halved cherry tomatoes and simmer until the tomatoes release some juices, about 1 minute. 

Place the pan in the oven until the fish is cooked through, 7 to 10 minutes.

In the meantime fill a large pot about 3/4 full of water and bring to a boil. Stir in 2 tbsp sugar and 1 tbsp lemon juice, dissolving the sugar. Gently place an ear of corn into boiling water, cover the pot, turn off the heat, and let the corn cook in the hot water until tender, about 10 minutes.

Baste the fish with some of the juices and transfer to serving plates. Add torn basil leaves to the pan juices and stir until the basil is slightly wilted. Spoon the mixture over the fish, garnish with fresh basil leaves and some corn and serve.

Inspired by cat cora.com

               

Prawns, noodles, red curry

Most of the work is to put 3 tomatoes in boiling water for 30 seconds, then peel them, remove the seeds and cut the rest into small cubes. The rest is simple.

Slice 3 garlic cloves very thinly.
Heat 2 tbsp oil in a wok and first fry the garlic for 40 sec.
Add the tomatoes for another minute.
Add 200 cl coconut milk and 1 tbsp fish sauce and bring to the boil.
Then 12 big prawns (peeled). They'll be cooked in a minute or 3.
In the meantime slice 2 spring onions.
Add them to the mix and 200 gr pre-cooked noodles.

Now all you have to do is cut a lime and take 2 thin slices from each side
Grate the rest and add, finally, the juice

Serve with coriander

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Sea trout, quinoa, mascarpone/green curry creme

Mix 50 gr mascarpone with 10 gr green Thai curry.

Slice a radish very, very thinly.

Finely cut 2 celery stalks, 1 shallot and 1 green apple into a brunoise. Gently sweat the mix.

In the meantime boil 150 gr quinoa in 225 cl chicken stock, for 8 minutes, lid on the pan. Then take off the lid. Kill the heat and leave for another 10 minutes till all the liquid is absorbed.

Boil some young asparagus tips for 3 minutes

Lightly oil the fillets of salmon trout and fry them, skin side down, in a DRY pan.
5 minutes should do it to give them a crispy skin.

In the meantime mix the quinoa with the veggies. Add a tbsp roasted sesame seeds and a tsp sesame oil

Turn off the heat under the fish and turn the fillets. The other side will be done when you've started plating.          

                                                      

(Recipe from Anne-Sophie Breysem)

Noodles, asparagus, shiitake, courgette, red onions

Comfort food in 6 minutes.

Cut the tips of some green asparagus in half, slice a red onion, some shiitake, courgette and a garlic clove.

Wok the onion and garlic in a tbsp oil for about 2 mins, then add the other veggies.

After another 2 mins add a tsp rice vinegar, 3 tbsp fish sauce, 1 tbsp ginger syrup and a tbsp soy sauce. 

And pre-cooked ramen (noodles).

Stir and after another minute or two dinner can be served.
Simple food? Yes. Looking good? Who cares as long as its mouthwatering.

Thai mussels

Per 2 persons you need:
1 tbsp fresh ginger (cut into matchsticks of 1 cm long and 1 mm wide)
2 garlic cloves, sliced very thinly)
2 shallots (cut into rings)
1 tbsp lemongrass (sereh) from a pot
1 tbsp Nam Pla (fish sauce)
1 red chili (sliced)
110 ml coconut milk
Handfull of coriander
1 spring onion (sliced)
1 kg mussels

First fry the shallots, ginger, chili and garlic in some oil, till soft
Add the sereh, fishsauce and coconutmilk, softly boil for about 5 mins

Add the mussels, stir well and put a lid on the pan. Boil for 5 mins or till all shells are open.

Serve with the spring onion and coriander

Smoked mackerel paté (in a Melba beach chair)

Cut 200 gr smoked mackerel as fine as possible. Mix it with 50 gr cream cheese, 30 gr sour cream, the juice of 1/2 the lime lime and 2 tsp dill. Put in the fridge.

Toast bread on 2 sides. Use a pointed sharp knife to slide the bread carefully and horizontally through the middle, into that thin strip of uncooked bread, cut the crusts off and then cut into strips. Place the untoasted sides back under the grill and make sure you keep an eye on the them, they will toast and curl quite quickly

Take the mackerel pâté out from the fridge and spoon a healthy dollop on the ends of each Melba slice. Add some cranberry compote on top and then a pinch of sliced sushi ginger. Finish with chervil or bean sprouts

PS Next time I'll use small cubes of beetroot instead of the  cranberry.                                                            

Recipe Food Urchin, Great British Chefs

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Phototitle: Lounging at the beach

Monkfish, green veggies

Dry the monkfish with kitchen paper.
Prepare any green vegetables you might have. I used sugar snaps, green asparagus, frozen peas, fresh broad beans and broccoli.

For the sauce bring 250 cl fish stock to the boil, with 150 cl Noilly Prat en 100 ml sweet dessert wine.  Reduce to 20%. Add 50 cl cream. Then whisk it 100 gr of salted butter (bit by bit)

Preheat the oven at 160 C.

Brush the fish well with olive oil and fry for 4 mins. in a very hot but dry pan.
Then transfer the pan to the oven. For 6 mins.

In the meantime boil the greens for 3 to 4 mins. Drain well.

Cut each monkfish fillet in 3 pieces. Serve as shown. First the sauce, then the fish and then the veggies.

Smoked wild salmon, dill potatoes

Peel and boil 4 small Roseval potatoes pp. (first cut off the bottom so they can stand).

Make a sauce of 2/3 mayo and 1/3 horseradish (from a jar). Add some capers and finely cut dill.

Coat the cooked potatoes lightly with the sauce.

Put them (lukewarm) on a a plate and drape smoked salmon over them. Finish with some more sauce and some dill.

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Dukkah-crusted salmon

Dukkah is a North-african mix of nuts and spices. Easy to make at home.

Mix 75gr hazelnuts, 150 gr almonds, 2 tbsp cumin seeds, 1 tbsp coriander seeds, 1,5 tsp fennel seeds and 2 tsp black  sesame seeds. Toast them in a dry hot pan till you can smell them, but do not burn.
Add a tsp sea salt and put the lot in the kichenmachine. Not too long or you'll end up with nutty butter.
Add 75 gr cooked bulgur and keep in a soup dish.

Then make a salad dressing of 40 ml lime juice, 60 ml olive oil, a pressed garlic clove and rings of a green pepper.

Instead of making a salad from just small (Lebanon) cucumbers and coriander leaves I added some leftover haricots verts and sugar snaps.

Beat 1 egg and put it in a soup dish.

Heat a frying pan with some oil. Turn down the heat.
Take the salmon fillets one by one and roll them trough the egg, then trough the spices and put them in the frying pan.
Bake each side for 2 mins, so 8 mins in total too keep the inside nice and pink.
Plate and decorate with bean sprouts.

(Inspiration Donna Hay)

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Grilled sardines

The sun was hot and my fishmonger had fresh sardines. A perfect combination.

All you have to to is to put them in a baking tin, cover them with some olive oil, crushed garlic, fennel seeds, lemon zest and pepper&salt. 

Add halved lemons and let the oven do the work (220°C, 10 mins or so)

The lemons become sweeter. Serve with parsley and start ...working. Because sardines are lovely, but have a lot of tiny bones.

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Steamed stuffed squid, fennel/orange salad

For this dish you can buy 1 squid pp, if they are big enough. Or 2 or 3 small ones if bigger is not available. I like to clean them myself, but you can always try and ask your friendly fishmonger to do it for you. In that case ask him to pack the tentacles and fins with the pouches.

For 4 persons you'll need:

4 small prepared squid pouches no longer than 15 cm
125g minced pork
Tentacles from the squid
50g peeled raw prawns
1cm fresh root ginger, finely grated
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 tbsp light soy sauce
1 tbsp chopped coriander
¼ tsp caster sugar
1½ tsp sesame oil
½ tsp salt
Freshly ground Sichuan peppercorns

2 spring onions, chopped plus 1 spring onion finely shredded, to garnish

For the sauce:

2 tbsp dark soy sauce
2 tbsp sweet chilli sauce
2 tbsp rice vinegar or white wine vinegar
1 tsp sesame oil

Rinse out the squid pouches.

Roughly chop the tentacles and fins. Put them in a food processor with the prawns and minced pork. Blend to a coarse mixture. Or, like I did, just mix them with a fork. Scrape the mixture into a bowl, add the rest of the ingredients (except for the shredded spring onion and the sauce ingredients) and mix together well.

Spoon the stuffing into squid pouches. Secure the open ends with wooden toothpicks.

Set up a steamer with simmering water. Place the squid on a heatproof plate and put in a steamer when the water has boiled and turned down to a simmer. Cover the pan with a tight fitting lid and steam the squid for 20-25 minutes, until cooked through.

Meanwhile put the ingredients for the sauce into a small pan. Just before the squid are ready, warm the sauce through. Lift the squid on to a board and cut each one across into about 6 thin slices. Arrange squid on 4 warmed plates, spoon over some of the sauce and garnish with the spring onion shreds.

Recipe by Rick Stein

(Because my fish were so small I also made a salad and used the mandoline to shave a fennel bulb very thinly and did the same with a red onion. Got the parts out of a juicy orange and made a dressing of 2 tbsp orange juice, 1 tsp Dijon mustard and olive oil. Decorated the salad with some fresh mint and the green of the

fennel:)

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