When ready to cook, preheat the broiler. Place the herring under the broiler, 4–5 inches from the heat source, and cook for about 3 minutes on each side. Transfer to warm plates and serve immediately, with the harissa and some plain yogurt on the side.
Red mullet with tomatoes, olives, and anchovies
This is a beautifully simple dish with Mediterranean flavors. Ask your fish merchant to “butterfly” the fish so that each fish is boned and opened out flat, its two fillets still held together by its skin—unless, of course, you want to attempt this yourself.
SERVES 4
4 large red mullet, or similar fish such as spotted goatfish, about 10 ounces each, scaled, gutted, and butterflied
¼ cup olive oil
1 heaped cup cherry tomatoes, halved
¾ cup sliced black olives
3 anchovies in olive oil
squeeze of lemon juice
handful of fresh basil, leaves roughly chopped
Clean the fish and pat dry with paper towels. Heat a large frying pan with the oil until hot. Season the fish and fry for 1½ minutes, skin-side down. Turn over and cook the other side for 1–1½ minutes. Remove to a plate and keep warm.
Tip the cherry tomatoes into the pan and add the olives and anchovies. Toss over high heat for a couple of minutes, adding a squeeze of lemon juice, cooking until the tomatoes have softened slightly. Toss in the basil and immediately divide among warm serving plates. Place the fish on top, skin-side up, and serve at once.
Fisherman’s stew
The variety of seafood here adds to the complexity of the stew. You could keep to just two types—a firm white fish with some clams, perhaps—but the crabmeat enriches and thickens the sauce at the end and is well worth including. Lots of good crusty bread is a must, and the stew is also delicious ladled over pasta or with boiled new potatoes.
SERVES 4
1 pound littleneck clams
1 pound mussels
½ cup dry white wine or Noilly Prat
1 bouquet garni (1 bay leaf, sprig each of fresh parsley and thyme, and 2 blades of mace tied together)
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 large leeks, finely sliced
1 medium fennel bulb, finely sliced
3 cups fish stock (see Chapter 9)
pinch of saffron strands
½ cup heavy cream
8 ounces large raw shrimp
14 ounces plaice or flounder fillet, skin on, cut in bite-size chunks
1 cup packed crabmeat
small handful of fresh flat-leaf parsley, leaves chopped
Wash the clams and mussels; discard any that do not shut tightly when gently tapped. Put the wine and bouquet garni in a large, heavy-based pot (with a tight-fitting lid) and bring to a boil. As soon as the wine starts to boil, tip in the clams and mussels. Give the mixture a stir, then cover and steam until the clams and mussels have opened, 2–3 minutes.
Tip the shellfish into a colander set over a large bowl to collect the liquid. Discard the bouquet garni.
Return the pot to the heat and add the olive oil, leeks, and fennel. Sauté for 4–5 minutes, then pour in the liquid from the clams and mussels. Add the fish stock and saffron and bring to a simmer. Let cook until reduced by a third, then pour in the cream.
Meanwhile, extract most of the clams and mussels from their shells, discarding any that have not opened. Reserve a few of each in their shells to use for garnish.
About 5 minutes before you are ready to serve, bring the broth back to a simmer. Add the shrimp and cook for 2 minutes, then add the chunks of fish and crabmeat. Poach just until the fish turns opaque, about 1 minute. Return the clams and mussels to the pot to warm through. Remove the pot from the heat. Ladle the stew into warmed bowls and garnish with a little chopped parsley.
Poached halibut with creamy white wine and tarragon sauce
Halibut has a delicate flavor, and is perfectly matched with this creamy white wine and tarragon sauce. The sauce can be made in advance, but I wouldn’t bother to precook the fish—after all, it doesn’t take long to poach, and you’ll need a few minutes to reheat the sauce and prepare any side dishes. To complete the meal, serve with root vegetables and some wilted spinach.
SERVES 4
Poached halibut:
1 bay leaf
few sprigs of fresh thyme
½ teaspoon black peppercorns
½ lemon, sliced into rounds
large pinch of rock salt
4 skinless, boneless halibut fillets, about 5 ounces each
White wine and tarragon sauce:
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 large shallots, minced
½ cup dry white wine
1¼ cups fish stock (see Chapter 9)
1 cup heavy cream
lemon juice to taste
handful of fresh tarragon, leaves chopped
First, make the sauce. Heat the oil in a medium saucepan and add the shallots and some seasoning. Sweat the shallots until soft without coloring, 5–6 minutes. Deglaze the pan with the white wine and let it boil until the pan is quite dry.
Add the fish stock, bring to a boil, and reduce by half. Finally, pour in the cream, bring back to a boil, and cook until reduced to a thick but still pourable consistency. Strain through a sieve into a clean pan. Adjust the seasoning with salt, pepper, and a little lemon juice and keep warm. Stir in the tarragon leaves just before serving.
To poach the halibut, put all the aromatics into a large saucepan and half fill the pan with water. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer. Season the fish with salt and pepper, then lower into the liquid. Gently poach until the fish is opaque and just firm, 8–10 minutes.
Carefully remove the halibut fillets with a slotted spatula and dab dry with paper towels. Place on warmed plates and spoon the white wine and tarragon sauce over the fish.
Deviled mackerel with tomato and fennel salad and horseradish potatoes
In my opinion, we don’t eat enough mackerel, which is a shame as it is full of healthy fats. The “deviled” butter in this recipe gives the fish a sweet, smoky, and slightly spicy edge. You could also use it with mackerel fillets, which will obviously need less time to cook than whole fish. Tomato and fennel salad and horseradish potatoes are fantastic accompaniments.
SERVES 4
4 whole mackerel, scaled and gutted
½ cup (1 stick) butter, softened to room temperature
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 teaspoons sweet smoked paprika
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 tablespoon sugar
½ teaspoon dry English mustard
2 teaspoons red-or white-wine vinegar
Horseradish potatoes:
1 pound small boiling potatoes, washed and halved if large
2 shallots, minced
2 tablespoons sour cream
2 tablespoons cream-style horseradish
few sprigs of fresh dillweed, roughly chopped
Tomato and fennel salad:
1 large fennel bulb
2 ripe plum or Roma tomatoes
handful of fresh flat-leaf parsley, leaves roughly chopped
few sprigs of fresh dillweed, roughly chopped
½ teaspoon sugar
juice of ½ lemon
3 tablespoons olive oil
First, make the horseradish potatoes: Cook the potatoes (skin on) in boiling salted water until tender when pierced with a sharp knife, 10–12 minutes. Drain and tip into a large bowl. Let cool slightly, then stir in the shallots, sour cream, and horseradish. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Finally, fold in the dill. Set aside to serve warm or at room temperature.
For the fennel salad, trim off the base of the fennel, then shave into very thin slices using a mandoline. Immerse the slices in a bowl of ice water and let crisp up for about 10 minutes. Meanwhile, cut the tomatoes into thin wedges. Put the tomatoes into a large bowl. Drain the fennel and add to the bowl along with the chopped herbs. Mix together the
sugar, lemon juice, olive oil, and some seasoning for the dressing. Pour it over the tomatoes and fennel and mix well. Let the flavors infuse for 10–15 minutes before serving.
Heat the broiler. Slash each mackerel on both sides, making the cuts every ¾ inch or so, then place in a baking dish. Mix all the remaining ingredients together in a bowl to make a thick spiced butter, seasoning well with salt and pepper. Rub the butter all over the mackerel, including inside the cavity. If the butter firms up on contact with the chilled fish and you find it difficult to spread, then slightly melt it in a saucepan and pour it over the fish instead.
Broil the mackerel, 4–5 inches from the heat source, until the fish is just firm and cooked through, 4–5 minutes on each side.
Serve immediately with the tomato and fennel salad and the horseradish potatoes.
Grilled scallop and shrimp brochettes with cilantro-chili butter
These are lovely, and fun to eat with your fingers. Take care not to overcook the scallops and shrimp or they’ll turn rubbery. The recipe makes more cilantro-chili butter than you need, but it keeps for about a week in the refrigerator and is also good with grilled meats and fish.
SERVES 4
Scallop and shrimp brochettes:
2–3 tablespoons olive oil
sprig of fresh rosemary, leaves minced
small handful of fresh flat-leaf parsley, leaves chopped
grated zest and juice of ½ lemon
12 sea scallops
12 large raw shrimp, peeled and deveined
Cilantro-chili butter:
½ cup (1 stick) butter, softened to room temperature
finely grated zest of 1 lemon
1 small, fresh, red chili pepper, deseeded and minced
small handful of cilantro, leaves chopped
1 large garlic clove, finely crushed
First, prepare the cilantro-chili butter. Place all the ingredients in a bowl along with a generous seasoning of salt and pepper. Beat with a fork until well combined. Spoon the butter along the length of a large sheet of plastic wrap and roll up in the wrap to shape the butter into a log. Holding the sides of the wrap, roll the log on the work surface to even out the thickness. Refrigerate for a few hours until firm.
Soak 12 bamboo skewers in cold water for about 20 minutes. This will help to prevent them from burning too quickly during grilling.
Mix the olive oil, chopped herbs, and lemon zest and juice together in a bowl. Thread two scallops and two shrimp alternately on each soaked skewer, then brush with the lemon and herb marinade. Place the skewers on a tray, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 20–30 minutes.
Prepare the barbecue or heat a cast-iron grill pan until hot. Season the scallops and shrimp with salt and pepper. Grill over coals or on the hot pan until the scallops and shrimp are opaque and lightly charred, 1½–2 minutes on each side. During cooking, baste occasionally with any leftover marinade. Remove to a serving plate and top with slices of the cilantro-chili butter. Serve immediately.
meat and poultry
While we may use expensive cuts of meat and poultry in the restaurants, at home I’m more interested in cooking with less popular cuts. It is more exciting and challenging to convert cheap cuts of meat or ordinary chicken legs into something appealing and scrumptious than it is to grill a filet mignon. The cheaper cuts usually require slow-cooking methods, such as poaching, braising, and stewing, to tenderize them. A long and gentle cooking process is also an opportunity to infuse the meat with extra flavor.
As you can see from this chapter, I sometimes like to add a sweet element to meat and poultry dishes. Fresh or dried fruit can help to cut the richness of the meat.
Poached rabbit legs with gremolata
Pork tenderloin stroganoff
Homemade bangers
Classic mixed grill
Angus beef olives
Chicken legs with braised peas and onions
Goat curry
Roast loin of pork with apple sauce
Sweet potato and duck rösti with fried duck eggs
Honey-roast ham
Cider and honey roast leg of lamb
Lamb shank cassoulet
Roast rib-eye with caramelized shallot and red wine gravy
Lamb stew with bacon, sweet onions, and prunes
Braised chicken legs with honey and five-spice
Duck breasts with port and cherry sauce
Poached rabbit legs with gremolata
Rabbit legs benefit from slow cooking, and this is also one of the simplest ways to cook them—gently poached in a light and delicate broth. For a deeper-flavored broth, use homemade chicken stock instead of water. You could also add chunks of potatoes or some pearl barley to bulk up the dish for a rustic one-pot meal. Serve with warm chunks of baguette or pain de campagne.
SERVES 4
4 rabbit legs (hindquarters)
2 large carrots, cut into large chunks
1 Spanish or mild onion, roughly chopped
1 large leek, cut into large chunks
2 celery ribs, cut into large chunks
½ head of garlic, cut horizontally
handful of fresh thyme
1 bay leaf
½ teaspoon black peppercorns
½ teaspoon coriander seeds
Gremolata:
½ cup olive oil
2 garlic cloves, finely grated
grated zest and juice of 1 lemon
handful of fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped
Season the rabbit legs well and put them in a cast-iron or other heavy-based casserole. Arrange the vegetables, garlic, herbs, and spices on top and fill with cold water to cover. Bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and place a lid on top. Gently simmer until the meat is tender and comes off the bone easily, 50–60 minutes. Try not to overcook, or the meat will become quite dry.
To make the gremolata, mix the olive oil, garlic, lemon zest and juice, and chopped parsley together in a bowl. Season well with salt and pepper to taste.
When ready, remove the rabbit legs to a warm plate and let rest for a few minutes. Scoop the vegetables into warmed bowls. Pull the meat off the rabbit legs in large pieces, then divide among the bowls. Pour a ladleful of hot broth into each. Finally, spoon the gremolata over the rabbit legs and vegetables and serve immediately.
Pork tenderloin stroganoff
This is a lovely, unfussy dish to make for supper. Serve with buttered pasta or fluffy steamed rice.
SERVES 4
1 pound pork tenderloin
1 teaspoon sweet smoked paprika, plus an extra pinch
4 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, finely sliced
2 garlic cloves, finely sliced
7 ounces cremini mushrooms, sliced (about 3 cups)
splash of brandy
½ cup sour cream or heavy cream
squeeze of lemon juice
handful of fresh flat-leaf parsley, leaves chopped
Trim off any fat or sinew from the pork tenderloin, then slice thinly. Season with salt, pepper, and 1 teaspoon of paprika.
Heat half of the olive oil in a wide frying pan until hot. Add the onion and fry over medium heat, stirring frequently, until soft and translucent, 6–8 minutes. Add the garlic and mushrooms and increase the heat slightly. Fry until the mushrooms are tender, 3–4 minutes. Tip the contents of the pan onto a plate and set aside.
Add the remaining oil to the pan and fry the pork over high heat until golden brown, 1½–2 minutes. Return the onions, garlic, and mushrooms to the pan. Add a splash of brandy and let it boil, or flambé, until almost all reduced. Stir in the cream and bring to a gentle simmer. Adjust the seasoning with a little more salt, pepper, and a squeeze of lemon juice. Throw in the chopped parsley and remove the pan from the heat. Serve immediately, sprinkled with a pinch of paprika.
Homemade bangers
I admit that it takes a bit of effort to make your own “bangers” (link sausages), but the flavor and texture are superlative. For the ground
pork, I like to use an equal amount of fresh belly and shoulder or leg meat. As homemade bangers are free from preservatives, eat them as soon as they are made (or you can freeze them). Serve on a bed of mustard mash with onion gravy.
MAKES ABOUT 20
sausage casings (enough to make 20 large link sausages)
juice of ½ lemon
1 large Spanish or mild onion, minced
3 large garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons olive oil, plus extra to fry the sausages
2¼ pounds ground pork
1 cup fresh bread crumbs, lightly toasted
large handful of fresh flat-leaf parsley, leaves chopped
handful of fresh lemon thyme, leaves stripped
6 large, fresh sage leaves, minced
finely grated zest of 2 lemons
2 teaspoons fine sea salt
2–3 teaspoons cracked black peppercorns, to taste
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)
First, rinse the casings under cold running water for 5–10 minutes (keep a good hold on the slippery things). Then let soak in a bowl of water with the lemon juice for about 30 minutes.
Sweat the onion and garlic in the olive oil with some seasoning until soft, 6–8 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl and let cool completely. Mix in the rest of the ingredients—it’s probably easiest to use your hands to do this.
Drain the casings and squeeze out any excess water. Pat dry with paper towels. If you don’t have a sausage-stuffer or stuffing tube on a meat grinder, push the end of a funnel (or a pastry bag fitted with a plain round tip) through one end of the casing and keep threading on the casing until you get to the other end, where you tie a knot. Now squeeze or push the filling through the casing, trying not to tear it along the way. Keep stuffing until you end up with a long coil. (You’ll need another pair of hands to help with this.) Next, twist 4- to 5-inch lengths of the sausage in alternate directions to make individual sausages. Cut and separate the sausages just before cooking.
Cooking for Friends Page 6
