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Category: Latest News

Created: 18 December 2019

A fishy’ dinner suggestion from the Great British Chefs website

Whole roasted brill with sprouts and potato galette

Ingredients

Brill

• 1 brill, weighing 2–3kg
• salt, 600g–800g depending on the size of your tray
• pepper
• olive oil
• 1 lemon

Yeast butter

• 50g of fresh yeast
• 250g of unsalted butter, Gary uses Lescure
• 1 tbsp of malt extract

Parsnip purée

• 4 parsnips, peeled, cored and sliced on a mandoline
• 50g of unsalted butter, melted
• 200ml of whole milk
• 200ml of double cream
• salt

Potato galette

• 6 large potatoes, Gary uses agria
• 500ml of clarified butter
• 5 garlic cloves, sliced
• thyme leaves, plus some extra small ones to decorate
• salt
• pepper

Sourdough crumbs

• 200g of sourdough bread, crusts removed
• 100g of butter

Sprouts

• 1kg Brussels sprouts, outer leaves removed and a cross cut into the base
• 2 fresh chestnuts, peeled
• rock salt
• pepper

Equipment

• Blender
• Small round pastry cutter

Method

Preheat the oven to 160°C/gas mark 3

Prepare the yeast butter before the other elements so it has time to set. Crumble the yeast onto a lined baking tray and roast in the oven for 40 minutes

Allow to cool, then transfer to the blender with the butter and malt extract. Blitz until smooth and combined, then scrape out onto a sheet of cling film. Roll into a log shape and leave to set in the fridge. Remove from the fridge and allow to soften slightly before using

Decrease the oven temperature to 130°C/gas mark ½

To make the parsnip purée, sweat the parsnips in an ovenproof pan with the butter. Add the milk, cream and a pinch of salt

Cover with a cartouche and cook in the oven until soft. Once cooked, transfer the contents of the pan to a blender and blitz until silky-smooth. Pass through a fine chinois for an even smoother finish, then set aside

Increase the oven to 180°C/gas mark 4

Wash the brill, removing the head and trimming the skirt with a sturdy pair of scissors

Now prepare the brine for the brill. Depending on how large your tray is, you'll need approximately 6–8 litres of water, plus 10% the weight of the water in salt. For 8 litres of water, you'll need 800g of salt, for 6 litres, 600g of salt, and so on. The exact quantities will depend on the size of the tray and the size of the fish – you'll need enough to completely submerge the fish in the brine

Once you've calculated your water and salt quantities, add them to the tray and mix until the salt has dissolved. Add the brill to the brine and set aside for 40 minutes

To make the potato galette, thinly slice the potatoes using a mandolin and place in a bowl of warm clarified butter. Season well with salt and pepper

Lay the potatoes neatly in a round baking dish, preferably a cast iron one, sprinkling each layer with thyme leaves and sliced garlic. When all the potatoes are used, cover with a sheet of greaseproof paper and place in the oven 45 minutes to 1 hour, until the bottom layer of the potato is golden and crispy

Remove the brill from the brine and pat dry. Place on a large baking tray lined with parchment paper, season with salt and pepper and drizzle with olive oil. Bake in the oven with the potatoes for 25 minutes

When the potatoes are ready, remove from the oven and leave to rest

When the brill is ready, remove from the oven and squeeze over some fresh lemon juice. Rest for a further 20 minutes before carving

Meanwhile, prepare the sourdough crumb. Place the bread in a blender and blitz to a fine crumb. Heat the butter in a pan and once foaming, add the breadcrumbs and cook until crisp. Drain on a tray lined with kitchen paper and set aside

Turn the potatoes out of the dish onto a board and brush with clarified butter. Cut a hole in the centre of the potatoes using a small round cutter and pipe the reserved parsnip purée in the centre. Finish with some picked thyme leaves and sourdough crumbs

Blanch the sprouts in salted boiling water for 5 minutes, until just cooked. It is important to ensure they are cooked properly to remove the bitter taste of an undercooked sprout

Once cooked, toss the sprouts in plenty of the yeast butter. Season with freshly ground black pepper and rock salt, then finish with some micro planed fresh chestnut and sourdough crumbs

Serve the rested brill on a large board or platter, and carefully portion at the table

Details

Category: Latest News

Created: 24 October 2019

A fishy’ dinner suggestion from the Great British Chefs website

Grilled sea bass, crisp okra fingers, coconut rice and dhal sauce

by

Vineet Bhatia

Ingredients

Grilled sea bass

• 4 sea bass fillets, scaled and pin-boned and cut into half
• 3 tbsp of vegetable oil
• sea salt
• black pepper, freshly ground

Crispy okra

• 1/4 tsp turmeric
• 1/2 tsp chilli powder
• 1/4 tsp chaat masala
• 1/2 tsp carom seeds
• 3/4 tbsp of coriander stalks, chopped
• 10 okra, trimmed and thinly sliced
• 1/2 lemon, juiced
• 4 tbsp of gram flour
• vegetable oil
• salt

Coconut rice

• 250g of basmati rice
• 2 tbsp of vegetable oil
• 2 tbsp of unsalted butter
• 1 tsp black mustard seeds
• 1 tsp ginger, finely chopped
• 1 tsp green chillies
• 10 curry leaves, finely shredded
• 1 banana shallot, finely sliced
• 4 tbsp of coconut, grated
• 1/2 lemon, juiced
• 1 tbsp of fresh coriander, chopped
• salt

Dhal sauce

• 70g of red lentils
• 70g of yellow lentils
• 2 tbsp of vegetable oil
• 1/2 tbsp of cumin seeds
• 1/2 tbsp of garlic, finely chopped
• 1 tsp ginger, finely chopped
• 1 tsp green chillies, finely chopped
• 1/2 tsp turmeric
• 1/2 tsp red chilli powder
• 2 tbsp of onion, chopped
• 1 tomato, chopped
• 1 tbsp of unsalted butter
• salt

Method

First make the dhal sauce. Wash the lentils under cold running water, then place in a deep pan and cover with 4 times their volume of water. Leave to soak for an hour

Put the lentils on the heat and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat, cover and simmer until the lentils are soft and broken down, skimming off any scum from the surface. Add more water, if necessary, to prevent the lentils sticking to the base of the pan

Heat the vegetable oil in a separate pan and add the cumin seeds. When they begin to splutter, add the garlic, ginger and green chilli and sauté until the garlic begins to colour lightly

Add the turmeric, red chilli powder and the chopped onions, and sweat. Add the tomato, cook for 2 minutes, then pour the mixture over the lentils. Season with salt and stir together well

Blitz the lentils until smooth, put back on the heat and add the butter, adjust the seasoning and keep warm

For the coconut rice, cook the basmati rice slightly less than the packet instructions tell you so it retains a little bite. Drain thoroughly

Heat the oil in a heavy-based pan, add the butter and sprinkle in the mustard seeds. When they begin to pop, add the ginger, green chilli and curry leaves. Sauté for 30 seconds, then add the shallot and grated coconut. Reduce the heat and sauté until the shallot is softened but not coloured

Now add the cooked rice, lemon juice and salt. Toss the rice until heated through, then remove from the heat, and stir in the chopped coriander

For the okra, mix together the spices and coriander stalks and toss with the okra. Add the lemon juice and some salt and set aside for 2 minutes. Add the gram flour a little at a time until it lightly coats the okra

Deep-fry in vegetable oil heated to 175°C until golden and crisp, then drain on kitchen paper (if you don’t have a thermometer, check it is hot enough by adding a cube of bread to the oil. It should start to bubble and fry, but not burn, the moment it has been added)

Season the sea bass fillets with sea salt and pepper. Heat the oil on a large, flat griddle (or in a heavy-based frying pan) over a medium heat and add the fish, skin-side down

Fry for about a minute, until seared underneath, then turn and cook the other side. Remove from the pan and leave to rest for 2 minutes

Place a ring mould on each serving plate and fill with the rice. Top with the fish, and arrange the okra over it. Spoon the dhal sauce around the fish, making a moat. Serve immediately

Details

Category: Latest News

Created: 24 October 2019

A fishy’ dinner suggestion from the Great British Chefs website

Steamed mussels with cider, leeks and chorizo

by

Georgina Fuggle

Ingredients

• 500g of mussels
• 30g of butter
• 2 tbsp of mild olive oil
• 125g of chorizo sarta, sliced into thin rounds
• 2 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped
• 2 medium leeks, washed and finely sliced into rounds
• thyme sprigs
• 400ml of cider
• 3 tbsp of double cream
• chopped parsley

Method

To begin, scrub the mussels and remove any sand or beards, knock away any barnacles if you discover them. Discard any open mussels that refuse to close even when given a sharp tap. Rinse well under cold water and set aside

Heat the olive oil and butter in a large saucepan over a medium heat and sauté the chorizo. Fry for a few minutes until you have a rust coloured bubbling lava at the bottom of the pot. Add the garlic, chopped leeks and thyme and cook for a further few minutes, until the leek begins to soften and loose their shape

Turn up the heat and add the cider and mussels. Cover tightly with a lid and steam for 5–7 minutes, shaking the pan once or twice to encourage the mussels to open. Reduce the heat to a simmer and, using a large slotted spoon, remove the mussels to deep warmed bowls. Pour the cream into the juices and cook for a further couple of minutes before dredging your waiting mussels. Sprinkle parsley liberally and serve with a chunk of bread to mop up leftover juices

Details

Category: Latest News

Created: 24 October 2019

A fishy’ dinner suggestion from the Great British Chefs website

Smoked haddock baked with Parmesan and peas

by

Henry Harris

Ingredients

Smoked haddock

• 2 smoked haddock fillets, each weighing 180g, skin and bones removed

Parmesan glaze

• 150ml of double cream
• 1 egg yolk
• 3 tbsp of Parmesan, grated
• Tabasco

Pomme purée

• 500g of Désirée potatoes
• sea salt
• 250ml of milk
• 125g of butter, cut into cubes
• 100g of peas, cooked
• salt
• pepper
• nutmeg, freshly grated

To serve

Parmesan

Method

Begin by preparing the pomme purée. Cut the potatoes into large, even chunks and place in a saucepan with enough cold water to cover. Season the water with a good few pinches of sea salt and place over a high heat

Bring to the boil, reduce to a simmer and cook for 20-30 minutes until tender. To test, insert a knife into a few pieces of potato to ensure they are tender all the way through. Strain and leave to steam and dry out, uncovered, for 4-5 minutes

Pass through a mouli or vegetable mill using the finest sieve attachment, then return to a clean saucepan over a low heat. Use a large spoon to stir and dry out the potatoes for a further 5-10 minutes

At the same time, bring the milk to the boil and once ready, add 1/3 of the milk to the potatoes, beating to incorporate. Add the butter slowly in small amounts, stirring thoroughly to combine

Add small amounts of the remaining milk to create very creamy, smooth, buttery mash - it may not require all of the milk. Add more butter to taste (optional)

Add salt and pepper to taste and finish with 2-3 grafts of freshly grated nutmeg. Set aside until required

For the Parmesan glaze, add the cream, egg yolk, Parmesan and a dash of Tabasco to a bowl and mix well to combine. Set aside

Details

Category: Latest News

Created: 24 October 2019

A fishy’ dinner suggestion from the Great British Chefs website

Crab and tiger prawn fettuccine

by

Paul Ainsworth

Ingredients

• 500g of fettuccine, fresh (if using dried allow extra cooking time according to pack instructions)

For the sauce

• 200ml of vegetable stock
• 50g of butter, cubed
• 24 tiger prawns, raw, shelled, deveined and seasoned
• 1 red chilli, sliced
• 1 lemon, juiced
• 20g of garlic purée
• fresh parsley, chopped
• 12 cherry tomatoes, ripe, sliced in half
• 200g of white crab meat
• 40g of fresh rocket leaves
• 40g of pine nuts, lightly toasted
• extra virgin olive oil
• salt
• pepper

Method

Bring a large pan of salted water to the boil, in preparation for the pasta

Meanwhile, heat the vegetable stock in a separate pan and whisk in the butter to make an emulsion. Set to one side until required

Place a frying pan over a high heat and add a generous dash of olive oil. Once the oil is nice and hot add the prawns to the pan and sauté, turning over after 30 seconds until they're juicy and pink. Add the garlic purée, sliced chilli and a good squeeze of lemon juice to the pan followed by 50ml of the vegetable emulsion. Simmer for 1 minute until reduced

Cook the pasta in the pan of boiling water for 2-3 minutes if fresh, or according to packet instructions if dry. Strain and place the pasta into the prawn pan, mixing thoroughly. Season to taste, then add the cherry tomatoes and chopped parsley

To serve, put the pasta in a bowl and cover with the fresh white crab meat, rocket and pine nuts. Add a squeeze of lemon juice and a drizzle of olive oil, then serve immediately with crusty bread