SMOKED MACKEREL, LENTIL & ASPARAGUS SALAD

Smoke mackerel is dead cheap, versatile and incredibly flavoursome

and we usually have a pack in the freezer on standby.

Perfect in pasta, I often make a mackerel carbonara which I will add to the blog soon.

In a sandwich with lashings of mayo or in crunchy salads like this lentil one.

The Salad

2 smoked mackerel fillets

6-8 asparagus - blanched 

1 red onion - sliced

1 tin of green lentils - rinsed

2 handfuls of rocket leaves

1 tomato - sliced

2 free range eggs 

The French dressing 

1 tbsp olive oil, 

1/2 lemon juice 

1tsp Dijon

Pinch of sugar

Serves 2

Cook the asparagus for 3-4 minutes and plunge straight into cold water.

Boil  the eggs for 5 minutes and again plunge into cold water.

In the meantime, skin the mackerel removing any large pin bones and

break up in to large pieces.

Slice the onion and the tomato and throw into a mixing bowl along with the lentils, 

asparagus, rocket and mackerel.

To make the dressing

Put the Dijon mustard into a small bowl and spoon on the olive oil a little at a time,

 stirring well to combine before you add more.

When all the oil is combined add the lemon juice and sugar.

Stir and leave to sit for a few minutes to allow the sugar to dissolve.

Drizzle the dressing over the prepared salad and toss

Serve the salad onto two plates, half the eggs and place them on the top

MUST TRY FISH PIE

A fish pie to die for, hence the 'must try' title.

One helping just isn't enough!

You know me by now, I will always recommend you use the best ingredients and in this case, your local 

fish mongers.  We are lucky enough to have Mr Turner but if your only option is the supermarket,

make sure it's as fresh as possible; it will make all the difference.

Ingredients

250g salmon

250g smoked haddock

150g cod

100g peeled prawns

3 soft boiled eggs

750g potatoes - cooked and mashed with 40g of butter and a grating of nutmeg

Half glass white wine (optional)

300ml water

200ml milk

75g Parmesan

Salt & Pepper

Sauce

75g butter

75g plain flour

100ml double cream

Serves 6

Poach the fish for 10 minutes in a saute pan with a lid.

Do this by simmering on a low heat in the milk, water and white wine 

Take off the heat and allow to cool for 5 minutes 

Remove the fish from the saute pan onto a plate and allow to cool further.

Save the liqueur , you will need this for the sauce.

When the fish is cold enough to handle, flake, removing the skin and bones.

Place the flaked fish in a deep baking dish 30cm x 40cm and scatter over the prawns

Grate over half of the Parmesan.

Soft boil three eggs for 5 minutes and plunge into cold water (to stop the egg cooking any more)

Quarter and lay on top of the fish.

Now for the sauce....

Melt the butter in a saucepan, add the flour and allow to cook on a medium heat while stirring.

Add the liqueur from the fish, a little at a time, stirring until combined before you add more.

Add a little water if the sauce is too thick - it should be thick enough to coat the back of the spoon

Remove from the heat and stir in the cream 

Pour evenly over the fish and egg

Fork over the prepared mash potato and grate on the rest of the Parmesan

Bake in the oven for half an hour at 190 degrees or until the top is golden brown and the sauce 

is bubbling up, as shown.

Serve with green beans or vegetables of your choice.

SMOKED FISH OMELET

Work took me up to the Norfolk coast this week so I couldn't resist stopping by lovely

Cley-next-the-Sea and the smokehouse.  If you haven't been there, you definitately should. 

I decided on a smoked Norfolk bloater purely because I'd never tried one before. 

A good display and I'm sold

Once home, I filleted and shallow fried the bloater, roe and all...

...and then made an omelet using three small eggs and a splash of milk.  The fish was flaked and half added to the omelet with a drizzle of oil, a few shavings of Parmesan and a little cream. 

Season to taste and whallah!

A good choice. 

SALMON & BLACK PUDDING

Fast food - this literally took 20 minutes to make.

Quick and easy but with masses of flavour!

Grilled salmon fillet with black pudding and smoked streaky bacon

One of our very own free range eggs, of course!

Crushed new potato's with butter & cream, asparagus and baby sweetcorns

MUSSELS IN WHITE WINE

1kg of mussels will serve two courses or four starters

Soften an onion and a couple of cloves of garlic in a little oil in a saucepan big enough to take all the mussels.
Add a glass of white wine, a bayleaf and a few grinds of pepper and bring to the boil.
Chuck in the cleaned mussels, pop on a lid and cook for 10 mins or until they have all opened.
Take off the heat and stir in 100ml of double cream.

Serve in two large bowls with crusty bread or with chunky homecut oven chips as we did. Yum.

FISH FRIDAY

We're lucky to have such a great mobile fishmonger in the town. Every Friday morning from 7.30am, Turners fish van arrives with an amazing selection of freshly caught fish.

Two plaice fillets and some smoked cods roe for us this week. Homemade Taramasalata it is then.

CURRIED FISH CHOWDER

So we're trying to eat more fish in our house and there's no excuse really with a superb fish van that rolls up every Friday morning in the village with a fresh catch. 

Thick chunky chowder, quick and easy to make and pretty healthy too!  

                                                                                        Serves 2

    500g of smoked haddock or Pollock

    2 medium potatoes cut into 2cm cubes

    2 carrots chopped

     ¼ to ½ butter nut squash depending on size

    1 medium parsnip

    1 leak

    500 ml milk

    1 teaspoon of curry powder

    2 table spoons of olive oil

    Bay leaf

    Hand full of rocket leaves

    Poached egg (optional)

Cut the potatoes, parsnip, carrot and butter nut squash up into 2cm cubes and put them all, except the squash, into a pan of water and bring to the boil

Simmer for 1 min then add the squash and simmer for a further 2 mins

When they are almost cooked drain and cover.

Poach the haddock in the milk for about 10 mins.  When cooked drain, reserving the milk for later.

Allow the haddock to cool a little before removing the skin and any bones and then roughly flake.

Chop and fry the leek in a little oil for 2 to 3 mins.

Add the curry powder and cook on a low heat for 2 mins 

Add the par boiled potato, carrot, parsnip and squash and heat through for about 5 mins making sure all are cooked through.

Pour in the reserved milk, add the haddock and warm through.

Serve in two deep bowls with a scattering of rocket leaves, a drizzle of olive oil and seasoning. 

Place a poached egg on top (optional)