Tag: seafood

[Recipe] Paella

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Ingredients

3 tbsp olive oil
6 chicken thighs, boned, skinned, cut in half
150g Mathesons smoked sausage
2 onions, chopped
1 large red pepper, quartered, deseeded and sliced
1 large green pepper, quartered, deseeded and sliced
150g peas
1 heaped tsp smoked paprika
2 pinches saffron (or 1/2 tsp tumeric)
1/2 tsp ancho chili powder
1/2 tsp rosemary
1 bay leaf
250g paella rice
1L pints hot chicken or vegetable stock
24 raw king prawns
salt and freshly ground black pepper
handful chopped fresh flatleaf parsley, to garnish
lemon wedges, to serve

Method

Heat two tablespoons of the oil in a 36cm/14in paella pan or a very large frying pan set over a medium heat. Season the chicken thighs with rosemary, chili powder, salt and freshly ground black pepper and fry for five minutes, turning regularly until lightly coloured. Add the sausage and cook for a further minute. Transfer to a large heatproof bowl with a slotted spoon.

Add the onions to the pan and fry gently for five minutes until soft and lightly golden-brown. Add the remaining oil, red pepper and green pepper to the onions and cook for two minutes, or until beginning to soften. Stir in the smoked paprika and cook for a further minute.

Stir in the saffron, bay leaf and rice and cook for one minute until the rice is coated all over with the oil. Return the chicken and sausage to the pan, along with any juices that have collected underneath the meat. Stir well, then pour over the stock. Bring to a simmer over a medium heat and cook for 18 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Reduce the heat slightly, scatter the prawns over the top of the paella and continue cooking for a further 6-8 minutes, or until the rice is tender and almost all the liquid has been absorbed, turning the prawns once and pushing into the rice where you can. The prawns should be completely pink once cooked. It is important not to stir the paella after the prawns are added as you want the rice to become lightly browned and a bit sticky on the bottom as this adds lots of flavour.

Sprinkle with freshly chopped parsley and serve with the lemon wedges.

Enjoy with some freshly made white wine spritzer.

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[Recipe] Oven-baked calamari

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Ingredients

Cooking spray
1 pound calamari, tubes and tentacles
1 1/2 cups panko bread crumbs
1/2 cup white tortilla chip pieces (2 inch pieces)
1 1/4 cups low-fat buttermilk
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

Method

Preheat oven to 200oC. Coat two large baking sheets with cooking spray.

Pat calamari dry with a paper towel. Cut tubes crosswise into 1/2-inch thick rings (do not cut tentacles). Set aside.

Combine panko and tortilla chips in a food processor and process until finely ground. Transfer mixture to a bowl.

In a separate bowl, whisk together buttermilk, 2 tablespoons of the flour and black pepper. Place remaining 1/2 cup of flour in a large freezer bag.

Add calamari rings and tentacles to the bag with the flour and shake to coat. Working in batches, dip the flour-coated calamari into buttermilk mixture and then into panko mixture. Arrange calamari, in a single layer, on prepared baking sheets. Spray the surface with cooking spray.

Bake 15-20 minutes, until calamari is tender and coating is crisp and golden brown.

Serves 4

Serve with lemon wedges and warm tomato sauce/salsa on the side for dunking.

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[recipe] Ultimate fish pie

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Katy and I watched the Hairy Bikers make this pie. It was so droolworthy that we just had to do it. It serves 6, so just use half the ingredients to make a very good meal for 2 ;)

We used cod and haddock for the white fish, skipped the salmon (cause I’m not a fan) and added some fresh scallops for a bit more seafood. There is no way in hell this can be thought of as a healthy meal with all the cream, butter and cheese that’s in it. But damn if it ain’t good!

Also, while there are many steps in the recipe, it’s actually very straightforward to do.

Ingredients

For the potato topping

1.5kg/3lb 5oz potatoes (such as King Edwards, Maris Piper or Estima)
salt and white pepper
butter, to taste
100g/3½oz grated gruyère cheese

For the poaching broth
1 litre/1 pint 15fl oz fish stock
4 tbsp dry vermouth
1 onion, roughly chopped
1 small carrot, chopped
1 small stick of celery, chopped
1 bay leaf
pinch saffron

For the fish
750g/1lb 10oz white fish (such as haddock, hake, sea bass or halibut)
250g/9oz smoked haddock
200g/7oz salmon
120g/4oz raw prawns

For the parsley sauce
75g/2½oz unsalted butter
75g/2½oz plain flour
150ml/5fl oz full-fat milk
large handful parsley, finely chopped
150ml/5fl oz double cream
salt and white pepper

To assemble the pie
butter, to grease the dish
125g/4½oz leaf spinach
4 hard-boiled eggs
25g/1oz ciabatta crumbs
25g/1oz grated parmesan cheese

Method

1. For the potato topping, place the potatoes in a large pan of boiling salted water and cook for 15-20 minutes, or until tender.
2. Drain the potatoes well and mash them with a potato masher or ricer along with salt, white pepper and butter, to taste.
3. Stir in the gruyère and set aside the potatoes, keeping them warm.
4. For the poaching broth, place the fish stock, vermouth, onion, fennel, carrot, celery, bay leaf and saffron in a large pan and bring to the boil.
5. Reduce the heat and simmer for five minutes.
6. For the fish, place the white fish, smoked haddock, salmon and prawns into the broth and poach for three minutes. Using a slotted spoon, gently remove the fish from the pan and set aside.
7. Pour the broth through a sieve into a clean pan, discarding the vegetables and herbs. Bring the broth back to the boil and simmer until reduced by half.
8. For the parsley sauce, heat the butter and flour together in a pan over a low heat, stirring to make a paste.
9. Add the reduced broth a ladleful at a time and keep whisking until smooth. Add the milk and the parsley, bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for ten minutes.
10. Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4.
11. To finish the sauce, add the double cream to the pan and season, to taste, with salt and white pepper.
12. To assemble the pie, butter a casserole dish generously and flake the set-aside fish, discarding any skin and bones. Lay the fish in the casserole dish and pour about half of the parsley sauce on top (reserve the remainder of the sauce to use as a pouring sauce on the finished pie).
13. Bring a large pan of salted water to the boil and add the spinach to the pan. Blanch for a minute until the spinach has wilted. Drain well.
14. Slice the hard-boiled eggs and lay on top of the fish, followed by the blanched spinach.
15. Cover with the mashed potatoes.
16. In a small bowl, mix together the ciabatta crumbs and the parmesan. Sprinkle the cheese breadcrumbs on top of the pie.
17. Place in the preheated oven and bake for about 20-25 minutes, or until the top is golden-brown. Reheat the parsley sauce and serve the pie hot with the remaining parsley sauce poured over.

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[Recipe] I'm in the mood for chowder

Posted on By admin 8 Comments on [Recipe] I'm in the mood for chowder

Which recipe should I do?

Smoked haddock, bacon and mussel chowder

Ingredients
6-8 rashers good quality smoked streaky bacon, cut into strips
450g un-dyed smoked haddock, skinned, pin-boned and cut in to bite-sized pieces
900g potatoes (floury), peeled and cut into 2cm/cubes
450g mussels, cleaned, steamed in white wine and shelled
1 medium onion, peeled and finely chopped
2 medium carrots, peeled and finely diced
85g unsalted butter
290ml full-fat milk
splash of double cream
water
mussel liquor, strained
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 lemon, juiced and finely grated zest

Method
1. Sweat the bacon, onions, potatoes and carrots in butter in a large heavy bottom casserole pan on a moderate temperature, until the vegetables become translucent.
2. Add the mussel liquor, water and a pinch of sea salt and bring to the boil. Simmer for 10 minutes, then add the haddock and poach together for 15 minutes.
3. Gently, add the milk and cream and stir until smooth. Add the lemon juice and zest and taste for seasoning. To finish, add the mussels, black pepper and flatleaf parsley.

Chunky Seafood chowder

Ingredients
1 tbsp olive or sunflower oil
110g streaky bacon, rind removed, cut into 5mm in dice
175-225g onions, chopped
25g flour
850ml homemade fish stock or, if no fish stock, water
425ml milk
bouquet garni made up of 6 parsley stalks, 2 sprigs of thyme and 1 bay leaf
6 medium-sized potatoes cut into 5mm in dice.
salt and freshly ground pepper
pinch of mace
pinch of cayenne pepper
700g haddock, monkfish, cod or other firm white fish (or a mixture), free of bones and skin
150ml single cream
450gmixed cooked shellfish – mussels, clams, scallops, shrimps or prawns and the cooking liquor.

To garnish
freshly chopped parsley and chives

To serve
Crusty bread and butter

Method

1. Heat the oil in a stainless-steel saucepan and brown the bacon well until it is crisp and golden.
2. Add the onion, cover and sweat for a few minutes over a low heat.
3. Stir in the flour and cook for 1-2 minutes.
4. Add the fish stock or water gradually.
5. Add the milk, bouquet garni and potatoes.
6. Season well with salt, pepper, mace and cayenne.
7. Cover and simmer until the potatoes are almost cooked, approximately 5-6 minutes.
8. The chowder may be prepared ahead to this point.
9. Cut the fish into 2.5cm /1in cubes.
10. Add to the pot as soon as the tip of a knife will go through a potato.
11. Simmer gently for 3-4 minutes, stir in the cream and add the shellfish.
12. Add any liquor obtained from opening the mussels or clams.
13. When boiling, remove from the heat.
14. Taste, correct the seasoning and sprinkle with freshly chopped parsley and chives.
15. Serve in a deep dish with plenty of bread and butter.

Tip: Remember that the fish will continue to cook in the heat of the chowder so make sure it is not overcooked.

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