Whole Rainbow Trout / Spinach & Leeks / Apple Mash / Herb Butter

Image courtesy of maine.gov

*part of the Sizzling Staffordshire menu series*

As we all know I love a good fish dish. This fish dish although simple is very very tasty, and combines less orthodox and more subtle sweet flavours to bring out the sweetness of the fish. It can be quite cheap to make, as rainbow trout can be cheap to get hold of if you shop around, and the advent of supermarkets make this fish an abundant choice year round.

You will need (serves 2):

2 whole rainbow trout, descaled, gutted and cleaned.
4 generous handfuls of baby spinach, although adult spinach will work just as well, picked and washed
3 Large leeks, white section, trimmed, washed, chopped into echelons and blanched in salt water.
2 portions herb butter
2 large baking potatoes, peeled chopped boiled and mashed.
1 bramley apple or apple sauce.
tbsp brown sugar

The doing bit:

For the fish:

Slash the skin in 4 places unfiromly accross the fish either side, making a deeper cut where the fish is thicker nearer the head. Season with salt and pepper and small piece of the herb butter. Place under grill for about 5 minutes or until cooked, and finish with the herb butter.

For the leeks and spinach: In a pan sautee the leeks in a small amount of oil and keep the pan covered on a gentle heat until the leeks are bright green and soft. Add a small amount of the herb butter and a pinch of salt and black pepper, then add the spinach and continue cooking until the spinach has wilted. Serve.

For the mash, peel , core and chop the bramley apple into roughly 1cm pieces, and sautee in a pan on a very gentle heat until they soften. Add the sugar and stir in until the sugar has melted. Add the mash and heat up until piping hot, adding milk or butter or even an egg as required (all down to preference). Season where necessary and serve along side the trout, and the leeks / spinach.

Pan seared pork cutlet / leeks in white wine & sage butter / bacon & cauliflower mash

Image courtesy of topnews.net

*part of the Sizzling Staffordshire menu series*

This dish (as the name suggests) is very appealing to the pork lover. That said the surrounding accompaniments to the dish also work phenomenally well too. A good year round dish, this will appeal to many kinds of palates, with an uplifting element of sage complemented by the hearty bacon and leek flavours which work well with all kinds of meat dishes. The cauliflower also helps the comfort food factor, giving a homely feel.

You will need (serves 2)

2 Pork steaks (either rib or loin. Pork chops are also ideal, and even bacon chops can be substituted)
3 large leeks, white sections chopped trimmed, and chopped into echelons.
2 portions sage butter
small glass dry white wine or vermouth
3 rashers smoked bacon (finely chopped)
1 good sized cauliflower, destalked and florets seperated into equal sizes
2 shallots, finely chopped

The doing bit:

For the caulifower mash:

In a saucepan half fill with water and bring to the boil. Add a pinch of salt and add the cauliflower. Bring to the boil once more then simmer until cauliflower has softened. Strain and mash whilst warm, then set to one side keeping warm if possible.. In a seperate pan sautee the bacon and shallots together until soft, then add the cauliflower. Use a whisk to help pound out the cauliflower mix further into a smooth puree. Add a little milk if required. Season with salt and pepper where necessary. If you wish add some finely chopped fresh parsley a few minutes before serving.

For the leeks:

In a large pan add half the sage butter, then add the leeks and saute with the lid on at a low - moderate heat until leeks are almost soft and bright green. Add the remaining butter, allow to melt, then add the white wine and reduce liquor by half. Keep warm on a low heat / serve.

For the pork:

Heat up a large frying pan add a little oil. Season the pork with salt and pepper each side, then sear at a very high temperature until both sides are coloured. Place in oven at 200C until cooked (preference permitting - some people enjoy a medium cooked pork). Remove from oven and serve ont he bed of leeks / butter and quenelle califlower mash to the side.Glaze the pork with any remaining pan juices.

Spiced Plum Chicken

This recipe combines oriental flavours and sweetness with a hearty rich approach for autumn and winter or even late spring. Considering my current love for all things sweet and spicy, I've included this dish as a pneumonicYou can substitute the noodles for rice or pasta if you wish, along with broccoli, asparagus, or chicory for the pak choi. Feel free to include mushroom,s bamboo shoots or water chesnuts for further enjoyment. Make it work for you.

(Serves 10 so divide by two for a family sized batch)

10 Chicken Supremes

4 Tablespoons of Chinese Five Spice

Olive Oil

1.25 Plum Victoria

Freshly grated nutmeg

100g of Caster sugar

400ml of Dry fino sherry

400ml of Chicken stock

Honey to taste

Seasoning

Mix together the five spice and some olive oil, this is to be rubbed on to the chicken breast prior to the chicken been sautéed. About 2 hours should be allowed for the marinade. Although the general rule is, the longer the better.

The sauce

Stone the plums then divide the plums into two lots, one half to be roast in a hot oven for 15 minutes in a deep roasting tray

Then add the stock and sherry and cook for a further 30 minutes check that the sauce is not getting to dry

Blend the sauce using a stick blender or food processor.

The other half of the plums, on a baking tray which has been pre oiled, season the plums with little sugar and nutmeg, place in the oven and bake for 15 minutes

Serve with steamed pak choi and egg noodles

Let put this together

In a pasta bowl place in the centre the well drained noodles and on one half the steamed pak choi

Carve the chicken breast into a fan, place on top and to one side of the noodles

Run the sauce around the noodle at its base

Garnish with three roast plum halves. Devour.

  

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Smoked Salmon Risotto

Image provided courtesy of the bbc good food website

Smoked salmon is an interesting ingredient as it adds unexpected depth and dimension in terms of flavour, has a good hit of protein and is also rich in electrolytes, omega 3 oils and other benefical bells and whistles on the nutrition scale.If you're not a fan of smoked fish then by all means use conventional salmon. The best thing about smoked salmon is that for dishes liek this you cna buy smoked salmon trimmings (which are a good deal cheaper also.

Its exceptionally good from late autumn to spring as it provides a hearty meal in those colder months.

This recipe makes about 10 servings, which is good if you're feeding a large family. it also means you can store some of it and reheat it at a later point, makes a convenient lunch to take to work or wherever else also. Feel free to add other punchy ingredients such as lemon zest, herbs such as dill, fennel, tarragon, rosemary or even sage for added punch.

Ingredients


2 Onions finely diced
1 leek white flesh only finely sliced
4 cloves of garlic crushed
4 tablespoons of olive oil
700g of Arborio rice
500ml of white wine
1500ml of fish stock boiling
Seasoning
400g of Smoked Salmon sliced
A punch of parmesan shavings

Preparation:

In a heavy based pan sauté off the onions, leeks and garlic sweat but do not colour too much

Add the rice stir in and wait for the rice to start cracking

Add the liquid little by little stirring frequently until all the liquid has been absorbed

The rice such still have a bite about it and not soft

Remove from the heat and just prior to serving fold in the smoked salmon and parmesan .

Pan roasted chicken with sea salt & thyme, with crushed "champ" potatoes and sage cream

This dish is inbeliveably simple but hearty and pleasant. During the cloder months from late autumn to early spring, this dish will bring a smile to the faces of its audience. It utilised the more pungent flavours that the colder months provide, from the fragrance of sage and the punchy flavour of the onions, the thyme sits amongst it all adding further fragrance and flavour which goes perfectly with the chicken

Ingredients:

1 whole chicken breast, skinned and deboned

1 tbsp fresh thyme

1 sprig of fresh thyme (garnish)

4 whole spring onions, washed & chopped into 1/2 centimetre echelons

4 cooked salad new potatoes

50 ml dry white wine

50 ml double cream

1 tsp sea salt

1 tsp fresh sage, torn into equal size pieces.

1 tsp butter

Pinch black pepper.

Method:

Season the chicken with the sea salt & thyme both sides.

In a large saute pan, add the butter, sear the chicken until golden brown on one side, then turn. Saute the spring onions until bright green. Crush the salad potatoes and stir into the spring onions. Put the whole pan into the oven to cook (approximately 10 minutes at 200C.)

For the sauce, in a sauce pan combine the wine and sage, and bring to the boil. Reduce liquid by half then add the cream. Add the pinch of black pepper, then reduce the volume by half once more (until sauce is thickened).

When chicken is cooked, cut in half lengthways and serve on top of the champ potatoes. Use the sprig of thyme to garnish, and decorate with sage cream. Serve.