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.

Pollack & Tomato Chowder

*part of the Sizzling Staffordshire menu series*

I love fish soups and chowders. I have a young memory of being on holiday with the family in the Mediterranean and experiencing a variety of fish dishes produced locally on a daily basis. That said I've always loved fish and seafood. I can recall being in a supermarket at a young age and seeing lots of kids in a huff because they wanted a toy and were told no - I was the one in a huff because i couldnt have some cockles.

This recipe combines alot of elements I love about Mediterranean food, whilst utilizing a cheaper but flavoursome sweet tasting fish - Pollack. In some ways its not too dissimilar to bouillibaise, although the fish content is alot different and so is the spice balance. But thats ok, we only need a whiff of something to invoke memory.

It's also rich in protein and low in carbs - a plus for alot of the heatlh conscious eaters.

You will need (serves 4-5):

3tbsp Olive Oil
2 Medium onions, peeled and roughly chopped
2 Celery stalks, trimmed and roughly chopped
2 large carrots, peeled and roughly chopped to same proportions as onions / celery
1 large waxy potato, peeled and roughly chopped
1 red or yellow pepper, de-cored and roughly chopped.
4 sprigs of thyme
2 bay leaves
400g chopped tomatoes. Fresh are better, but cartoned or tinned will suffice (especially if on a budget)
800ml fish or chicken stock
150g french trimmed beans, cut into short lengths
2 courgettes, roughly chopped
500g pollack fillets, deboned and deskinned
generous handful flat leat parsley roughly chopped.

The doing bit:

In a large pan heat the olive oil, add the onions and celery and a pinch of salt and pepper, and cook stirring over medium heat until onions begin to soften. Add the carrots, potatoes,, pepper and herbs. Continue cooking for (roughly) 5 minutes or until potatoes have gone lightly golden.

Add the tomatoes and allow liquid to reduce by about a third. Add the stock, cover and simmer for about 8 minutes until vegetables are tender. Add the green beans and the courgettes, give the mixture a stir and simmer for another 3 mins.

Season the fish with some salt and pepper, then lay them on the vegetables in the pan. Cover and simmer again until the fish has turned white and is just cooked. Gently break the fish into large flakes, and serve immediately.

Devour.

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.

Poached salmon fillet / hollondaise / canarian new potatoes / griddled asparagus

Image courtesy of splashfoods.co.uk

*part of the Sizzling Staffordshire menu series*

This version of the classic dish brings to the table a healthy balance of protein and nutrients whilst appealing to the luxuriated palate. It also brings in an influence from the outskirts of Europe, with the influence of canarian potatoes, whilst retaining the elements of the traditional classic.

Salmon is one of my favourite fishes as it is incredibly versatile, full of flavour and exceedingly good for you. In recent years I've also noticed its becoming cheaper and cheaper, which not only presents an advantage from a consumer perspective, but it also gives me faith in the fact that supplies of freshwater fish are becoming responsibly renewable.

You will need (serves 2):

2 fillets of salmon, skin on (size dependent on preference).
12 spears of asparagus, (trimmed if large)
8 moderate salad potatoes (jersey are ideal)
1 batch of 2 egg hollondaise (leftovers can be saved and chilled)
1 batch pink fish poaching liquor
1 and 1/2 tbsp Sea salt


The doing bit:

For the potatoes

Add the sea salt to 750ml of water. Add the potatoes and bring to the boil then simmer until cooked. Strain potatoes then add to large frying pan with the asparagus and a small amount of oil. Serve when asparagus is cooked.

For the salmon:

Bring poaching liqour to the boil in a poaching pan, then add the salmon until cooked (salmon should be firm but springy to the touch). Remove from the liqour then serve on top of the bed of asparagus with the canarian potatoes and the hollondaise.

Pork and pearl barley stew

Image courtesy of whole-grain-facts.com

This rich and hearty stew makes for perfect winter eating. You can use any meat really, although pork rabbit, chicken (thigh), lamb and turkey leg meat are best in supposition. The presence of fennel and pearl barley gives excellent medium for digestion and winter flavour, whilst having the aniseed edge to denote a clean aromatic flavour to accent the game flavours. The aniseed element also goes very well with pork.

Ingredients (serves 2, so adjust accordingly)

300g pork meat (shoudler, leg or belly), or turkey leg meat, or chicken thigh, or wild rabbit, cut into serving pieces.
2 tbsp vegetable oil
150g/5½oz pancetta
1 large onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
1 small fennel bulb, sliced into 5mm/¼in thick slices
600ml/1 pint white wine, or sweet cider or even mead.
1 tbsp tomato purée
1 sprig rosemary
2 tbsp pearl barley

The doing bit.

Heat the oil in a saucepan, add the meat and fry for 3-4 minutes on both sides, or until golden-brown all over. Remove and set aside.

Add the pancetta to the pan and fry for 2-3 minutes, then add the onion, garlic and the sliced fennel. Cook for 3-4 minutes, or until the onion is translucent and the fennel is softened. Remove from the pan and set aside.
Return the meat to the pan together with the wine, tomato purée and the rosemary. If the meat is not completely covered with the liquid, top up with water. Bring to the boil, then stir in the pearl barley, cover and simmer for one hour and 15 minutes, or until the pearl barley is tender. General rule - the longer the better.

Yakitori glazed steak with yasai ramen

I've been playing around lately alot with Japanese cuisine, and in celebration of this here is a main course which comprises several elements of typical Japanese cuisine. Yakitori is a meat glaze that is quite sweet, and complements almost all meats and fishes of a robust flavour, due to the wide range in its flavour band, from the sweetness of the sugar and the sake and mirin, to the more earthy flavour of soy.

Yasai itself refers to a vegetable dish - in this case its a noodle dish. All things considered, you can use virtually any kind of vegetable, as long as it can be quickly cooked in a pan (traditionally a wok). In this instance i use mushrooms, courgettes and spring onions but this is not exclusive.

You will need: (per serving)

1 rib eye steak (sirloin is also acceptible)
3 spring onions, cut into juliennes
4 shitake mushrooms, cut into thin slices
2 baby courgettes, cut into julienne
yakitori sauce
Ramen noodles (cooked).
Meat stock (beef or chicken)

The doing bit:

Bring the steak out of a chilled environment and leave for half an hour covered at room temperature. Glaze the meat with the yakitori sauce with a brush, and allow to rest for a little while whilst you prepare everything else (chopping and trimming vegetables etc)

Steak

Heat up a heavy bottomed frying pan and add a little oil until smoking hot. Sear the steak one side for about a minute then turn, brushing the steak with more of the marinade. I usually cook my steak to rare / medium rare but its up to you. The less the steak is cooked, the more it will complement the glaze. Rare or medium rare is ideal. Using a carving knife or saishimi knife, carve the steak into slices and serve with the noodle dish.


Yasai Ramen

Heat up a frying pan or wok, and add a little oil until very hot (it will begin to smoke). Add the vegetables and cook for about a minute until they just soften. Add a small cup of stock and the noodles also. Serve with the steak in a large bowl, and drizzle with any of the pan juices, and devour.

Poached Cod with Shitake Mushrooms

Image courtesy of fairiesfinest.com

This dish is wonderful and hearty, quite healthy and not too filling. Combining earthy flavours such as the soy with the mushrooms gives a wonderful hearty approach which is wonderful year round, but especially something to look forward to in the colder months.

This is a wonderful dish that fish fans will love, and meat eaters will enjoy alike. The cod isnt set in stone - you can use other fish if you wish just make sure its a meaty white fish like cod, pangaseas, or even haddock.

You will need:

25g butter
2 x cod fillets (150g)
2 spring onions trimmed and thinly sliced
1/4 green pepper trimmed and cut into julienne
handful of shitake mushrooms finely sliced
tbsp sake or dry vermouth
salt and white pepper
2 tsp light soy sauce
2 x foil squares (Roughly 3x size of the cod - enough to be able to contain the ingredients and the fish)

handful of mixed salad

The doing bit

Preheat oven to 200C

Grease the foil with about half the butter.

Combine ingredients in foil with butter, skin side down, season with salt and pepper. Put parcels in a roasting tray with hot water half way up the tray. Put in the oven for about 10 minutes or until cooked, unwrap and serve on the bed of mixed leaves.

serve with steamed rice or rice noodles. Devour.