Entries in fish (22)
chermoula-marinated tuna
one of my new year’s resolutions was to make better use of my cookery books. over the holidays i spent an afternoon going through a few books and magazines making a list of things i want to try and cook this month.
one of the books i picked up was diana henry’s crazy water, pickled lemons. i have used this book quite a lot as she creates dishes with strong and vibrant flavours, using lots of fresh herbs and spices. each time the recipe has turned out well. today’s chermoula-marinated tuna was no exception with a strong spicy flavour that contrasted well with the herby, pomegranate-tangy jewelled couscous which we ate it with.
abby
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mackerel pate: take two
mackerel pate is a favourite of mine. pile it on some warm toast, add a mug of tea (with refills supplied by a willing david) and a book or the weekend papers, and i’m wonderfully happy.
recently i’ve been very lazy though. i’ve not been managing to do much more than place a few chunks of mackerel on the toast and half-heartedly crush them with a fork. not really what you’d call cooking.
however, a suggestion by my friend hels saw me making a bit more of an effort, adding horseradish and cream cheese to the pate mix. the combination of flavours works really well and feels quite indulgent – thanks for the tip hels!
crazy water, tasty sea bass
there has been a lot of eating of very rich and delicious meals in the past few days. as a result my mind has turned to lighter healthier dishes which i can use to balance out some of the excesses in which i’ve indulged.
this recipe, for sea bass poached in a richly-flavoured tomato, garlic, chilli and herb broth, definitely ticks the light, healthy and oh-so-delicious boxes but it also managed to taste special and indulgent on a chilly winter eve. a definite contender for a new year’s eve feast i think…
smoked haddock chowder
as the weather gets colder my thoughts are turning to warming dishes with gentle flavours. this smoked haddock chowder is a particularly good example of the sort of thing i want to eat and would be ideal for supper on a chilly day. i also think it would be really nice as a christmas eve meal.
the flavours in the chowder are perhaps all rather predictable, but what really lifts it and makes it so lovely, is the addition of freshly grated lemon zest, sprinkled over just before serving.
somehow the contrast of the rich creamy fish soup and the zingy tangy lemon really lifts the dish, emphasising the gentle wintry flavours while reminding us of the freshness of spring that will arrive in due course.
taste & create: walnut-crusted cod with parsnip puree
the best thing about reading food blogs is all the inspiration you get from seeing how other people cook. inevitably though i never have enough time to try out all the things that tickle my taste buds. however, help now exists in the form of taste & create, an event hosted by nicole from for the love of food, where she pairs bloggers up and then each person cooks something from the other’s blog.
i was paired with valli from more than burnt toast. choosing what to cook was not an easy task – valli’s many greek recipes were particularly tempting. however, having realised that david and i haven’t been eating enough fish recently, i chose her walnut-crusted cod with parsnip puree.
