Monkfish Cheek Coconut Curry Stew with Carrot and Fennel

To be honest the name Padma Lakshmi to me was just someone who had been married to Salman Rushdie and who had had a modeling career but in fact it seems she’s published a couple of food related books as well as presenting some cookery shows.

I stumbled across a recipe of hers for mahi mahi which was the inspiration for this monkfish curry as that was what I fancied cooking for some reason.

I made a trip to Borough Market, and specifically Sussex Fish asking the very nice guy on the stall for some monkfish - he persuaded me to get monkfish cheeks instead as they’re half the price, there’s no bone to bugger about with and he assured me they’d be just as good in my curried stew. Sold!

If you are in the area and need some fish I’d definitely get to Sussex Fish, in the Green Market, for some excellent and helpful advice for your fish shopping: a great range there too and good prices.

This is very subtly and interestingly flavoured as it stands but you could certainly ramp up the spicing if you wanted something a little bolder.


Monkfish, Carrot & Fennel Coconut Curry
serves 2

300g monkfish cheeks
2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
sea salt
2 tbsp coconut (or sunflower) oil
2 garlic cloves, chopped
½ large or 1 medium shallot, thinly sliced
2 dried red chiles
6 fresh curry leaves
1 ½ tsp fresh ginger, minced
2 kaffir lime leaves
½ fennel bulb , cored and cut into 1-inch long batons
1 carrot, peeled cut into 1-inch long batons
1 tsp Madras curry powder
225 ml coconut milk
½ tsp fish sauce
small handful coriander leaves, to serve

Put the monkfish in a shallow dish, season lightly with salt and pour over the lemon juice. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

In a large heavy based sauté pan heat the oil and then add the shallots and cook over a moderate heat until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and for a couple of minutes more.

Add the chillies and curry leaves and cook for 2 minutes before adding the ginger and lime leaves and cooking for a further 2 minutes.

Add the fennel, carrots and curry powder and season lightly with salt. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables begin to soften, about 5 minutes.

Add the coconut milk and fish sauce and bring to a boil. Cover and cook over low heat, stirring a few times, until the carrots are tender, about 10 minutes longer.

Add the monkfish and any accumulated juices to the casserole give a good stir then cover and gently simmer over low heat until it is just cooked, 3-5 minutes.

Serve with plain rice and garnish with coriander leaves.

Read More »

Cod Cakes in Tomato Sauce

I should do some sort of recipe census one day and see which chefs I tend to cook most of. I’m pretty sure that Yotam Ottolenghi would feature pretty highly up the list. Everything I’ve tried of his so far has been winner and there are many more I still want to try (braised eggs with lamb, venison stew and black pepper tofu all spring immediately to mind).

The Guardian website is a good source of his recipes and of course that was where I saw this one. These fishcakes are it seems, according to Ottolenghi “popular among Syrian Jews” being as they “capture much of the spirit of Sephardi food”. They are also delicious.


Cod Cakes in Tomato Sauce
serves 2

1½ slices good white bread, crusts removed
300g white fish fillet, skinless and boneless,
½ medium onion, peeled and finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
15g flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
15g coriander, finely chopped
½ tbsp ground cumin
¾ tsp salt
1 large free-range egg, beaten
2 tbsp olive oil
For the tomato sauce
1 tbsp olive oil
¾ tsp ground cumin
¼ tsp sweet paprika
½ tsp ground coriander
½ medium onion, chopped
65ml white wine
200g tin chopped tomatoes
½ red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped
1 small garlic clove, crushed
1 tsp caster sugar
sea salt and black pepper

First make the tomato sauce. Heat the oil in a very large frying pan for which you have a lid and add the spices and onion. Cook for eight to 10 minutes, until completely soft, then add the wine and simmer for three minutes. Add the tomatoes, chilli, garlic, sugar, half a teaspoon of salt and some black pepper. Simmer for about 15 minutes, until quite thick, taste to adjust the seasoning and set aside.

While the sauce is cooking, make the fishcakes. Put the bread in a food processor and blitz to breadcrumbs. Chop the fish very finely and put in a bowl with the breadcrumbs and everything else but the olive oil.

Mix well, use your hands to shape into compact cakes about 2cm thick and 8cm wide. If the cakes are very soft, refrigerate for 30 minutes so they firm up (you could also add some dried breadcrumbs to the mix, but do so only sparingly – the uncooked cakes should be quite wet).

Heat half the olive oil in a frying pan and sear the cakes for three minutes on each side, so they colour well on both sides. Add the remaining oil as you fry the cakes.

Place the seared cakes gently, side by side, in the tomato sauce – if need be, squeeze them a bit so they all fit in a single layer.

Add just enough water partially to cover the cakes – about 100ml or so – cover the pan with a lid and simmer on a very low heat for 15–20 minutes.

Turn off the heat and leave the cakes to settle, uncovered, for at least 10 minutes before serving.

Serve warm or at room temperature with, for instance, some steamed couscous.

Read More »

Baked Haddock with Pea Salad

I first saw a picture of this on Pinterest and then the recipe here. I’ve adapted it slightly by adding some sunblush tomatoes to the salad and using haddock instead of sole but otherwise it is much the same.

A nice summery meal - and I cooked it at the height of summer although looking out the window you wouldn’t have believed it and I’d had to shut the windows and put my thick socks on for the first time in weeks.

I also served this with some steamed & buttered new potatoes but to really keep this light you can easily do without.


Baked Haddock with Pea Salad
serves 2

2 haddock fillets
zest & juice of ½ lemon
2 cloves garlic, crushed
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tablespoons fresh dill, chopped
100g frozen peas thawed
salt and pepper to taste
4spring onions, chopped
½ red pepper, chopped
40g sunblush tomatoes in oil, drained and chopped

In a small bowl add the crushed garlic, 1 ½ tbsp of olive oil, lemon juice and salt and pepper to taste. Whisk together well then pour over the fish in a baking dish. Make sure the fish is fully coated with the marinade then cover the dish with cling and place in the fridge for 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 200C.

Place the fish in the oven and bake for about 15 minutes or until done.

Meanwhile, heat the remaining oil in a sauté pan and add the chopped onion and red pepper. Saute for about 5 minutes until the vegetables are softened.

Add the lemon zest, a pinch of salt and pepper, and the thawed peas to the skillet and saute for another 5 to 8 minutes, adding the tomatoes for the last few minutes.

Remove from the heat and add the dill, mixing well.

To serve divide the pea salad between two plates and place a fish fillet on top of each.

Read More »

Creamy Smoked Trout Spaghetti

Wednesday night, until the last few months or so (when I switched to Friday mornings), was Pilates night aka we need something that is quick to cook for dinner night.. which in my world generally means pasta. I’d been looking therefore for some interesting and quick pasta recipes else it would be all too easy to always fall back on my pancetta pasta or defrosted bolognese / ragu from the freezer (of which we always have a few portions).

I found this on Not Quite Nigella’s website which is a good source of inspiration for me.

I’ve adapted this slightly - mainly through necessity as we didn’t have any cream and I didn’t want to buy more when such a small amount would be used. The creaminess in this case comes therefore from the egg yolks, starchy pasta water, and a little crème fraîche.


Creamy Trout Spaghetti
serves 2

200g spaghetti (I used wholewheat)
1 egg, plus one yolk, beaten well with a fork (you won’t need all of this)
100g hot smoked trout
small handful asparagus tips, sliced into 1½ inch lengths
1 tbsp crème fraîche
a small handful of fresh dill, roughly chopped
15g parmesan
salt and pepper

Boil the spaghetti according to directions in plenty of salted, boiling water.

Beat the crème fraîche into the eggs.

Blanch asparagus in the boiling water, remove drain, plunge into cold water then drain again.

When the pasta is ready, take out one cup of the pasta water and set aside. Drain the spaghetti and immediately, put it back in the pot along with the egg and cream mix and use the heat of the spaghetti to cook the eggs and asparagus - the asparagus gives it a nice crunch so you don't want it too soft.

Add some of the pasta water to loosen the sauce a little then add the trout and dill and season with a little salt and a generous grind of black pepper.

Read More »

Sherry & Butter Baked Cod

A super simple recipe that I got from Food52 - an excellent site as I have mentioned before where you can find lots of interesting recipes.

You need a couple of firm fleshed white fish fillets - I’ve used cod purely because I couldn’t get to a fishmonger and supermarkets are very boring when it comes to fish but if you can get to a good fishmonger ask him for something in season and sustainable. Other than that this just uses 5 other ingredients.

I’ve served with some crushed and slightly roasted new potatoes and some green veg but really have whatever you fancy as long as it helps soak up the lovely buttery boozy juices.

By the way, I’m not going to include an ingredients photo as usual as, well, it’s fish, butter and sherry.


Baked Cod with Butter & Sherry
serves 2

2 cod fillets
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
25g unsalted butter
2 tbsp dry sherry (about 30ml)
½ tbsp finely chopped parsley
Heat the oven to 200°C.

Grease the bottom of a casserole or baking dish just large enough to hold the fillets in a single layer with some butter or olive oil and then arrange the fillets, sprinkled with a little salt and pepper in an even layer on top.

Dot the tops of the fillets with butter and sprinkle over sherry and parsley.

Bake for about 12 minutes per inch of thickness - you can check that they are done by cutting into a fillet at the thickest part to see if it's opaque inside and pulls apart.

Place the fillets on pre-warmed hot plates, spoon over the melted butter and juices in the bottom of the pan and serve immediately.

Read More »

Lime & Soy Salmon Bowls

This was really very lovely indeed - and if I hadn’t used brown rice, and particularly if I hadn’t used the rice cooker, it would have come together very quickly indeed - probably 30 minutes max.

Keep an eye on the salmon, you really don’t want to overcook it. Take it out if necessary and cover with some foil while you get on with everything else - you’ll be rewarded with really succulent and extremely tasty salmon. Also you don’t need to toast the sesame seeds (and while I’m at it if you don’t have black ones just use the usual kind) but doing so will give a really nutty flavour that contrasts beautifully with the rich sweet sour umami sauce and tender fish.

Adapted from an Epicurious recipe.


Lime & Soy Salmon Bowls
serves 2

125g brown, basmati or jasmine rice
10g unsalted butter
1 large clove garlic, finely chopped
1 tsp minced ginger
½ tsp red pepper flakes
3 tbsp agave nectar or maple syrup (failing either, honey)
3 tbsp fresh lime juice
3 tbsp light soy sauce
½ tsp cornflour
2 salmon fillets, skin removed
½ tsp sesame oil
150g baby spinach
1 tsp black sesame seeds, lightly toasted

Preheat oven to 200°C.

Cook rice as directed (I liberated my rice cooker and cooked it in that - yay!).

In a small frying pan, melt the butter over medium heat and sauté the garlic, ginger and pepper flakes for about a minute until the garlic is lightly golden.

Add the agave or maple syrup, lime juice and soy sauce and simmer for 3 minutes. 

Meanwhile mix the cornflour with 1 teaspoon of water in a small bowl and then stir that into the sauce. Continue to cook until it has slightly thickened, about 1 minute.

Arrange the salmon on a foil-lined baking sheet and spread 1 tsp of the sauce over each fillet.

Roast in the oven until just cooked through which will take around 12 minutes.

While the salmon is cooking warm the sesame oil in a frying or sauté pan over medium heat and then add the spinach. Sauté until just wilted. Remove from the pan and set aside.

Divide the cooked rice between 2 bowls and top each with half of the spinach and a salmon fillet, broken into large pieces.

Drizzle with remaining sauce and sprinkle over the sesame seeds.

Read More »

Asian Salmon with Greens & Garlic Shiitake Rice

Very simply, salmon is marinated then grilled with a flavoursome glaze and served with some healthy greens and super tasty rice. And it’s quick too so perfect for a mid-week meal. If you marinade ahead of time then this comes together later at just about half an hour.

Saying that, I personally think this is good-looking and delicious enough that it would be great for a dinner party, particularly if you used a whole side of salmon.


Asian Salmon
serves 2

For the salmon

2 pieces Salmon, rinsed and patted dry
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp Sesame Oil
2 tbsp light soy Sauce
2 tbsp sake
1 tbsp Brown Sugar
1 tbsp Rice Wine Vinegar
1 tsp dijon mustard
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tsp grated ginger
2 spring onions, green parts only, sliced thinly
For the glaze

2 tbsp honey
½ tsp toasted sesame oil
½ tsp light soy sauce
¼ teaspoon freshly grated ginger
½ tsp toasted sesame seeds

In a bowl whisk together the olive & sesame oils, soy sauce, sake, garlic, ginger, mustard, vinegar and brown sugar. Pour into a freezer bag along with the salmon fillets and put in the fridge. Leave to marinate for at least an hour, preferably around 4 (or more).

Mix the sauce ingredients together in another small bowl and set aside.

Preheat the grill and put the salmon, seasoned with a little salt & pepper, on a wire rack under the grill.

Cook for 10-12 minutes, depending on the salmon’s thickness, basting with the marinade every now and again. The salmon is done when it is opaque and flakes easily with the tip of a fork.

Remove from the grill and serve immediately with some sauce poured over and a sprinkling of spring onions.


Stir-fried Greens
serves 2

baby leaf greens, finely sliced (about 125g once sliced)
birds eye chiili, deveined and deseeded and sliced into strips
1 clove garlic, thinly sliced
olive oil

Sauté the garlic slices with a tsp of olive oil in a sauté or frying pan until softened then throw in the chilli slivers and greens. Stir fry for a couple of minutes then add a tbsp of water, pop a lid on the pan and leave to steam gently for another 5 minutes or so, stirring occasionally.


Garlic Mushroom Rice
serves 2

5g butter
1 tsp olive oil
2 clove garlic, crushed
a few shiitake mushrooms, halved and sliced
100g jasmine rice
236ml chicken stock (twice the volume of the rice)
¼ tsp salt
¼ tsp white pepper
squeeze of lime juice
½ tbsp coriander

Heat the butter and olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the minced garlic and cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute. Add the rice and cook, stirring often so the rice doesn't stick to the pan, for 3-4 minutes. Add the chicken broth and season with sea salt and white pepper, to taste. Bring to a boil then reduce heat to medium low. Cover and let cook 20 minutes.

Remove the rice from the heat without removing the lid and let it sit for 5 minutes. Carefully remove the lid and fluff rice with a fork, stir through the coriander and serve.

Read More »

Carluccio's Tuna Linguine

This is reasonably similar to some other tuna pasta recipes I cook but the addition of the ginger in the sauce really intrigued me so I decided to give it a go anyway. I was glad I did as it is really good on top of being simple and pretty much a store cupboard standby.

It is an Antonio Carluccio recipe: he of the eponymous Carluccio’s and generally quite fascinating life - see here.

In following the recipe I was going to use olive oil - as evidenced by the ingredients list below - but as my tuna was packed in olive oil & I had to drain that anyway I chose to use that. It is up to you how you go ahead but I think that actually makes more sense.


Tuna Linguine
serves 2

2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1½ tbsp parsley, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
½ small red chilli, finely chopped
½ cm fresh ginger, peeled and thinly sliced
225ml passata
200g good quality tuna in oil, drained and roughly chopped
sea salt
200g dried linguine
freshly ground black pepper

Heat the oil over a medium-low heat and gently fry the garlic, chilli, ginger and one tablespoon of the parsley, for a few minutes until the garlic is softened but not coloured.

Add the tomatoes and continue to cook for another few minutes. Stir in the tuna and salt to taste.

Meanwhile, cook the pasta according to package instructions (be careful with this as the original recipe actually stated 8-10 minutes but my linguine packet said 3!) or until al dente, and drain.

Toss the pasta with the sauce and serve immediately sprinkled with the remaining parsley and freshly ground black pepper.

Read More »