“We have scoured the UK for the best artisan producers, fishermen, Michelin-starred restaurants, fish and chip shops, fishmongers, bistros, gastro pubs and many more unique ventures in our Get Stuck In series of regional cook books. The recipes they have produced make up a glorious collection that’s too good not to share! So we have brought the most mouth-watering fish and seafood recipes together from all across the country, celebrating the talent and knowledge of people who do this for a living with pride and passion. In addition to their recipes and stories, you’ll find helpful extras including tips and tricks for buying and filleting fish, understanding sustainability and a guide to common types of fish and how to cook them”.
These recipes are extracted from The Little Book of Seafood, £12, available from Amazon, bookshops including Waterstones and www.mezepublishing.co.uk
The Buttery’s West Coast Scallops, Golden Raisin Purée, Spiced Cauliflower Fritters
Serves 1-2
INGREDIENTS
For the golden raisin purée
100g golden raisins
25ml white wine 1 shallot, diced
A pinch of saffron
For the cauliflower fritters
100g self-raising flour
100g cornflour
15g mild madras curry powder
1 cauliflower
For the scallops
2 scallops
1 lemon, juiced
To serve
Pea shoots
Fresh tomato
Lemon balm leaves
METHOD
1 For the golden raisin purée, place all the ingredients into a saucepan and add enough water to cover the raisins. Bring to the boil and then simmer until soft. Remove from the heat and use a hand blender to purée the mixture. Pass the purée through a fine sieve, pushing it down with the back of a ladle. Season to taste and then set aside.
2 For the cauliflower fritters, mix all the dry ingredients together in a bowl and whisk in 250-350ml of water until you have a batter consistency. Break or cut the cauliflower into florets, then cut them in half. Preheat a deep fat fryer to 165°c. Dip the florets in the batter and place one at a time into the fryer with enough room for the florets to be moved about while cooking. When lightly coloured, take the fritters out and place them on paper towels to drain.
3 For the scallops, preheat a frying pan with a little oil in. Season the scallops and then place them into the pan. Check after 30 seconds to see if they’ve coloured nicely. When golden brown, turn over and repeat the cooking process. Finish the scallops by adding a splash of lemon juice, rolling it around the pan to deglaze and then removing the scallops from the heat.
4 To serve, warm the raisin purée and create a large tear drop shape with it on the serving plate, using the back of a spoon. Deep fry the cauliflower fritters again, removing and draining them when golden brown. Place the hot scallops and fritters on the plate with a pea shoot salad, fresh tomato and a few leaves of lemon balm to garnish.
The Fish People’s Tandoori Seabass
Serves 4
INGREDIENTS
4 whole sea bass (400-450g each)
For the tandoori paste
375g natural yoghurt
10 cloves of garlic, peeled
60g fresh root ginger
5 tbsp sunflower oil
5 tbsp lemon juice
55g paprika
2½ tsp each of garam masala, turmeric, cumin, chilli powder, and salt
For the curry oil
500ml sunflower oil
2 onions, chopped
10 cloves of garlic, chopped
100g root ginger, peeled (keep peelings)
1 cinnamon stick
3 tbsp curry powder
1 tbsp garam masala
1 tbsp ground turmeric
200g tomato purée
500ml extra virgin olive oil
100g fresh coriander
1 tsp salt
For the samphire pakora
100g gram flour
¼ tsp each of crushed coriander seeds, ground cumin, turmeric, chilli powder and salt
Pinch of baking powder
150g samphire
1 The tandoori paste is very easy to make. Just place all the ingredients into a jug blender or liquidiser and blend until smooth.
2 For the curry oil, in a heavy-based saucepan, heat the sunflower oil and sweat off the onion, garlic and the finely diced peelings of the root ginger for 5 minutes. Add the cinnamon stick, curry powder, garam masala, and turmeric to cook for a further 2 minutes. Add the tomato purée and olive oil, then simmer at a low heat for 25 minutes, ensuring nothing sticks to the pan, then set aside to cool slightly. After cooling, pass the oil through a mesh sieve and discard all the pulp. Line a sieve with muslin or a J-cloth and place it over a clean bowl. Pour in the oil and let it drip through, then set aside to cool completely. Chop the coriander and blend this and the salt with the curry oil. Finely dice the peeled root ginger and add it to the cooled curry oil.
3 For the samphire pakora, mix all the ingredients except the samphire in a bowl and add enough water to make a thick batter. Fold in the samphire and set aside.
4 For the sea bass. Season the whole bass with salt, fry in a hot pan for 1 minute on each side, then place on a metal oven tray. Spread each fish with a generous amount of tandoori paste and bake in the oven at 220°c for 8-10 minutes. Meanwhile, place small batches of pakora mix into a deep fat fryer at 180°c for 3-4 minutes until crisp and golden brown. Place a bass on each serving plate, drizzle with the curry oil and place under a hot grill for 1 minute to warm the oil. Serve the cooked fish with the pakora on the side and mini poppadoms, basmati rice and fresh lemon.
