Nobody is aware of fish like Mitch Tonks.
After a short stint as an accountant, the now award-winning restauranteur returned to a life by the ocean to open a specifalist fishmonger in Bath.
That rapidly become a string of vastly fashionable restaurants totally on the south coast, a number of cookbooks about seafood and appearances on every part from Saturday Kitchen to MasterChef.
On high of all that, his restaurant chain and on-line market Rockfish has made very good high quality seafood – in addition to his experience – obtainable at house.
So it appears solely apt, then, to show to Tonks for his favorite seafood recipes. Right here’s simply three:
Fish gratin
This hearty fish dish is a fast and scrumptious various to a standard fish pie recipe, and excellent for having fun with with household or buddies within the consolation of your private home this autumn.
Substances:
1 x Rockfish (or shop-bought) fish pie combine (monkfish, smocked pollack, whiting and ling)
100g shell on prawns (some peeled, some unpeeled)
2 leeks
2 spring onions
25g butter, plus extra for grating
150ml double cream
300ml milk
1 tbsp plain flour
1 tsp English mustard
A number of black and pink peppercorns
Handful grated parmesan
Handful of breadcrumbs
Handful of chopped parsley
Technique:
Pour the milk right into a saucepan. Add a bay leaf, a couple of black and pink peppercorns, English mustard and fish pie combine. Deliver to the boil after which go away to simmer.
Chop the leeks finely and add to a dry frying pan – preserve stirring to keep away from catching on the pan.
As soon as the leeks have softened, add the butter and blend till it has absolutely melted. Add the flour and blend.
Preserving the fish within the saucepan, slowly add the milk to the leeks, while stirring, to type a sauce.
Add the double cream, chopped spring onions and a pinch of salt and pepper. Hold stirring as you add the fish after which the prawns.
Switch the combination into an oven secure dish, then high with the grated butter, parmesan and breadcrumbs. Pop below the grill on a excessive setting till crispy and golden on high.
Take away from the oven, high with some chopped parsley and serve alongside a crisp salad and a few new potatoes.
Roast turbot with hollandaise
Turbot is the king of all flat fish, its texture is agency and it has a specific stickiness that comes from the pure fats and membrane between the thick flakes of fish which render while cooking. The larger the fish, the easier the cooking is the rule I apply to turbot.
Serves: 2
Substances:
2 turbot T-bones about 300g every
Sea salt
1 tbsp olive oil
2 egg yolks
½ tsp Dijon mustard
2 tbsp water
150g unsalted butter, melted
1 lemon
Pinch of cayenne pepper
Technique:
1. Warmth the oven to 220C. Season the turbot with salt and rub with olive oil earlier than roasting on a tray within the oven for 15-20 minutes. Alter cooking time if turbot weighs much less/extra.
2. To make the Hollandaise sauce put the egg yolks, mustard and water right into a bowl and whisk to mix. Place the bowl over a pan of simmering water and whisk till the eggs have dou8bled in quantity and thickened. While nonetheless whisking, progressively pour within the melted butter and mix to a clean and thick sauce. Take away from the warmth and add a squeeze of lemon, a bit of salt and a pinch of cayenne pepper to serve.
3. Take away the turbot onto a warmed plate and spoon the hollandaise by the facet. Serve merely with no matter greens you favor, spinach or darkish leafy greens and buttered potatoes are good.
Mackerel tagine
Use solely the freshest mackerel and ideally purchase from the fishing boats on the seashore, take a bit of tenting range or make a seashore hearth and prepare dinner this up in a pot there and eat, good warming however mild meals for the entire household to eat after a dip within the sea.
Serves: 2
Substances:
2-3 tbsp olive oil
2.5cm piece recent root ginger, chopped
½ crimson pepper, chopped
4 cherry tomatoes, chopped
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1 onion, chopped
1 mackerel, approx 350g, gutted and chopped into 5cm chunks or go away entire
Sea salt
Recent coriander, finely chopped
40 black olives
Squeeze lemon to style
For the spice combine:
1 tbsp floor allspice
1½ tbsp floor coriander
2 tbsp paprika
1 tbsp turmeric
2 tsp floor cassia
1 tsp floor cardamom
1 tsp chilli flakes
Technique:
Combine all of the elements for the spice combine collectively and retailer in an hermetic jar.
Warmth the olive oil in a big frying pan, add the ginger, peppers, tomatoes, garlic and onion and fry gently for 4-5 minutes, then add 1 tsp of your spice combine. Add the mackerel, cowl with water and go away to simmer for 7-8 minutes if chunks of mackerel and 12 minutes if entire fish.
Earlier than serving, season with loads of salt, then add the coriander, olives and a squeeze of lemon to style.
