THIS week’s recipes will go down perfectly for a Saturday night meal. In my travels lately I came across a couple of wonderful independent fishermen selling their wares at outlets on the shores of Co Down. As readers will know, I feel strongly about supporting independent producers, particularly in these tough times.
If you get the chance, be sure to stop and pick up the catch of the day – your taste buds will thank you.
The star of the show this week is a fantastically fiery Bengali Mustard Fish which packs a heat punch with its intense mustard flavour. Spicy food can be offset beautifully with a sweet treat to finish the meal so this week’s dessert is apple fritter with a delicious batter – a perfect palate cleanser.
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BENGALI MUSTARD FISH
(Serves 4)
1 cauliflower, cut into florets, greens chopped small
250g cherry tomatoes
1 red onion, finely diced
300g frozen peas
1 pinch turmeric
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp coriander
1 tsp sea salt
2 tbsp rapeseed oil
4 cod fillets, thick cut
4 tsp Bengali or Dijon mustard
Natural yoghurt and basmati rice to garnish
Method:
Preheat the oven to 200C and place the cauliflower, peas, tomatoes and onion on a roasting tin, evenly spread out. Sprinkle over the cumin, turmeric, coriander, sea salt and dress in the oil.
Coat the fish with the mustard and place in the roasting tin. Cook in the oven for 25 minutes or until the fish is cooked through – bear in mind that the cod will carry on cooking once out of the oven.
Serve with a garnish of boiled basmati rice and a little natural yoghurt.
APPLE FRITTERS WITH HONEY
(Serves 2)
125g plain flour
1 tbsp caster sugar
1 medium egg, separated
200ml dry cider
Pinch of salt
4 apples, any apple variety is good
Rapeseed oil for frying
Ground cinnamon
Runny honey
Method:
Place all the dry ingredients in a bowl and mix well. Make a well in the middle and add the egg yolk, then gradually whisk in the cider to make a batter and leave to stand for 30 minutes.
When ready to cook, whisk the egg white and add the pinch of salt until it forms peaks. Fold into the batter. Peel, core and slice the apples – you can use a clean kitchen towel to dry.
Heat the oil in a frying pan and the turn extractor fan on. You want the oil bubbling before cooking. Dip the apple slice in the batter and coat; place in the frying pan and fry both sides for one minute until crisp and golden. Remove from the oil and dry off on kitchen paper.
Serve warm, dust with the cinnamon and drizzle with honey. Serve with double cream or vanilla ice cream.
