Nathan Outlaw’s chilli-cured salmon, avocado and tomato
Salmon is an excellent fish to cure, as its oiliness and texture are perfectly suited to the technique. The avocado and tomato salsa is so fresh and zingy it complements the rich fish perfectly. If that chilli kick is a bit too much for you, serve a dollop of natural yogurt with the salmon.
Serves 4 as a starter
salmon 500g, very fresh wild or organic farmed, trimmed and skinned
sea salt 100g
soft light brown sugar 100g
white wine 150ml
red chillies 3, deseeded and chopped
For the salsa
avocados 2
red onion 1, peeled and finely chopped
garlic 1 clove, peeled and finely chopped
plum tomatoes 4 ripe, stalk ends removed, cut into chunks
limes juice of 2
coriander 2 tbsp, finely sliced
mint 1 tbsp, finely sliced
extra virgin olive oil 100ml
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
To cure the salmon, lay the fish on a tray and sprinkle evenly with the salt and sugar. Turn the fish over a few times to ensure it is well coated all over.
Put the wine and chillies into a blender and blitz for 1 minute. Pour the mixture over the fish and turn it a few times to coat thoroughly. Cover with clingfilm and leave in the fridge to cure for 6 hours.
When the salmon curing time is up, unwrap the fish and wash off the cure under cold running water then pat dry with kitchen paper. Wrap the fish tightly in fresh clingfilm and place back in the fridge for 1 hour to firm up.
Meanwhile, make the salsa. Halve, stone and peel the avocados. Roughly chop the flesh and place in a bowl with all the other ingredients. Toss gently to mix, seasoning with salt and pepper to taste.
When the salmon is ready, slice it finely and arrange on a platter or individual plates. Spoon on some of the salsa and drizzle over a little olive oil.
Serve cold or at room temperature, with the remaining salsa in a bowl on the side.
From Nathan Outlaw’s Home Kitchen by Nathan Outlaw (Quadrille, £20)
Fuchsia Dunlop’s clams with spring onion oil – cong you ge li
This recipe is my recreation of a dish I enjoyed with my friend Rose in the Ningbo restaurant Good Harvest Day in Shanghai: a glorious pile of shellfish singing with the fragrances of garlic and spring onion, with a satisfying harmony of good soy sauce. Roll up your sleeves and dive in with fingers and chopsticks. Pour any remaining juices over your rice, or mop them up with a piece of bread.
Serves 2, or 4 with other dishes as part of a Chinese meal
live palourde clams 800g
spring onions 2, white parts only
fresh ginger 10g, peeled and sliced
Shaoxing wine 2 tbsp
To finish
light soy sauce 2 tbsp
cooking oil 5 tbsp
garlic 2 tbsp, finely chopped
spring onions 7 tbsp, thinly sliced, green parts only
Wash the clams very thoroughly in cold water and discard any with cracked shells, or that do not close when you tap them briskly. Measure out the soy sauce into a small bowl. Smack the spring onion whites lightly with the flat side of a Chinese cleaver or a rolling pin to loosen their fibres.
Fill a lidded saucepan large enough to hold the clams with 1cm water. Add the ginger, spring onion whites and Shaoxing wine and bring to the boil. Add the clams, cover the pan and cook over a high flame for about 3 minutes, until they have all opened and are just cooked through. Remove with a slotted spoon and pile up on a serving dish. Add 2 tablespoons of the cooking liquor to the soy sauce (discard the rest).
Heat the oil in a wok over a high flame. Add the garlic and stir-fry very briefly until it smells wonderful. Switch off the heat, tip in the green spring onion and stir into the sizzling oil. Pour the oil, with the spring onions and garlic, all over the clams, then pour over the soy sauce mixture and serve.
From Land of Fish and Rice by Fuchsia Dunlop (Bloomsbury, £26)
Claus Meyer’s marinated herring with carrots and onions
Makes 1 x 1 litre jar
red onions 2
carrots 3
cold-pressed rapeseed oil 100ml
cider vinegar 100ml
unrefined cane sugar 90g
water 100ml
bay leaves 4
whole black peppercorns 1 tbsp
juniper berries 1 tbsp
coriander seeds 1 tbsp
mustard 2 tbsp
marinated herring fillets 10 good-quality
dill 1 large handful
Peel the onions and carrots, then cut the onions into wedges and the carrots into slices.
Place the vegetables in a saucepan along with the rest of the ingredients, except the herrings and dill, and cook until you have a syrupy consistency. Take the pan off the heat and leave to cool completely.
Put the herring fillets in a large, sterilised preserving jar, pour the cold syrup over them and finally add the dill. Seal the jar tightly, put it in the refrigerator and leave for at least 3 days before you eat the herring.
Serve the herring on rye bread, topped with raw onions and possibly some fresh dill. The marinated herring will keep fresh, unopened and refrigerated for 2-3 months and about 20-25 days once opened.
The Nordic Kitchen by Claus Meyer (Mitchell Beazley, £25)
Tim Hughes’s grilled or pan-fried Dover sole on the bone
The quintessential British restaurant dish and always a J. Sheekey bestseller. Along with turbot, the finest of the white fish. Fishmongers traditionally skin Dover sole on the darker top side only, leaving the white skin in place. Don’t be concerned, once cooked it falls away easily from the firm flesh and bone.
This dish also works very well with halibut, John Dory, plaice, lemon sole, turbot or brill.
Serves 4
Dover sole 4 x 360g, skinned
salt and freshly ground black pepper
plain flour for dusting
sunflower oil 1 tbsp, for pan-frying
butter 10g, for grilling
For the Béarnaise
hollandaise 250ml (see below)
tarragon ½ bunch, chopped
chervil ½ bunch, chopped
For the hollandaise
white wine vinegar 40ml
water 40ml
shallot 1 small, chopped
tarragon a few sprigs
bay leaf 1
peppercorns 5
unsalted butter 200g
egg yolks 3 small, free-range
salt and freshly ground white pepper
To make the hollandaise, place the vinegar, water, shallot, herbs and peppercorns in a saucepan and bring to the boil. Reduce the liquid by two thirds. Strain through a sieve and leave to cool, retaining the liquid.
In a heavy-bottomed saucepan, melt the butter on a very low heat. Take off the heat and leave to cool a little, carefully removing any white liquid on top. Strain and keep the clarified butter at room temperature.
Put the egg yolks into a small bowl with half the vinegar reduction and whisk over a pan of gently simmering water until the mixture begins to thicken and doubles in size. Using a ladle to trickle in the butter, whisk the mixture continuously (you can use an electric hand whisk). If the butter is added too quickly, the sauce will separate. When you have added two-thirds of the butter, taste the sauce and add a little more, or all, of the remaining vinegar reduction to taste (the vinegar should just cut the oiliness of the butter). Add the rest of the butter in the same way as before. Season, cover with clingfilm and leave at room temperature until needed.
To make the Béarnaise, add herbs to the hollandaise and mix well. Cover with clingfilm and leave at room temperature until needed.
Season the fish and lightly flour them. To pan-fry, heat the oil in a non-stick frying pan and fry the fish until golden on both sides. This should take about 6 minutes on each side.
To grill, place the fish on a hot grill pan and cover with butter. Cook for up to 10 to 12 minutes on one side only.
Place the fish onto warm plates and serve with Béarnaise sauce on the side, a fresh green vegetable and potatoes.
From J Sheekey Fish by Tim Hughes (Preface, £25)
Tim Hughes’s shrimp and scallop burger
Serves 4
For the burger
salmon fillet 50g, chopped
scallops 100g, without corals, chopped
tiger prawn tails 350g, raw, half chopped, half blended
spring onions 3, thinly sliced
mild chillies 3 medium-sized, seeded and finely chopped
flat-leaf parsley ½ bunch, finely chopped
lemon juice to taste
Tabasco a dash
extra virgin olive oil for frying
burger buns 4, toasted
gherkins to serve
For the chilli mayonnaise (makes 330ml – it will keep for a few days in the fridge)
egg yolks 2 medium-sized, free-range
white wine vinegar 2 tsp
English mustard 1 tsp
Dijon mustard 2 tsp
salt ½ tsp
freshly ground white pepper
sunflower oil 200ml
extra virgin olive oil 100ml
lemon juice of 1
red chilli 1 medium, deseeded and finely chopped
extra virgin olive oil 1 tbsp
flat-leaf parsley 2 tbsp , finely chopped
To make the mayonnaise, place the egg yolks, vinegar, mustards, salt and pepper into a stainless steel or glass bowl. Whisk well. Mix the sunflower and olive oils together and gradually trickle into the bowl whisking continuously. If the mayonnaise is too thick add a few drops of water and continue whisking. When the oil is all incorporated, taste and add more seasoning if necessary, with a dash of lemon juice at the end.
Gently cook the chilli in 1 tbsp of oil for about 4 minutes, then set aside to cool. Add to the mayonnaise along with the parsley and a dash more lemon juice. Season, if needed.
Preheat the oven to 180C/gas mark 4.
To make the burgers, mix the fish, scallops, prawns, spring onion, chilli and parsley together in a bowl. Add lemon juice and Tabasco, mix well and season. Fry a small amount of the mixture to check the seasoning is correct and adapt if necessary.
Divide the mix into four and shape into patties. Brush each burger with a little olive oil and fry in a non-stick pan until nicely browned on either side (the outer layer will slightly caramelise).
Place in the oven for 3 to 5 minutes depending on thickness, or you can grill for the same amount of time.
Serve on a toasted bun with the chilli mayonnaise, gherkins or any other garnish of your choice.
From J Sheekey Fish by Tim Hughes (Preface, £25)
