AS AN island, we have a wealth of fresh seafood on our doorstep, which provides a very healthy menu option and can be so quick and easy to cook. Our James Street South Cookery School shellfish and fish classes are always full as people have a fear of cooking fish, but once you do it, you won’t look back.
One of my favourite soups is a crab bisque. It looks complex but it isn’t – a little bit of work and you will have a starter which will wow at a dinner party or light lunch. The second dish is cod with lentils. You can use any white fish but cod is one of the most popular. Try these this weekend after popping down to St George’s Market in Belfast to pick up your fish.
CRAB BISQUE
Shells, legs and claws from 2 brown crabs
2 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, peeled and chopped
1 carrot, peeled and chopped
1 stick celery, peeled and chopped
3 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
1 bulb fennel, peeled and chopped
350ml white wine
4 tbsp brandy
1 tin 400g tomatoes
1 star anise
1 bay leaf
4 sprigs thyme
pinch saffron
3 tbsp uncooked basmati rice
75ml double cream
Start by breaking down your crab shell, claws and legs as much as you can as this will need to be blended at a later stage. Heat your olive oil and add your onion, carrot, celery, fennel and garlic and cook gently for 15 minutes until soft. Add the crab into the mix and stir for a few minutes, then add the brandy. Turn the heat up. Let the mix bubble for one minute then add the wine and keep on a high heat and cook for two minutes.
Add in the tomatoes, bay leaf, star anise, thyme, saffron and rice and cover with 1 litre of water and bring to the boil. Simmer for 80 minutes, stirring occasionally, keeping a lid on the pot. Taste the mix – it should be nice and rich. Using a blender, blend the mix, including the shell, before passing through a sieve. Place the sauce back in the pot and cook, adding the double cream. When ready to serve you can dress with some white crab meat and lots of olive oil.
COD WITH LENTILS AND SALSA VERDE
4 thick fillets of white fish approx 200g with skin on
Salt and pepper
Olive oil
Butter
Season the fish with salt and pepper. Heat the oil in a large frying pan and lay skin side down, giving the pan a gentle shake to ensure it does not stick. Once it is cooked three quarters of the way through, turn over. Cook for a further minute or two until the whole piece has turned white, adding a knob or two of butter. Remove from the pan, as it will continue to cook, spooning the melted butter over.
Salsa verde
1 bunch of flat leaf parsley
Handful of basil
Handful of mint
5 anchovy, salted
1 garlic clove, peeled and crushed
2 tbsp capers
1 tbsp mustard
2 tbsp red wine vinegar
125ml extra virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper
Chop all the herbs, anchovies, garlic and capers, place in a bowl with the mustard, vinegar, olive oil and combine until you have a loose sauce. Taste and season.
For the lentils
250g puy lentils
6 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil
1 onion, fine dice
2 celery sticks, fine dice
1 carrot, peeled and fine dice
4 garlic cloves, crushed
1 sprig rosemary, picked off stalk
2 tablsp tomato puree
1 bay leaf
Salt and pepper
When cooking lentils always rinse first and drain. Heat the olive oil in a large pan and add the diced vegetables, garlic and rosemary. Cook for five minutes until soft; add the tomato puree, stir, add the lentils, bay leaf and one litre of water then bring to the boil. A scum will rise to the top of the pot – you need to remove this as it gathers. Bring to a simmer and cook for 30 minutes until lentils are soft but not mushy. Remove the bay leaf and drain the remaining liquid; season to taste with salt and pepper.
