Life

James Street Cookery School: Trofie pasta and baked spiced fish

Niall McKenna

Niall McKenna

James Street South and Waterman owner and chef Niall McKenna is an Irish News columnist

Trofie pasta with aubergine, tomatoes and Irish mozzarella
Trofie pasta with aubergine, tomatoes and Irish mozzarella Trofie pasta with aubergine, tomatoes and Irish mozzarella

THERE’S nothing better than a good hearty meal on a cold winter’s evening and these fish dishes are just the ticket. A pot of this trofie pasta is both filling and flavourful. The sweetness of the cherry tomatoes teamed with the kick of chilli and garlic make this dish a proper winter warmer.

Whether you’re catering for a crowd or preparing food for the week, the trofie pasta dish is perfect for big-batch cooking. The baked spice fish dish's combination of spices and fresh ingredients will transport your taste buds with bursts of flavour guaranteed to brighten up a dark day.

TROFIE PASTA WITH AUBERGINE, TOMATOES AND IRISH MOZZARELLA

(Serves 4)

2 aubergines, sliced

Olive oil

250g cherry tomatoes, ripe ones are great

2 cloves garlic, chopped

1 red chilli, deseeded and sliced thinly

350g trofie pasta

50g Irish mozzarella (Available from Sawers and Arcadia in Belfast), torn

35g Parmesan, grated

Basil leaves

Method

Coat the sliced aubergine in the olive oil, then place in a hot pan and cook on high heat until charred on each side. Remove and place to the side. Add a little more oil to the pan and cook off the tomatoes until blistered before adding the garlic and chilli; keep on a gentle heat. Place the aubergine back into the pan and turn off the heat.

Place the pasta in a pot of boiling water and cook to al dente and strain, keeping back a ladle of water. Add the pasta to your aubergine mix and add in the ladle of water, then cook until the water has been absorbed.

Add in the Parmesan and the mozzarella and stir. Then top off with bay leaves and another grating of Parmesan.

BAKED SPICE FISH

(Serves 4)

Sea Bream:

4 x 400g whole sea bream, gutted and cleaned with tail and fins trimmed

1 tablesp salt

1 tablesp red chilli powder

2 teasp turmeric

2 lemons, juiced

4 tablesp ghee

Spiced Crust:

3 tabelsp coriander seed, toasted

3 tablesp cumin seed, toasted

1 tablesp chilli powder

2 teasp pink peppercorns

2 teasp salt

2 teasp sugar

6 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1 inch ginger, grated

10 sprigs coriander, removed from stalk, finely chopped

4 tablesp vegetable oil

Stuffing:

100g basmati rice, cooked

2 lime leaves, torn

2 lemons zested

1 teasp sugar

Method

Preheat the oven to 200C. Score the skin of the fish a couple of times, to help it absorb the spices. Rub in the salt, chilli powder, turmeric and lemon juice; cover in cling film and place in the fridge.

For the stuffing, mix together all the ingredients, then remove the fish from the fridge and place the rice inside each fish equally.

For the spice crust, using a pestle and mortar, mix together all the ingredients to make a paste. Place the fish on a baking tray and cover both sides with the paste. Place in the oven for 15 minutes, remove and baste with the melted ghee (place the ghee in a pot and melt on the hob).

Place the fish back into the oven on a reduced heat for another eight minutes. If the paste is browning in the oven, cover with foil. When the juices run clear it’s ready to serve.