Life

Fill up on fish

Niall McKenna

Niall McKenna

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

Seafood risotto makes for a great winter warmer
Seafood risotto makes for a great winter warmer Seafood risotto makes for a great winter warmer

THIS week we have an alternative to our usual winter warmers with two fantastic fish dishes that are healthy, simple and packed full of flavour.

Most of us associate seafood dishes with the summer months, when we crave lighter, fresher dishes – and whilst there are some of us who do still enjoy our fair share of fish during the winter months, we want to show you that fish can be a comfort food with these easy recipes.

Nothing beats a risotto to warm you up on a cold dark evening and a mixed seafood risotto is the perfect remedy. This versatile recipe is a staple that we teach in the cookery school as it's not only a great dish to share with family and friends but once you have accomplished this dish, it is very easy to replicate with lots of different ingredients. You cannot beat a great risotto.

Our Ling dish is a quick and simple meal that’s perfect for any night of the week. Teamed with the ever so flavoursome chorizo and a zing of lemon, this dish is not only packed with flavour but is also a healthy option for the winter months – pair with a salad and enjoy.

Most supermarkets now have a fantastic selection of both fresh and frozen fish, so if you’ve a busy schedule you can use frozen fish in both dishes to keep things as simple as possible.

We’ve kept it quick and flavoursome, so if you’re looking for something healthy to fill you up before the Christmas parties, we’ve got you covered.

Seafood Risotto

Serves 6

1.5kg mixed seafood (Clams, squid, red mullet, monkfish, bream, John Dory, cod and mussels)

1 litre fish stock

2 tablesp olive oil

knob butter

1 large onion, fine dice

2 garlic cloves, fine dice

3 sticks celery, fine dice

1/s fennel bulb, fine dice

1 teasp fennel seeds

1 pinch chilli

1 pinch saffron

400g risotto rice

2 glasses dry white wine

salt and pepper

To finish the risotto

70g butter

extra virgin olive oil

1 lemon juiced

small bunch parsley, picked and chopped

Start by cleaning off any of your shellfish. Separately you will want to cube any of the filleted fish you intend to use and poaching in a shallow pan with boiling water. You do not want the fish to crumble so remove after 3 minutes.

Next you want to start the risotto by placing a large pan on the hob on a gentle heat, add in the butter and olive oil and once melted add in the onion, garlic, celery, chilli, fennel seeds and saffron and cook gently for 12 minutes. You do not want this to colour, just soften.

Add in the dry white wine and reduce, start by adding in the stock a ladleful at a time, let the liquid absorb and keep adding until all the stock absorbed. After approximately 20 minutes all the stock should be absorbed, and the risotto should have a little bite.

Flake the fish into the risotto and add in the shellfish. It should take no more than 5 minutes for the shellfish to open and it is best to leave the lid on so that it will steam. Remember to discard any shellfish which do not open!

Remove from the heat and dress with the olive oil and the juice of a lemon and the chopped parsley and serve.

Ling with potatoes, rocket and chorizo

Serves 2

300g Ling fillet

40g chorizo sausage, diced

12 slices of chorizo, sliced thinly

200g new potatoes, boiled with skin on and sliced thinly

60g rocket leaves

olive oil

salt

lemon, juiced

Ling is a great sustainable fish and is being used more and more for cooking. To start making this dish pre-heat the oven to 180 °C.

Line the bottom of a roasting tray with a little olive oil to ensure that the dish does not stick.

Place a layer of potato on top of the olive oil and add the slices chorizo and rocket leaves. Season with salt and pepper.

When purchasing your Ling, get the fish monger to fillet it for you so when it comes to cooking, you only have to season the fish with a little salt and pepper.

Place the fish on top of the potatoes, chorizo and rocket, using only a little of the rocket. Place a few pieces of chorizo on top and place in the oven for 8-10 minutes.

The fish will cook quickly and should take no longer than 10 minutes to cook through. Once ready, remove from the oven.

Dress the rest of the rocket with olive oil, lemon juice and salt and pepper and place in a bowl. Place the Ling on top of the leaves and serve with the potatoes and the chorizo.

Dress with the juice of the lemon and serve.