Sea Bass Baked in Salt

Hugh Fearnley Whittingstall shows you how to cook sea bass baked in salt

Pot-roasted Gurnard

River Cottage guru, Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall loves fish. As a celebrity chef, people listen to Hugh. He’s someone who knows a thing or two when it comes to what we put on our plates. And if Hugh’s worried, we all should be. Right now, Hugh is concerned that over-fishing could seriously threaten the future of our fish supper. He says we should try something different and stop having a blinkered snobbery when it comes to fish by just asking for the traditional favourites.

We couldn’t agree more! So cook up Hugh’s one-pot casserole brimming with winter veg.

Serves 4
Like poultry and meat, whole fish work well in a one-pot casserole brimming with winter veg. If the vegetables are sweated for a while first, they can finish cooking in the time it takes a couple of nice whole fish to cook through, and lend their delicious juices to the dish. Pat Carlin, our regular River Cottage skipper, reckons this is the best way he’s ever tasted gurnard – and it’s one of his favourite fish.

A large knob of unsalted butter
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 medium leeks, white part only, cut into 2cm thick slices
300g celeriac, peeled and cut into 2cm
chunks 2 onions, thickly sliced 2 large potatoes, peeled and cut into 2cm chunks
2 large carrots, cut into 2cm chunks
1 large (about 1.5kg) or 2 medium (about750g) or 4 small (about 400g) gurnard (or other whole fish), descaled and gutted
A glass of white wine 2 bay leaves Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Instructions:

Put the butter and olive oil in a large flameproof casserole over a medium-low heat. Add all the vegetables, season well and toss them in the fat, then sweat gently for about 10 minutes, until they begin to soften. Don’t let them colour.

Season the gurnard with salt and pepper, then add it to the pan, pushing it down so it is snuggled in among the aromatic vegetables. Sprinkle over the wine and a glass of water, tuck in the bay leaves and cover the dish. Bring to a gentle simmer on the hob.

Now transfer the casserole to an oven preheated to 180°C/Gas Mark 4 and bake for 30–40 minutes, depending on the size of fish. To check that the fish is ready, insert the tip of a knife at the thickest part to pull the flesh away from the bone. It should be opaque all the way through.
If you have one or two larger fish, take the flesh off the bones in big chunks. Otherwise, simply serve one fish per person, with plenty of the vegetables and juices alongside.

Article source the Marine Conservation Society Good Fish Guide – The consumer guide to sustainable seafood

A Senseless Waste of Good Food?

Every day far out at sea half the fish caught in the North Sea are being thrown back dead. That’s almost a million tonnes of edible fish every year – wasted. Fishermen hate doing it, but EU law says they have to. They call it “discarding”. What would you call it? Madness? An environmental crime? A senseless waste of good food? We want to stop it. Join the discard protest at http://www.fishfight.net

On two occasions, at Brussels and Strasbourg, Bob Morris Managing Director of RG Morris & Son Ltd spoke to Roger Helmer the European Parliament representative for the East Midlands, about the ludicrous and unfair European fishing policy, in particular the returning of dead fish to the sea that the British fishermen have to adhere to!

Mr Helmer totally agreed and said it was bad for jobs, bad for the environment, bad for the fish industry and bad for Britain!

He took Bob’s complaints to the minister who said that they were well aware of the problems and would be doing something about it, that was over two years ago so don’t hold your breath!

Jamie Oliver’s – Coley Korma with Fluffy Rice

© photo: David Loftus

Ingredients

2 heaped tablespoons Patak’s korma paste

4 x 180g coley fillets, skin on, scaled and pin-boned

Olive oil

4 spring onions, trimmed and finely sliced

½ x 400ml tin low-fat coconut milk

a few sprigs of fresh coriander, leaves picked, stalks finely chopped

½-1 fresh red chilli, finely sliced

1 lemon, cut into wedges for the rice

1 cup basmati rice

Sea salt

Method

There’s loads of coley (which is also known as saithe and coalfish) in the sea.

Looks-wise it’s more of an ivory colour than the snow white you’re used to but it’s beautiful, absolutely delicious, sweet, meaty, and melts in the mouth. Funnily enough cats have been enjoying it for years – lucky things – and sadly a lot of it is thrown overboard as bycatch. Coley is really versatile.

Coley is often half the price of cod so you can feed twice as many people, or just save yourself loads of money.

Normally you’d start cooking a fillet of fish skin-side down, but I’ve gone flesh-side down here to really encrust the fish and get those flavours going. Korma is mild enough for kids to eat too and when something tastes this good, you’d be mad not to try it.

Add the rice to a small pan with 2 cups of boiling water and a pinch of salt. Bring to the boil on a high heat, then turn the heat down to low, cover and leave for 7 to 8 minutes.

Put a large frying pan on a medium heat. Use the back of a spoon to spread 1 heaped tablespoon of the korma paste all over the flesh side of the fish fillets. Add a lug of olive oil to the hot pan, then add the coley, flesh-side down. Cook for about 10 minutes, turning halfway when you’ve got some colour.

Check your rice – all of the water should have been absorbed by now so fluff it up with a fork and take it off the heat. Pop the lid back on so it stays warm.

Turn the heat under the fish up to high and throw in the greener half of your sliced spring onions. Stir in the remaining korma paste, coconut milk, coriander stalks and most of the fresh chilli. Let it bubble away for a couple of minutes until the fish is starting to flake apart. Taste your sauce and add a squeeze of lemon juice if it needs it.

Divide the rice between your plates then top each portion with a piece of coley. Pour the sauce over the top, then scatter over the reserved spring onions, chilli and coriander leaves. Serve with lemon wedges on the side for squeezing over.

Recipe source; http://www.jamieoliver.com/recipes/fish-recipes/coley-korma-with-fluffy-rice

From the Shore to Your Door

Fresh Fish Delivered Daily

R G Morris & Son are suppliers of the best fresh fish, delivered daily throughout Derbyshire, Cheshire, South Yorkshire and Staffordshire.

• Door-to-Door delivery service
• Wholesale and Trade delivery service

We are a family-run business based in Buxton, Derbyshire. Established over one hundred years ago, we are suppliers to both wholesale and retail clients.

Our commitment to our customers is simple… we only buy the best: therefore, we can only supply the best!

It is this approach which has helped us successfully establish an enviable reputation for our high standards of customer service, reliability, professionalism and realistic pricing policy.

Whatever your fresh fish, season game or free-range poultry requirements, Get in touch with our friendly sales team to place your order and arrange delivery.

Telephone: 01298 72458 | Mobile: 07968 743909

A Taste of Spain – How to Make the Perfect Paella

Paella is a traditional Spanish rice-based dish and the name Paella refers to the dish it is cooked in – a large, round and shallow metal pan with two (or more) handles. Paella originates from the area of Valencia, but is enjoyed across Spain.

Here’s how to make the perfect Paella with R G Morris and Son…

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons of olive oil
• 1 medium-sized free range chicken portioned into breast, thigh, drumstick and wing pieces
• 1 Onion, diced evenly
• 1 Green pepper, deseeded and diced evenly
• 1 Red pepper, deseeded and diced evenly
• 2 Cloves garlic, crushed
• 2 Plum tomatoes, peeled, deseeded and diced
• 375g (120z) Spanish Paella rice
• 900ml (1.5 pints) good chicken stock
• Pinch of saffron strands
• 125g (40z) Frozen peas or petit pois
• 150g Chorizo, sliced
• Salt and freshly ground back pepper
• 250g (8oz) whole, unpeeled cooked prawns
• 16 fresh mussels, scrubbed, beards removed  and tightly closed
• Coarsely chopped flat leaf parsley and lemon wedges to garnish

Heat the oil in a paella pan or large, heavy flat-based frying pan. Slice the chicken breast into three and then fry ALL the chicken pieces  for around 10 – 15 minutes, until golden brown, turning occasionally. Remove from the pan and set to one side.

Add the onion to the pan and fry for 4-5 minutes, stir in the red and green peppers, crushed garlic and fry for a further 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes and fry for 2 – 3 minutes until softened.

Sprinkle over the rice and stir well to combine with the vegetables, then stir in the saffron strands. Fry the rice for a few minutes stirring continuously.

Pour in the stock and allow to bubble rapidly. Stir in the peas, chorizo sausage and then add seasoning to taste.  Place the chicken pieces and prawns on top, the slightly push into the rice.

Simmer for 20 – 25 minutes. Do not stir but occasionally shake to prevent the rice from sticking to the base of the pan.

Scatter over the mussels and cook for a further 10 – 15 minutes until all the mussels are fully opened, the stock has been absorbed and the rice is tender/slightly sticky.  Serve  in the cooking pan, garnishing with the chopped parsley and lemon wedges.

Photo: Herry Lawford

Hugh’s Fish Fight FREE iPhone App

R G Morris and Son have been delighted with and are proud to support Hugh’s Fish Fight so we thought we’d better tell you about the Hugh’s Fish Fight FREE iPhone App which you can download here

We know it can sometimes seem confusing to decide which fish you should be eating so Hugh worked with the Marine Conservation Society and Selfridges to make it really simple for you. Hugh’s Fish Fight app contains MCS’ easy-to-use lists of Fish to Eat and Fish to Avoid with illustrations, tips and videos.

If you like eating out, Fish2Fork’s restaurant guide is also included in the app to make it easier for you to do so sustainably.

Hugh has included some of his personal favourite fish recipes and there are many others from top chefs who were involved in Selfridges Project Ocean Campaign.

A Quick, Tasty Recipe – Salmon and Couscous

Here’s a delightfully simple but really tasty salmon and couscous recipe from the Jamie Oliver Recipes (UK) website:

Ingredients

• 115g/4oz couscous
• 1 x 200g/7oz salmon fillet, skin on, scaled and pinboned
• extra virgin olive oil
• sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 small courgette, sliced into batons
• 1 small handful of asparagus tips
• 1 red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped
• 2 ripe tomatoes, roughly chopped
• juice of 1/2 a lemon
• a small handful of fresh coriander, roughly chopped
• 1 tablespoon crème fraîche

Method…

Put your couscous in a bowl, then pour over just enough boiling water to cover it. Set aside for 3 minutes to allow the couscous to soak up the water.

Slice the salmon widthways into finger-size strips, drizzle with olive oil, and season with salt and pepper.

Heat a small non-stick frying pan and add the salmon strips on their side. Scatter over the courgette, asparagus tips and chilli and cook for 2 minutes, turning the salmon over halfway.

Mix the tomatoes, lemon juice, 4 tablespoons of olive oil and the coriander into the couscous and season to taste.

Remove the salmon strips to a plate and add the couscous to the veggies left in the pan. Mix together and then put the salmon strips back into the pan on top of the couscous, place a lid on and put back on a high heat for a minute.

To serve, slide everything on to your plate and spoon over some crème fraîche. Quick and tasty!

For more recipe ideas visit: www.jamieoliver.com

Jamie Oliver’s Top Tips for Buying Fish

We thought we’d share this brilliant Jamie Oliver video on how to buy fish. The video is taken from Jamie’s app.

http://www.jamieshomecookingskills.com

Fast Fish Soup – A Tasty Recipe From R G Morris & Son

Here’s a recipe for a really tasty fish soup that takes just 10 minutes to prepare, 15 minutes to cook and will serve up to 4 people…

Ingredients…

• 1 leek, finely sliced
• 4 garlic cloves, crushed
• 3 celery sticks, finely sliced
• 1 small fennel bulb, finely sliced
• 1 red chilli, seeded and finely chopped
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 50 ml dry white wine
• around 750g of mixed fresh fish and shellfish, such as haddock, monkfish, salmon, raw shelled prawns and cleaned mussels
• 4 medium tomatoes, roughly chopped
• 2 tbsp freshly chopped thyme
• salt and ground black pepper

Put the leek in a large pan and add the garlic and celery, fennel, chilli and olive oil. Cook over a medium heat for 5 minutes or until the vegetables are soft and beginning to colour.

Stir in 1.1 litres (2 pints) boiling water and the wine, bring to the boil, then simmer, covered, for 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, cut the fish into large chunks. Add to the soup with the tomatoes and thyme. Continue simmering gently until the fish has just turned opaque. Add the prawns and simmer for 1 minute then add the mussels. As soon as all the mussels have opened, season the soup and ladle into warmed bowls. Discard any mussels that remain closed, then serve immediately.