Fish Meals Without Hassle

Fish Meals Without Hassle

Fish dishes don’t need to be messy or difficult. (These recipes are quick and easy.) A good fishmonger will prepare fish so that it’s ready to cook.

Haddock Smokies

This dish can be made in individual ramekins to serve as a starter, or in one larger ovenproof dish for a main meal.

Ingredients for 4. Preheat the oven to 180c.

• 350g smoked haddock fillet
• 450g tomatoes-skinned, de-seeded and chopped
• 50g grated cheddar cheese
• 300mls single cream
• salt and pepper to season, if required

Butter the dish (or ramekins) and pour half the total quantity of cream in. Flake the fish on top of the cream layer and add salt and pepper, then, spread the prepared tomatoes over the fish. Pour the rest of the cream over this layer and top with the grated cheese.

Bake the fish, cream, tomato and cheese dish in the centre of a preheated oven for about 20 minutes. Finish under a hot grill for a couple of minutes. Serve.

Cod Steaks with a Creamy Mustard Sauce

Ingredients for 4.

• 4 cod steaks
• 150mls single cream
• 2 teaspoons made mustard
• juice and rind of 1 lemon
• 50g butter
• a little flour to coat the fish, salt and pepper to season, chopped parsley

Sprinkle half the juice from a lemon over the cod steaks and season with salt and pepper then coat them in flour.

Melt the butter in a pan over moderate heat. Cook the fish in the heated butter until they are cooked through and slightly browned on the outside. Remove the fish and keep them warm while the sauce is prepared.

With the pan over moderate heat, add the rest of the lemon juice to the melted butter, the mustard, cream and some chopped parsley. Stir and bring to simmering point. Pour the sauce over the hot fish and sprinkle with a little more chopped parsley and the lemon rind. Serve.

Trout with Spicy Citrus Butter

Ingredients

• 4 trout-gutted and heads removed
• 25g softened butter
• 1 teaspoon curry powder
• 1 teaspoon grated orange rind
• olive oil
• salt and pepper to season, orange wedges and fresh thyme sprigs to garnish

Mix the butter, orange rind, curry powder and a little salt and pepper together in a bowl then wrap the mixture in foil and pop it in the freezer for 10 minutes.

Use a pastry brush dipped in olive oil to ‘paint’ the fish all over. Sprinkle a little salt and pepper on them and make 3 diagonal cuts on both sides of the fish with the tip of a sharp knife. Remove the spicy citrus butter from the freezer and slice it to fit into the cuts in the fish. Use it all.

Cook the fish under a pre-heated grill for about 3-4 minutes each side and serve.

Quick-Roast Monkfish

Ask the fishmonger to cut away the transparent membrane covering the fish, remove the central bone and tie the two fillets together.

Ingredients. Preheat oven to 220c.

• 1.1kg monkfish tail
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 bulbs fennel, sliced
• 8 cloves of garlic, peeled and sliced
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 lemon
• Salt and pepper to season, fresh bay leaves and grated lemon rind to garnish

Cut small incisions in the fish fillets and place a sliver of garlic in each.

Heat the oil in a heavy-based pan and quickly fry the fish to seal in the juices.

Now place the fish, fennel, lemon juice, bay leaf and salt and pepper in a roasting tin. Place in the pre-heated oven for 20 minutes, or until the fish flesh is cooked, garnish and serve immediately.

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