Seafood Chowder

It’s coming towards the end of January and everyone is well underway with their new year detoxes…well everyone other than me.

I am usually extremely healthy, starting the day with a bowl of porridge or yogurt, eating fruit or soup for lunch and cutting my sugary snack intake during the day. However, when it comes to dinner I can think of nothing more depressing during these winter months, than tucking into rabbit food and cardboard. Also, a g&t always goes down a treat and works wonders on my mood, therefore why should I sacrifice something that makes me happy!? My new years resolution isn’t dry and detox January, it’s just stay happy, healthy and exercise as much as possible, basically my goal for life not just for this month.

I know it’s tricky to balance enjoyment with health, but just because it tastes great doesn’t mean it has to be bad. Food enjoyment is mainly down to lots of flavours and fresh ingredients, and remember a dash of something naughty isn’t going to hurt, just try to work it off the following day.

One of my main food staples is fish and there is no doubt that it makes you look and feel great, so during this chilly snap a seafood chowder never fails to satisfy me, whilst remaining on the healthy’ish’ side – be warned my following recipe doesn contain some cream, however it is only 1/4 of a pint and served between six really isn’t much. You could always give the cream a miss, but I say keep it in and work it off tomorrow… you won’t regret it.

My Seafood chowder recipe – serving 6:

Ingredients

1 tbsp olive olive

110g/4oz streaky bacon, rind removed, cut into pieces

175-225g/6-8oz chopped onions

25g/1oz plain flour

1½ pints fish stock

¾ pint milk

Bouquet garni

12 new potatoes, cut in half

salt and freshly ground pepper

chopped red chilli (quantity your preference)

1 small tin of sweetcorn

700g/1½ lb smoked haddock, cod or other firm white fish

150ml/¼ pint single cream

450g/1lb mixed cooked shellfish – mussels and prawns

A handful of freshly chopped parsley

Crusty bread and butter

Method

1. Heat the oil in a saucepan and brown the bacon well until it is crisp.
2. Add the onion, cover and sweat for a few minutes over a low heat. Stir in the flour and cook for 1-2 minutes.
3. Add the fish stock gradually. Add the milk, bouquet garni and potatoes. Season well with salt, pepper and chilli.
4. Cover and simmer until the potatoes are almost cooked, approximately 5-6 minutes.
5. Cut the fish into chunks. Add to the saucepan as soon as the potatoes are cooked.
6. Add sweetcorn and simmer gently for 3-4 minutes, stir in the cream and add the shellfish. When boiling, remove from the heat.
7. Taste, correct the seasoning and sprinkle with parsley.

I think the chowder is best served with crusty bread and butter and a wedge of lemon, however if you are staying clear of the carbs, just eat it on its own, the potatoes are filling enough.

Enjoy 🙂

The Ultimate Fish Pie

 

Fish Pie

Fish pie portion

This homemade fish pie was to die for. I actually had three servings- I’m not usually greedy but it was so tasty. I have already posted the fish pie recipe on my blog, but the recipe is to make small pies. To make a big version, follow the same method and ingredients but pour the mixture into a large non stick pan or pie dish instead of individual ceramic dishes and top and bake as the recipe states.

Fish Stew

I have returned home for the Easter holidays, which means one thing…I get to enjoy my Mum’s fantastic cooking and blimey did she impress me last night!

I am quite a big fan of seafood (unlike the most of my family), so I was extremely pleased when my Mum said she’d make fish stew as a tasty change.

The stew was superb and I had to go back for seconds. Definitely give it a try; it’s pretty healthy too which is always a bonus

Here’s the recipe:

Ingredients

3 chopped white onions

3 chopped garlic cloves

4 tbsp Olive oil

100g finely chopped Pancetta

50g chopped Salami

400g diced new potatoes

2 sticks of celery- chopped

300ml white wine

¾ pint fish stock

1 good dash Thai fish sauce

5 chopped fresh tomatoes

1 tbsp tomato puree’

A good handful of chopped parsley

1 fillet of smoked haddock

2 fillets salmon

1 fillet cod

1 net of mussels

5 large prawns

Method

• Slowly sauté the onions, garlic, pancetta, salami, new potatoes and celery in the oil for 10minutes.
• Add the white wine and reduce for 5minutes
• Add the fish stock, Thai sauce, tomatoes, puree’ and parsley and simmer for 10 minutes.
• Add the smoked haddock, cod, mussels and prawns and simmer for a further 10 minutes, gently turning the stew occasionally.
• Serve with a wedge of lemon, crusty bread and good quality butter.

Mums fish stew

Fishcakes

I have returned to university today feeling a little sad to of left home again, so knew the only way to cheer up was to cook. So I got straight to work in my pokey kitchen and have made me and my flatmates fishcakes, to serve with a mixed salad, wedge of lemon and a few glasses of white wine.

I got this recipe from my parents who first tasted it at a establishment called Bar23 in Sheffield. Unusually the fishcakes are made from Smash, an ingredient I actually hate, however somehow it transforms them into something unique and even more delicious than usual.

The Recipe:

(12 portions- 2 per person)

Ingredients

Mixed fish (Salmon, White Fish, Smoked Fish (Haddock/Cod))

1/2 pints double cream

1/2 large chopped onion

1 garlic cloves

1oz grated root ginger

1 tbsp red Thai curry paste

1/4 tin coconut milk

Chopped parsley

Chopped Coriander

White wine

Potato powder

Olive oil

Method

1) Put a dash of olive oil in a thick bottomed pan, followed by the onions, garlic, ginger and the red Thai paste. Cook until the onions are clear and soft. Pour in the white wine (enough to cover the onions) and reduce for a few minutes continuously stirring so that the onions don’t go brown.

2) Place all the fish into the pan of onion mixture, pour the cream over the fish (enough to cover the fish, plus a little more).

3) Bring to the boil, and then simmer until the fish has cooked.

4) Add the coconut milk, parsley and coriander. Start to sprinkle in the potato powder until the mix starts to thicken (do not beat as the fish will break up), keep adding the potato powder a little bit at a time until the mixture becomes firm but not dry.

Fishcake Mix

5) Let the mix cool (so that you can handle with ease), roll into a fishcake shape.

6) Roll the fishcake in flour, egg wash and breadcrumbs.

7) Either deep fry the fishcake until golden brown or shallow fry one side at a time. Place in a hot oven for 5 minutes until the fishcake is hot throughout, or you can put it in the microwave for 30 seconds (careful not to overcook).

Fishcake

 

Fishcake

The fishcakes can also be frozen. If freezing put them in the freezer before the fishcakes have been bread crumbed. Alternatively the fishcakes will remain fresh in the fridge for up to 3 days.

Mussels with white Wine, Coriander and Garlic

Yesterday I returned home from University for the weekend. I love coming home and although I try to cook in Newcastle I always find it difficult in my little kitchen, containing very limited appliances! Therefore, coming home is always a fabulous break, filled with lovely food and home comforts.

Last night my mum cooked mussels in white wine, coriander and garlic and what a treat it was! I never really eat mussels, however now I am officially hooked. All the praise must go to my mum, but I did help with the chopping…oh and I gave her company and had a little Gin and tonic too 🙂

This is the recipe, seriously give it a go:

(Serves 4)

Ingredients

2kg Mussels – cleaned, beards removed. Discard any mussels that remain open

2 tbls extra virgin olive oil

Bunch Coriander chopped

1 white onion chopped

3 cloves garlic crushed

200ml fish stock

100ml white wine

100ml double cream

Cracked black pepper to taste

Method

1. Sauté onion, garlic in olive oil
2. Add half coriander, fish stock, white wine, double cream – reduce by half
3. Add mussels and cool until all wide open – stir to incorporate sauce
4. Serve, sprinkle with remaining coriander
5. Enjoy with lots of crusty bread or a few chunky chips if you would like to add a naughty twist to the dish!

Mussels

Mussels in a coconut, lemon grass and ginger sauce

I have always been a bit of a fan of all seafood and shell-fish other than cuttle fish and clams. I love mussels, especially in a paella or in a white wine sauce with a big wedge of crusty bread. I have to admit I am a little wary of eating mussels in restaurants, I like to know that they are fresh and cooked correctly. I am also wary of those bought from English supermarkets as they are definitely not as good as supermarkets abroad. The mussels I buy in Spain are always so big and tasty, whereas our country’s tend to be quite small and unappealing.

However, in Sainsbury’s today I found some big mussels in a net and knew straight away that I wanted them for tea. I actually decided to give the white wine sauce a miss and instead sautéed garlic and onion in a pan, added a can of coconut milk, some fresh ginger and 2 sticks of lemon grass and gently cooked the mussels until they opened. They were absolutely delicious full of flavour but incredibly light and Summery!

To Begin- Onion, garlic, lemon grass and ginger

Sainsbury's Mussels