Monkfish kebabs with chermoula

900 g (2 lb) monkfish tail, cut into chunks
12-16 cherry tomatoes
1-2 tsp smoked paprika, to dust
1-2 lemons, cut into wedges, to serve

For the chermoula:
2 garlic cloves
1 tsp coarse sea salt
1-2 tsp cumin seeds, crushed or ground
1 fresh red chilli, deseeded and chopped 
Freshly squeezed juice of 1 lemon
2 tbsp olive oil
Small bunch fresh coriander, roughly chopped

To make the chermoula:

Use a mortar and pestle to pound the garlic with the salt to a smooth paste. Add the cumin, chilli, lemon juice and olive oil and stir in the coriander.

Put the fish chunks in a shallow dish and rub with the chermoula. Cover and chill in the fridge for 1-2 hours.

Thread the marinated monkfish and cherry tomatoes alternately onto metal or wooden (soaked in water before use) skewers. Preheat the barbecue. Cook the kebabs for about 2 mins on each side, until the monkfish is nicely browned. Dust with a little paprika and serve with wedges of lemon for squeezing over them.

(Serves 4-6)

Recipe from Easy Barbecue £8.99, Ryland Peters and Small. ISBN 9781849751100

Plaice roll-ups with spinach and ricotta

1 jar Seriously Good Wild Mushroom & Mascarpone sauce
200 g (7 oz) spinach, washed
100 g (4 oz) ricotta
2 tbsp freshly grated Parmesan
50 g (2 oz) fresh white breadcrumbs
1 medium egg yolk
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 skinless plaice fillets, about 150 g (5 oz) each
Olive oil to drizzle

Preheat oven to 180 C, 350 F or gas mark 4. Tip spinach into a large saucepan with 2 tbsp boiling water and cook for 1-2 minutes, stirring well, until leaves have just wilted. Drain spinach then squeeze out as much excess water from the leaves as possible. Roughly chop spinach and leave to cool.

In a bowl mix ricotta, Parmesan and half the breadcrumbs with egg yolk and some seasoning. Fold chopped spinach through the mixture. Slice plaice fillets in half lengthways. Lay fillets out on a board, skinned side facing up. Divide spinach filling between fish, then roll them up.

Pour the jar of sauce into a medium baking dish and arrange plaice roll-ups on top. Sprinkle over the remaining breadcrumbs and drizzle with a little olive oil.

Bake for 15-20 minutes, until fish is cooked and breadcrumbs are golden and crisp.

(Serves 4)

Baked cod fillet with a prosciutto crust 

500 g (1 lb 2 oz) cherry tomatoes
Half large courgette, cut into strips
2 large cloves of garlic, chopped 
6 tbsp olive oil 
2 handfuls whole basil leaves 
4 x 200 g (4 x 7 oz) pieces cod or other firm white fish 
6 slices ciabatta loaf
6 slices prosciutto 
25 g (1 oz) pine kernels roughly chopped

Preheat oven to 200 C, 400 F or gas mark 6. Place tomatoes, courgettes, garlic, olive oil and basil leaves in a shallow ovenproof dish. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Place into the preheated oven and cook for 20 mins. 

While the vegetables are cooking, make the bread crust. Break the ciabatta into rough crumbs by rubbing between your hands. Mix with the prosciutto, pine kernels and a drizzle of olive oil. When the vegetables are tender, place fish on top and pile on the bread crust. Place in oven and cook for 30-40 mins depending on the thickness of the fish. 

(Serves 4)

Rhubarb, Jersey Royal and smoked mackerel soup

1 kg (2 lb 4 oz) fresh rhubarb
500 g (1 lb 2 oz) well washed Jersey Royal potatoes
3 shallots finely diced
1 clove garlic, germ removed and finely chopped
50 g (2 oz) unsalted butter
2 tbsp olive oil
1 fillet quality smoked mackerel 
1 ltr (1 pt 14 fl oz) vegetable or chicken stock
100 ml (4 fl oz) double cream

In a solid based pan with a tight fitting lid melt butter till foaming in the oil, add shallots and garlic and a small pinch of salt, replace and cook gently for several minutes without colouring the shallot. Slice potatoes finely and stir into the shallot and butter mix, add a further small pinch of salt and a grind of pepper, replace lid and cook till softened. Peel rhubarb if needed and slice 1 cm thick, add to the pan, stir well and quickly replace the lid, making sure heat is low, and gently cook to release the water and soften the rhubarb.

Add the stock and bring to boil, then reduce heat to a simmer, once potatoes are fully softened. Add cream, boil for a minute then switch off to cool slightly. Taste and adjust seasoning, then blend to smooth purée if desired.

Reheat soup till just warm and place in preheated bowls, shape mackerel and serve with a little rhubarb poached in sugar water.

(Serves 4)

By Graeme Pallister, chef at 63 Tay Street, Perth, runner-up Best Urban Restaurant 2011.

Mussels with cider and leeks

60 g (2 1⁄2 oz) butter
1 large leek, cleaned, tough outer leaves removed and finely sliced
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 bay leaves
Freshly ground black pepper
3 kg (6 lb 6 oz) mussels, washed, scraped and beards removed
300 ml (11 fl oz) English cider
6 tbsp roughly chopped parsley
6 tbsp double cream

Melt butter in a very large, deep saucepan that has a lid, add the leek, garlic, bay leaves and a few good grinds of your pepper mill and cook very gently for about 15 minutes until the leeks are very soft but not caramelised. Then simply throw in the mussels, pour in cider and grind over some black pepper. Give everything a good stir, turn up the heat and cover the pan. Cook for about 5 minutes until the mussels have opened. Discard any shells that have not opened.
Throw over the parsley, pour in the double cream and give the mussels a good stir.

(Serves 4)

Recipe from Stewed! by Alan Rosenthal £14.99, Ebury Press. ISBN 9780091938024. 
stewed! pots are available in Sainsbury’s, Waitrose, Budgens, and Ocado.com

Greek smoked mackerel salad

250 g (9 oz) smoked mackerel fillets, skinned and cubed
100 g (4 oz) feta cheese, cubed in oil with herbs
8 cherry plum tomatoes, halved
1⁄2 cucumber, cubed
12 black olives, pitted
Juice of 1 lime

Place the smoked mackerel in a large bowl. Add the feta cheese, tomatoes, cucumber and olives. 

Mix together and serve on a bed of baby salad leaves with a drizzle of lime juice over the top, and pitta or crusty wholemeal bread.

www.seafish.org  

(Serves)