The Times Magazine - UK (2022-02-19)

32 The Times Magazine

POACHED RAY WITH

BALSAMIC VINEGAR

AND CAPERS

Serves 2

• 1 small onion, roughly sliced


• 1 stick celery, roughly sliced


• 1 fennel bulb, roughly sliced


• 1 bay leaf


• 8 black peppercorns


• 2 tbsp white wine vinegar


• 2 pieces of ray, about 300g each


• 100g salted butter


• 3 tbsp balsamic vinegar


• 1 tbsp aged balsamic vinegar


• 1 tbsp salted capers, rinsed


• 1 tbsp chopped parsley

1. Begin by making the court
   bouillon to poach the skate. Put
   the onion, celery, fennel, bay,
   peppercorns and white wine
   vinegar into a large shallow pan
   with 1 litre water and boil for
   15 minutes. Gently lower the
   fish into the court bouillon and
   poach/simmer for 10 minutes.


2. In a small pan heat the butter
   until it starts to foam and colour,

add the balsamic vinegars and

swirl to emulsify together, then

remove from the heat and add

the capers and parsley.

3. Drain the ray on absorbent
   paper for a few seconds then
   serve with the sauce.

STEAMED SHERRY-MISO

MUSSELS WITH CORIANDER

Serves 2 as a starter (page 31)

• 1 tbsp white miso


• 100ml dry sherry


• 1 tbsp olive oil


• 1 tbsp grated ginger


• 1 shallot, finely chopped


• 2 cloves garlic


• Dash of light soy


• 1kg live cleaned mussels


• Handful fresh chopped
  coriander

1. Mix the miso and sherry
   together to form a loose paste.
   Warm the olive oil in a heavy-
   based pan, then add the ginger,
   shallot and garlic. Fry gently,
   then add the paste, soy and
   finally the mussels.


2. Cover with a lid and allow
   to steam, giving the pan a few
   shakes to help them along.
   Discard any that don’t open and
   add the coriander before serving.

PRAWN, GURNARD AND ORZO

STEW WITH FENNEL AIOLI

Serves 2 (page 37)

• 12 large raw prawns


• 1 clove garlic, crushed


• 1 shallot, diced


• 1 tbsp olive oil


• 2 tbsp tomato puree


• 1 pinch of dried chilli


• Good pinch of saffron


• 50ml Pernod


• 100ml white wine


• 3 ripe tomatoes, skinned and
  chopped, seeds removed


• Sprig of thyme


• 2 gurnard fillets, about
  180g each, skinned


• Good handful of orzo

For the aïoli

• 1 bulb fennel, fronds, stems
  and tough base trimmed off


• Handful chopped parsley


• 4 tbsp mayonnaise


• 1 clove garlic, crushed

For the stock

• Prawn shells


• 1 tbsp tomato puree


• 1 stick celery


• 1 carrot


• Fennel trimmings

1. Peel the prawns and reserve
   the shells. Make the stock by
   tossing the shells in a tablespoon
   of tomato puree, then spread out
   on a tray and roast in a 180C oven
   (200C non-fan) for 20 minutes.
   Roughly chop the celery, carrot
   and fennel trimmings, then sweat
   in a pan until turning golden. Add
   the shells, cover with water and
   simmer for 30 minutes.


2. To make the stew, sweat one
   of the garlic cloves and shallot in
   oil and when soft add the tomato

puree, chilli and saffron and then

the Pernod. Let it bubble for a

few minutes, then add the wine

and do the same in order to boil

off the alcohol.

3. Add the strained stock, the
   tomatoes and the thyme, simmer
   for a few minutes, then add the
   gurnard and the orzo. Cook until
   the orzo is soft, about 7 minutes

• the fish should cook in the
  same time. Add the prawns and
  cook for a couple of minutes
  until pink. Finish with parsley.

4. Meanwhile, finely chop the
   fennel and stir it into shop-bought
   mayo with a clove of grated garlic
   and the fennel fronds. Serve a
   spoonful on top of the stew.

Continues on page 37

estaurateur and all-round

fish fanatic Mitch Tonks

thinks he knows why so

many of us shy away

from cooking fish. “It’s

not trusting that it’s fresh,

not knowing how to

prepare it and not knowing how

to cook it,” he says. So basically

everything about it.

“It’s a real shame,” says the

owner of the Rockfish chain and

Seahorse in Dartmouth, “because

it’s such a fantastic ingredient:

tasty, healthy and very quick and

easy. When people ask me the

best way to cook it, I always say

the simplest way you can. All it

really needs is a few herbs and

a squeeze of lemon.”

He’s done a bit more than

that in the recipes here,

showcasing some of the dishes

he recommends alongside his

new online fishmonger business,

Seafood at Home, but each dish

is ready in a matter of minutes.

“For too long our choices have

been limited by what is available

pre-packed and ‘fresh’ from the

supermarkets, but I hope I can

help us Brits eat more seafood,

better,” he says. Tony Turnbull

R

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