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Archive for May, 2026

Whole Steamed Sea Bass with Soy

Posted in Asian, Fish, Food, Gluten-free, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on 31 May 2026| Leave a Comment »

A nice healthy dish with lots of flavour going on, perfect for when you pick up a whole sea bass. Serve with some steamed basmati.

Wine Suggestion:We find that lighter, youthful fruity whites with a zippy freshness work well with these steamed, aromatic fish dishes. Something like Villa Wolf’s Pinot Blanc from the Pfalz in Germany which has charming white peach and citrus fruit flavours. Super light and juicy with a zippy refreshing finish we love this super summery wine.

Whole steamed sea bass with soy – serves 2

  • 1 sea bass, about 400g, gutted and scaled
  • 200g tenderstem broccoli, halved lengthways
  • 2 tbsp dark soy sauce
  • 2 tbsp shaoxing rice wine
  • 1 tbsp toasted sesame oil
  • 1 tsp caster sugar
  • 2 cloves of garlic, thinly sliced
  • 1 thumb-size piece of ginger, thinly sliced
  • a handful of coriander stalks
  • 1 carrot, peeled into thin strips
  • ½ a small cucumber, peeled into thin strips
  • 2 tbsp rice vinegar
  • 1 red chilli, thinly sliced
  • 2 scallions, thinly sliced
  • basmati rice, to serve

Heat the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4.

Make 3 slashes in the fish with a sharp knife.

Cut two large pieces of baking paper big enough to completely fit and seal in the fish and broccoli. Place the sheets on top of one another on a large baking sheet and lay the fish in the middle. Scatter around the broccoli.

Mix together the soy sauce, shaoxing , sesame oil and sugar and pour over the fish. Stuff the belly of the fish with the ginger and garlic and a handful of coriander stalks. Season the fish and wrap the parcel up tightly to seal. Cook in the oven for 18-22 minutes (start checking at 18 minutes – the fish is done when it is coming away from the bone or when the internal temperature reaches 60C).

Meanwhile, put the carrot and cucumber strips into a bowl with the rice vinegar and some seasoning, and toss. Leave to pickle for 20 minutes.

When the fish is cooked, open up the parcel and top with the pickled carrot and cucumber strips, sliced red chilli and scallions. Serve with rice.

(Original recipe by Adam Bush in Olive Magazine, January 2022.)

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Epaules d’agneau aux asperges

Posted in Food, Gluten-free, Lamb, tagged , , , , , , , , , , on 17 May 2026| Leave a Comment »

So old-fashioned, and all the better for it. This slow-cooked shoulder of lamb with asparagus is a recipe we stumbled upon in a wonderfully dated French cookbook published by St Michael (yes, the old M&S brand). There’s something very comforting about its simplicity: tender lamb, sweet asparagus, and the kind of no-fuss cooking that lets good ingredients shine.

Wine suggestion: For this dish, we went a little off the beaten track and opened a bottle of Domaine la Taille aux Loups Triple Zero, an exceptional Pétillant Naturel from JP Blot. As the name suggests, it’s the ultimate minimal-intervention sparkling: zero chaptalisation, zero liqueur de tirage, zero dosage. Surprisingly rich and structured for a pét-nat, it had just enough freshness to cut through the creamy lamb and enough depth to complement, rather than clash with, the asparagus.

Epaules d’agneau aux asperges – serves 4

  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 25g butter
  • 1 medium onion, thinly sliced
  • 2 garlic cloves, crushed with some salt
  • 1 kg boneless lamb shoulder, trimmed of fat and cut into cubes
  • juice of 1 lemon
  • 300ml chicken stock
  • 250g asparagus spears, snap off the woody ends and trim off and reserve the tips
  • 250ml double cream

Heat the oven to 160C.

Heat the oil in a large flameproof casserole, then brown the meat in batches, remove with a slotted spoon and set aside.

Melt the butter in the same casserole, add the onion and fry gently until softened. Add the garlic and fry for a further minute, then stir in the lamb and any juices from the plate.

Add the lemon juice, stock and plenty of black pepper, then bring to the boil and simmer gently for 5 minutes.

Stir in the asparagus spears (keep the tips for later), then cover and and transfer to the oven for 1½- 2 hours or until the lamb is very tender, stirring occasionally.

Meanwhile, cook the reserved asparagus tips in simmer waters until tender, then drain and set aside.

Return the casserole to the top of the stove and spoon away any fat from the surface. Taste the sauce and season to taste. Mix the cream and reserved asparagus tip, then pour over the casserole. Heat through gently, without stirring, then serve.

(Original recipe from French Cooking by Jeni Wright, Octopus Books Limited, 1982.)

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