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Archive for the ‘Fish’ Category

Pan-fried Trout with Mash & Spinach Sauce

Posted in Fish, Food, Gluten-free, tagged , , , , , , , , , on 24 March 2026| Leave a Comment »

This comforting plate pairs buttery mash with with crisp-skinned Irish trout fillets. Plus there’s a spinach and watercress sauce to bring the dish to life.

Wine Suggestion: Pick a white wine with a fine fresh structure, clean fruit and a savoury back note to match the iron rich spinach. While we thought initially of opening a Grüner veltliner, we were tempted (again) by a Loire wine. This time Chateau du Hureau’s Argile from Saumur; all chalky, minerally from the limestone tuffeau soils, confrontingly dry and yet full of juicy, appley fruit.

Pan-fried trout with mash & spinach sauce – serves 4

  • 4 fillets of trout
  • 20g finely chopped fresh chives

FOR THE SPINACH SAUCE:

  • 30g unsalted butter
  • olive oil
  • 1 large brown onion, finely sliced
  • 3 cloves of garlic, finely sliced
  • 220-250g spinach
  • 150ml double cream
  • 80g watercress
  • 1 unwaxed lemon

FOR THE MASH:

  • 5 large baking potatoes, peeled and cut into even chunks
  • 75g salted butter
  • whole milk (optional), we’re not mad on milk in our mash but occasionally add a splash of cream if we have it
  • 1-2 tsp Dijon mustard

Make the spinach sauce first. Put the butter in a heavy-based pan with a splash of olive oil over a medium heat. When the butter is foaming, add the onion, garlic and a good pinch of salt. Fry for 10-15 minutes, until soft but not browned.

Add the spinach and cook briefly just until wilted.

Pour everything into a blender along with the cream and whizz until very smooth. Start adding the watercress in batches, whizzing after each addition, until you have achieved a peppery punch (you may not need all of it). Put it into the fridge and leave to cool (you will add some lemon juice to brighten it up before serving).

Cover the potatoes in cold water, add some salt and bring to the boil. Cook until tender, then drain and leave to steam dry. Mash until smooth.

If you are using milk, warm it in a pan with the butter, then add to the pan gradually until you have the consistency you like. Finish with the mustard and season with white pepper.

Pat the fish dry with kitchen paper. Season and rub the skin with a little oil.

Put a large frying pan over a medium-high heat. Place the fish skin side down, pressing each to the pan. Fry until the skin is crispy, then gently turn over and briefly fry on the other side until just cooked through (use your thermometer if you have one).

Meanwhile, warm the spinach sauce in a small pan and make sure the mash is piping hot.

Add a squeeze of lemon to the spinach sauce, just before serving.

Pour the sauce into warm bowls, top with the mash and then the fish and sprinkle with the chives.

(Original recipe from The Farm Table by Julius Roberts, Ebury Press, 2023.)

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Teriyaki Monkfish with Pickled Cucumbers

Posted in Barbecue, Fish, Food, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , on 19 March 2026| Leave a Comment »

Teriyaki monkfish with pickled cucumbers – serves 4

It’s March which means spring time in Ireland and just about enough daylight to get back to the barbecue. We’ kicked off the season with this delicious monkfish and planning many more!

Wine suggestion: serve with a fresh, dry and uncomplicated rosé like the Chateau la Negly l’Ecume from the Languedoc.A charmer with hints of strawberry and a vinous, dry finish. Makes us dream of sunshine whenever we sip this.

  • 600g monfish fillet, cut into bite-size pieces

FOR THE PICKLED CUCUMBER:

  • 1 cucumber
  • 3 tbsp rice wine vinegar
  • 2 tsp caster sugar
  • 2 tsp flaked sea salt
  • 2 tbsp sesame seeds, toasted

FOR THE MARINADE:

  • 100ml sake
  • 100ml mirin
  • 100ml soy sauce
  • 25g ginger, finely grated
  • 2 cloves of garlic, crushed

Make the pickle first. Slice the cucumber in half lengthways and scoop out the seeds with a teaspoon. Finely slice into half-moons and tip into a bowl. Stir in the vinegar, sugar, salt and sesame seeds. Stir together and set aside.

To make the marinade, pour the sake, mirin and soy into a small pan over a low heat. Add the ginger, garlic and lots of black pepper. Stir for about 5 minutes or until slightly reduced. Divide between two bowls, one to baste the monkfish and the other to serve as a dipping sauce. Set both aside to cool.

Get your barbecue ready for direct grilling.

Thread the monkfish onto metal skewers. Grill the kebabs for a couple of minutes on each side, basting as you go with the marinade.

Serve hot with the dipping sauce, pickled cucumber and some rice if you like.

(Orginal recipe from Scorched by Genevieve Taylor, Quadrilla, 2024.)

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Baked Red Fish

Posted in Fish, Food, Gluten-free, tagged , , , , , , , , on 17 March 2026| 2 Comments »

We got two red fish in our monthly fish box which were described as red mullet, but they didn’t look like the other red mullet we’ve eaten … so we’ll just call them “Red Fish”. Whatever they were, they are tasty and this dish showed them off perfectly and will work with whatever type of red fish you happen to have.

Wine Suggestion: the combination of the herbal fennel and the meaty, white fish demand a white with both a bit of body and a nutty, minerality. As it was a bank holiday we opened Patrick Javillier’s Bourgogne Côte d’Or Cuvée Oligocène, a judiciously oaked Chardonnay from soils very similar to Puligny Montrachet … without the pricetag.

Baked Red Fish with Fennel, Tomatoes & Olives – serves 2

  • 2 whole red fish, scaled and gutted
  • extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 bulb of fennel, sliced
  • cherry tomatoes, halved
  • 2 cloves of garlic, sliced
  • a handful of pitted black olives
  • lemon, for squeezing over
  • parsley, roughly chopped

Heat the oven to 200C.

Put the cherry tomatoes, fennel, olives and garlic into a large roasting tray. Drizzle generously with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.

Roast for 10 minutes, then place the fish on top, drizzle with more olive oil and roast for another 12 to 15 minutes or until the fish is cooked through.

Sprinkle with parsley and some lemon juice.

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Braised Fennel and Cod with Beans & ‘Nduja Butter

Posted in Fish, Food, Gluten-free, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on 18 January 2026| Leave a Comment »

There are all sorts of good things going on in this dish from Ottolenghi Comfort. The beans turn lovely and creamy, the fennel is soft and sort of caramelised and the smoky ‘nduja butter is delicious. Highly recommended!

Wine Suggestion:

Braised fennel and cod with beans and ‘nduja butter – serves 4

  • 60ml olive oil
  • 2-3 large fennel bulbs, halved and cut into wedges
  • 3 banana shallots, quartered lengthwise and peeled
  • 1 head of garlic, unpeeled and halved widthways
  • 1 x 400g tin of cannellini beans (or black-eyed beans – we couldn’t get these this time)
  • 150ml chicken stock
  • 125ml dry white wine (or dry vermouth if you have it)
  • 4 skinless cod fillets (or haddock or hake)
  • 50g crème fraîche
  • 5g chives, finely chopped
  • lemon wedges, to serve

FOR THE ‘NDUJA BUTTER:

  • 45g unsalted butter
  • 25g ‘nduja paste (we used an Irish one from Corndale Farm in Limavady)
  • ¾ tsp Urfa chilli flakes
  • ¾ tsp chipotle chilli flakes
  • ½ tsp smoked paprika

Heat the oven to 220C fan.

You need a shallow casserole dish with a lid. Cut out a piece of baking paper into a circle roughly a cm less than the width of your dish.

Put the olive oil into the casserole and put over a medium-high heat. Add the fennel, shallots and garlic and sauté for about 6 minutes, or until the veg starts to catch a little.

Add the beans, stock, wine, 1 tsp of salt and a generous amount of black pepper. Stir gently and bring to a simmer, then place the paper on top, cover with the lid and bake in to the hot oven for 30 minutes or until the vegetables are soft. Remove the parchment and return to the oven without the lid (you can add a splash more stock or water if it looks a bit dry). Bake for another 10-15 minutes, until the vegetables have browned here and there.

Meanwhile, combine all the ingredients for the ‘nduja butter in a small saucepan and put over a medium-low heat. Bring to a gentle simmer, breaking the ‘nduja up with the back of a spoon to incorporate with the butter, then remove from the heat.

Season the fish very lightly with salt and some pepper. Drizzle 1½ tsp of the ‘nduja butter over each fish fillet and reserve the rest. Take the pan out of the oven and place the fish on top. Return to the oven, uncovered, for 7-10 minutes or until the fish is just cooked.

Remove from the oven and allow to rest for 5 minutes, then dollop on the crème fraîche, drizzle with the rest of the ‘nduja buttter and sprinkle with the chives. Serve with the lemon wedges for squeezing over.

(Original recipe from Ottolenghi Comfort by Yotam Ottolenghi, Helen Goh, Verena Lochmuller & Tara Wigley, Ebury Press, 2024.)

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Dover Sole À La Meunière

Posted in Fish, Food, tagged , , , , , , , , , on 6 January 2026| Leave a Comment »

This might just be our favourite fish dish — and honestly, we can’t believe it took us this long to realise how utterly simple it is to cook. Dover sole (also known as black sole here in Ireland) is a truly special fish: delicate, buttery, and elegant with very little effort required in the kitchen. Since subscribing to a fish box from Urban Monger, we’ve been pushed out of our comfort zone and into cooking more seafood. This recipe is a great confidence booster: classic, quick, and very satisfying.

Wine Suggestion: Such a lovely fish needs respect, so don’t skimp on quality and look for a crisp, dry white with depth and personality. We chose a Chablis from Nathalie & Gilles Fèvre which is made in stailess steel, but left on its fine lees to add texture to an already layered, pure fruited wine: white stonefruit, a lemony twist and a limestone backbone.

Dover sole à la meunière – serves 2

  • 2 x 400-450g Dover soles trimmed and skinned (the ones we had were labelled black sole in Ireland but they are the same thing)
  • 25g plain flour
  • 4 tbsp flour
  • 50g unsalted butter
  • 2 tsp lemon juice
  • 1 tbsp chopped parsley
  • 2 tsp capers
  • lemon wedges, to serve
  • roast baby potatoes, to serve

If you need to trim the fish yourself, take a pair of scissors and cut the frilly fins and the fleshy bones off both sides. You will be removing about 4 cm off all around so you are left with just the 4 fillets on the backbone.

Season the fish with salt and white pepper, then dip both sides into the flour and pat off any excess.

Heat the oil in a non-stick for well-seasoned frying pan. Add one of the soles, lower the heat slightly and add a small piece of the butter. Fry over a moderate heat for 4-5 minutes until golden brown and cooked through. Transfer to a plate and keep warm while you cook the second fish.

Pour off the frying oil and discard. Add the rest of the butter to the pan and allow to melt over a moderate heat. When it starts to smell nutty and turn brown, add the lemon juice, parsley, capers and some seasoning. Pour some of the beurre noisette over each fish and serve with the lemon wedges and some roast baby potatoes.

(Original recipe from Rick Stein’s Food Stories, BBC Books, Penguin Random House, 2024.)

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Nigella’s Mirin-Glazed Salmon

Posted in Fish, Food, tagged , , , , , , , , , , on 8 December 2025| 2 Comments »

This dish is big on flavour but could not be simpler to throw together. Leftover salmon is unlikely but delicious for lunch the next day.

Wine Suggestion: you need a white with some oomph to match the umami, deep flavours here. Something like the Soalheiro Alvarinho Reserva from northern Portugal which combines ripe stonefruit flavours with a twist of quinine minerality and texture, overlaid with a toasty, nuttiness from barrel aging.

Mirin-glazed salmon – serves 4

  • 60ml mirin
  • 50g light brown sugar
  • 60ml soy sauce
  • 4 x pieces skinless salmon fillet
  • 2 tbsp rice vinegar
  • 1-2 scallions, shredded into fine strips

Mix the mirin, brown sugar and soy sauce in a shallow dish that will fit the salmon pieces. Marinate the salmon for 3 minutes on the first side, then turn it over and leave for another 2 minutes. Meanwhile, heat a large non-stick frying pan on the hob.

Heat a dry pan over high heat. Place the salmon in the pan and sear for 2 minutes. Flip the pieces over and continue cooking. After another 2 minutes, pour in the marinade.
If your salmon pieces are thick or very large, extend the cooking time before adding the marinade, wait until the salmon is almost cooked through. If you add the marinade too soon it will turn to caramel.

Remove the salmon to a plate, then add the vinegar to the sauce and warm through.

Pour the glaze over the salmon and top with the scallions. Serve with sticky rice and sushi ginger if you have it (though not essential).

(Original recipe from Nigella Express, Chatto & Windus, 2007.)

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Smoked Salmon with Pickled Cucumber

Posted in Fish, Food, tagged , , , , , , , , , on 5 November 2025| Leave a Comment »

Buy top quality smoked salmon for this and serve as a starter. A delicious recipe from The Italian Deli Cookbook by Theo Randall.

Wine Suggestion: Some good friends brought over a sparkling from Woodchester Valley vineyards in the Cotswolds which was charmingly matched with this dish; both contrasting and complimenting the various flavours and textures. A classic blend of the three Champagne grapes and a classic secondary fermentastion in the bottle. Creamy mousse, hints of bready autolysis and elegance, but a touch more chalky, saline giving this wine a sense of place too.

Smoked salmon with pickled cucumber – serves 4 as a starter

  • 1 small red onion, finely sliced
  • 2 tbsp caster sugar
  • 2 tbsp white wine vinegar
  • 1 cucumber, peeled, halved lengthways and deseeds
  • 100ml sunflower oil
  • 50g coarsely chopped ciabatta
  • 300g sliced smoked salmon
  • 1 tbsp tiny capers in vinegar, drained
  • 50g flat-leaf parsley, leaves picked and roughly chopped
  • 1 lemon, quartered, to serve

Put the onion into a small saucepan with 1 tbsp of the caster sugar and 1 tbsp of the white wine vinegar and ½ tsp salt. Cover with a tight lid and cook over a low heat for 10 minutes, or until the onions are soft. Set aside and leave to cool.

Put the cucumber halves, flat-side down on a board and cut into 5mm slices. Put the sliced cucumber into a bowl with the remaining tbsp of sugar and of vinegar and add ½ tsp salt. Stir gently, then cover with cling film and macerate for 30 minutes. Pour off the excess liquid and put the cucumber into a clean tea towel and squeeze out any excess moisture. Set aside.

Heat the sunflower oil in a small saucepan over a medium heat. When hot, add the ciabatta and fry until lightly golden. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on kitchen paper. Sprinkle with a little sea salt and leave to cool.

Lay the smoked salmon slices over a platter. Scatter over the pickled onion and cucumber, followed by the capers and parsley.

Dot over small teaspoons of the crème fraîche and top with the ciabatta. Season with black pepper and serve the lemon wedges on the side.

(Original recipe from The Italian Deli Cookbook by Theo Randall, Hardie Grant: Quadrille, 2021.)

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Steamed Sea Bass with Garlic, Ginger and Spring Onions

Posted in Fish, Food, Gluten-free, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on 4 November 2025| Leave a Comment »

We are beyond excited by our subscription seafood box from Urban Monger. This is what we did with two whole sea bass that arrived on our doorstep amongst various other delicious things. Serve with steamed rice and tenderstem broccoli.

Wine Suggestion: We love classic wines that are slightly atypical, but showing a new direction in wine. Tonight we wanted a crisp, fresh and dry white so opened a Sybille Kuntz Kabinett Riesling from the Mosel in Germany. A wine like this from the Mosel would have typically had residual sugar but Sybille makes all her wines completely dry, it’s a roaring success and such a thrill to drink with this delicate, and flavoursome dish. A celebration of flavour all round.

Steamed Sea Bass with Garlic, Ginger and Scallions – serves 2-3

  • 2 x 350g whole sea bass, scaled, cleaned and gutted
  • 15g root ginger, cut into fine matchsticks
  • 4-5 scallions, trimmed and thinly sliced
  • 1 red chilli, finely sliced
  • 2 tbsp dark soy sauce
  • 2 tbsp sesame oil
  • 4 cloves of garlic, finely sliced
  • a handful of coriander, roughly chopped

Put the fish in a fish kettle and sprinkle over the ginger (if you don’t have a fish kettle you could use a steamer or a rack in a roasting tin). Add 2cm of water. Use a couple of balls of tin foil to lift the rack up above the water level. Cover with the lid (or foil) and steam for about 10 minute or until cooked through. It’s easiest to use a thermometer and the fish should be 60C.

Lift the fish onto a warm serving dish and scatter over the scallions and chilli, then cover to keep warm.

Spoon about 5 tbsp of the cooking juices into a small pan, add the soy sauce and bring to the boil. Pour this over the fish. Heat the sesame oil in the same pan, then add the garlic and fry for a few seconds, then pour over the fish. Sprinkle with the coriander and serve.

(Original recipe from Rick Stein’s Simple Suppers, BBC Books, 2023.)

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Hake with Rice and Date Pickle

Posted in Fish, Food, Gluten-free, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , on 8 October 2025| Leave a Comment »

Every element of this dish from Lugma by Noor Murad, but it’s the date pickle that truly brings everything together. It lifts the whole plate and we can definitely see it making repeat appearances alongside all sorts of other dishes.

Wine Suggestion: We’ve been exploring the fresher, lighter reds from north-western Spain, a joyful match for spiced or richly flavoured fish like this. A recent gem is the Finca Millara Lagariza, a youthful, fruit forward and light bodied Mencía that we served lightly chilled. A brilliant pairing.

Fish with rice and date pickle – serves 4

FOR THE FISH:

  • ½ tsp ground turmeric
  • ½ tsp paprika
  • 2 tsp cumin seeds
  • seeds from 15 cardamom pods
  • 600g skinless hake fillet, cut into 6cm pieces
  • 1½ tbsp melted ghee
  • ½ lemon

FOR THE RICE:

  • 2 tbsp melted ghee
  • 5 cardamom pods
  • 5 cloves
  • 1 cinnamon stick
  • 3 fresh bay leaves
  • 150g date molasses
  • ½ tsp loosely packed saffron threads, roughly crushed
  • 300g basmati rice, washed until the water runs clear, then soaked for at least 20 minutes and up to 2 hours, then drained well

FOR THE DATE PICKLE:

  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 tsp fennel seeds
  • 1 tsp Aleppo chilli flakes
  • 120g Medjool dates, pitted and thinly sliced
  • 3 tbsp apple cider vinegar
  • 30g red onion, thinly sliced
  • 10g coriander, leaves and soft stems picked

Use a pestle and mortar to finely crush the cumin seeds and cardamom seeds.

Mix all the ground spices for the fish in a large bowl with ½ tsp salt and plenty of black pepper. Add the fish and mix well to coat, then put in the fridge until needed.

For the rice, add the ghee, whole spices and bay leaves to a medium, lidded saucepan and place over a medium heat. Cook for a few minutes, stirring now and then, until fragrant.

Stir in the molasses then pour in 620ml of hot water, the saffron and ¾ tsp salt. Bring to the boil, then stir in the rice. Bring up to a fast boil for exactly 5 minutes, without stirring, until the grains have started to plump up and have absorbed at least half of the water. Cover with a clean tea towel followed by the lid, securing the ends of the tea towel over the lid. Turn the heat to low and cook, without touching, for 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, make the pickle. Add the oil and fennel seeds to a small frying pan over a medium heat. Cook for 2 minutes, until fragrant, then stir in the chilli and a small pinch of salt and pour into a medium heatproof bowl. Allow to cool for 5 minutes, then stir in the dates, vinegar and onion. Set aside to pickle.

When the rice is read, remove the lid and tea towel. Allow the rice to cool slightly while you fry the fish.

Heat the ghee in a large frying pan over a medium-high heat. Add the fish and cook for 2-3 minutes on each side, until nicely browned and cooked through. Squeeze over the lemon juice.

Transfer the rice to a large platter and top with the fish and any fat in the pan. Stir the coriander into the pickle and serve alongside.

(Original recipe from Lugma by Noor Murad, Quadrille, 2025.)

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Smoked Salmon on the Barbecue with Tomato Salad and Potato Salad

Posted in Barbecue, Fish, Food, Gluten-free, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on 2 October 2025| Leave a Comment »

Quite a lot going on here but all very straightforward and not too time-consuming. We highly recommend this potato salad – piquant and not to mayonaisy.

Wine Suggestion: We’ve always enjoyed albariño but have really got into it in a big way recently by exploring the Spanish, Portuguese and new areas in the world making this great grape that pairs with fish and seafood. Tonight a little off-piste the Newton Johnson Albariño from Hermanus in South Africa … which has similar granitic soils to Spain. Sunshine, Antarctic breezes and a southern African hint make this unique but recognisable and delicious with the salmon, capers etc.

Smoked salmon on the barbecue with tomato salad and potato salad – serves 4

  • 4 lightly smoked salmon fillets (we bought ours in M&S)

FOR THE CHIVE DRESSING:

  • a small bunch of chives
  • 1 small shallot, finely chopped
  • 90ml (6 tbsp) of extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 tbsp white wine vinegar
  • ½ tsp salt

FOR THE TOMATO SALAD:

  • 6 tomatoes, finely sliced
  • 1 smal red onion, finely sliced
  • a pinch of caster sugar
  • 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 tsp sherry vinegar
  • a handful of basil, torn

FOR THE POTATO SALAD:

  • 1 kg new potatoes – we used Jersey Royals
  • 2 banana shallots, finely chopped
  • 2 eggs, hard-boiled, peeled and chopped
  • 2 tbsp capers
  • a handful of cornichons, finely chopped
  • 4 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 tbsp sherry vinegar
  • 2 tbsp mayonnaise
  • a small handful of parsley and dill, chopped

Start by boiling the potatoes for the salad in salty water until tender, then drain and set aside to cool.

Get your barbeuce on to heat up.

When the potatoes have cooled, cut them into halves or quarters and mix with the rest of the potato salad ingredients. Set aside until ready to serve.

For the chive dressing, set aside 4 chives for a garnish and finely slice the rest. Mix them with the shallot, olive oil, vinegar and salt.

For the tomato salad, arrange the sliced tomatoes on a serving plattter and scatter over the red onion. Season well with salt, pepper and sugar, then dress with the oil and vinegar and garnish with the basil.

Brush the fish with a little oil and cook over a hot barbecue for a couple of minutes on each side.

Spoon some chive dressing on each plate and top with the cooked salmon. Garnish with the remaining chives and serve with the tomato and potato salad.

(Original recipe from Rick Stein’s Food Stories, BBC Books, 2024.)

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BBQ Trout with Beetroot & Apple Salad

Posted in Barbecue, Fish, Food, Gluten-free, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , on 1 September 2025| Leave a Comment »

We’ve been having fun and trying to cook a lot more fish on the barbecue. The salad with these skewers is particularly good.

Wine Suggestion: we opened and enjoyed Stephanie and Arnaud Dezat’s Sancerre Blanc. Two of the youngest members of an old family making wine here since the fifteenth century, this was pure and refreshing with a suitable minerally texture.

BBQ Trout with beetroot & apple salad – serves 4

  • 600g chunky piece of trout fillet, skinned and pin-boned
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 3 tsp wholegrain mustard
  • lemon wedges, to serve

FOR THE SALAD:

  • 1 apple
  • 6 radishes, thinly sliced
  • 100g pickled beetroot
  • 30g watercress
  • 1 tbsp finely chopped dill
  • 1 tsp Dijon
  • 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
  • 1 tsp honey
  • 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

Cut the trout fillets into 1cm thick slices. Mix the olive oil and mustard together in a bowl and brush the trout all over with this mixture. Thread the fish onto metal skewers and leave to marinate in the fridge for 30 minutes.

Get your barbecue on and hot for direct cooking.

To make the salad, get a large bowl of iced water ready. Halve and core the apples and cut them into julienne strips and immerce in the iced water with the sliced radishes. Leave to crisp in the water for 10 minutes.

Drain the apples and radishes and pat dry with a clean tea towel, then place in a large bowl. Cut the beetroot into julienne strips and add to the bowl with the watercress and chopped dill. Toss together and leave in the fridge until needed.

Make the dressing by whisking the Dijon mustard, cider vinegar, honey and extra virgin olive oil together with some seasoning in a small bowl. Pour the dressing over the salad just before serving and toss well.

Place the skewers on the hot barbecue and cook for a couple of minutes on each side. Serve the skewers with some salad and a lemon wedge on the side.


(Original recipe from The BBQ Book by Tom Kerridge, Bloomsbury: Absolute, 2025).

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Trout and Asparagus Kebabs

Posted in Barbecue, Fish, Food, Gluten-free, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , on 15 August 2025| Leave a Comment »

A bit late in the season to post these lovely trout and asparagus kebabs but we couldn’t leave them out.

Wine Suggestion: A bottle from a familiar winery, but one we picked up in Spain as this particular cuvée doesn’t currently make it into Ireland. Bodegas Castro Martin’s A-2-O, a fresh and elegant Albariño from the Val de Salnés in Rías Baíxas.

Trout and Asparagus Kebabs – serves 4

  • 600g trout fillet, without skin – try and get a chunky piece, cut into 3cm pieces
  • 200g asparagus – snap off the ends and slice into short lengths
  • 1 orange, quarter, then slice into small pieces
  • 2 tbsp olive oil

FOR THE HERB OIL:

  • about 15g of mint leaves, finely chopped
  • 100ml olive oil
  • 1 clove of garlic, crushed
  • 2 tsp red wine vinegar

Thread the trout, asparagus and orange pieces onto 4 metal skewers. If your fish pieces are a bit skinny just fold them over and thread them on to make a chunkier piece.

Drizzle with olive oil and season well.

Heat the barbecue for driect grilling and ideally use a grill tray.

To make the herb oil, put the chopped mint into a small bowl, then stir in the olive oil, garlic, red wine vinegar and seasoning.

Cook the skewers on the hot grill tray (if you have one) for a couple of minutes on each side or until the fish is crispy. Don’t be tempted to turn them too quickly or they might stick.

Serve with the mint oil.

(Original recipe from Scorched by Genevieve Taylor, Hardie Grant: Quadrille, 2024.)

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Brazilian Seafood Moqueca

Posted in Fish, Food, Gluten-free, Shellfish, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , on 11 August 2025| Leave a Comment »

We don’t cook many Brazilian dishes but perhaps we should make more as this one was delicious! Serve with rice or crusty bread.

Wine Suggestion: we had to guess a bit with what to open with this, so chose a warmer climate white with some white flower amd stonefruit characters; dry but with softer fruitiness. So tonight the charming Dominio de Tares Godello La Sonrisa and it was a very pleasant match indeed.

Brazilian seafood moqueca – serves 4 to 6

  • 650g firm white fish fillets (we used hake)
  • 400g whole shell-on prawns (about 12)
  • 3 limes, zested to make 1 tsp, juiced to make 6 tbsp, plus a little extra lime zest to serve
  • 2 tsp sweet paprika
  • 2 tsp ground cumin
  • 2 medium onions, diced
  • 4 fat garlic cloves, crushed
  • 1 large red pepper, cut into strips
  • 1 large yellow pepper, cut into strips
  • 2 tsp coriander seeds, crushed
  • 1 tsp ground turmeric
  • 4 tbsp tomato purée
  • 400ml coconut milk
  • coriander, chopped, to garnish
  • red chilli, sliced, to garnish
  • white rice or crusty bread, to serve

Cut the fish fillets into chunky pieces and de-vein the prawns but leave the shells on (either use a very sharp knife or pointy scissors).

Mix the lime zest, 4 tbsp of the lime juice, 1 tsp of the paprika, 1 tsp of the cumin and 1 tsp of fine salt in a large bowl. Add the fish and prawns and toss gently to coat, then cover and leave aside for 15 minutes.

Heat the oil in a large deep pan and cook the onions for 5 minutes. Add the garlic, peppers and crushed coriander seeds and cook for another 5 minutes.

Add the turmeric, 1 tsp of paprika, 1 tsp of cumin, the tomato purée and a splash of water, then mix well to coat the onions. Add the coconut milk with 200ml of water, then simmer over a medium heat for 8 to 10 minutes. Add 1 tsp of fine salt.

Gently add the fish and prawns to the sauce along with any marinade. The seafood needs to be completely covered so add a little more water if needed. Cover with a lid and simmer for 8-10 minutes or until the seafood is cooked through.

Check the seasoning and add more salt if needed. Stir throught the rest of the lime juice and serve garnished with coriander and chilli.

(Original recipe by Gurdeep Loyal in Olive Magazine, May 2025.)

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Sardines on Toast

Posted in Fish, Food, tagged , , , , , , , , , , on 15 July 2025| Leave a Comment »

We’re good at picking up fancy tins of fish but less good at using them! Here’s some nice inspiration for a tin of sardines.

Brushette with sardines and pickled cucumber – serves 4

  • 1 x 120g tin of sardines in olive oil, drained
  • juice of ½ lemon
  • 2 tbsp good olive oil
  • ½ cucumber, peeled, halved lengthways and deseeded
  • 1 tbsp caster sugar, red wine vinegar
  • 1 tsp sea salt
  • 1 tbsp red wine vinegar
  • 1 beef tomato, halved horizontally
  • ½ tsp chopped marjoram
  • 1 tsp miniature capers in vinegar, drained
  • 4 slices of sourdough bread, toasted
  • 1 garlic clove, peeled
  • green salad, to serve

Remove the large bone in the middle of each sardine and transfer the sardines to a bowl. Mash with a fork, then stir through the lemon juice and 1 tbsp of the olive oil.

Cut the cucumber halves into 1cm slices. Place in a bowl with the sugar, ½ tsp of the salt and the vinegar. Mix well, cover with cling film and leave aside for 10 minutes. Pour off all the excess liquid and put the cucumber slices onto a clean tea towel, gather up the edges and squeeze out the excess moisture. Set aside in a bowl.

Scoop out and discard the tomato seeds. Finely chop the flesh to a pulp with the rest of the salt. Transfer to a colander and leave for 5 minutes to drain. Mix the drained tomatoes with the rest of the olive oil and season with black pepper, then add the marjoram and capers. Set aside.

Gently rub the toasted sourdough with the garlic clove. Divide the sardines equally on top of the sourdough slices and add a spoonful of the chopped tomato mixture. Finish with the pickled cucumber and serve with a dressed green salad.

(Original recipe from The Italian Deli Cookbook by Theo Randall, Quadrille, 2021.)

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Salmon with Cajun Spices

Posted in Fish, Food, Gluten-free, tagged , , , , , , , on 30 June 2025| 2 Comments »

Salmon is one of the most popular dishes in our house so it’s nice to find a recipe with some different flavours.

Wine Suggestion: double down on the citrussy aspect when choosing a wine so for this we headed to a Loire Sauvignon Blanc, but not from one of the “big two”, rather an under-rated Menetou Salon made by Anthony Girard at La Clef du Recit. A touch more grapefruit and orange, but with hints of lemon, the freshness really worked well with the salmon.

Salmon with Cajun spices – serves 2

  • 2 salmon fillets, skin on
  • 2 tsp Cajun spice blend
  • 1-2 tbsp olive oil
  • 30g butter
  • lemon wedges, to serve

FOR THE SAUCE:

  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 2 banana shallots, finely diced
  • 2 cloves of garlic, finely diced
  • ½ tsp Cajun spice blend
  • 150ml fish stock
  • 150ml crème fraîche
  • juice of 1 lemon
  • 1 tbsp finely chopped flat-leaf parsley

Score the skin of the salmon with a sharp knife, then sprinkle both sides with the Cajun spice mix and a little salt. Heat the olive oil over a medium heat in a frying pan.

Add the salmon to the hot oil, skin side down, pressing the fillets down with a fish slice. Cook for a few minutes on each side, then remove the pan from the heat.

Add the butter to the pan and baste the salmon with it as it melts. Transfer the salmon to a warm plate and leave to rest while you make the sauce.

Put the frying pan back over a medium-high heat and add the olive oil. Add the shallots and cook for a few minutes, then add the garlic and Cajun spice blend and cook for a couple of minutes.

Add the stock to the pan and let it bubble until reduced by half. Stir in the crème fraîche and cook for a minute or two until the sauce thickens. Season and add the lemon juice to taste. Remove from the heat and stir through the parsley.

Spoon the sauce onto warmed serving plates and top with the salmon. Serve with lemon wedges and green beans.

(Original recipe from Tom Kerridge Cooks Britain, Bloomsbury, 2024.)

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Hake with Panko & Pesto

Posted in Fish, Food, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on 26 April 2025| 2 Comments »

A week night fish dish that was a hit with everyone in our family, and that’s saying something. Peas are obligatory as the side.

Wine Suggestion: this works excellently with a zesty, citrus flavoured white like the Pico Maccario Gavi di Gavi from Piedmont in Italy.

Hake with Panko & Pesto – serves 4

  • 1kg floury potatoes, cut into wedges
  • 2 tbsp olive oil, plus a little extra
  • 4 pieces of hake (or another firm white fish), skin and bones removed
  • 2 tbsp pesto
  • 2 tbsp panko breadcrumbs
  • 2 tbsp finely grated Parmesan
  • 1 tbsp chopped pine nuts
  • 1 tbsp capers, finely chopped
  • 1 tbsp dill, chopped
  • 3 tbsp mayonnaise
  • ¼ lemon, zested and juiced

Heat the oven to 220C/200C fan.

Put the wedges onto a baking tray and drizzle over 1 tbsp of olive oil. Season with salt and pepper, then toss to coat in the oil. Bake for 50-55 minutes, turning halfway, until crispy and golden.

Oil another baking sheet and add the fish pieces. Spread the pesto over the fish pieces and sprinkle over the panko breadcrumbs. Drizzle with a tbsp of olive oil, then sprinkle over the Parmesan and chopped pine nuts. Place in the oven for the final 10-12 minutes of cooking time. The top should be golden and the fish should flake easily.

Mix the capers, dill, mayonnaise, lemon zest and juice with some black pepper in a small bowl. Serve the fish with the wedges, peas and dip.

(Original recipe from BBC Good Food)

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Little Salmon Sausage Rolls

Posted in Fish, Food, tagged , , , , , , , , , , on 23 March 2025| Leave a Comment »

These are great with drinks and much lighter than actual sausage rolls. You can also freeze them uncooked and then cook from frozen for a handy standby.

Wine Suggestion: Bubbles of course … we’re particularly fond of the Domaine de la Taille aux Loups Triple Zero, so named as it uses no chaptilisation, no liquer de tirage and no dosage. As unfettered and refined a Pet Nat you can find anywhere and very special for it.

Little salmon sausage rolls – makes 24

  • 1 x 320g sheet all-butter puff pastry
  • 1 egg beaten

FOR THE FILLING:

  • 200g skinless salmon fillet, finely chopped
  • 115g smoked salmon, finely chopped
  • 125g full-fat cream cheese
  • 25g Parmesan, finely grated
  • small bunch of dill, finely chopped
  • 6 scallions, finely chopped
  • juice of ½ lemon
  • 75g dill pickle from a jar, finely chopped

Heat the oven to 200C/180C Fan/Gas 6.

Preheat a large baking tray.

Put all the filling ingredients into a large bowl, season with salt and pepper and mix well.

Roll the puff pastry sheet out on a lightly floured surface to make a rectangle 30 x 40 cm. Brush with the beaten egg, then divide vertically into 3 even-sized pieces.

Divide the filling into 3 and make a mound down each piece of pastry. Lift and fold the pastry over and seal by pressing down with the back of a fork.

Cut each section into 8 and brush the tops with the beaten egg.

Line the hot baking tray with non-stick baking paper and place the rolls on top. Bake for 18-20 minutes or until golden brown.

(Original recipe from Mary’s Foolproof Dinners by Mary Berry, BBC Books, 2024.)

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Thai Red Salmon Curry

Posted in Fish, Food, tagged , , , , , , , , , , on 15 January 2025| Leave a Comment »

This is a quick curry but it still tastes delicious and simple enough to throw together after work.

Thai red salmon curry – serves 2

  • 100g dried rice noodles
  • 350g skinless salmon fillets, cut lengthways into 4 thin pieces
  • 1½ tbsp vegetable oil
  • 3 tbsp Thai red curry paste
  • 1½ tsp finely grated garlic
  • 1 tsp finely grated ginger
  • 125ml chicken stock
  • 400ml tin coconut milk
  • 2 tsp fish sauce
  • 1 tsp white sugar
  • 4 baby bok choy, leaves separated
  • 1-2 tbsp lime juice, plus wedges for serving
  • fresh coriander leaves, to serve
  • red bird’s eye chilli, finely sliced, to serve

Soak the noodles in boiling water according to the pack instructions, then drain and divide between two bowls.

Season the salmon, then heat the oil in a large non-stick frying pan over a high heat. Cook the salmon for a minute on each side, then transfer to a plate. It doesn’t need to be cooked through yet, just lightly golden on the surface.

Add the curry paste, garlic and ginger to the pan. Cook, stirring continuously, for a minute, then add the chicken stock and simmer rapidly for a minute, stirring to scrape any sticky bits from the bottom of the pan. Add the coconut milk, fish sauce and sugar, then simmer rapidly for 2 minutes.

Return the salmon to the pan and push the bok choy in around it. Simmer for 2 minutes, pushing the bok choy into the liquid as it wilts. Once the salmon flakes easily, remove the pan from the heat.

Pour the lime juice over the fish and serve over the noodles. Sprinkle with the coriander and fresh chilli before serving with extra lime wedges.

(Original recipe from Recipetin Eats Tonight by Nagi Maehashi, Pan Macmillan, 2024.)

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Fish Cooked in Tomato Sauce with Tahini

Posted in Fish, Food, Gluten-free, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , on 18 December 2024| Leave a Comment »

Two delicious sauces combine to really highlight the fish in this North African inspired dish. We used hake but you can of course use other white fish fillets. Serve with couscous and pitta breads.

Wine Suggestion: it is quite a complex challenge to balance the spices, tomatoes and creamy tahini, but we think this works great with Mediterranean inspired blends that include a bit of Tempranillo like Parker Estate Favourite Son Shiraz-Tempranillo. Despite this being a bigger red and this being a fish dish there’s a certain freshness from Coonawarra that comes through and very complimentary spices that make this work.

Fish cooked in tomato sauce with tahini – serves 4

  • 4 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 onion, finely sliced
  • 5 cloves of garlic, finely sliced
  • 2 tbsp smoked paprika
  • 1 tsp ground cumin
  • a pinch of chilli flakes
  • 2 tbsp tomato purée
  • 2 x 400g tins plum tomatoes
  • 1 preserved lemon
  • 4 fillets of hake (or other white fish)
  • fresh coriander, to serve

FOR THE TAHINI SAUCE:

  • 1 clove of garlic
  • half a lemon
  • 80g tahini
  • 5-6 tbsp ice-cold water
  • a pinch of ground cumin

Warm the olive oil in a large sauté pan, then cook the onion with a pinch of salt until soft. Add the garlic and spices and continue frying for another minute or two, then add the tomato purée and cook for another couple of minutes.

Add the tinned tomatoes, then rinse the tins with a little water and add that too. Break the tomatoes up with a wooden spoon and simmer for 10-15 minutes to thicken the sauce. Quarter and deseed the preserved lemon, then chop into small pieces and add to the sauce.

Meanwhile, make the tahini sauce. Grate the garlic into a bowl, then squeeze over the juice of the half lemon, mix together and set aside for 5 minutes. Add the tahini to the garlic and lemon and whisk together, then add 1 tbsp of the cold water at a time, whisking until you have a smooth, runny sauce. Season with a pinch of salt and a pinch of cumin.

Season the fish, then nestle it into the tomato sauce. Cook for 5-10 minutes, or until just cooked (a thermometer will help if you have one). Serve with the tahini sauce and coriander over the top and with some couscous and pitta breads.

(Original recipe from The Farm Table by Julius Roberts, Ebury Press, 2023.)

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Sesame Miso Trout

Posted in Fish, Food, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , on 10 December 2024| Leave a Comment »

Everyone loves trout in our house and especially with miso – a master combination.

Wine Suggestion: You need a white with a touch of acidity and umami-savouriness here to both balance and compliment the flavours. Something like the Höpler Grüner Veltliner from Burgenland in Austria would work a treat.

Sesame miso trout – serves 4

  • 4 fresh trout fillets, skin on
  • 4 tsp white miso paste
  • 3 tbsp toasted sesame seeds
  • 2 tbsp olive oil, plus a bit extra for the veg
  • a knob of butter
  • 4 pak choi, sliced into big pieces
  • 6 scallions, finely sliced

FOR THE GLAZE:

  • 4 tbsp sweet chilli sauce
  • 1 tsp white miso paste
  • 2 tsp sesame oil

Heat the oven to 200C/180C Fan/Gas 6.

Line a baking sheet with non-stick paper.

Whisk the ingredients for the glaze together in a bowl alongwith 6 tbsp of water, then set aside.

Season the fish fillets and spread the miso paste on the flesh side. Sprinkle the sesame seeds on top and press down so they stick to the paste.

Heat the oil in a frying pan over a medium heat. Add the fish fillets, sesame seed side down, and fry for 2-3 minutes, or until golden brown. Carefully turn them over and fry for another 2 minutes on the skin side. Add the knob of butter and when it foams, use a small spoon to baste the trout with it.

Transfer the fish to the lined baking sheet, skin-side down, and cook in the oven for 7-8 minutes or until just cooked through.

Meanwhile, wipe the frying pan clean, add a little oil and put over a high heat. Add the pak choi, scallions and seasoning and stir until just wilted.

Spoon the veg onto a serving dish and put the fish on top. Add the glaze ingredients to the pan and gently warm until just bubbling, spoon over the trout and serve.

(Original recipe from Mary’s Foolproof Dinners, BBC Books, 2024.)

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