Today I am going to introduce you to a type of fish you may or may not have ever heard of. It is probably one of the ugliest fishes you will ever see, but this is one case where you will definitely not want to judge the book by its cover!
Trust me when I say that this is a most flattering illustration as it is much uglier in real life than this. Other names for this fish are the Saint Pierre, or Peter's fish. It is said to be the fish that Peter brought to Jesus and a related legend states that the dark spot on its side is St Peter's thumbprint.
All legends aside, this is one very delicious piece of fish, having been described by Jane Grigson to be one of the "most desirable creatures of the sea," and known to be a favourite noted Seafood Chef, Rich Stein. It has a delicate sweet flavour, comparable to sole or turbot.
I got mine from The Fish Society. The Fish Society is an online Luxury Fish Monger which carries a huge variety of fish, including everything from A - Z! I am always really impressed with The Fish Society and its service.
Every piece of fish I have ever gotten from them has been lovely and of
the highest quality.
Such a beautiful piece of fish deserved to be cooked in the simplest of ways. One thing I love about fish is that it is a protein that cooks quickly and easily. I have always found with a fish such as John Dory, the simplest method of cookery is the best method to use and so I simply bake it.
Skin side down on an oiled baking sheet, in a moderate oven for only 10 to 12 minutes. Just long enough for you to prepare a simple sauce to spoon over top.
A delicious sauce that will highlight and enhance the flavours of this beautiful fish. Lemon, Caper and Butter Sauce . . . a delicate sauce for a delicate fish . . .
You begin by browning butter in a small skillet. Get it foaming and then just let it cook until it starts to turn golden brown. Take care not to burn it! If you do, you will have to dump it and begin again. Trust me when I say it can go from perfect to burnt in a split second. I find it best to remove it from the heat just when you notice it turning a golden colour . . . it will also take on a nutty, almost cookie/biscuity scent.
As soon as you notice this you add a quantity of fresh lemon juice which has been watered down a bit with some cold water . . . let this bubble up furiously and then throw in the capers and some chopped fresh parsley . . .
A bit of seasoning and that is it. Your sauce is ready to pour over your perfectly baked fish! Voila!
Lemon, Caper & Butter Dressed John Dory
Yield: 2
Beautiful fish, perfectly cooked and adorned with a deliciously simple, Lemon, Caper & Butter Sauce
ingredients:
- Olive oil to grease the baking tin
- 2 John Dory Fillets, skin on
- salt and black pepper to taste
For the Sauce:
- the juice of 2 lemons, mixed with 2 TBS water
- 60g butter (1/4 cup)
- 4 TBS non-pareil capers, drained and rinsed
- 2 TBS chopped fresh parsley
- salt and black pepper to taste
instructions:
How to cook Lemon, Caper & Butter Dressed John Dory
- Preheat the oven to 180*C/350*F/ gas mark 4. Oil a baking tray large enough to hold the fish fillets in one layer. Season them lightly with salt and black pepper. Place them, skin side down, onto the baking sheet. Bake in the preheated oven for 10 to 12 minutes, depending on the thickness of the fish. The fish should flake easily when done.
- While the fish is baking make the sauce. Melt the butter in a small skillet until it begins to foam, over moderate heat. Continue to heat until it just begins to turn golden brown and smell nutty. Take care not to let it burn. Immediately add half of the lemon juice/water mixture. Taste and add only enough of the remainder of the lemon/water mixture as desired. (I use it all but I love the flavour of lemon) Allow it to cook and bubble up fiercely. Add the capers and parsley. Season to taste and keep warm until the fish is done. Immediately pour over the cooked fish and serve.
Todd enjoyed his with some crisp frites and runner beans from our garden. I enjoyed mine with a lovely salad. We were both very happy. This fish is so delicious. Don't worry however if you can't get John Dory, you can use the same method to cook Sole or Turbot. Tilapia would also be nice cooked this way. You can't go wrong with a decent piece of fish and The Fish Society has some of the nicest fish around, delivered fresh/frozen right to your door.
Coming Tomorrow: Raspberry & Chocolate Ice Cream Parfait along with Nine other Parfait Ideas
Welsh Rarebit is one of our most famous and enjoyable traditional dishes here in the UK, with a long history dating back to at least the 1500's.
This is when a very simple but popular dish of toasted bread, covered in melted cheese and topped with mustard or spices, became a staple in the diets of Welsh men and women.
A "poor man's" protein fix, Welsh Rarebit is sometimes known as "Welsh Rabbit", even though no rabbit has ever been involved in its preparation.
It has become through the years a very popular dish throughout the United Kingdom, despite its humble beginnings.
In Wales, it actually has a National Day devoted to it. The 3rd of September is known in Wales as Welsh Rarebit Day!
It typically is composed of a rich, but simple cheese sauce which is traditionally spooned over hot buttered toast. You can also pop the sauce slathered toast beneath a hot grill to gild it a bit, which is my preferred way to eat it!!
There is no need for fancy ingredients. At its very simplest it is made with a hearty home style bread and a good farmhouse cheese.
It makes a lovely simple supper served with some slices tomato and salad greens, and is surprisingly hearty!
The true and traditional method is to make a simple and unadulterated rich cheese sauce.
This is composed of a bit of cream, a bit of milk, some butter and flour, plenty of cheese, all thickened with a beaten egg, and seasoned with mustard powder and cayenne pepper for a bit of a spark.
But it is important to note that traditionally it did not have any of those things . . . just the basics.
It is delicious and hearty! And very rich in flavour.
You don't have to make it with ale. You can use milk instead of the beer. It is done both ways actually.
The beer does add a nice flavor however . . . which we quite like . . .
When I was a girl we used to love it when my mom made us cheese on toast, and we would love it even more if she added a slice of bacon to it.
It wasn't Welsh Rarebit . . . but it was incredibly tasty.
Both are a very naughty once in a blue moon treat!
Yield: 4
Proper Welsh Rarebit
Moreishly cheesy. I don't want to know the calorie count in this and neither do you! A once in a blue moon treat.
ingredients:
- 1/2 TBS butter
- 2 tsp plain flour
- 80ml beer (lager) (1/3 cup)
- 80ml single cream (1/3 cup)
- 250g grated strong cheddar (2 cups)
- 1 medium egg, lightly beaten
- 1 tsp dry mustard powder
- pinch of cayenne pepper
- 4 slices of thick, hot buttered toast to serve
instructions:
How to cook Proper Welsh Rarebit
- Melt the butter in a heavy bottomed saucepan over low heat. Add the flour and whisk until smooth. Cook, stirring, for about half a minute until the flour is light golden brown.
- Add the beer and cream, stirring constantly. Stir in the cheese, a bit at a time, whisking it in to melt. Make sure the mixture does NOT boil. Cook until all the cheese has melted and the mixture is smooth. Remove from the heat.
- Beat the egg together with the mustard powder and cayenne. Temper with a bit of the hot mixture and then whisk the whole lot back into the melted cheese mixture.
- Return to the heat and cook for a further 2 to 3 minutes, or until the mixture has thickened. Pour the mixture over the hot toast and serve immediately.
- Alternately you can spread the mixture over the toast and pop under a hot grill until it is bubbling and golden brown.
I think you need to enjoy something like this every once in a while . . . something simple . . . but outstandingly delicious despite its simplicity. What do you think?
Up tomorrow: Lemon & Caper Dressed John Dory
John Dory is called the ugliest fish . . . but it has a delicate and sweet flavor you will absolutely fall in love with!
If you are looking for some other simple supper dishes, might I suggest the following:
BEANS ON TOAST - This can be as simple as opening a can of beans, heating them up and ladling them onto crisp buttered slices of toasted bread. Or you can ladle it over cheese on toast. I love it with the cheese on toast.
SKILLET BEANS & WEINERS - Simple, delicious and goes together lickety split.
PASTA WITH SEARED CAULIFLOWER & GARLIC - This is a really delicious, yet simple supper dish. Quick to make. Interesting, lush and fresh flavors, with very little effort. I don't think you can go wrong with this.
This content (written and photography) is the sole property of The English Kitchen. Any reposting or misuse is not permitted. If you are reading this elsewhere, please know that it is stolen content and you may report it to me at: mariealicejoan at aol dot com
Thanks so much for visiting! Do come again!
Curry was not something I grew up with. I don't think I had ever heard of any such thing as a curry when I was a child.
The first I knew of it was when we had moved to Calgary, Alberta in Canada. We were staying in a motel run by East Indians and the whole hotel smelled like curry.
I wasn't sure what to think of it. It wasn't anything I ever thought I would enjoy.
The recipe I am sharing today is adapted from a book entitled Casual Cooking by Sara Foster. It is a book I acquired when I worked at the Manor.
My boss liked Sara Foster's cooking and had several of her books and often would ask me to cook something from them. I came to enjoy her style of cookery and recipes very much. Fresh, easy and delicious.
The first time I actually ever tasted a curry was when we moved to a place called Ralston in Alberta. It was the housing community for the British Army Services in Canada, situated in Suffield. Alberta.
We became friends with some British soldiers and their wives via the Ceramics Club there and we had been invited to a party at one of their homes.
The hostess, a Liverpudlian Scouser named Kathy, was making a curry for us to enjoy. She loved to cook and we had dinner at their place quite a few times.
I can remember her adding a whole bottle of curry powder to this chicken curry she was making. It about blew your head off, but I remember thinking that it was also very delicious!
I think I fell in love with curry right then and there.
My mother couldn't stand to be near curry or even to smell it. She had a boyfriend one time who liked to make curry stir fries and my mother HATED them.
Absolutely loathed them. I am not sure which she came to dislike more . . . the boyfriend or the curry. I think they came to be disliked equally by her!
That was her boyfriend we called "Garlic George." He loved his garlic. He ate 2 or 3 cloves of it peeled and sliced with every meal.
Lets just say, it was impossible to be in his presence for very long because the smell that permeated the air around him was quite, quite obnoxious, however nice a man he might have been.
We still scratch our heads and wonder how our mother ended up with him, even for as brief a time it ended up being.
One summer that I spent back home with my mother after moving over here, there was a knock on the door one day and who should have been on the doorstep, but good old Garlic George.
He was in the area visiting and thought he would stop by. He still smelled of garlic. Old habits die hard I guess.
Anyways back to this curry. Its a very simple make.
You just saute seasoned strips of chicken breast in a mix of butter and oil until golden brown . . .
Onion is then softened in the drippings.
You don't want to brown it . . . you just want it to be soft and translucent.
Into those you stir some garlic . . . of course . . . and then aromatics . . . grated fresh orange zest and juice, curry powder, fresh grated ginger root . . .
This mixture smells so nice when it hits the pan . . . all fruity and curry-ish and exotic . . .
Into that goes a cupful of coconut milk and a cup of chicken stock.
I like to reduce it a bit to thicken it up. Sara doesn't do that, but I like my curry sauces to be a bit thick . . .
Once the sauce has reduced you return the chicken to the pan and heat it through, finishing the cooking of the chicken.
A bit of mango chutney is added, along with some chopped fresh mint and fresh coriander.
I am lucky I have both of those in the garden.
A sprinkle on top of toasted flaked almonds or unsalted cashews (or both, my preference) and dinner is ready.
All you need on the side is some rice. The sauce is so rich, I recommend plain rice.
Curried Chicken Saute
Yield: 4 - 6
A quick and easy chicken dish with a rich and tasty sauce. Serve with some steamed rice for a full meal. We also like to have crisp poppadoms on the side to scoop up all of that delicious sauce!
ingredients:
- 4 boneless, skinless chicken breast fillets
- fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
- 1 TBS butter
- 2 TBS light olive oil
- 1 medium onion, peeled and diced
- 2 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
- 1 TBS medium curry powder
- 1 TBS grated peeled fresh ginger root
- the finely grated zest and juice from one orange
- 240ml unsweetened coconut milk (1 cup)
- 240ml chicken stock (1 cup)
- 2 TBS mango chutney
- 1 TBS chopped fresh mint
- 1 TBS chopped fresh coriander leaf (cilantro)
- a small handful of lightly toasted slivered almonds or unsalted cashews
instructions:
How to cook Curried Chicken Saute
- Trim and discard any fat from the chicken breasts. Cut crosswise into strips. Season with salt and black pepper.
- Heat the butter and oil in a large skillet until the butter begins to foam. Add the chicken strips and saute them until golden brown, 3 to 4 minutes. Scoop out to a bowl and keep warm.
- Add the onion to the skillet. Cook, stirring frequently until translucent and tender. Add the garlic and cook for about a minute longer. Take care that it doesn't brown. Add the ginger root, orange zest, curry powder and orange juice, scraping the bottom of the pan to loosen any tasty bits. Add the coconut milk and chicken stock. Bring to the boil. Boil for a few minutes to reduce slightly and then add the chicken pieces and any juices collected back to the pan. Simmer for another 5 to 6 minutes until well heated through and the chicken is cooked thoroughly.
- Stir in the chutney and the herbs. Pour into a serving bowl. Garnish with the toasted nuts and serve immediately.
We like to enjoy crisp poppadum's with our curries in this house. I didn't have any rice, but instead opted for some steamed green and wax beans. This was fabulously tasty! Nummity nummity!
This content (written and photography) is the sole property of The English Kitchen. Any reposting or misuse is not permitted. If you are reading this elsewhere, please know that it is stolen content and you may report it to me at: mariealicejoan at aol dot com
Thanks so much for visiting. Do come again!
Last month we received a beautiful box of fish from Seafresh Quality Foods. Seafresh is an on line fish monger, which sells quality fish, seafood, poultry and meat. If you can recall, I was very impressed with both their product and their delivery service! There was absolutely nothing that I could fault with any of it. Feel free to read about my experience here.
I had used some of it previously when I made a lovely fish pie with it. Today I decided to use the remainder of the salmon and give it somewhat of an Asian treatment.
All Seafresh Salmon Fillets
are centre cut fillets, meaning that you get the thick part of the fish,
not the tail. The skinless and boneless fillets are sourced from
the clear waters of Scotland and the Faroe Islands., These high-quality
centre cut fillets flake beautifully when cooked and taste amazing which
makes them a favourite, always a popular fish. I am not fond of fish that comes from the tail area, especially Salmon, as it is usually a lot fishier tasting than the centre cuts. These beautifully cut fillets fit exactly with my tastes, and you can buy them at the moment on offer at a slight reduction. Bonus!
Salmon is one of those foods, like boneless, skinless chicken breasts, that everyone seems to like. This fabulous Asian marinade that I used today provides a fresh twist to an old favourite!
The salmon fillets are first marinated in a fabulously tasty marinade . . .
Light soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, light olive oil, orange juice, crushed red chillies along with freshly grated ginger root provide the Asian flavours.
They can be ready to cook after 1/2 an hour in the marinade, but I like to marinade the for a tad bit longer. I wouldn't leave them in it for any longer than an hour though.
Once marinated you simply flash fry them in some hot olive oil, until golden brown and cooked through. About 3 to 4 minutes per side does the trick. Remember that they will continue to cook when resting . . .
The remaining marinade it then cooked and thickened into a glaze that you spoon over the finished salmon . . .
Garnished with some fresh coriander leaf and spring onions, Todd enjoyed his with some Lime & Coriander Rice and glazed carrots . . .
I enjoyed mine with cabbage and carrots. We were both well pleased. This is beautiful fish.
Yield: 4
Pan-Seared Salmon with a Sweet & Spicy Asian Glaze
Delicate pieces of salmon fillet, perfectly cooked. Marinated and glazed with an Asian influence.
ingredients:
For the marinade:
- 2 TBS light soy sauce
- 2 TBS light olive oil
- the juice of one orange
- 3 TBS rice wine vinegar
- 1/2 tsp crushed red chillies
- 1 TBS finely grated peeled fresh ginger root
You will also need:
- 4 (6 ounce) salmon fillets, about 1 1/2 inched thick
- fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 2 TBS light olive oil
- 2 TBS chopped fresh coriander leaf (cilantro)
- 1 TBS minced spring onions
instructions:
How to cook Pan-Seared Salmon with a Sweet & Spicy Asian Glaze
- Whisk all of the marinade ingredients together in a small plastic container that will hold all of the salmon fillets in one layer. Add the salmon fillets, turning to coat. Cover and marinate for at least half an hour.
- When you are ready to cook them, remove the salmon from the marinade, reserving the marinade left in the dish. Season the salmon all over with salt and black pepper. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the salmon fillets, presentation side down. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes, until golden brown, then flip over and cook for a further 3 to 4 minutes, or until cooked through. Remove from the pan to a serving platter, tent loosely with foil and keep warm.
- Pour the reserved marinade into the skillet. Simmer for 3 to 4 minutes or until it becomes thick and syrupy. Drizzle over the salmon on the platter and sprinkle with the coriander leaf and spring onions. Serve immediately.
You can see how perfectly cooked it was, using my timings. If you like it done a bit more you can leave it for a bit longer, but I would not add much to the timings. Over-cooked dry salmon is about as palatable as overcooked anything!
A few things about Seafresh:
- Same Day dispatch on orders received before 1 PM.
- All packages are carefully hand packed.
- Free delivery on orders above £50, £8 on orders below that amount.
- Responsibly and sustainably sourced.
- Air Blast Frozen at source within 4 hours of being caught.
- Wide variety to choose from.
Follow them on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
Note - Although I was gifted with product free of charge for the purposes of review, I was not required to write a positive review in exchange, nor would my integrity allow me to recommend anything if I did not truly like it. Any and all my opinions are my own entirely.
Up tomorrow, a simple and favourite dish with us, Curried Chicken Saute!
See you then!
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