Mussels!!!

I love Todmorden.  I do. And I love the stuff we can make when we have a trawl around the fresh and interesting stuff on the inside and outdoor market.  Today Paul had new season mussels from the Menai Straits. That was enough to start me off in the direction of this dinner.  The only ingredient not sourced from the market was the wine ... and you only have to cross the road for that.

Dry white wine
Potatoes
olive oil
Salt
White onion
Sweet picante peppers
Garlic
Mussels
Tomatoes
Basil
Parsley
Salad leaves
Baby cucumber
Radishes
Balsamic vinegar

1.  Pour half a bottle of dry white wine into a jug.  Put the rest in the fridge to chill.
2.  Wash potatoes, cut into chip sized pieces - skin and all - roast in olive oil.  Check on them after about 20 minutes, turn them over so that they cook evenly.
3.  Do stuff ... the washing, the crossword etc for half an hour ...
4.  Wash the mussels, pull off beards, scrub off any barnacles etc ... actually these were beautiful - I only discarded two which didn't shut on a gentle tap.
5.  Finely chop onion, sautee gently in a big pan, in olive oil.
6.  Add very finely chopped garlic (lots of...) and peppers, keep on a very gentle heat.
7.  Chuck salad together - leaves, sliced cucumber, sliced radish - drizzle of balsamic and olive oil - toss together on serving.
8.  Check chips .. finely dice tomatoes and chop herbs.
9.  When chips are 10 minutes away .....  turn the heat up under the onion - add garlic and peppers, stir and cook for a minute or so.
10.  Pour wine from jug into onion pan ... pour chilled wine into glass ... :-p
11.  As soon as the wine starts bubbling, chuck in mussels.  Slam the lid on.  Shake the pan and cook for 5 minutes.
12.  Add the tomatoes and herbs to the mussels, lid on, shake violently ... cook for 2 more minutes.
13.  Serve, scoff ... don't eat any mussels which have not opened.


You may need crusty bread to dip into the delicious juice.

This was good ... really, really good ...

Cajun cod, tiny roasties ... spring greens and peas

Fish and chips are a bit of a Friday night tradition ... but a twist is always welcome.

To be honest, it's not much of a twist - f&c is a classic because it's delicious.

The twist was i) greens with peas - has been lettuce before but today we had spring greens - and the combination is GOOD and ii) polenta and cajun blacknned seasoning on the cod pieces.

Start with the potatoes - boil, drain and roast in olive oil.

After about 45 minutes start on the rest ....

Toss fish pieces in polenta a spice mixed together - fry for a couple of minutes on each side.

Steam green and frozen peas.

Serve, scoff, have seconds.

This wasn't just fish, chips and peas

It's national chip week.  I have resisted all week, so I am celebrating with tonight's tea.

The fish is from the asian supermarket in Bradford, and I can't fully remember the name of it pang..... fillets.  Very tasty, not quite as firm as cod or haddock, but mild in flavour, and a bargain to boot.

So, chips - potatoes (skins on) cut into chiplike pieces, par boiled, drained and put into hot olive oil on a baking tray.  Into a hot oven (190+) for 45 minutes or so.

Thaw fish, pat dry, and splash through batter - fry in olive oil.  Batter is actually left over pancake batter , let down with soya milk and seasoned with caribbean seasoning.  Splosh fish through batter.  Fry until golden brown.

Veg are chopped onions, softenned in olive oil, add garlic and a half glass of white wine, big handful of frozen peas - simmer for 2 minutes - then add spinach - stir until wilted.

Scoff - congratulate yourself shamelessly ... well, that's what I did.

Fish and chips

Fish and chips - yes - but spicy fish, roasted potatoes and lovely green veg - absolutely delicious, and very very good for us.  AND, used up some lettuce from the veg box to very good effect.

Olive oil
6 potatoes
1 leek
white wine
garlic
fish fillets (pollock in this case, cooked from frozen)
spicy seasoning (blackenned cajun, could be any number of other mixes)
frozen peas
little gem lettuce

Start with the potatoes - they will take an hour an a half, start to finish, the veg will take 20 minutes and the fish about 15.  Either the fish or the beg can be held in the oven for a few minutes without ruining - but not for too long.

1.  Wash potatoes and chop into bite sized pieces - skin on for my preference, but it does depend what they are like.  Boil in salted water for 5ish minutes.  Meanwhile have a roasting tray in the oven at 180, heating up a couple of tbsp of olive oil.
2.  Drain potatoes, toss in the hot oil and roast for an hour.
3.  30 minutes later, start thinking about the rest of it - chop and wash the leek, sweat down in olive oil.
4.  Fry fish in olive oil, seasoning with your chosen mix - I fried from frozen, so gently and for about 10 minutes.
4.  When leeks are soft, add garlic and a glass of white wine, simmer for a few minutes.
5.  5 minutes before serving add a cup of frozen peas and wedges of little gem lettuce.

Yum.  That is all.  Much better than heading to the chippy - and cheaper, I think.  I estimate - fish £1.50, veg £1 .. other bits £1.50 max (including (optional) wine) £2 each - and there are some potatoes left for breakfast... can't wait!

Spicy fish and "chips"

Oops... was so tasty we scoffed a lot of it before I remembered to take a pic.

"Chips" were really roast potatoes, par-boiled and then roasted in hot olive oil, in a hot oven.

Spicy fish was pollock in a maize meal, cornflour and cold water batter, with a good spoonful of curry goat seasoning - fried in olive oil.

Vegetables were 1 chopped onion, sauteed until soft, in olive oil, garlic, frozen peas and splosh of white wine, then handful of shredded lettuce wilted in.

Tartare sauce was 2 gherkins, some capers, finely chopped and stirred into half and half creme fraiche and natural yogurt, with a squeeze of lemon juice and black pepper.

Delish!

British sandwich week: day 5: Chip butty!

Recipe:  butter 2 slices of bread, insert hot chips.  Season with salt, pepper and vinegar, if this has not already been done at the chippy.  Optional - more vinegar, tomato ketchup or (if you really have to) brown sauce (hp or daddies have the seal of approval from victim) - all others .. on your own head be it - but a winner could be worth millions! Other sandwiches this week - cheese and tomato, peanut butter (crunchy) and jam, ham and mustard, tuna salad (below)...