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CHAPTER 1
snacks and small plates
Seafood scotch eggs
A proper picnic isn't complete without a scotch egg, and these prawn and smoked fish ones taste so good, you'll want to go on a picnic every day. This isn't the quickest of recipes to make, but the end result is well worth it.
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1 tbsp olive oil
2 banana (large) shallots, or 4 standard shallots, peeled and finely chopped
6 eggs, at room temperature
200g/7 oz cooked small Atlantic prawns
250g/9 oz smoked cod or haddock, skinned
1 tbsp chopped dill finely grated zest of 1 lemon pinch of cayenne pepper
¼ tsp grated nutmeg
100g/3½ oz plain flour 2 eggs, beaten
150g/5½ oz dried breadcrumbs, ideally panko approx. 1 litre/1¾ pints/4 cups sunflower oil flaked sea salt
Time taken 1 hour 10 minutes, plus 1 hour chilling
Serves 6
Heat the oil in a saucepan and gently sauté the shallots until they have softened but not coloured. Tip into a food processor and leave to cool for a few minutes.
Meanwhile, bring a pan of water to the boil then add the eggs, ensuring they are fully covered in the boiling water. Boil the eggs for 6 minutes, then remove and put them in a bowl of iced water to stop them cooking further.
Add the prawns, smoked fish, dill, lemon zest, spices and a pinch of salt to the shallots. Blend until you have a coarse paste.
Peel the eggs and roll each one in flour. Divide the seafood mixture into six and, with floured hands, roll each portion into a ball then flatten into a disc. Put a disc into the palm of your hand, then place a floured egg on top of the seafood disc. Wrap the mixture around the egg, so it is evenly covered. Repeat with the remaining eggs.
Line up the remaining flour, the beaten eggs and the breadcrumbs in separate bowls and coat each of the seafood-coated eggs in flour, then egg, and finish by coating in breadcrumbs. Chill in the fridge for about 1 hour.
Fill a deep, heavy-based pan or wok three-quarters full with sunflower oil, then heat to 180ºC/350ºF, or until a cube of bread turns golden brown in 30–40 seconds. Deep-fry the eggs, two at a time, for 5–6 minutes, until deep golden. You may need to turn them to brown evenly. Drain on kitchen paper while you cook the rest.
Serve the scotch eggs hot or leave to cool, chill in the fridge and serve cold.
Flexible
To make a fish-free coating, sauté 1 chopped onion and 2 cloves of garlic in 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Blend with 400g/14 oz tinned chickpeas, drained, ½ a teaspoon of smoked paprika, 1 teaspoon of ground cumin, a small handful of chopped coriander, and salt and pepper, until you have a thick paste. Use this to coat the eggs before rolling in flour, beaten egg and breadcrumbs.
Hot smoked salmon pâté
with pickled fennel and radish salad
This dish is all prepared in advance, making it an ideal dinner party starter. Every little helps when it comes to cutting down on last-minute cooking! The crunchy pickled salad is the perfect partner for the rich, creamy pâté. I like to use hot-smoked salmon or smoked trout, as they're not too strong in flavour. However, you could quite easily switch to smoked mackerel for a more richly flavoured pâté.
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For the pâté
400g/14 oz hot-smoked salmon grated zest and juice of ½ lemon
100g/3½ oz cream cheese
100g/3½ oz Greek yoghurt
1 tbsp creamed horseradish flaked sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
For the salad
200ml/7 fl oz/scant 1 cup white wine vinegar
50g/1¾ oz caster sugar
½ tsp coriander seeds
½ tsp fennel seeds
½ tsp black peppercorns
1 small fennel bulb, finely sliced
100g/3½ oz radishes, finely sliced
½ red onion, peeled and finely sliced
To serve
few fresh dill sprigs grated zest of 1 lemon toasted bread – rye or sourdough are particularly nice
Time taken 30 minutes, plus at least 2 hours pickling
Serves 6
To make the pickled salad, put the vinegar, caster sugar, coriander seeds, fennel seeds and peppercorns into a small saucepan. Place over a medium–high heat and stir the pickling liquor until the sugar has dissolved. Bring to a gentle simmer, and simmer for about 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and leave to cool.
Put the fennel, radish and red onion in a bowl and strain the pickling liquor over the top, removing the seeds and peppercorns. Leave the vegetables to pickle in the fridge for at least 2 hours. If you want to prepare this ahead of time, you can leave it overnight.
To make the pâté, remove the skin from the salmon and flake into a food processor. Add the lemon juice and briefly blitz. Add the cream cheese, yoghurt, horseradish and lemon zest and season with a little salt and a good twist of black pepper. Blitz until smooth.
Divide the pâté between ramekins or similar-sized dishes and smooth over the surface of each one with a palette knife. If you're not serving the pâté straight away, cover with clingfilm and keep it in the fridge.
To serve, put the pâté dishes on to plates. Garnish with a twist of pepper, a few fronds of dill and a scattering of lemon zest. Using a slotted spoon, serve some pickled salad on the side and finish by serving with toasted rye or sourdough bread.
Flexible
You can transform this into a Smoked Mushroom Pâté. Thickly slice 250g/9 oz portobello or chestnut mushrooms. Brush generously with olive oil and sprinkle or rub over 1 teaspoon of sweet smoked paprika, and sea salt. Fry for 1–2 minutes on each side, until golden. Leave to cool, then blitz with the lemon juice and continue as above. You could switch the horseradish for Dijon mustard or even onion marmalade.
Taramasalata
with tomato and olive salsa
If you've only ever had the bright pink, shop-bought taramasalata then I urge you to give this recipe a try. It's unbelievably delicious, with a subtle smoked fish flavour and rich creamy texture. Once you've made this you'll find it hard to go back!
Serve as a dip or spread on toasted pitta bread, and top with the delicious salsa. Once made, it will last up to a week in the fridge.
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75g/2¾ oz dry, crustless white bread
200g/7 oz smoked cod's roe
½ small white onion, peeled
200ml/7 fl oz/scant 1 cup olive oil
3–4 tbsp lemon juice flaked sea salt and freshly ground black pepper extra virgin olive oil pitta bread, serve
For the salsa
4 ripe tomatoes approx. 20 black Kalamata olives, pitted
1 tbsp chopped dill or parsley
2 tsp red wine vinegar
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Time taken 30 minutes, plus 30 minutes chilling
Serves 8
Put the bread in a dish and just cover in water to saturate. Squeeze out any excess water and put the bread in the bowl of a food processor.
Cut the cod's roe in half and scoop out the flesh with a spoon into the food processor. Grate the onion directly over the top, so you don't lose any onion juice. Pulse together and, with the motor running, add the olive oil and 3 tablespoons of lemon juice. Have a taste, season with salt and pepper, and add more lemon juice of needed.
Spoon into a serving dish and chill in the fridge until needed.
To make the salsa, cut the tomatoes into quarters and scoop out the seeds. Cut the flesh into small dice. Put in a bowl.
Roughly chop the olives into small pieces, and add to the tomatoes along with the dill or parsley, vinegar and olive oil. Season and gently mix together.
Heat the grill until hot. Brush the pitta with a little oil and grill until golden. Serve with the taramasalata and salsa.
Flexible
For a vegetarian alternative to serve with the salsa, give this quick smoked hummus a go. Blend 1 x 400g/14 oz can of drained chickpeas with 1 teaspoon smoked paprika, 1 garlic clove (crushed),2 tablespoons lemon juice and 1 tablespoon tahini. Loosen to desired consistency with a little water and season to taste with salt and pepper.
Greek bread skordalia
with charred cucumber dippers
Skordalia is hugely popular across Greece served as a dip, or as an accompaniment to fish, veg or meat dishes. There are numerous regional variations, and it can be made using either potato or bread. Here's my potato version – I like to keep the recipe really simple, with just garlic and olive oil flavouring the smooth potato dip. If you are a fan of rich mashed potato this is definitely a dip you'll love.
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500g/1 lb 2oz white potatoes, peeled and quartered
3 cloves garlic, crushed or grated
2 tbsp white wine vinegar
1 tsp flaked sea salt, plus extra for sprinkling
200ml/7 fl oz/ scant 1 cup extra virgin olive oil, for frying plus extra for drizzling
6–8 mini cucumbers or 1 large cucumber, halved lengthways
To serve
50g/1¾ oz toasted pine nuts
½ tsp sumac, or grated zest of ½ lemon freshly ground black pepper
Time taken 50 minutes
Serves 8
Boil the potatoes in a pan of salted water until tender, and drain well. Press through a potato ricer or, if you don't have one, mash well and push through a sieve with a rubber spatula to remove any lumps.
Transfer to a bowl and add the garlic, vinegar, salt and olive oil. Beat vigorously until you have a smooth purée. Taste and add more salt or olive oil if necessary.
Transfer to a serving bowl and set aside at room temperature.
Heat a griddle or large heavy frying pan. Brush the cut sides of the mini cucumbers with a little olive oil and place them cut-side down in the hot pan. Leave to sear for 2 minutes, until lightly charred. Remove from the heat and sprinkle with salt. If using a larger cucumber, cut into chunky wedges and griddle in the same way.
Serve the Skordalia scattered with pine nuts, a sprinkle of sumac or lemon zest, a twist of pepper and a drizzle of oil, with the charred cucumber on the side to dip in with.
Flexible
For a quicker recipe you can make Bread Skordalia. For this you need to soak 150g/5½ oz sliced white bread (crusts removed) in cold water until saturated. Squeeze out excess water and blend in a food processor with 3 cloves crushed garlic, 1 teaspoon sea salt, 1 tablespoon white wine or cider vinegar and 5 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil. Taste for seasoning, adding more if needed.
Spicy coconut prawns
These aromatic spiced prawns are really nice to serve as part of an Indian sharing platter or a starter along with the Spring Onion and Carrot Bhajis (page 39).
So I can make this recipe whenever I fancy it, I'll try and keep a bag of frozen raw prawns in the freezer. They're quick to defrost and often more economical than buying fresh. I do, however, need to lightly squeeze out excess water from the defrosted prawns in kitchen paper before marinating, otherwise they become too watery when frying.
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250g/9 oz raw prawns, peeled
1 tsp ground turmeric
½ tsp flaked sea salt
¼ tsp hot chilli powder
½ tsp ground cumin
1 tsp grated ginger
1 clove garlic, crushed or grated grated zest and juice of 1 lime
10 dried curry leaves
1 tsp dried coriander
40g/1½ oz desiccated coconut sunflower oil
1 lime, cut into wedges, to serve
Time taken 15 minutes, plus 30 minutes marinating
Serves 4–6
Put the prawns in a bowl and mix with the turmeric, salt, chilli powder, cumin, ginger, garlic and lime juice. Marinate for about 30 minutes.
In a separate bowl, finely crumble the curry leaves into small pieces, along with the dried coriander. Add the coconut and lime zest and mix well.
Add the marinated prawns to the coconut mixture and toss to coat.
Heat enough oil in a large frying pan to cover the base and, when it's hot, add the prawns and any coconut left behind in the bowl. Fry for about 2 minutes, until golden, then turn over and continue to fry for a further 2 minutes, until golden and cooked through.
Remove from the pan with a slotted spoon and serve with lime wedges to squeeze over.
Flexible
Paneer cheese is fantastic for this recipe instead of prawns, as it holds its shape well when cooking, and it's also great at absorbing spice flavours. Cut a 250g/9 oz block into bite-sized chunks. Marinate and cook as you would the prawns in the recipe above.
Ceviche
with avocado salsa
This is a very simple ceviche recipe, where the fish is 'cooked' in a chilli and lime marinade. The end results are delicious, refreshing and super-healthy. That said – I do quite like eating this with salty tortilla chips to scoop up the ceviche, which makes it perhaps not quite as good for you!
Line–caught bream or sea bass are good here, but salmon or tuna could be used – not as delicate in flavour, but they will still give a delicious result.
Whatever fish you use, make sure it is sustainable and really fresh.
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4 very fresh sea bream, black bream or sea bass fillets, skinned juice and grated zest of 3 limes
1 red chilli, deseeded and finely sliced
1 avocado, pitted, peeled and diced
2 ripe tomatoes, seeds removed and finely chopped
½ red onion, peeled and finely diced small bunch of coriander, chopped flaked sea salt and freshly ground black pepper lime wedges, to serve salted tortilla chips, to serve (optional)
Time taken 45 minutes
Serves 4
Cut the fish into 2cm/1 inch pieces and put in a bowl with the lime juice and zest, and half of the chilli. Gently mix to coat the fish in the juice, and leave in the fridge for 30 minutes for the acidity of the marinade to 'cook' the fish.
Transfer the fish to a serving plate and scatter over the avocado, tomato, onion and coriander. Pour over the marinade and season with salt and pepper.
Serve with extra lime wedges and chilli for anyone who wants more heat, along with tortilla chips to scoop up the ceviche and salsa.
Flexible
Tinned palm hearts, patted dry, sliced and marinated as above make a great vegetarian option.
Herring and potato salad
with pear marmalade
Herrings with mustard and potatoes are a Scandinavian favourite. I've taken these flavours and added a sweet 'n' sour pear marmalade, which gives you an incredibly interesting dish. This will work well for any dinner party or even as a simple lunch during the week. Once the marmalade is made it will last for a week or so in the fridge. Any leftovers are lovely with cheese and crackers.
* * *
500g/1 lb 2 oz new or salad potatoes
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp white wine vinegar
1 tsp caster sugar
4 tbsp sour cream or crème fraîche
1 tbsp wholegrain mustard
1 tbsp chopped chives
8 marinated/pickled or rollmop herring fillets, each cut into 3 pieces flaked sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
For the marmalade
50g/1¾ oz caster sugar 75ml/2½ fl oz/1/3 cup white wine vinegar 2 Conference pears
Time taken 15 minutes, plus 2 hours chilling
Serves 4
To make the marmalade, put the sugar and vinegar into a small saucepan. Stir over a gentle heat until the sugar has dissolved. Increase the heat and boil for 4 minutes.
Meanwhile, peel, core and cut the pears into approximately 5mm/¼-inch cubes. Add to the pan and simmer gently for 8 minutes, until cooked through but still holding their shape. Remove from the heat and chill in the fridge, for at least 2 hours.
Cook the potatoes in boiling salted water until tender. Drain and slice thickly, removing the skin if you prefer. While they are still hot, gently mix them with the olive oil, vinegar and sugar. Leave to cool.
When cool, mix the sour cream or crème fraîche, mustard and most of the chives in with the potatoes.
Serve the potatoes topped with the herrings. Scatter over the remaining chives and finish with the pear marmalade spooned around the outside or over the top.
Flexible
Herrings may not be everyone's choice, so goat's cheese or a salty blue cheese are good alternatives, as they both go wonderfully well with the pear marmalade and potato salad.
Chilli-baked feta
with watermelon salad
I love the simplicity of this recipe, and there really is nothing more delicious than the saltiness of warm feta, spiked with a touch of chilli and served on top of a sweet, juicy watermelon salad. This recipe just screams summer, and is a fantastic dinner party starter that can be prepared ahead of time, just leaving the baking of the feta to the last minute.
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½ red onion, peeled and finely sliced
1½ tbsp red wine vinegar
2 x 200g/7 oz pieces feta cheese
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, plus extra for drizzling
½ tsp dried chilli flakes
500g/1 lb 2 oz watermelon
½ cucumber handful of pitted black Kalamata olives small handful of mint leaves
2 tbsp runny honey
2 tsp toasted sesame seeds (see page 161)
flaked sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Time taken 30 minutes
Serves 4
Preheat the oven to 200ºC/400ºF/gas 6.
Put the red onion in a small bowl and pour over the vinegar. This will take out the 'bite' that raw onion can give to salads. Set aside while you prepare everything else.
Cut each piece of the feta into four pieces. Sit a piece of foil on a baking tray and turn up the edges to hold in any juices. Sit the feta in the middle. Drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle over the chilli flakes and add some black pepper. Bake in the oven for 10 minutes until the feta has softened and is starting to get golden tinges on top.
Meanwhile, cut the watermelon into small wedges, removing any seeds if you like, and cut the cucumber into bite-sized pieces.
Put them into a mixing bowl along with the olives, most of the mint, the extra virgin olive oil and onions, including the vinegar. Season with flaked sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. Spoon on to serving dishes.
Remove the feta from the oven and transfer to the dishes. Drizzle over some runny honey and finish with a scatter of toasted sesame seeds and more mint leaves. Serve straight away.
Flexible
You can switch the baked feta for grilled fish, such as tuna or swordfish. The meaty texture is great with the refreshing, chunky salad. Drizzle a couple of individual (approximately 200g/7oz) tuna or swordfish steaks with some olive oil, scatter over some flaked chilli and season with salt and pepper. Put under a hot grill for 2–3 minutes on each side. Break into pieces and place on top of the salad. Finish with honey and sesame seeds as in the main recipe.
(Continues…)
Excerpted from "The Flexible Pescatarian"
by .
Copyright © 2019 Jo Pratt.
Excerpted by permission of The Quarto Group.
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