Serves 4
3 red peppers (bell peppers), seeded and coarsely chopped
1 red onion, coarsely chopped
1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
1 garlic clove, crushed
1 tablespoon cold pressed extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 finely chopped chilli (choose your own preferred strength)
125ml/½ cup 50% reduced-fat crème fraîche, chilled or dairy-free natural (plain) set yogurt
To serve
455g/11b fresh asparagus, lightly cooked in boiling water until al dente, drained, refreshed under cold running water
Or, less expensively, I packet organic yellow 100% corn chips
Cook the peppers and onions in a saucepan over a medium heat with the thyme, garlic and oil for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the balsamic vinegar, salt, pepper and chilli and continue to cook for another 15 minutes until they are browned, soft and mushy.
Leave the mixture to cool and then purée in a blender. Transfer the mixture to a bowl and when it is cold, stir in the crème fraîche or yogurt and adjust the seasoning to taste.
Spoon the dip into a bowl, cover and chill until needed. Serve it with the asparagus or corn chips.
Roast Skate with Baby Summer Vegetables
Skate is so easy to cook and looks more interesting than a slab of fish. Here it is lightly cooked with tiny vegetables for a healthy and light summer dish. In winter, I use whatever frozen baby vegetables I can find.
Serves 4
24 tiny new potatoes
170g/6oz miniature, trimmed baby leeks or baby carrots, topped and tailed
155g/5½oz trimmed asparagus spears or fine green beans, topped and tailed
170g/6oz mangetout or sugar snap peas or halved baby courgettes (zucchini)
4 tablespoons wheat-free flour mix*
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 medium-sized skate wings
2 tablespoons cold pressed extra virgin olive oil
115g/4oz organic butter or dairy-free margarine
16 whole fresh sage leaves
4 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
Juice of 1 large lemon
1 unwaxed lemon, cut into quarters for decoration
Preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F/Gas mark 6.
Bring a pan of water to the boil, add the potatoes and cook until nearly soft before adding the other vegetables. Add the remaining vegetables in stages so that the leeks or carrots are nearly cooked through before adding the green beans or courgettes (zucchini). The asparagus and mangetout or sugar snaps should be the last to cook, as all the vegetables must remain crunchy. Drain the vegetables and keep to one side.
Season the flour with salt and pepper and spread over a plate. Coat the skate wings with the mixture and shake off the excess. Add the oil and half the butter or margarine to a frying pan (skillet), add the fish and fry for 2 minutes on each side. Transfer the skate wings to a baking tray and bake for 15 minutes until crisp.
Halfway through the oven cooking time, add the remaining butter or margarine to the fish pan and, when it is foaming, stir in the sage and vegetables. Sauté them for 7 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in the parsley, season to taste with salt and pepper and sprinkle with lemon juice.
Remove the skate from the baking tray and set each piece on a warm plate. Spoon the summer vegetables around the fish and serve with a lemon quarter.
Roast Skate with Baby Summer Vegetables
Trout in Oatmeal
We have a trout farm near us in Hampshire, which means I can buy freshly-caught fish and serve it with delicious, locally-grown watercress.
Serves 2
70g/½ cup medium or fine organic oatmeal
Sea salt, freshly ground black pepper and a sprinkling of cayenne pepper
2 thick, tail end, loch trout fillets (size according to appetites)
2 tablespoons cold pressed extra virgin olive oil
4 thick slices rindless, dry-cure back bacon
30g/1 oz organic butter or dairy-free margarine
1 unwaxed lemon, cut into 4 wedges
Spoon the oatmeal onto a plate and season with salt, pepper and cayenne. Coat the trout in the oatmeal and gently shake off the excess.
Warm half the oil in a large non-stick frying pan (skillet), add the bacon and cook until tinged with gold. Move the bacon to the side of the pan, add the remaining oil and the trout fillets and cook over medium heat until they are dark gold. Now add the butter or margarine and cook the other side until crispy and light brown. Drain the trout and the bacon on absorbent kitchen paper and serve with wedges of lemon and fresh, wheat-free bread and butter or dairy-free margarine.
Super Cheat’s Fish Pie
This is the quickest fish pie I have ever made therefore it’s made frequently! You can change the fish to suit the season and budget, and you can use mussels or squid if you don’t like asparagus and artichokes. If you prefer other crisps (chips), please check that they are not coated in either wheat or gluten.
Serves 4–6
225g/8oz skinned, boneless cod fillet (or any similar white fish)
225g/8oz skinned, boneless smoked haddock fillet
255g/9oz packet fresh large prawns (shrimp)
400g/14oz can artichoke hearts, drained
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
250ml/1 cup half-fat crème fraîche
2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill
170g/6oz fresh asparagus spears
155g/5½oz packet black pepper Kettle chips (or other gluten-free variety)
55g/2oz