Little fishes 2 / Petits poissons : le retour

Here goes the Oscar speech: 

I'd like to say thank you to a good friend's dad for giving us these delicious fresh fishies, thanks to the good friend for gutting them as that is a skill I am yet to master, and finally thank you to Cheri for cooking the fish to perfection! 

Eating fish whole is something relatively new to me. I'm a little bit ashamed to say it, but up until this year all fish cooked by my greedy hands had already been gutted, filleted and de-boned. However, I just couldn't say no to these little beauties, especially saying as fish is something that is becoming ridiculously expensive. Cooking the fish whole stops it from drying out and keeps all of the flavours intact. However, it does mean having to battle with the bones which can be a little irritating, especially when one gets lodged in your throat. A bit of care and patience is all it takes. 

I decided to accompany Cheri's papillotes with some curried courgettes. This is a quick and easy side-dish that goes well with white meats or fish. For four people you'll need one large courgette. If you're dining solo or cooking for two, freeze the remaining courgette slices for up to three months. Fry off in a little olive oil until soft, add a couple of spoons of crème fraîche, and then stir in whatever spices you fancy. I chose to put in some medium curry powder, groud cumin, fresh coriander, and a good dose of turmeric to give a nice colour to the veggies. Fry over a medium heat for about 20 minutes, or until the courgettes are soft and melt in the mouth. 

Recette: Griddled salmon with cheese

While I'm a big fan of salmon, I must admit I don't really know how to make it interesting. I always tend to pop it in a tin foil papillote with some lemon and butter, or soya sauce and ginger if I'm feeling oriental, before forgetting about it for 20 minutes in the oven. While that makes for a perfectly tasty supper, I fancied trying something different with my salmon this time.

Recette: Griddled salmon with cheese

Serves 2 as a main course.

You will need: 2 salmon fillets, 2 thin slices of cheese (Taleggio works well but I opted for Gouda), some fresh basil leaves and 4 slices of prosciutto or parma ham. 

 
Season the salmon with a bit of pepper. There is no need to add salt, as the prosciutto and cheese will do this. Cut the cheese to fit the salmon fillets and place it on top of the fleshy side of the fish. Top the cheese with several fresh basil leaves and wrap the fillets entirely with the prosciutto to make a parcel. 

Heat a griddle pan and cook the parcels for 10 minutes on each side over a medium heat (depending on how well cooked you like your salmon).   

Serve with fresh vegetables (I chose baby carrots and peas) or a salad as this can be quite a rich main course, and a glass of white wine if it's the weekend! 

Little fishes / Petits poissons

I have always loved living close to the sea. There is something so calming about going and looking out at the waves and I love the smell of sea air. When I'm feeling homesick (those of you who read this blog will have guessed, that happens a lot!), I drive out to La Tremblade to look out at the Atlantic Ocean and its infinite blueness.

The other good thing about living close to the coast is the fish. I love meat in all its forms but I am also a huge fan of seafood. Oysters, prawns, cockles, clams, mussels: I'd eat them every day!

Cheri is a little more reticent, however, when it comes to our fishy friends. I think being brought up on the bland steamed white haddock that Belle-Maman loves may have put him off a bit! So it's up to this persistant gourmande to get him loving the taste of the sea...

Recette: Smoked salmon served with steamed garden potatoes, crème fraîche and salmon roe. Serves 2 as a main course.

You will need: a small packet of smoked salmon, 3 large potatoes, a tub of crème fraîche, a jar of salmon roe and some sprigs of dill to decorate. 

Scrub the potatoes and steam them until soft. Cut in half and pose 3 halves on each plate. Top with a spoonful of crème fraîche and the salmon roe. Divide the smoked salmon between the plates and add a few sprigs of dill as decoration. Easy!

A light, quick and easy lunch that will conquer even the most ardent fish-haters!