Growing up by the seaside, I developed an early affection for seafood. How lucky I was to be so close to the ocean – this was undoubtedly the catalyst for my culinary passion and eventual vocation. I was enamoured with angling from a very young age, so much so, that I would rise early each day to watch fishing shows on vintage Discovery home and leisure channel.
The various forms and assortment of marine life along our coastline captivated me. Driven by my curiosity, I managed to procure fishing rods and tackle with ease, spending my weekends fishing from the shoreline.
The logical next step after catching fish was learning how to prepare and cook them. Fortunately, YouTube was just becoming popular at that time. I watched a plethora of videos instructing on how to fillet, get ready and cook various sea delicacies with wide-eyed enthusiasm.
Only in more recent times have I fully understood the privilege of being so near to the sea. Unbeknownst to me, I was starting to value the origin of high-grade produce, an unusual appreciation for a young one. Although not all young people have the opportunity to be exposed to these raw materials, I strongly believe in the importance of educating them about food. This is something I’m very enthusiastic about and it’s part of why I perform my public food demonstrations, such as my TV appearances and book publishing. It is crucial to ignite their imagination and passion at an early age. I’m thankful to have converted it into a profession.
Now, I present to you the recipes of this week that carry inspiration from the sea.
To kick things off, we will be preparing a quintessential bowl of mussels, served in the traditional way with white wine, cream, and crisp, slender chips. This dish can be found readily across France, Belgium and the Netherlands, where their northern coastlines provide the ideal conditions with their sheltered waters and potent tidal flows for mussel farming. Mussel seeds are planted on strings and grow rapidly, feeding on the plankton that ride the strong tides. Large barrels keep the ropes afloat while machines harvest the mussels at specific periods of the year. You will find them in locations like Killary fjord in Co Mayo and in Cromane in Co Kerry.
Cooking this dish only takes a few minutes and makes for a delightful and light summer meal. The chips provide an ideal, crunchy accompaniment to soak up the aromatic, salty broth.
For the subsequent recipe, we’ll be using cod, a slightly pricier type of white fish that is rich in flavour. Our choice of Orzo pasta infuses an Italian essence into the dish and complements the delicate qualities of the fish, even more when coupled with juice extracted freshly from a lemon. You can modify the same recipe to accommodate hake, haddock, or perhaps generously-sized oven-roasted scallops for a luxurious touch.
The recurring question I encounter involves proper methods to cook fish. Crucial aspects cover pre-salting or pre-brining the fish before cooking, using a high-quality non-stick pan, and regulating the heat during the cooking process. Dealing with these will make things straightforward!
Cheers to a splendid week filled with tantalising seafood pleasures.