1. Steamed salmon on a bed of ratatouille













Ingredients

6 tbsp Olive oil
2 onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, crushed
1 aubergine, cut into chunks
4 courgettes, sliced into rounds
2 red peppers, chopped
6 Tomatoes
2 thyme sprigs
4 tablespoons of shredded basil
pinch of dried oregano
4 tbsp chopped chives
500g Potatoes, peeled and cut into even-sized chunks
180g jar creamed horseradish
24 asparagus spears
6 salmon fillets, 150g each


Method

1. First make the ratatouille. Heat 4 tablespoons of olive oil in a casserole dish. Add the onion and garlic. Fry until fragrant. Add the aubergine, courgette, red pepper, tomatoes, thyme, basil, oregano and chives. Season with salt and freshly ground pepper. Cook, stirring, for 5 minutes over a medium heat.

2. Cover and cook the ratatouille for 20 minutes, stirring now and then.

3. Season the salmon with salt and pepper. Wrap each fillet in a piece of buttered foil, ready for steaming.

4. Bring a large saucepan of salted water to the boil. Add the chopped potatoes and cook until tender, around 10-15 minutes. Drain, return to the saucepan and mash with the horseradish. Cover and keep warm.

5. Steam the salmon in a steamer over a pan of simmering water until tender, around 10 minutes.

6. Heat a ridged griddle pan until very hot. Toss the asparagus with the remaining olive oil. Sear the asparagus on the hot griddle.

7. Transfer the ratatouille to a serving plate. Unwrap the steamed salmon and place on top of the ratatouille. Serve with the seared asparagus and horseradish mash.

2. Salmon fishcakes













Ingredients

85g stale wholemeal bread
about 600g cooked wild salmon
about 300g cooked potato, mashed without milk and butter
handful of flat-leaf parsley, chopped
2 Eggs, beaten
3-4 tbsp vegetable oil or olive oil, for frying
freshly ground salt and black pepper
Crème Fraîche Tartare, to serve


Method

1. Preheat the oven to 150°C/gas 2.

2. Cut the bread into small squares and place on a baking tray. Put in the oven for 15 minutes until dried out. Tip into a food processor and whiz to make crumbs.

3. Roughly mash the salmon with the potato, so it still has coarse textured flakes and is not a homogenous purée. Mix in the parsley and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

4. Shape the mixture into twelve flat cakes, about 2cm thick. Place them on a large plate and cover with cling film. Leave in the fridge for an hour or two to firm up, or longer if convenient.

5. Tip the beaten eggs onto a large flat plate, and spread the dried breadcrumbs on another. Dip the fishcakes first in the egg, turning to coat both sides, then in the breadcrumbs making sure the sides are well crumbed too. Place the coated cakes on a third large plate.

6. Heat a shallow film of oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. Add the fishcakes, in batches if necessary, and fry for 4 minutes or so on each side until golden brown. Drain on paper towel.

7. Serve with a dollop of Crème Fraîche Tartare.

3. Salmon cream tagliatelle













Ingredients

1 tbsp Olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
150g Smoked salmon, shredded
100ml dry white wine
300ml double cream
pinch of cayenne
1 tsp Paprika
6 tbsp finely chopped dill
450g fresh egg tagliatelle
Salt


Method

1. Heat the olive oil in a heavy-based frying pan. Fry the onion gently until softened, around 5 minutes.

2. Add the smoked salmon and cook, stirring, for 3 minutes.

3. Pour in the white wine, bring to the boil and cook briskly for 1 minute.

4. Mix in the double cream. Mix in the cayenne, paprika and 5 tablespoons of dill. Cook stirring for a further 3 minutes.

5. Meanwhile, bring a large saucepan of salted water to the boil. Add the tagliatelle and cook until 'al dente', around 3 minutes; drain.

6. In a large serving bowl toss together the tagliatelle and the salmon cream sauce. Sprinkle over the remaining dill and serve at once.

4. Smoked salmon and goat's cheese ravioli













Ingredients

For the ravioli:
1kg fresh pasta sheets
150g Smoked salmon, cut into pieces
150g soft Goats cheese
1 egg, beaten
extra virgin olive oil, for drizzling

For the watercress pesto:
110g fresh Watercress
150ml extra virgin olive oil
50g Pine kernels
2 garlic cloves, peeled
50g Parmesan, freshly grated

To serve:
handful Watercress


Method

1. Cut the pasta into strips about 10cm wide.

2. Mix together the salmon and goats cheese and season with salt and pepper. Place a small dollop of the mixture at 7.5 cm intervals down one side of the strip of pasta. Brush the beaten egg around the edges then fold the pasta over the filling and press down around it to seal the filling in.

3. Cut out the pasta parcels with a small round cutter and crimp the edges with a fork to ensure that the filling doesn't ooze out during cooking.

4. Bring a large saucepan of salted water to the boil. Drop in the ravioli and cook for 2-3 minutes.

5. For the watercress pesto: put all the ingredients into a food processor and blend for a couple of minutes. Season to taste.

6. To serve: serve the Ravioli drizzled with watercress pesto with a small handful of watercress on the side.

5. Escalope of salmon with broccoli and sesame salad













Ingredients

For the salmon:
1 large salmon fillet
2 tbsp groundnut oil
3 tbsp sweet Soy sauce
3 tbsp sake or dry sherry
1 tbsp water
knob fresh Ginger, finely sliced
1 garlic clove, grated
bunch Coriander

For the broccoli salad:
1 head of broccoli, cut into florets
1 tbsp groundnut oil
1 tsp Sesame oil
1 tsp grated Garlic
1 tbsp Soy sauce
1 tbsp Sesame seeds, toasted
4 Spring onions, finely sliced


Method

1. Remove the skin from the fish, and slice the fillet into thin escalopes, about 2cm thick.

2. Heat the groundnut oil in a frying pan and fry the salmon escallops for about a minute turning half way through, until nicely coloured. Remove from the pan and put to one side.

3. Mix the ketjap manis, sake, water, ginger and garlic. Pour into the same pan that the salmon was fried in and bring to the boil to reduce a little, making a sauce to serve with the fish.

4. Pour the sauce over the salmon and garnish with fresh coriander.

5. For the broccoli: blanch the broccoli in boiling salted water then refresh in iced water.

6. In a large bowl mix together the groundnut oil, sesame oil, garlic and soy sauce. Add the broccoli, toasted sesame seeds and spring onions and toss to combine.

7. Serve the salmon escalopes with the broccoli salad.

6. Salmon and herb gnocchi













Ingredients

For the gnocchi:
100ml water
4 tbsp unsalted Butter
1 tsp Salt
100g plain flour, sifted
55g Emmental, or comté cheese, grated
1 tsp snipped Chives
1 tsp Parsley, chopped
1 tsp Sage, chopped
1 tsp Dijon mustard
Garlic
2 large Eggs

For the sauce:
250ml chicken stock
3 runner beans, chopped
1 tomato, chopped
1 tbsp chopped Chives, and mixed parsley
15g Butter
1 whole side Smoked salmon, unsliced
Olive oil


Method

1. Preheat the oven to 200C/gas 6.

2. To make the gnocchi: heat the water, butter and salt in a pan until the butter has melted. Quickly stir in the flour and continue to cook and stir until the mixture pulls away from the sides of the pan and starts to sizzle. Remove from the heat.

3. Place the mixture in a food processor with the cheese and blend until combined. Allow to cool then add the herbs, eggs mustard and garlic and process until a soft dough forms. Place the dough in a large piping bag.

4. Bring a pan of salted water to the boil and squeeze the dough into the water, cutting with scissors every 2.5cm. Poach for 2-3 minutes.

5. To make the sauce: heat the chicken stock in a medium pan and bring to the boil. Cook steadily for about five minutes, then add the runner beans, tomatoes and herbs. Season with salt and pepper and stir in the butter.

6. Coat the salmon in olive oil. Place on a baking tray and place in the oven for 3-4 minutes. Cut into chunks.

7. Drain the gnocchi and stir into the sauce.

8. To serve: spoon the sauce and gnocchi onto a plate and top with the cooked salmon.

7. Monkfish with saffron and capers













Ingredients

For the saffron sauce:
50g Butter
300g Shallots, sliced
500ml White wine
1 litre fish stock
2 large pinches Saffron
500ml double cream
1/2 tsp Salt
1 tsp Sugar
50ml lemon juice

For the dish:
250g monkfish tail, cut into pieces
100g baby capers
1 tbsp chopped Basil
spaghetti, to serve
4 plum tomatoes


Method

1. For the saffron sauce: melt half the butter in a pan and gently fry the shallots for 3-4 minutes, until semi-soft. Pour in the wine, turn up the heat and reduce by two-thirds.

2. Add the fish stock and reduce by another two-thirds, skimming off any scum that rises to the surface. Keep the sides of the pan clean or the sauce will go brown. Add the cream and saffron and reduce to half the volume. Remove from the heat.

3. Pour the sauce into a blender and season with the salt, sugar and lemon juice. Add the remaining butter and blend for a minute. Pass through a fine sieve.

4. For the dish: bring the sauce to a simmer over a low heat. Season the monkfish pieces and poach in the sauce until cooked through, about 6-8 minutes.

5. Stir in the capers and basil. Serve with spaghetti, sprinkled with the chopped tomatoes.

8. Linguine with clams













Ingredients

60 clams
200g Linguine
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, plus extra for drizzling
1 tsp finely sliced fresh red chilli
1 tsp finely chopped garlic
150ml White wine
6 tbsp chopped flat-leaf parsley
salt and fresh ground black pepper


Method

1. Put the clams in a bowl of cold salted water. Leave for at least 2 hours.

2. Carefully remove the clams from the water with your hands, taking care not to disturb the sand. Wash them thoroughly under cold running water, removing any sandy deposit from the shells.

3. Cook the linguine in a large saucepan of boiling salted water, stirring well at the beginning so that the pasta doesn't stick together.

4. Warm the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the chilli and garlic, and gently fry for a minute until slightly coloured.

5. Raise the heat to high, then add the clams. Cover the pan tightly and cook for 20 seconds, shaking the pan, until the clams are open. Discard any that remain closed.

6. Pour in the white wine and simmer briskly to reduce. Remove from the heat.

7. Using a perforated spoon, remove the clams from the pan. Remove the shells from half of them and return the flesh to the pan. Save those with shells as a garnish.

8. Check the pasta. When it is 'al dente', drain and add to the clam sauce.

9. Stir in the parsley and season with salt and pepper. Toss to mix, and drizzle with a few drops of oil.

10. Arrange the pasta on plates with some unshelled clams on top. Serve immediately.

9. Kedgeree













Ingredients

450g smoked haddock fillet
85g Butter
1 tbsp sunflower oil, or vegetable oil
1 onion, chopped
170g Basmati rice, rinsed
0.5 tbsp curry paste, (mild)
140g frozen peas, thawed (or fresh in season)
3 hard-boiled eggs, chopped
2 tbsp Parsley, chopped
1 pinch salt and fresh ground black pepper

To serve:
6 lemon wedges, or lime wedges
1 jar mango chutney


Method

1. Cover the haddock with boiling water and leave to stand for 5 minutes. Drain, reserving the soaking liquid.

2. Measure the soaking liquid and add enough water to make it up to 400ml. Skin and flake the haddock, removing any stray bones you come across, and set aside.

3. Melt 30g of the butter with the oil in a large saucepan. Add the onion and cook gently until softened but not browned.

4. Add the rice and the curry paste and stir for 1-2 minutes.

5. Pour in the measured cooking liquid, bring up to the boil then reduce heat down to a bare simmer and cover tightly.

6. Leave to cook, without disturbing for 8 minutes, and then stir in the flaked haddock and the peas.

7. Cover again and simmer for a further 4-5 minutes, until the rice is quite tender and has absorbed virtually all the liquid. If absolutely necessary, add a splash more hot water to prevent burning.

8. Draw the pan off the heat, dot the rice with remaining butter, and then cover and let it stand for 4 minutes or so.

9. Add the egg and parsley and stir in lightly with a fork, fluffing up the grains of rice. Taste and adjust seasoning, adding salt only if needed.

10. Pile up in a mound on a serving dish and serve steaming hot with lemon or lime wedges and plenty of mango chutney.

10. Fish pie













Ingredients

For the sauce:
2 Leeks, white part only, finely chopped
30g Butter
30g plain flour
1 bay leaf
grated nutmeg
bunch fresh dill, chopped

For the fish:
1.5kg firm white fish, skinned and filleted
300ml Milk
20g Butter
100g Prawns


Method

1. For the fish: preheat the oven to 180C/gas 4. Put the fish into a gratin dish with the milk and the butter and bake for 15 minutes.

2. Carefully remove the fish and reserve the milk for the sauce.

3. Flake the fish into large chunks and scatter it over the base of a deep deep baking dish. Scatter the prawns evenly over the fish.

4. For the potato topping: boil the potatoes, drain and mash with the milk until smooth.

5. For the sauce: pour the reserved milk into a saucepan and add the leeks. Simmer for about 5 minutes, until soft.

6. Melt the butter in a saucepan; add the flour and cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute. Add the bay leaf and a good pinch of nutmeg, and gradually stir in the milk and cooked leeks until the sauce has thickened.

7. Taste and adjust the seasoning. Stir in the dill and pour the sauce over the fish.

8. Top the pie with mashed potato and cook for 15-20 minutes, until golden and bubbling.

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