Rory O’Connell’s Grilled Fish with Herb Relish @Bordbia #ballymaloe

bbia grilled fish 211516

This way of cooking fish is perceived as being rather old fashioned, but if you have a really fresh fish, it can be fabulous and quite contemporary in its simplicity. Hake, cod, ling and mackerel are all delicious cooked in this way. The relish served here is classic, and when properly prepared, it will remind you why herbs, butter and lemon will always have a place at the table when fresh fish is being served.

Serves 4

  • 4 x 120- 150g pieces of your fish of choice
  • 2 tablespoons of flour, seasoned with salt and pepper optional
  • 25 g butter at room temperature
  • salt and pepper
  • 4 wedges of lemon
    • Herb Relish
    • 50g butter
    • 2 tablespoons of very finely chopped herbs such as parsley, chives, fennel and a few thyme leaves
    • black pepper

To cook the fish, place the grill pan on a medium heat and allow to become quite hot. You don’t want it smoking madly, but should see a light haze, almost like vapour, arising from the pan. Dry the fish fillets with paper towel and dip in the seasoned flour and shake off the excess. You can skip this flouring stage if you wish. With a knife, lightly butter the flesh side of the fish fillets. Place the fish, buttered sides down on the hot grill. The fish should sizzle immediately it hits the pan, if it doesn’t, the pan wasn’t hot enough and you need to crank up the heat immediately. If you have difficulty determining if the pan is hot enough, take one of the pieces of fish and holding it above the pan, just place a corner of the buttered side onto the grill. If it sizzles, it is fine to proceed, if it doesn’t then allow the pan to get hotter. Let the fish cook, still on a high heat until the fish is well coloured. There should be a bit of smoke coming from the pan, but not great clouds of it, so adjust the heat accordingly. Lift the fish at one corner to check if it is golden and getting crisp. When you are confident this stage has been reached, turn the heat down a little and with the help of a fish or egg slice, turn the fish over on to the skin side. Let it continue to cook until the skin is crispy and the fish is cooked through. You will know the fish is cooked when the flesh appears to be white and creamy in colour and no longer looks translucent.

While the fish is cooking, melt the butter for the relish. Allow the butter to cool a little before stirring in the chopped herbs.

Remove the cooked fish to hot serving plates, placing them with the golden flesh side up. Place a wedge of lemon on each plate and drizzle the herb relish over.

If you wish garnish with a spring of parsley and serve immediately.

http://www.bordbia.ie/consumer/recipes/roryoconnell/pages/grilledfishwithherbrelish.aspx

Organic Salad with Roasted Vegetables, Salad Leaves and Cheese

Organic-salad-with-roasted-vegetables

This makes a perfect lunch with some crusty bread.

 Serves 4

Preparation time: 30 mins

Ingredients

  • 1-2 aubergines
  • 8 unpeeled garlic cloves
  • 3 tablesp.olive oil
  • 2 red peppers, halved and deseeded
  • 2 tablesp. balsamic vinegar
  • 4 scallions, finely sliced
  • 8-10 black olives
  • Salt and black pepper
  • Salad leaves, generous handful per person
  • 200g cheese

To Cook

Preheat the oven to Gas Mark 4, 180°C (350°F). Slice the aubergines lengthwise and mix with 6 of the garlic cloves and 1-2 tablespoons of the oil. Spread out on a baking sheet. Season well. Roast until tender – this will take approximately 20 minutes.

Grill the peppers until well blackened. Cover with a tea towel and leave to cool. Then remove the skins and cut into strips.

Whisk the vinegar with the remaining oil in a large bowl, peel and chop the remaining garlic and add to the bowl. Mix in the aubergines and peppers, scallions and olives. Taste for seasoning. Tear up the salad leaves, arrange on a large platter, top with aubergine mixture and sprinkle with cheese.

Serving Suggestions

Serve with crusty bread.

 

Colcannon Cakes with Poached Eggs and Hollandaise Sauce

colcannon-cakes-with-poached-eggs-and-hollandaise-sauce

This dish would also be delicious served with a slice of baked ham or bacon if you have any leftover. Alternatively, chop up the ham or bacon and add to the colcannon mixture before shaping into patties.

Serves 4

Ingredients

  • 450g potatoes, peeled
  • 40g butter
  • 3 scallions, finely chopped
  • A little salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 50g Savoy cabbage, shredded
  • A little plain flour, for dusting
  • Olive oil, for frying
  • 1 tablesp. white wine vinegar
  • 4 large eggs

For the Hollandaise Sauce

  • 2 teasp. white wine or tarragon vinegar
  • 2 large egg yolks
  • 100g unsalted butter

To Cook

Cook the potatoes in a covered pan of boiling salted water for 15-20 minutes until tender.

Meanwhile, heat a knob of the butter and one tablespoon of water in a heavy-based pan with a lid, over a high heat. When the butter has melted and formed an emulsion, add the scallions and cabbage with a pinch of salt. Cover, shake vigorously and cook over a high heat for 1 minute. Shake the pan again and cook for another minute, then season with pepper.

Drain the potatoes and mash until smooth, then beat in the remaining butter. Fold in the cabbage mixture. Shape the mixture into four balls, dust with flour and press into neat patties.

Heat a thin film of olive oil in a heavy-based frying pan and add the patties, then cook for 3-4 minutes on each side until golden brown.

To make the poached eggs, bring a large pan of water to the boil. Add the vinegar and season with salt and keep at a very gentle simmer. Break the eggs into the water and simmer for 3-4 minutes until just cooked but still soft on the inside. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain well on kitchen paper, trimming away any ragged edges.

To make the hollandaise sauce, place the vinegar and egg yolks in a food processor with a pinch of salt. Blend until just combined.

Gently heat the butter in a heavy-based pan until melted and just beginning to foam. Turn on the food processor and with the motor running at medium speed; pour in the melted butter in a thin, steady stream through the feeder tube. Continue to blitz for another 5 seconds and pour back into the pan but do not return to the heat. Allow the heat from the pan to finish thickening the sauce as you stir it gently for another minute before serving. Season to taste with salt.

Serving Suggestions

To serve, place a colcannon cake on each warmed plate and place a poached egg on top of each one. Spoon over the hollandaise sauce and add a grinding of black pepper.

Nutritional Analysis per Serving

Protein:   13g 

Carbohydrates:   23g 

Fat:    46g 

Iron:    2.5mg 

Energy:  555kcal