Hello everybody!
At this time of year, I am often craving fresh fishy dinners that aren’t very complicated, but feel special and nourishing at the same time. This week’s newsletter is going to bring you a couple of such recipes, one for salmon and one for hake.
You are also getting a round-up of some of my favourite podcasts to listen to whilst I cook.
Enjoy!
Sophie x
P.S. Oh yeah, and I wrote a book in case you didn’t know. Tucking In is out now and is filled with lots of summery recipes for you.
The Recipes
Spiced salmon with sesame beans
I was not immune to the Emily Mariko effect that had everyone craving salmon with sushi rice for dinner. Sushi rice is just so blooming delicious, even on its own, that it was high time it got a shout out in the newsletter. Paired here with a spiced salmon fillet blasted under a grill so it is still pink and fleshy (NO fluffy salmon here please), and some creamy sesame green beans, it is a gorgeous mid week dinner.
You might have a bit of extra rice left over, but it’s always nice to have cooked rice in the fridge to eat the next day.
Serves 2
250g sushi rice
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
½ tsp turmeric
½ tsp sweet smoked paprika
1 tsp soft brown sugar
150g fine green beans
2 tbsp tahini paste
1 lime
2 tbsp sesame seeds
2 salmon fillets
salt and olive oil
Add your sushi rice to a bowl, and cover it with water. Give it a mix with your fingers to disrupt the starch in the rice, then drain it in a sieve. Repeat this step 5 times, until the water runs clear.
Get your rice back in a bowl, and cover it with water again. Let it soak for 20 minutes.
Pour the rice into a small saucepan with a lid, and add 325ml water. Bring the pan up to a boil, then turn the heat right down to low, and cook it for 15 minutes.
Once the 15 minutes are up, remove the pan from the heat, leaving the lid on. Let it sit for another 15 minutes.
Add your tahini to a medium sized bowl, then squeeze in your lime juice and 2 tbsp of water. Whisk it until you have a smooth sauce. Season it to taste with salt.
Mix your cumin, coriander, turmeric and smoked paprika in a bowl with your sugar, 1 tsp of salt and 1 ½ tbsp olive oil until it forms a paste.
Toast your sesame seeds in a dry frying pan until they are golden, then set them aside.
Heat your grill to high.
Remove your salmon fillets from the fridge, and place them skin side down on a baking sheet lined with foil.
Rub the flesh of your salmon with the paste, then place the salmon under the grill for 4 minutes.
Heat a frying pan over a high heat. Add your green beans, along with a little olive oil, and fry them for 3 minutes until they are soft and lightly charred. Tip them into your tahini bowl, along with half your sesame seeds, and give them a mix.
Spoon your rice into bowls, then add your salmon and beans on top. Sprinkle over your extra sesame seeds, and serve it up.
Roasted cod with fennel and tomatoes
Tomatoes + fennel + fish = BEST BUDDIES! This is a really simple way of cooking them that feels super classy despite being zero faff to execute. Serve it up with some crusty bread to mop up the juices, and you are in for an absolute treat.
This recipe was meant to involve hake, but my lovely guy down at my local fishmongers told me that apparently hake is very hard to come by in the summer, as fishermen in Cornwall keep the stocks local to feed the hoards of holiday goers heading down there for July and August. I’ve pivoted to use cod, but any firm white fish would work well.
Serves 4