Grey mullet with yoghurt potatoes

Ingredients
1 tsp cumin seeds
300ml/10½fl oz natural yoghurt
300ml/10½fl oz water
pinch ground turmeric
pinch chilli powder
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp ground cumin
pinch salt
1 tsp dark brown sugar
2 green chillies
450g/1lb potatoes, par-boiled for four minutes, cooled, peeled, cut into cubes

For the grey mullet:

4 x 150g grey mullet fillets
salt and freshly ground black pepper
30ml/1fl oz vegetable oil
1 tbsp butter
fresh coriander leaves, to garnish
lime wedges, to garnish

Method:
1. Place a dry pan over a medium heat. Add the cumin seeds and dry fry for three minutes, or until just turning a darker brown. Remove the pan from the heat and set aside.
2. Place the yoghurt, water, turmeric, chilli powder, ground coriander, ground cumin, salt and sugar into a bowl and mix well.
3. Add the yoghurt mixture to the pan of toasted cumin seeds. Return to the heat and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for three minutes.
4. Add the whole chillies and the par-boiled potato cubes and simmer for 8-10 minutes, until the potatoes are completely cooked through.
5. For the grey mullet, season the mullet fillets well with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
6. Heat the oil in a frying pan and, when hot, add the mullet fillets and cook for two minutes on each side.
7. Add the butter to the pan and allow to melt and foam. Spoon the pan juices over the mullet fillets and cook until the fish is completely cooked through.
8. To serve, spoon some of the potatoes and their sauce onto each plate. Place a mullet fillet on top of each pile of potatoes and garnish with fresh coriander leaves and lime wedges.

Bon Appétit!

Mediterranean fish soup

Ingredients:
1 small gurnard or grey mullet, weighing about 450g/1lb
1 red mullet, weighing about 350g/12oz
1 small monkfish tail, weighing about 450g/1lb
100g/4oz prepared squid
20 small mussels, cleaned
150ml/5fl oz white wine
1 fennel bulb, trimmed
1 red onion, peeled
1 leek
2 celery sticks
1 red pepper
5 plum tomatoes, skined
6 small new potatoes weighing about 175g/6oz in total
120ml/4fl oz olive oil
6 garlic cloves, sliced thinly
2 strips of orange zest, cut into very thin shreds
a good pinch of dried chilli flakes
2tsp sun-dried tomato paste
2 young, fresh bay leaves, shredded finely
leaves from 1 sprig of fresh thyme, finely chopped
2 tbsp chopped fresh fennel herb or dill
3 tbsp Pernod or Ricard
salt
20 turns of the black pepper mill
extra virgin olive oil, coarse sea salt and sliced ciabatta or fresh bread, to serve

Method:
1. Fillet the gurnard or grey mullet, red mullet and monkfish. Make a fish stock with the bones, using 2.75L/5pt of water.
2. Cut the squid lengthways along one side of the pouch and open it out. Cut the squid and the fish fillets lengthways into strips 2cm/¾in wide, then cut across each strip into slices 1cm/½in wide. All the pieces of fish should be the same size and shape.
3. Put the mussels in a pan with a splash of white wine, cover and cook over a high heat for 3-4 minutes until they have opened. Discard any that remain closed.
4. Strain the mussel cooking liquor into the fish stock, then shell the mussels, discarding the shells.
5. Cut the fennel bulb and red onion into 6-8 wedges so that each wedge measures about 2cm.¾in at its thickest part.
6. Cut the leek lengthways into quarters and the celery sticks lengthways in half.
7. Cut the red pepper lengthways into strips 2cm/¾in wide and the tomatoes and potatoes lengthways into 4 wedges. Then cut each of the vegetables across into thin, arc-like slices, making sure that they are all roughly the same size and shape - this is very important to the final look of the soup.
8. Heat the olive oil in a large pan - if you have a suitable oven-to-table one, this would be ideal. Otherwise just use a large saucepan and transfer the soup to a tureen to serve.
9. Add the fennel, red onion, leek, celery, red pepper, garlic, orange zest and dried chilli.
10. Cook over a low heat for about 4 minutes, until the vegetables are just softened. Add the sun-dried tomato paste, fish stock, remaining white wine, tomatoes, potatoes, salt and pepper. Bring to the boil and simmer for 5 minutes.
11. Add the fish, plus the bay leaves, thyme, half the fennel herb or dill and the Pernod or Ricard. Simmer for 3 minutes only (otherwise you will overcook the fish), adding the mussels for the final 30 seconds.
12. Sprinkle the soup with the remaining fennel or dill and take to the table, together with little bowls of extra virgin olive oil and coarse sea salt and the bread. Serve in large soup plates and instruct your guests to dip the bread in the oil and then the salt to eat the soup.

Bon Appétit!

Pepperoni Stromboli

INGREDIENTS

• 2 (1 pound) loaves frozen bread dough, thawed
• 1/2 cup spaghetti sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 4 ounces sliced pepperoni sausage
• 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2. Punch dough down. On a lightly floured surface, roll each loaf into 20x8 inch rectangle. Place one rectangle on a greased baking sheet. Spread spaghetti sauce in an 18x4 inch strip down the center. Sprinkle with oregano, pepperoni and mozzarella cheese. Fold long sides of dough up toward filling; set aside. Cut the remaining rectangle into three strips. Loosely braid strips; pinch ends to seal. Place bread on top of the cheese; pinch braid to dough to seal. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.
3. Bake in preheated oven for 30 minutes, or until golden brown.

Very easy and delicious.

Bon Appétit!