Herrings with Caper Stuffing

Serves 4

Ingredients

4 herrings (about 8 oz/225 g each), gutted
1 oz (25 g) butter

For the stuffing:

3 oz (75 g) fresh white breadcrumbs
1 level teaspoon mustard powder
3 level tablespoons finely chopped parsley
zest of 1 lemon, finely grated
juice of ½ lemon
1 level tablespoon capers, rinsed, patted dry and chopped
1 oz (25 g) butter
1 medium onion, finely chopped
salt and freshly milled black pepper

Pre-heat the oven to gas mark 7, 425ºF (220ºC).

You will also need string to tie the herrings and a well-buttered, shallow baking dish.

To make the stuffing, first mix the breadcrumbs, mustard powder, parsley, lemon zest and juice, and capers together in a large mixing bowl. Now heat the butter in a frying pan and soften the onion in it over a low heat for 10 minutes, before adding it, together with its buttery juices, to the breadcrumb mixture and seasoning everything with salt and freshly milled black pepper.

Now open each herring out flat, and spread a quarter of the stuffing down one side of each one, then fold the other side back to its original shape. Using string, tie a short length in three places around each fish to stop the filling from falling out while the herrings are cooking.

Then put the fish in the buttered baking dish, place a knob of butter on each one and bake near the top of the oven for 15 minutes, basting once with the buttery juice.

This recipe is taken from The Delia Smith Collection: Fish.

  

Salmon Steaks with Avocado and Creme Fraiche Sauce

Ingredients

For the salmon:

6 fresh salmon steaks (6 oz/175 g each)
6 small sprigs of fresh tarragon or parsley
6 small bay leaves
1 small lemon, thinly sliced
6 dessertspoons white wine
salt and freshly milled black pepper

For the sauce:

1 good-sized avocado
7 fl oz (200 ml) crème fraîche
1 small clove garlic, peeled
1 teaspoon sherry vinegar
salt and freshly milled black pepper

To garnish:

1 bunch watercress or other pretty mixed salad leaves

Pre-heat the oven to gas mark 4, 350ºF (190ºC).

 

First of all, take a large sheet of foil (24 x 36 inches/60 x 90 cm) and lay it in a shallow baking tin. Wipe the pieces of salmon with kitchen paper and place each one on the foil. Now put a small sprig of tarragon and parsley on top of each one, along with a bay leaf and a slice of lemon (these ingredients are there simply to perfume the salmon very subtly without altering its flavour). Now season with salt and pepper and finally, spoon a dessertspoon of wine over each salmon steak before wrapping the whole lot loosely in the foil. Make a pleat in the top to seal it. Place the foil parcel on a highish shelf in the oven for exactly 20 minutes. Then remove the tin from the oven and let the salmon cool inside the foil without opening it.

Meanwhile, prepare the sauce. Halve the avocado, remove the stone, then divide into quarters and peel off the skin, using a sharp knife if necessary. Place the flesh in a liquidiser or food processor then, using a teaspoon, scrape the avocado skin to remove the last greenest part and add that to the rest. Now pop in the garlic clove, then measure in the sherry vinegar, add salt and pepper and blend until smooth. Next, remove the purée to a mixing bowl and simply fold in the crème fraîche till it's thoroughly blended. Taste to check the seasoning – it might need a drop more vinegar. Cover the bowl with clingfilm and keep in the fridge until you're ready to serve. This should be made only a few hours in advance to keep the luscious green colour at its best.

When you're ready to serve the salmon, undo the foil and, using a sharp knife, ease off the strip of skin around the edge of each steak and discard it. Remove the herbs and lemon, then transfer the fish to a serving dish and decorate with small bunches of watercress or other leaves placed in the hollow centre. Hand round the sauce separately.

This recipe is taken from Delia Smith's Summer Collection and The Delia Collection: Fish.

Chilled Marinated Trout with Fennel – Lower fat

Serves 2

Ingredients

2 x 8 oz (225 g) bright fresh rainbow trout
1 bulb fennel, trimmed and sliced (green tops reserved)
¾ level teaspoon whole black peppercorns
¾ level teaspoon coriander seeds
½ level teaspoon fennel seeds
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 lb (450 g) ripe red tomatoes, skinned and chopped
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
8 fl oz (225 ml) dry white wine
½ level teaspoon fresh oregano
salt and freshly milled black pepper

For the garnish:

2 small spring onions, finely chopped
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
grated zest 1 lemon
fennel tops

Begin by washing the fish in cold water and drying them with kitchen paper. Then warm a large frying pan (10 inches/25.5 cm) over a gentle heat, crush the peppercorns, coriander and fennel seeds in a mortar, add the crushed spices to the frying pan and let them dry-roast for about 1 minute to draw out the flavours. Then add the olive oil, garlic and onion and let them cook gently for about 5 minutes or until the onion is pale gold.

Next add the tomatoes, lemon juice, wine vinegar and white wine, stir and, when it begins to bubble, season with salt and pepper and add the oregano. Now add the sliced fennel to the pan, followed by the trout, basting the fish with the juices. Put a timer on and give the whole thing 10 minutes' gentle simmering. After that, use a fish slice and fork to turn each fish over carefully on to its other side – don't prod it or anything like that, or the flesh will break. Then give it another 10 minutes' cooking on the other side. Gently remove the trout to a shallow serving dish, spoon the sauce all over, cool, cover with clingfilm and leave them in a cool place.

If you want to make this dish the day before, that's okay, provided you keep it in the fridge and remove it an hour before serving. Either way, sprinkle each trout with the garnish (made by simply combining all the ingredients together) before taking them to the table.

This recipe is taken from The Delia Collection: Fish.