First of all thank you for all the kind comments I have received for my new Seafood Trails series on RTÉ 1 on Wednesdays at 8.30pm. It was a very interesting programme to make and I enjoyed meeting so many great producers and chefs.
More and more people are eating fish these days and we notice the change in the restaurant. And so, today, two fish recipes.
I’ve used trout fillets but you could use other kinds of fish. Trout fillets are so thin that they take just minutes to cook.
I always recommend Goatsbridge, near Thomastown in Kilkenny which I have been lucky enough to visit. They do phenomenal work and have fantastic products.
You could use red onions instead of the shallots, and spinach is a good substitute for kale in this quick, easy to make, healthy recipe.
I love the taste of smoked haddock. Sally Barnes Woodcock Smokery in Gurranes, west Cork, is well worth looking up for a great variety of smoked wild fish available online. Mustard is a classic ingredient with smoked haddock.
For broccoli I am a fan of Ballymakenny Farm run by Maria and David Flynn near Drogheda. They are great for potatoes also.
I have put the conchiglie pasta shells in this recipe because they are big and ideal for catching the sauce, but you could use penne or fusilli.
Happy cooking
Neven
Grilled trout with Pan-fried kale, shallots and potatoes
Serves four to six
4-6 × 150-175g (5-6oz) fresh trout fillets, skinned and boned
50g (2oz) butter
500g (1lb 2oz) potatoes, peeled and cut into bite-sized pieces
2 tbsp rapeseed oil
450g (1lb) small shallots, peeled and halved if large
4 tbsp chicken stock (from a cube is fine)
350g (12oz) kale, stems removed and leaves roughly chopped
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Lemon wedges, to serve
Smoked haddock with tenderstem broccoli, spinach and conchiglie
Serves four to six
2 tbsp rapeseed oil
6 rindless smoked streaky bacon rashers, chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
500g (1lb 2oz) conchiglie (pasta shells)
2 × 200g (7oz) packets of tenderstem broccoli (or purple sprouting broccoli if in season), halved
300ml (½ pint) cream
1 heaped tbsp wholegrain mustard
450g (1lb) smoked haddock, skinned and cut into bite-sized pieces (undyed if possible)
150g (5oz) baby spinach
Pared rind and juice of 1 lemon
20g (¾oz) fresh chives, snipped
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper