Neven Maguire: hook, line and dinner is served for all the family

Fish is becoming much more popular in Ireland. But over and over again, I hear the same story in the cookery school. People love to have fish when they are eating out, but they are nervous about cooking it at home.

So this week, I have two fish recipes that have worked well in our cookery school and both are very achievable. The Mediterranean monkfish is a fail-safe recipe that I find myself cooking at home regularly. The almond crumb makes it into something just a bit more glamorous. Monkfish is expensive, but worth it every now and then. You could also use turbot, brill, John Dory or halibut. Hake is also a favourite of mine.

It is an interesting stew that doesn’t take long. You could also add some peas. as they go well with fish. Or some shellfish too if you feel like pushing the boat out.

A website well worth visiting is eatmorefish.ie. Some 20 years ago, Stefan Griesbach started a fish stall at the Galway market. Today, he has a thriving business supplying fish, filleted and pin-boned, to your door all over the country. I had an interesting day filming with him a few years back.

The butter-roasted fish recipe is a nice white fish recipe, which is good with haddock, hake or cod. The butter is the key. Smearing the fish with a flavoured butter is a great way to keep it moist in the oven. The butter is delicious, with a couple of finely chopped sun-dried tomatoes or a handful of rinsed, finely chopped capers stirred in. I like this meal with rice, potatoes, or sometimes tagliatelle.

Ingredients: Serves 4

25g blanched almonds

1 tsp sweet paprika

4 tbsp olive oil

2 red onions, finely chopped

1 fennel bulb, trimmed and finely chopped

2 tsp fennel seeds

½-1 tsp dried chilli flakes

Good pinch of saffron strands soaked in a little hot water

2 large garlic cloves, finely chopped

2 x 400g tins of whole plum tomatoes

300ml fish or chicken stock

450g small new potatoes, scrubbed and halved or quartered if large

675g boneless monkfish, skinned with all tough membrane removed and cut into bite-sized pieces

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley to garnish

Method

1 Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F/gas mark four). To make the almond crumb, spread the almonds out on a baking sheet and place in the oven for about five minutes, until they are golden. Allow to cool, then roughly chop until they resemble coarse breadcrumbs. Place in a bowl and mix with the paprika and a good pinch of salt. Set aside until needed.

2 Put a large casserole with a lid over a high heat on the hob and add the olive oil. Turn the heat down to medium and add the onions and fennel bulb. Stir in the fennel seeds, chilli flakes and saffron, and sauté for 10 minutes, then stir in the garlic and sauté for another couple of minutes.

3 Add the tomatoes to the onion mixture, crushing them with a wooden spoon, then pour in the stock and add the potatoes. Season to taste and simmer for 25-30 minutes, until the potatoes are tender when pierced with a knife.

4 Add the monkfish to the potato stew and simmer for another five minutes, until the fish is just cooked through and looks opaque.

Divide among hot bowls and sprinkle over the almond crumb, then scatter over the parsley to serve.

Ingredients: Serves 4

50g butter, softened, plus extra for greasing

1 garlic clove, crushed

1 tbsp chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

1 tsp finely grated lemon rind

4 x 150g skinless white fish fillets

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Wilted spinach, to serve

Champ or fresh egg tagliatelle, to serve

Method

1 Preheat the oven to 220°C (425°F/gas mark seven). Cut four rectangles of parchment paper, large enough to sit a piece of fish on.

2 Place the butter in a small bowl and mix together with the garlic, parsley and lemon rind, then season to taste. Lightly butter each piece of paper and place on a baking sheet. Put the fish on the paper and smear with the flavoured butter.

3 Pop the fish into the oven and roast for six to eight minutes, until just tender. The amount of time it takes will depend on the thickness of the fillets.

4 Gently ease each piece of fish off the paper onto a small mound of wilted spinach, set on warmed plates.

5 Serve with some champ or fresh egg tagliatelle, if liked.