There is a reason I cook fish when I'm at the Old Vicarage in Herefordshire. But that's a long story not really relevant right now. More importantly, I had a great time making another pescatarian dish work in Almeley.
This is a very easy dish that's perfect for summer; full of light ingredients but with enough carbs if you need to fill up. It was Joe's homemade fennel jam that was the inspiration for this entire dish and hopefully I can persuade him to share it with us on of these days. Either way, enjoy this easy meal with an Indian riff.
The dish makes use of the idea of a "pilaff", but this version probably bears more resemblance to paella or risotto if we're being honest.
This recipe makes enough for 2 to 3 diners. You do the maths if you are feeding more.
Shopping list
for the dish
Skinless cod fillets (or any other preferred white fish), approx. 1 or 2 fillets per diner
Green asparagus spears; approx. 250g
Homemade fennel jam (like I said, you can't find this one in the supermarket)
Bay leaves; 3 or 4
Small hot red chillies; 2 or 3 per fish fillet
Coconut oil; a smidgen
A fresh lime, sliced
for the pilaf
A little peanut oil
Brown basmati rice; 1 cup
Mushrooms, a large handful, finely sliced
Spring onions, a large clutch finely sliced
Broad beans; 1 cup, frozen of fresh
A vegetable stock cube, diluted or the equivalent in liquid vegetable stock
Flat leaf parsley; a large clutch, finely chopped
A red bell pepper, cubed
Half a teaspoon of turmeric
Mild curry powder, 1 heaped tspn
Black pepper and salt to taste
for the sauce
A little coconut oil
Garlic, two cloves crushed or finely grated
Coconut milk, approx. 100ml
Garam masala, 1 tspn
The juice and freshly grated rind of 1 lime
Small hot red chillies, 3 or 4, finely chopped
A clutch of spring onions, very finely chopped
A shot of English dry gin
Cooking method
The fish
Baste the fish with a little coconut oil using a pastry brush or clean fingers
Place into baking foil and add the sliced lime, bay leaves and washed red chillies on top before wrapping tightly
Preheat the oven to 200°C and then bake in the middle of the oven, checking on it occasionally and squeezing additional lime juice over it if necessary to keep moist
The pilaf
In a large, deep frying pan with a lid, heat a little peanut oil until hot. Add the garlic and, when it is golden, add the spring onions. Once the onions are sweated, add the cubed bell pepper and stir continuously until they also begin to cook
Add the mushrooms and allow them sufficient time to cook; until soft.
Add the raw, washed brown basmati rice, stirring constantly and ensuring that it is fully coated with the oil and juices. If required, add a little additional oil
Once the rice is fully coated, add the cup of liquid vegetable stock, bringing the mixture to the boil and still stirring regularly
Add the curry powder, turmeric, flat leaf parsley and stir in, allowing the mixture to come to the boil for at least 10 mins
Add the black pepper and salt, reduce the heat and cover, allowing the rice to fully cook, stirring occasionally
Add the broad beans 5 to 3 mins before serving, depending on whether you're using frozen or fresh
Ensuring the timing is right, whether using a microwave steamer or a more traditional method, cook the asparagus to be ready at the same time as the pilaf
The sauce
In a saucepan (ideally with a curved bottom), heat a little coconut oil. Add the garlic and allow to cook, stirring regularly with a wooden spoon
Add the spring onions and sweat them. As soon as they soften, pour in half of the coconut milk and keep stirring, keeping the dish on a high heat
As soon as the coconut milk begins to boil, add the rest of the coconut milk. Rapidly add the lime juice, chillies and garam masala, stirring constantly
While the liquid is still boiling, add the shot of dry English gin and continue to stir
Without adding anything else, the liquid will eventually begin to thicken. Stir throughout before decanting
You can pour it through a sieve into a sauce dish if you wish to remove the larger elements. I usually don't
The final stretch
Plate the fish or place on a serving dish to be taken to the table
Plate the pilaf together with a generous amount of fennel jam
Decant the sauce into a sauce dish and serve at table
Accompaniments
Yes, this works well with white wines with enough kick to deal with the inherent spices. The sauvignon blanc with which I had it in Almeley felt like it needed a bit more elbow grease. So, yes, who we gonna call? Karel!
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