Spiced curry monkfish with mussels

Mixing wine and cream with spices sounds a little odd but this really works. It's based roughly on a Gordon Ramsey recipe but we altered it slightly according to our personal tastes and the ingredients we had in the house.

Ingredients (serves 2)

4 monkfish cheeks

small bag of mussels, cleaned

100ml white wine

100ml double cream

1 carrot

1 leek

1 onion

1 bay leaf

tea spoon curry powder

pinch of saffron

1/2 teaspoon of turmeric

butter

olive oil

1. Pre heat the oven to 180 degrees.


2. Heat a splash of oil in a large saucepan and then add the mussels, bay leaf and white wine. Cover with a lid and cook for about 3 minutes, until the mussels have opened.


3. Strain the juices into a bowl and set aside.


4. Remove the mussels from the shells and set aside in a second bowl.


5. Chop the carrot, leek and onion and saute in olive oil until soft. Add the curry powder, saffron, turmeric and reserved mussel liquid. Simmer until reduced by approximately half.


6. Whilst the liquid is reducing dust the monkfish cheeks with salt, pepper and a pinch of curry powder. Pan fry the monkfish in a hob and oven proof pan for a couple of minutes on each side before transferring to the oven. Roast for approx 5 minutes until firm.


7. Add the mussels and the cream to the sauteed veg. Heat through.


8. Serve the roast monkfish on top of the creamy mussel mixture. Asparagus or spinach would be a good accompaniment.

Roast skate wings with shallot and tartare butter

We're trying to cook with one new ingredient a week. This week it's skate wings.

We searched for various recipes and opted for a slight variation of a Gary Rhodes recipe where skate is served with a sizzling tartare butter. This is our version...

Ingredients (serves 2):

2 skate wings, skinned

salt and pepper

plain flour

4 shallots, finely chopped

dessert spoon of diced capers

dessert spoon of diced gherkin/cornichons

1 clove of garlic, crushed

juice of 1/2 a lemon

chopped parsley

leaves from a couple of thyme sprigs

butter

olive oil

mashed potato and steamed spinach to serve

1. Pre heat the oven to 200 degrees.


2. Heat the oil in a hob and oven proof pan. Dust the skate wings with salt, pepper and flour and place them in the hot pan.


3. Cook the skate wings on each side for approx 3 minutes before transferring the pan to the oven. Roast for approximately 10 minutes, depending on the size of the skate wings. If they are particularly large wings, they may take a little longer.


4. In the meantime, heat some oil in a frying pan. Add the chopped shallots and garlic and cook until golden. Next add a knob of butter and once it starts to foam, add the capers, gherkin, herbs and lemon juice.


5. Once cooked transfer the skate wings to a plate and top with the sizzling butter.


6. Serve with olive oil mashed potato and steamed spinach.

Oxtail with horseradish and mustard mash

This was the first time we'd cooked and eaten oxtail. We weren't quite prepared for how messy it was to eat. Don't cook and eat this on a first date!

Ingredients (serves 2):

1 oxtail cut into pieces

1 carrot

2 celery stalks

1 white onion

1 bay leaf

2 rashers of bacon

bunch of fresh herbs (rosemary or thyme would be good)

3/4 bottle red wine

200ml beef stock

olive oil

potatoes for mashing

teaspoon wholegrain mustard
teaspoon horseradish sauce

1. Heat the oven to about 180 degrees. Season the oxtail.
   
2. Heat the oil in a hob and oven proof pan. Add the chopped bacon and oxtail pieces to brown.


3. Once the oxtail has been browned on both sides, add the chopped carrot, celery and onion and continue to cook for another 5 minutes.
   
4. Add the bay leaf, herbs, and wine and simmer for 10 minutes or so. Then add the stock.


5. Cover the pan with a lid if it has one, if not, cover with a piece of foil. Transfer the pan to the oven and cook for about an hour. Take the lid/foil off after an hour and turn the oxtail pieces over. Cook for another 2 hours, checking it from time to time. If it looks like too much of the liquid has evaporated, add a splash of hot water.


6. Meanwhile, make the mashed potato however you like it. We didn't bother with butter or olive oil in ours. Just salt, pepper, mustard and horseradish.
   
7. Serve the oxtail and roasting juices with the mash and some green veg.


8. Napkins recommended!