Bart's Fish Tales with Sardines and Hake

Hot off the press is this new cook book from Dutch chef, Bart van Olphen.  Bart actively promotes cooking with sustainable seafood and has done so for many years. He was presented with the title of the world s most sustainable seafood entrepreneur in 2008, and travels the world looking for the stories behind the fish. Fishing communities all over the globe have inspired him to develop a range of fish products that tell their stories.  He is also about to start presenting on Jamie Oliver s Food Tube Network...

While researching for his latest book, Fish Tales, which saw him travel the world...

looking for sustainably caught fish to cook with, he happened upon Newlyn...

and as everyone knows...

and at this time of year when you need to keep up your Omega-3 input and what better way to do it than by making sure you get the freshest fish from Newlyn's fleet of Cornish sardine boats...

 seen her landing on Sunday...

  

it's nothing for 2-Kit to shift 3 tubs of sardines without breaking sweat...

and there are several sardine recipes to enjoy from the Newlyn chapter of the book...

as well as images of those who help put fish on the people's plates like auctioneer...

 and part-time fisherman, Ryan 'Wiffer' Ladd...

enjoying a little joshing on the quay...

while a familiar face from the past lends a hand...

for the punt men like father of the fleet, Dennis Pascoe aboard the Sprigs of Heather heading in to landing their fish ahead of the gill netter Ajax...

which sees young Aaron Williams happy in his work down the fishroom helping...

to pout ashore their last trip of hake for the year...

sans barb MSC Certified hake netter skipper Alan Dwan also stars in the Nelwyn section of Bart's book having provided the fish for some superb hake recipes... 

while Alan is just about to get his complimentary Fish Shop insulated fish frail...

crew member Matt is looking forward to the Christmas break after working through 8s, 9s and 10s this week...

as will all the guys aboard the port's top trawler, Crystal Sea.

Nathan Outlaw - top fish chef in the Good Food Guide 2013

Credit where credit is due!

Having been ranked 3rd in the nation's most prestigious food book, the Good Food Guide 2013 - Nathan Outlaw, the man with his name over the the door of the world's only restaurant with 2 Michelin stars devoted solely to fish says, 'thank you' to the fishermen of Cornwall!

The Good Food Guide and its loyal readers lead the discovery of hidden foodie gems and new restaurant talent. Combining expert, anonymous inspections with thousands of pieces of reader feedback, The Good Food Guide helps you find brilliant brunches, perfect lunch spots, great-value restaurants - or something really special for that once-in-a-lifetime meal

Keeping him good company in the guide was another Cornish chef with strong fishing connections namely Paul Ainsworth at Number 6 in Padstow.

Shaping the Future of the UK Restaurant Industry

Britain's Finest Restaurant is a unique national programme that sets out to celebrate stunning, emerging culinary talent throughout the UK in a regional cook-off format that will identify and celebrate star culinary talent in regions across the UK. 

High profile dinners will take place around the UK on a bi-monthly basis with 65 tickets available to the public to purchase. The dining experience will include 8 stunning courses along with a tasting of world class wines to create a memorable night to remember. In addition to the lucky diner who will get the chance to experience the skills of the chefs first hand, each event will also be filmed as an ongoing series for YouTube. 

Each region will be set the same menu theme and it will be their skilful interpretation of the menu that will wow diners and judges on each event.

Great British chefs say - eat hake!

Image courtesy of Great British Chefs

Wit the Ajax landing fish on Newlyn and Brixham fish markets this morning - here's a cahnce to indulge in a dish using the fish with a real hint of Spain in the ingredients - chorizo! Cannned chickpeas are OK to use too!


Celebrate great British food like hake along with all the other home-grown delights that are now in season by visiting the Great British Chefs web site for more recipes and ideas from great British Chefs and restaurants. There's even an app for your mobile phone too to help keep in touch with what our top chefs and other fish fanatics are up to around the UK.


The salt of the chorizo perfectly balances the earthy chickpeas and fresh coriander in this delicious fish dish from Geoffrey Smeddle. You'll need to soak your chickpeas overnight for this recipe so make sure you plan ahead - alternatively you can buy tinned, cooked chickpeas and save yourself some prep time.


Ingredients: (for four big British appetites!)


4 lemons, three cut into wedges and one for juicing 
1 carrot, peeled and halved lengthways 
1 slice of bacon 150g of chorizo sausage 
1 onion, peeled and cut into wedges 
150ml of double cream salt pepper olive oil 
1 bunch of coriander, leaves chopped 
500g of dried chickpeas, soaked overnight in cold water 
2kg of fillet of hake, scaled and pin boned

1.

Soak the chickpeas in cold water, ensuring there is twice the volume of water to chickpeas

2.

Once soaked, strain off the water, place the chickpeas in a colander and rinse well under cold running water

3.

Transfer them to a large pan and add the carrot, onion, bacon and a good glug of olive oil

4.

Add enough water to rise at least a couple of inches above the chickpeas, then simmer until very tender, keeping an eye on the water in case it needs topping up

5.

Once the chickpeas are cooked, let them cool in the liquor, removing the veg and bacon

6.

Once cool, take about a fifth of the chickpeas out of the liquid, place in the jug of a blender with the cream and, if needed, a little cooking liquid, then process to a coarse purée . Store in a tub until needed

7.

Place the chorizo in a pan of cold water, bring to a simmer and then strain immediately. Once cool enough to handle, peel off the skin, cut the meat into 1cm dice and place in a pan large enough to hold the chickpeas too

8.

Cook on a moderate heat until the chorizo is gently sizzling, add the rest of the chickpeas and enough cooking liquid so the pan is moist

9.

When hot, add the chickpea puree, taste for seasoning and keep warm while cooking the hake

10.

Heat a large non-stick pan and add a generous amount of oil. Season the skin of the hake with salt and place in the pan skin side down, frying each piece for about 4 minutes until the skin crisps

11.

Turn the fish over and remove the pan from the heat. Add a good squeeze of lemon juice to the pan, spooning the juices over the fish as it frys

12.

Add the coriander to the chickpeas, taste for seasoning then arrange on a platter. Place the fillets of hake on top, spoon on the pan juices and serve

Pictures from Newlyn Fish Festival 2011

Good news for Newlyn Fishermen's Mission - talks are underway that might see the Fish Festival expand and run over the entire Bank Holiday weekend in future - Harbourmaster Andrew Munson will be delighted!

Opening this year's festival, Padstow chef Paul Ainsworth from his No6 Restaurant (a winning finalist on the Great British Menu earlier this year) did the honours and gave an affirmative speech on what makes Newlyn and Cornwall special in the culinary world - top quality local produce sourced from fish markets and farms around the county.

View the Fish Festival image gallery here.

A few of the fishiest fish bits of this year's Newlyn Fish Festival......

Seafood and Eat it........

Finalists in the first Cornish Fishmonger of the Year Competition.

This year saw Cornwall Seafood's first fish challenge that brought together six fish filleters from local companies in close competition. The even was judged by Duncan and Sue Lucas from Passionate about Fish along with programme leader Annie Sibert from Seafood Cornwall Training.

View the Fish Festival image gallery here.

One for Sanjay to savour - proper job Cornish cooking - Marios ahoy!

 Take a recipe for marios.......

 or another..........

 basic ingredients, apart from Bish's spice mix, obtainable from the Deli in the Digey, St Ives.......

 fill a baking tray with the beer and malt or cider vinegar, sliced onions, bay leaves, salt and pepper and a few teapsoons of Bish's spice mix.......

 this will give the fish a rich, golden colour when they are done.......

 pop in the fish and arrange the bay leaves.......

 almost cover the fish with the brew......

 tightly wrap the whole lot with foil.......

and pop in the oven overnight - even better in the bottom oven of an Aga - either way the temp needs to be around 110º.

Broom Parc House, coastal walk and evening meal at The Lugger, Portloe.

Star of the Channel 4 series Camomile Lawn, Broom Parc House makes the perfect base to explore the Roseland peninsula...... 

with a stunning view over Veryan Bay and Gull Rock.......

the cosy comfort of the dining room set for breakfast, glimpsed before heading off round the coastal path (the Terror Run!) to Portloe..........

and an evening meal at The Lugger Hotel.......

 where the view from........

 the terrace leaves you relax with........

time to enjoy a pre-dinner drink (though with St Austell Ales brewery not a million miles away the drinks menu could really benefit from a selection of local ales) as the sun goes down while choosing from a fish laden menu.......

 inside, a local centenarian's art work painted with a credit card, one of a diverse collection on the restaurant walls...... 

 help contribute to a warm dining ambience......

 with somewhere to sit.......

 if it's a chilly evening.......

 on with the meal, steaming soup starter........

 a might meaty Newlyn hake.......

 perfectly cooked St Ive's Bay plaice with prawn and tapenade butter........

 the duo of Cornish seven-hour roasted lamb.......

 nearby Falmouth bay scallops.......

 and mussels going the other way from Fowey........

 all succumbed to the power of the knife and fork......

before a truly delicious chocolate birthday cake was produced - the chef Didier Bienaime did 'good love' all right for eight satisfied diners!