Fish on Fridays: Tinned v Fresh

Traditionally people apparently eat Fish on Good Friday. Some for religious reasons, some like me, for lightness and health! Fish can be so expensive these days that it seems a luxury most of the time. If you are strapped for cash, store cupboard ingredients like tinned tuna can give you a fish supper, if you decide to have a meat free day. I used tinned tuna and sweetcorn to make fritters and fish cakes. Both were more-ish and filling. Serve up with salads and veg for a complete meal.

Otherwise some popular supermarkets do have offers – I found 2 whole sea breams for £7 which was a bargain and they looked fresh [clear eyes, pink gills and no smell]. Luckily the fishmonger at the store had already scaled and gutted the fish – all I had to do was cut off the sharp fins with scissors! Hope you like my recipes and give it a try.

 

Tinned Tuna Fritters

Ingredients:

Tinned Tuna [drained well – I prefer tuna in olive oil or sunflower oil but in brine/water is fine]

Tinned sweetcorn [also drained – first washed under running tap water if it is not low salt/sugar version]
1 cup of self raising flour
½ cup of milk
2 eggs
Salt and pepper
Dash of Encona hot sauce [optional] or any hot sauce you love
Any chopped up green herbs you have to hand [I only had dried oregano in the cupboard]

1.       Place the flour in a deep bowl and make a well in the middle for the eggs and the milk

2.       Whisk together into a smooth batter

3.       Add the drained tuna and the sweetcorn

4.       Season with salt, pepper, hot sauce if using and herbs

5.       Set aside for 30min in the fridge

6.       Shallow fry spoonfuls of the mix using rapeseed oil until golden on both sides and drain on kitchen paper

Fish Cakes

Tinned Tuna [drained]

Tinned sweetcorn [drained]
Cooked potatoes [leftovers will do]
Salt
Pepper
Hot sauce
Green herbs
1 whole egg
1 tablespoon of ground almonds
Polenta to coat the fish cakes

 

1.       Mash tuna and potatoes together.

2.       Add the seasoning and herbs.

3.       Add one egg to the mix and then the ground almonds

4.       Form into cakes with clean washed hands

5.       Put some polenta on a flat plate then coat the cakes in polenta

6.       Shallow fry in rapeseed oil until golden and drain on kitchen paper

 

Whole Sea Bream with Fennel

Ingredients:

Fresh Whole Sea bream – gutted, scaled, fins chopped off

A few sprigs of rosemary

Slithers of garlic,
Sliced lemon
Salt and pepper
Dash of Vermouth
Olive Oil

Baby Fennel: Sliced thinly

Tomatoes: Fresh, quartered
Tablespoon of tomato puree
Thyme
Garlic
Red chilli flakes
Cayenne Pepper
Saffron: Pinch
Chicken stock [half a pint of hot stock]
Paprika
Squeeze of agave syrup/a pinch of sugar

 

 

 

1.       Wash and prep the fish and set aside on a rack ready for the oven. Place a dash or vermouth or just water in the bottom of the tray

2.       Rub the fish with olive oil then season with salt and pepper

3.       Put a slice of lemon in the cavity along with some rosemary and some slices of lemon under the fish tail to stop them from sticking to the rack

4.       Cover with foil and bake in the oven for 25min at 180 degrees C [fan assisted]

5.       Fry some onions and garlic in olive oil and then add the tomatoes

6.       Add a sprinkle of chilli flakes, cayenne and paprika as well as the tomato puree

7.       Put the saffron in the hot stock and allow to steep for a few minutes so the colour comes through

8.       Add the fennel to the frying pan and fry for 2 minutes before adding the stock.

9.       Simmer on a low heat

10.   Season with salt and pepper and add a dash of agave syrup or a pinch of sugar to cut through the tartness of the tomatoes

11.   Once most of the liquid has evaporated set the pan aside with a lid on

12.   Take the foil off the fish and pop them under a hot grill for 10 minutes to crisp up the skin

13.   Check the fish is cooked and then serve with the fennel [can also serve with white rice/mash on the side too]