I couldn’t look a mussel in the beard for years, because against better advice from a fellow diner when I was young and unwise, I pried open a tightly closed one and ate it. I regretted my decision for at least a week. Now, though, they’re one of my favourite shellfish. Mussels are full of flavour, they’re British and they’re as cheap as chips (and go rather well with a big bowlful of them). Continue reading
A combination of hot and cold smoked salmon, tumbled with new potatoes, sweet pickled cucumbers and dill, this makes a super summer salad. If you have any leftovers it’s very good in a lunchbox, too. Continue reading
A simple but sybaritic way of eating two seasonal pleasures, Cromer crab and English asparagus, this makes a luxurious two person lunch. Try it while both are plentiful and grab yourself a ciabatta for the toast at the same time. Continue reading
Scotch Woodcock, if you haven’t come across it before, is a Victorian savoury of creamy eggs poured over toast spread with anchovy butter. Just as Welsh Rarebit or Rabbit contains no rabbit, Scotch Woodcock contains no wading birds, which will no doubt come as a relief to many. I’ve paired it here with asparagus for a dish which makes a good starter or light lunch or supper. Continue reading
Smoked trout’s delicate flavour and soft texture combines beautifully with crisp fennel and apple in this winter salad. We like it with rye bread as a main course but it works equally well as a starter and it’s elegant enough to serve to guests. Continue reading
Celeriac and smoked haddock blend beautifully in this velvety soup, which can be eaten as a main course or a starter. It’s luxurious but not too heavy. Perfect, I would suggest, for Christmas Eve. Continue reading
I know, Scallops with Black Pudding and a Tomato and Pernod Sauce is a long-winded title for a simple dish but my word, it tastes good. The flavours really complement one another. And it is at least descriptive. Continue reading
Smaller flatfish such as lemon sole, dabs and flounder are vastly underrated compared to their posher cousins and usually very good value for money. Their flesh is delicately flavoured and best suits a simple treatment. I like them lightly seasoned and floured, then fried in brown butter, with a good squeeze of lemon juice and a scattering of parsley. Real fast food. But they adapt well to being stuffed and rolled. Continue reading
“I’ve brought you a monster from the deep,” grinned Spencer as he arrived at my door with the biggest crab I’ve ever had the pleasure of eating. Honestly, it was the size of my head and we all know how big that is. Continue reading
Beef burgers, meh, I can take them or leave them. Mostly I like them for the trimmings. A fried fish sandwich, though, is something else. A juicy mackerel fillet, cooked until the skin is crisp, slapped in a bun and anointed with tartare sauce with an unorthodox hit of horseradish … well, now I’m salivating. Continue reading