AND MUSSEL PIE
I tend to use mash on this seafood pie, because puff pastry doesn’t always cook properly. If you do prefer pastry though, you can substitute it, but don’t cheat and do that rubbish dry dustbin lid plonked on the top, I hate that! A pie should have the filling and top cooked all together, as it tastes so much better when made as a whole. You can also leave out the capers and gherkins if you want.
SERVES 4
1–2 tbsp olive oil
500g (1lb 2oz) salmon fillet, pin bones and skin removed
1kg (2lb 3oz) mussels, cooked and removed from their shells
50g (2oz) gherkins, drained and chopped
25g (1oz) capers, drained
4 tsp chopped flat-leaf parsley
4 tsp chopped dill
4 tsp chopped chervil
3 banana shallots, peeled and finely sliced
200ml (7fl oz) double cream
Salt and black pepper
FOR THE MASH TOPPING
500g (1lb 2oz) large floury potatoes, such as King Edward, peeled and cut into quarters
50g (2oz) butter
100ml (3½fl oz) whole milk
ONE 20 X 30CM (8 X 12IN) PIE DISH OR OVENPROOF DISH
1. Preheat the oven to 170°C (325°F), Gas 3.
2. Cook and mash the potatoes for the topping following the instructions for Creamy Potato Mash on page 179.
3. While the potatoes are cooking, place a non-stick ovenproof pan over a medium heat, add the olive oil and the salmon and seal on both sides, then bake in the oven for about 8 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely.
4. In a large bowl, mix together the mussel meat, gherkins, capers and herbs, then add the sliced shallots. Once the salmon is cool enough to handle, lift it from the pan and flake the meat into the bowl. (Some parts of the flesh may not be completely cooked but this doesn’t matter as it will be fully cooked in the pie.) Mix all this together, then stir in the cream, season with salt and pepper and transfer to the pie dish.
5. Put the mashed potato into a piping bag and pipe it over the salmon mixture or spoon the potato over the top of the fish mix and spread it out evenly with a fork. Bake in the oven for 25 minutes or until the top of the pie is golden brown.
6. Remove the pie from the oven and serve with Minted Peas.
Why use pie dishes when the scallop shells look just as good? The best scallops for this are of course hand-dived: they are better for the environment, as dredging destroys the seabed and also fills the scallops with grit. Some of the best scallops I’ve eaten were from Scotland’s west coast and from Ireland, but many are imported from America for some reason. Never freeze scallops, as they soak up water like a sponge and then when you cook them they dump all that water in the pan.
MAKES 4 ‘PIES’
4 large hand-dived scallops
1 fennel bulb
2 tbsp finely chopped chives
25g (1oz) butter 1 shallot, peeled and finely chopped
50ml (2fl oz) white wine
100ml (3½fl oz) double cream
100g (3½oz) ready-rolled all-butter puff pastry
1 egg, beaten
Salt and black pepper
Coarse sea salt, to serve
1. Preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F), Gas 6. Insert a sharp knife between the two halves of each scallop shell, then slice between the shells and pull them apart. Pull off the outer membrane and carefully remove the coral and white part of the scallop, dabbing them dry on kitchen paper.
2. Place the corals in a saucepan, add the top sprigs from the fennel bulb and half cover with water. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 4–5 minutes. While the corals are cooking, clean and wash the scallop shells and, using a mandolin or a sharp knife, slice the fennel very thinly and set aside in a bowl with the chopped chives.
3. Melt the butter in a small frying pan and gently cook the shallot for 3–4 minutes or until softened but not browned. Add the white wine and drain the liquor from the cooked corals into the pan. Pour in the cream and bring to the boil. Boil until the liquid thickens, having reduced by about half, then season.
4. Place a pile of fennel and chives in each of the lower (more rounded) scallop shells, slice each scallop in half and place on top. Spoon over the sauce and cover with the top (flat) shells.
5. Lay out the pastry and cut into 4 strips each about 4 x 40cm (1½ x 16 in). Using a little beaten egg, brush the edges of each pair of shells where they join and wrap a strip of pastry around the edges to seal the two halves together. Brush well with the remaining egg, then carefully place on a baking tray and bake in the oven for 10 minutes. Remove from the oven, place on a pile of sea salt and serve.
I’ve worked with many Indian chefs over the years and it has been a privilege to learn from them, as Indian food can be so complex. Yuri, one of my head chefs, is great at quickly knocking up a simple curry. This is a dish we used to make towards the end of a night’s service so that, after the guests had gone, the full team could sit down in the restaurant and dive in.
SERVES 4–6
1 tsp ground turmeric
1 tsp ground coriander
½ tsp ground cloves
50g (2oz) plain flour
1 large chicken, cut into 10 pieces (see method on pages 62–3)
3–4 tbsp vegetable oil
½ cinnamon stick
10 curry leaves
8 black peppercorns
1 onion, peeled and chopped
1 tbsp peeled and grated root ginger
1 x 400ml can of coconut milk
Salt and black pepper
1. Mix the ground spices and flour in a bowl and season with salt and pepper, then toss the chicken pieces in the spiced flour and set aside.
2.
