Sarah Venning’s recipes

Serves 6
1kg mixed fish fillets (e.g. hoki, swordfish, cod, snapper, orange roughy)
Pinch saffron
1 red onion. chopped
2 celery sticks, thinly sliced or a red pepper
4tbsp olive oil
4 garlic cloves
1tbsp coriander seeds
1tsp cumin seeds (or 0.5tsp ground)
2 bay leaves
1 fresh thyme sprig
2 tins chopped tomatoes
2 heaped tbsp tomato or sun-dried tomato purée
1 glass red wine
300ml fish stock or water
1-2 tbsp sugar
salt and pepper

Season fish and set aside. Infuse saffron with tbsp hot water in a small bowl. Fry onion and celery in olive oil. When almost done, add garlic, cumin, coriander, bay and thyme. Cook for two minutes. Add tomatoes and tomato purée and lemon zest. Boil for 10 minutes until thick. Add wine. Cook for minute or so, then add stock or water. Season. Simmer for five minutes. If it tastes sharp, add sugar to soften. Simmer for another five to 10 minutes. Add fish and saffron, stir, then simmer gently for five minutes.

Packet of smoked mackerel
Tub of cream cheese
Juice of one lemon
Teaspoon of horseradish

Whizz it all up in the blender. I tried lots of mackerel pate recipes, then just asked Lucy to text me. This is the best and a really good hors d’oeuvre.

Pre-heat oven to 230°C/450°F/Gas 8. 

To cook a whole turbot weighing about 2 kg/4.5 lb, trim it, removing fins and head. Cut down centre of fish through bone. Remove skin and cut fish into four portions, each about 300g/10.5 oz in weight. Season with a little salt. Heat ovenproof heavy pan on top of stove and add some oil. When hot, seal fish for about 1 minute on each side until golden. Roast for c.8 minutes or until bones can easily be pulled out. Season with salt and lemon juice. Good with creamed cauliflower and mash.

Green beans – on bottom of dish

Lemon – quarter then round edge of dish
2 cod steaks – on top of beans
Pancetta lardons – on top of cod
Pine nuts – on top of lardons

Big swig olive oil

15 minutes at 200°C then fresh parsley to serve.

12oz/340g smoked haddock, cooked in milk
1lb/675g potatoes, mashed with butter
1 small onion or 2 spring onions
3oz/85g cheese, grated
1 egg, mixed with 1tbsp milk
1 teaccupful breadcrumbs, mixed with 2tbsp finely chopped parsley

Heat the oven to 190°C/Gas 5. Flake the fish and mix it with the mash, onion and cheese. Season. Form into 8 cakes, dipping each into the beaten egg and then the parsley breadcrumbs. Put on a piece of non-stick baking parchment and bake for 15 minutes until brown.

5 large potatoes
Pepper
2 eggs
2 handfuls spinach
1 onion, fine chopped
1 carrot, halved and finely chopped
Olive oil
0.5pt double cream
2 handfuls mature cheddar
Juice of 1 lemon
1 heaped tsp mustard
Handful parsley
455g fish, sliced into strips
Nutmeg

Preheat oven to 230°C/Gas 8.

Cook eggs and potatoes in same water. When eggs cooked, slice. Steam spinach for 1 minute and squeeze. Fry onion and carrot in olive oil for 5 minutes. Add cream, bring just to boil. Remove from heat and add cheese, mustard, lemon juice, parsley. Put spinach, fish and eggs into ovenproof dish and mix and pour over sauce. Drain and mash potatoes adding olive oil, pepper and nutmeg. Spread over fish and cook in oven for 30 minutes.