Fish recipes - Our favourite fish recipes so you can make the most out of your organic fish

To start, ensure you have all your layering ingredients ready. Ensure all the bones are removed from your trout and then break the trout flesh up into fine pieces by rubbing it between your index and middle fingers and your thumb, you want fine, tender little thready-flakes (the sort of texture you'd get in a well-mixed fish cake). Place this in a bowl and season with a grind of black pepper and a squeeze of lemon juice. Make sure your cheese is at room temperature (get out of the fridge and rest on the countertop about 30 minutes before making the terrine). Make sure your olives and rocket are finely chopped and set out in separate bowls. Now, prep your courgettes. Wash, then cut into long, thin ribbons using a vegetable peeler. Line 9x5-inch glass loaf pan with clingfilm, leaving 4inch overhang. Brush the clingfilm with olive oil using a pastry brush. Then, carefully arrange the courgette ribbons in the pan to cover the entire bottom and all sides - don't worry about an overhang with the courgettes because you'll add a final layer after you've filled the mould. Overlap the ribbons slightly as you do this to ensure the pan is well covered. Reinforce the bottom of the pan with ribbons laying flat across the pan in the opposite direction of the ribbons draped, curving upward in a boat-like fashion.

Place one of the 100g pots of Sussex Slipcote on a large cutting board. Use the back of a soup or wooden spoon to spread the cheese to loosen it up, drizzle over 1tsp to 1tbsp of olive oil, if needed, to soften it up. You want it to edge toward cream cheese consistency, but you don't want to be quite that soft, otherwise the terrine will not be firm enough. Once your cheese is just spreadable, scoop it into the pan and gently spread out as your first layer on top of the courgette ribbons - be careful not to move the ribbons about as you spread the cheese - the reinforced layers of ribbon should prevent this from happening.

Once your first cheese layer is down, top it with 1/3 of the chopped rocket. Add 1/3 of the olives, then top with 1/3 trout. Start again with a layer of cheese (brushing it again on the cutting board first to loosen and soften it up), followed by the rocket, olives and fish. Finish with one final layer of each, ending with the fish.

Work in the same direction as you did with the reinforced layer of courgette earlier, cover the final fish layer with overlapping courgette ribbons - so you want them stretching across the pan lengthwise. Tuck the courgettes in on all sides to ensure all you see on the outside of your terrine (once you tip it out) is courgette. Bring the overhanging pieces of clingfilm over and seal as tightly as you can. Use a loaf pan of a similar size or smaller (or another suitable dish - or a pint glass or the like) and carefully, but firmly, press on the terrine to push all the ingredients together - this is important as the layers will split from each other when you cut it if they're not compressed properly.

Refrigerate for at least 6 hours. (Can be made 2 days ahead.) Once ready to serve, open the clingfilm up, place a large, wooden cutting board over the top of the terrine, hold it firmly on the pan and use your other hand (holding the bottom of the pan/top of the terrine) and flip over. Gently lift the terrine pan and carefully shake the terrine loose from the pan. Carefully peel the clingfilm off and slice it, when it is still very cold (i.e. when it's nice and firm), into 1inch, or slightly thinner, pieces) using a long bread knife Serve with bread or potatoes.

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Whole Roast Salmon, with Orange Butter, Beetroot, Runner beans and New potatoes

Even if there are only two of you in the house, don’t be put off buying a whole salmon as it makes wonderful leftovers. Below this recipe are instructions on how to use any remaining salmon to make a gorgeous, simple pate. Further still, you can use your remains in the cumin-flecked buttery cabbage and new potato side, turning it into a light lunch, serve with green salad. Fish cakes are also a wonderful option. So, the recipe below can serve anywhere from one to six people.

• 1 whole (2.5k) salmon
• The juice and grated zest from 3 oranges
• 2cm piece of fresh ginger root, peeled
• 100g butter
• ½ fennel bulb
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• Sea salt
• Freshly ground black pepper To accompany the salmon:
• 1 small or ½ medium beetroot per person
• 2-3 runner beans per person, plus a very small or ½ a garlic clove per person
• 2-3 new potatoes (or more if they’re quite small) per person
• ¼ lemon per person
• 5g fresh flat leaf parsley per person
• 1/2 tsp butter per person
• Sea salt
• Black pepper

First make the orange butter. Put the orange juice, zest and butter in a food processor. If you’re using unsalted butter, add a pinch of salt. Grind some pepper in and finely grate or chop the ginger root and add. Blitz until smooth. If you have time (don’t worry if you don’t), tip the butter onto doubled up (two pieces on top of each other rather than one piece folded over) parchment paper, form into a log shape, roll paper up and over and refrigerate until firm. If you don’t have time for this you can simply spoon the butter as is into the slashes you’re about to make in the fish.

Preheat oven to 220°C/ 425°F/ Gas Mark 7.

Using a long and very sharp (ideally freshly sharpened) knife, make 4-5 diagonally slashes across one side of the fish, cutting through the skin and flesh to reach the bone. Flip the fish over and do the same on the other side. You want the slashes to be about 2inches apart, running 2inchs from the head to 2inches from the tail.

Give the fish a rinse, pat dry and sprinkle a tiny bit of salt across the length of each side. Line a baking sheet with foil, large enough to wrap around the fish. Rub the olive oil across the centre length of it. Use a tape measure to calculate the girth of the salmon at the widest point and use to work out the cooking time - allow 4 minutes cooking for every 2.5cm (it should be anywhere from 45 minutes to 1¼ hours). Place the fish on the foil.

Spread the orange butter mixture over the fish and inside the cavity, pushing some into the slashes. Slice your fennel halve into 1cm thick panels and arrange in the cavity of the fish. Loosely wrap in the foil.

Now, quickly prep your beetroot as you’ll want to roast it alongside the salmon. Trim the top and bottom off the beetroot – but don’t expose the beetroot flesh, leave a tiny bit of top on and a little hit of tail. Rub the dirt off with a dry cloth or brush. Place on the baking sheet next to the foil-wrapped salmon, arrange on both sides if you’re using a few.

Roast for the calculated cooking time. The salmon is cooked when the dorsal fin and skin pull away easily and the flesh is opaque.

Toward the end of the cooking time, start your new potatoes. Clean, halve or quarter if they’re on the large side, and place in a saucepan, cover with water and bring to the boil. Reduce heat and cook until tender. As they bubble away, cut your runner beans in to 3cm pieces (I like to cut them at a diagonal but it really doesn’t matter if you don’t – I just think they look nice like this). Place the cut runner beans in a little pan, add the garlic, cover with water and bring to the boil, again, reduce heat and cook until just tender (you want them to retain a bit of crispness) – 5-10minutes should do the trick.

Once the potatoes are done, drain, season and toss in the butter. Drain the runner beans and garlic, season and add to the potatoes. Add a squeeze of lemon. Roughly chop the parsley and fold through.

When the salmon is done, remove from the oven and open the foil parcel to allow the steam to escape. Rub the skins off the beetroot and quarter. Remove a palm-sized portion of salmon for each person (if serving children, give them a child-palm-sized piece). Serve with the beetroot quarters and a mound of the garlicky, parsley-flecked potatoes and runner beans. Spoon over a bit of the buttery sauce from the salmon and eat!

NOTE: if you’re making the pate below, save the fennel halve you placed in the cavity for it.

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Organic Salmon, Fennel, Citrus Pate

This is lovely on toast, but is equally nice as a dip for crackers and crudities. Quantities can easily be scaled up or down as this is an ideal recipe for using up leftover roast salmon. If you want to use raw salmon, simply roast, poach, steam or pan-fry the fish (fillets work best) before blending with other ingredients. Serves 4 as a starter or light lunch.

• 2 palm-sized (about 500g) cooked salmon, roughly broken up
• 2 tbsp butter
• Juice and grated zest from 1 orange
• ½ fennel, sliced into 1cm thick pieces and roast or steamed until tender
• 200g mascarpone cheese
• 10g fresh flat leaf parsley, roughly chopped
• Sea salt
• Freshly ground black pepper

Roughly the chop the cooked fennel and place in a food processor with the remaining ingredients, bar the salt and pepper. Process until smooth. Taste, season, blend. Taste again and adjust seasoning as needed. Serve immediately or refrigerate and eat within 2 days.

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Steamed Courgette-wrapped Cod with Tomato dates

This is a simple, pretty dish. Serves 2.

• 2 x 4 inch-long pieces of cod fillet
• 1 medium courgette
• about 10 whole, fresh basil leaves
• 2 tsp olive oil
• 6 tomato dates, halved
• ½ lemon
• Sea salt
• Freshly ground black pepper

Use a vegetable peeler to cut courgette into long, thin ribbons. Brush cod with 1 tsp olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Season the fish and place 2 or 3 whole basil leaves on top of each cod piece. Wrap each piece of cod in the thin strips of courgette, overlapping each piece of courgette as you go around. Brush the outside of the courgette with olive oil and season. Carefully place in a steamer basket and place over boiling water. Gently steam for 15 minutes, or until fish and courgettes are fully cooked. Warm 1 tbsp olive oil in a frying pan. Finish fish off in the frying pan just to give it a bit of golden colour on each side. To serve, top each piece of fish with the halved tomato dates, drizzle over the remaining olive oil, squeeze some fresh lemon juice over, add tiny pinch of sea salt, some black pepper and top with a few fresh basil leaves.

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Coconut Milk Poached Monkfish with Rooibos Tea Rice and Pak Choi

I had a dish similar to this a really lovely, upmarket Thai restaurant near my house. Serves 2.

• 250g monkfish, cut into 2 large pieces
• 1 lime
• 2 tsp butter
• 400ml coconut milk
• 100g white basmati rice
• 1 rooibos tea bag
• 4 large or 6 smaller pak choi leaves, cleaned and sliced in half
• 10g fresh coriander, roughly chopped
• Sea salt
• Freshly ground black pepper

Season the monkfish with salt and pepper. Grate the zest from the lime over the monkfish. Warm a frying pan over medium-to-high heat. Once hot, melt the butter. When it starts to sizzle, add your monkfish and cook for 3 minutes. Flip over and pour in the coconut milk. Turn the heat to a simmer and cook for 20 minutes.

Now, make your rice. Bring 500ml of water to the boil. Add your rice, stir and bring back to the boil. Once boiling, cook for 10 minutes, or 2 minutes less than instructed on the pack. Just before the rice has reached full cooking time, pop your rooibos tea bag into the water, take off the heat and let stand for 2 minutes. Remove tea bag and drain rice.

Just before you take the monkfish off the heat, add the juice from the lime, carefully stir through coconut milk and allow to simmer 2 minutes before taking the monkfish off the heat. Check your monkfish to ensure it’s cooked through – the flesh should be white right the way through tot the centre. If not, cook further (place a lid – or you can use another pan as a lid – over the top to help speed up the cooking, if needed).

Once the monkfish is cooked, pile your rice into dishes. Pop the monkfish on top. Place the coconut milk back on the heat and gently cook your pack choi leaves in it for 3 minutes or so, just until they’re tender and lightly cooked. Arrange the pak choi leaves around the monkfish. Pour the coconut milk on top – or enough to saturate the dish and give it a nice soupy sauce. Then, top with freshly chopped coriander leaves. Serve immediately.

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Fiona's Crab Gratin

Delicious, takes minutes to make and always wins complements, says Fiona! Serves 2 (generously)

• 250g crab meat, mixed
• 25g butter, melted
• ½ lemon, squeezed
• Heaped tsp English mustard
• Grated nutmeg
• Good pinch cayenne

Topping:
• 15g breadcrumbs
• 1 tbsp melted butter
• 25g grated cheese, such as
• Green's Farmhouse Cheddar or
• Parmesan

Preheat oven grill to medium/high or oven to 190C. Mix the crab, melted butter, lemon juice, mustard, nutmeg and cayenne gently. Divide the mixture between two ramekins. Mix the breadcrumbs with the cheese and 1 tbsp melted butter. Sprinkle on top of each ramekin. Place on a baking tray and grill approx 10 mins until bubbling and browned. Serve with toast, Melba toast, wedge of lemon, black pepper... you get the gist.

That's it! Enjoy with a chilled glass of white or rose wine!

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Pollack, with a Golden Parmesan Crust

This is a fast and delicious way to serve any white fish, but we love it with Pollack! Serves 2.

• 300g Pollack fillets
• 150g plain white flour
• 1 large egg, whisked
• 150g Parmesan, freshly grated
• Freshly ground black pepper
• Olive oil

1. Preheat oven to 200C. Give the fish a rinse with cold water. Pat dry. Season the flour with pepper; place in a shallow dish or on a plate. Place the egg on a dish or a plate as well. Do the same with the Parmesan, as you want a little assembly line. Place the fish, a fillet at a time, on the flour plate/dish. Give each side a light coating of flour (not much more than a dusting). Dip into the egg – again, coating each side, but don't over egg it! Press the fish into the grated Parmesan to give each piece, and each side, a nice crust. Line a baking tray with parchment paper, splash on a thin coating of oil, pop into the oven to warm. Then, place the fish on top of the oiled parchment. Roast for 15 minutes, or until golden and cooked through. You could also pan fry the fish – a tad faster ‐ but you run the risk of the lovely crust sticking! Serve fish warm with avocado and salad leaves with our honey mustard dressing, or with roasted cherry tomatoes and purple sprouting broccoli.

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Preparing and Cooking your Whole Salmon

When Edwards' fishermen have just made their catch they’ll put it straight on ice to keep it as fresh as possible. Put your whole organic salmon in the freezer immediately when you receive it, placing it flat and making sure none of its flesh is exposed, as the air in the freezer can be cold enough to burn it. Remove the salmon from the freezer 24 hours before you need to cook it and defrost it in the fridge. A gentle defrost means that you will not damage the salmon's delicate flesh.

A whole salmon should take just less than an hour at 190ºC/375ºF/gas mark 5. Preheat the oven, coat the salmon in oil, then cover it in foil, sealing it into a parcel. Lay it on a baking tray and put it into the oven for about 40-50 minutes. If you want to check that it’s done, insert a sharp knife into the thickest section of the fish and check that it has turned opaque pink rather then translucent reddish-pink all the way through. When it is done, you can eat it hot or cold. If you're eating it cold, let it cool in the package then remove the foil and the skin.

You can improve the flavour of your salmon by adding a little butter to the body cavity, as well as some parsley or bay leaves, and even a glass of white wine into the package before you cook it. You can also sprinkle it with a little lemon juice once cooked, whether you're eating it hot or cold.

Storing your leftovers:
To store your leftover turkey or salmon, remove the stuffing and cut the extra meat or fish from the bones. Cool quickly after cooking (meat and fish should be in the fridge/freezer within two hours of cooking) by transferring to a cold plate and putting in an unheated room. When cooled, transfer it to a covered, shallow container and refrigerate or freeze. You can keep it in the fridge for up to three days. See our recipes for leftovers at the end of this leaflet...

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Smoked Haddock Chowder

If you don't fancy hunting down a haggis, this Scottish soup is a lovely way to nod to the famous poet. Serves 2 as a hearty meal or 4 as a lighter lunch served with bread.

• 200g smoked haddock
• 1.2 litres veg or chicken stock
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• A pinch mace, or grating of nutmeg
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 stick celery, diced
• 1 carrot, peeled and diced
• 3 medium potatoes, diced
• 55g butter
• 40g flour
• 1-2 tbsp oatmeal
• 290ml milk
• Fresh parsley to garnish

Place the smoked haddock in a pan with the stock, bay leaf and mace. Simmer for 5 minutes until the fish flakes. Flake the fish and set aside, reserving the stock.

Melt the butter and sauté the onion, celery and carrot. Add the flour and cook for 2-3 minutes.

Add the reserved fish stock and bring to the boil. Add the oatmeal and simmer for 10 minutes.

Add the potato and fish and cook until the potatoes are tender (8 minutes). Add the milk and season well.

Garnish with roughly chopped parsley and serve.

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Delicious Fish Hotpot

"I wanted to suggest my fish pie recipe for the recipe section as this has recently become a favourite of ours and I want to share it with everyone else. We hope you enjoy this recipe as much as we have been!" Adam and Freyja wrote in suggesting their fish pie recipe and we think it sounds fantastic! Serves 2-3.

• 300g Fish Pie mix
• 1 medium leek, trimmed, washed and sliced
• 1 medium carrot, diced
• 1-2 bay leaves
• 150g butter/marg
• Melted butter/marg for brushing
• 2/3 pint full fat milk
• 1/3 pint cream or creme fraiche
• 50g plain flour
• 5 medium white potatoes, whole
• Pinch saffron or 1 small bunch fresh parsley or chives, chopped
• Salt, black and white pepper

Preheat the oven to 200°C and boil a large pan of salted water.

Heat a heavy based frying pan to a medium heat and melt 50g of the butter. Add the leeks and carrot and saute gently for 3-4 minutes.

Add the fish pie mix and immediately add the milk, bay leaves, saffron/herbs and 1/2 teaspoon white pepper. Stir to combine, bring the milk gently to the boil and simmer gently for 10 minutes. Once cooked, lift the fish and vegetable mixture from the milk using a slotted spoon and place into a greased baking dish, flaking up the larger pieces of fish and removing any obvious bones. Reserve the cooking liquid and remove the bay leaf.

Meanwhile place the potatoes whole with the skins on into the boiling water and boil for 10-12 minutes. After 10 minutes lift the potatoes from the water and slice into approximately 1/2 cm thick slices.

Melt the remaining 100g of butter in a small heavy pan then stir in the flour to make a thick paste (roux) before gradually whisking all the cooking milk into the roux mixture to form a smooth sauce. Finish the sauce with the cream or creme fraiché then pour the sauce over the fish mixture.

Cover the filling with the sliced potatoes in a single slightly overlapping layer, brush the potatoes generously with the melted butter then season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Bake in the middle of the preheated oven for 35-45 minutes until the potatoes are cooked through and golden brown.

Serve with plenty of green vegetables or a fresh crispy salad, some loyely crusty bread and a glass of your favourite crisp white wine!

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Grilled Scallops with Chilli and Lime Courgette Ribbons

Makes loads or a little

Here's how they work:

Use a vegetable peeler to create long, thin ribbons of courgette. Place them in a bowl.

Squeeze over a bit of lime juice. Grate over a bit of zest. Finely chop as much chilli as your tastebuds fancy. Glug in a bit of olive oil and a drizzle of honey. Gently fold to coat.

You can either skewer these ribbons, gently weaving them like a bendy snake on a skewer in alteration with fresh scallops, and then grill until the scallops are cooked through.

Or, pile the vibrant, fresh ribbons on a plate and top with scallops pan-fried in a bit of butter – they just need searing for 2-3 minutes on each side.

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Whole Grilled Salmon with Rosemary in the Belly

• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
• 1 whole salmon (about 2.5kg), rinsed and pat dry
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 large lemons (1 thinly sliced, 1 juiced)
• Small handful fresh rosemary sprigs
• 2 garlic cloves, roughly chopped

Preheat an outdoor grill. Cut a piece of heavy-duty foil about 2½ times the length of the fish. Drizzle a tablespoon or two of the melted butter lengthwise down the centre of the foil. Wet the salmon on top of the butter. Season the belly of the fish with salt and pepper, then lemon slices, rosemary and garlic. Add the lemon juice to the remaining butter, stir well, and drizzle this over the surface of the fish.

Fold the ends of the foil up over the fish to meet in the centre. Crimp the foil along the long side edges so they’re well sealed without too snugly enclosing the fish. At the top centre, where the foil ends meet, fold back to make a loose opening, making sure the sides remain sealed to hold the juices during cooking.

When the grill is hot, if using a charcoal grill spread the coal out in an even layer. Carefully set the salmon packet in the centre of the grill grate, cover the grill, and cook until only a slight hint of translucence remains in the centre of the thickest part (gently pull back some of the foil and poke into the flesh with the tip of a knife to check), about 30 minutes. Lift the salmon packet onto a heatproof serving dish, fold back the foil so that the cooking liquids are retained. Serve with Honey Spiced Cauliflower, boiled or grilled Jersey Royals, asparagus, and maybe a dab of mayo.

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Snazzy Striped Salmon Steaks

Ideally cook these using a ridged frying pan or the BBQ, but the grill or a non-stick frying pan are fine - you just won't get the snazzy brown stripes on them.

Serves 4

• 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
• 2 tbsp Dijon mustard
• 2 tbsp runny honey
• 1 large garlic clove, peeled and crushed
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• Olive oil
• 4 salmon fillets
• Bottle of Rose Macatela Rosado (to drink with your culinary triumph)

Mix together the vinegar, mustard, honey, garlic and seasoning in a bowl. Brush over both sides of the salmon or dunk the salmon into the mixture if your brush has fallen down the back of your drawer. Leave in the fridge for an hour if you can and don't worry too much if you can't.

Heat a ridged frying pan to a very high heat, light the grill or build your campfire. Rub your heat source with a little oil. Sear the steaks for about 3 minutes on each side, turning only once. The fish is cooked if it flakes easily when lightly prised with a fork. The cooking time may vary depending on thickness of the salmon. Remove from the heat, brush with any remaining glaze and serve with a very cold bottle of Macatela Rosado.

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Caramelised Scallops with Thai Salad

This is inspired by a Thai salad that's usually made with green papaya. It has a delicious sweet spicy flavour and goes beautifully with the sweet, pan-seared scallops.

Prep time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 5 minutes

Serves 4

• 2 courgettes
• 2-3 carrots
• 1 firm mango
• 1 garlic clove, chopped
• A bit of red chilli, deseeded and sliced lengthways
• A good pinch of sea salt
• 2 limes, juice and zest
• 2 tsp honey
• A pack of 8 fresh scallops
• A lump of butter
• A handful fresh coriander leaves
• 100g roasted peanuts, roughly crushed, to serve

Using a potato peeler, peel the courgettes along their length, then just keep going, making strips of the flesh until you reach the seed pod in the centre. Nibble the seed pod while you cook or thinly slice it and add it to the salad. Peel the carrot in the same way. Peel one side of the mango using a vegetable peeler and then shave off long, thin slivers of the mango's flesh using the peeler, so it's a bit similar in shape and texture to the courgettes and carrots. Continue around the whole of the mango until you’ve used most of it up.

Mix the courgettes, carrot and mango with the garlic, chilli, salt, lime juice and zest, and honey. Divide the salad between plates. Place a frying pan big enough for the scallops over high heat. Add a lump of butter. Once it starts to froth up, add the scallops. Cook for 2-3 minutes, or until golden, on each side. Season. Plonk the scallops on top of the salads. Garnish with coriander leaves and crushed peanuts. Delicious with a cold beer - try a cold Whitstable Ale or one of our stunning rosés, like the Vin de Pays du Gard, Domaine de la Tour 2007. Scrumptious.

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Buttery Ginger Salmon in a Parcel with Seasonal Veg

Prep time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 25 minutes

Serves 2-4

• 2 salmon fillets
• Seasonal veg, julienned or thinly sliced*
• 2cm hunk of fresh ginger, finely grated
• Two 1-2 tbsp hunks of butter (one or each salmon fillet)
• Sea salt and freshly ground pepper
• A splash of soy sauce
• A drizzle of honey
• Two large pieces of greaseproof paper or a sturdy piece of foil

Preheat the oven to 200°C. Lay the greaseproof paper or foil on a baking tray. Pile the cut veggies in the centre. Lay the salmon on top. Rub the grated ginger over the top of the salmon. Then pop a nugget of butter on top of each fillet. Sprinkle a bit of salt and pepper over the top. Splash some soy sauce over the salmon and vegetables. Drizzle over a touch of honey. Close the greaseproof paper or foil together to form a closed parcel. Keep it on the baking tray to help catch any juices that might try to escape - and to aid in transferring the fish to and from the oven. Cook for 25 minutes.
Carefully open the parcel - you'll get a cloud of steam when you open it, so do take care not to burn yourself (steam burns are nasty). Serve with rice or noodles and make sure you spoon out all the lovely gingery, buttery juices from the bottom of the parcel. Lovely.

*We used 2 carrots, 3-4 runner beans and a few spring onions. However, you can use just about any veg for this: courgette, pattipan squash cut into thin slices, pumpkin, cherry tomatoes, green cabbage, leeks, podded broad beans...The more veg you use, the more you can make your fish stretch, so if you want to serve 4 with the 2 fillets, just up the veg anti. Enjoy!

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Mussels in Minutes

Our fishmonger's latest fruit de mer is mussels and my, they are gorgeous. The joy of these plump, meaty bivalves is that they cook in minutes. So, you can make a speedy supper and pretend you're by the sea.

Prep time: 10-15 mins
Cooking time: 15 mins

Serves 2 as a main or 4 as a starter

• 1kg mussels
• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• A splash of olive oil
• A glass of white wine
• ½ mug cream
• Salt and pepper
• A few handfuls of chopped fresh spinach leaves, stalks and woody veined trimmed first

First, clean the mussels: Place them in a bowl of water. Have a colander sitting next to it. Clean the hairy-looking beards off – simply tug them from the shell and discard (don't worry – the mussel won't snap you!). Discard any cracked shells. Tap any shells that are open and discard the ones that do not close fully – discard them even if they stay open a bit. Place the cleaned mussels in the colander as you go along. Give the sorted shells a good rinse and set aside.

Fill a lidded pan (one large enough to hold the mussels) with just enough water to cover the bottom. Set aside.

Place a sauce pan over medium heat. Add a splash of oil, then the onion. Cook until softened. Add the garlic and cook a moment longer. Season. Add the wine and let it bubble up until it's reduced down a bit.

Meanwhile, bring the water in the mussel pan to the boil. Low the heat. Add the mussels and pop the lid on. Steam for 3 minutes, or just until all the shells have opened. Tip in to a colander set aside.

Fold the cream into the white wine. Add a good pinch of salt and pepper. Let it warm though. Add the mussels. Arrange a bed of the raw spinach in the bowls. Pour the creamy mussels on top and serve - the steam and warmth from the mussels and sauce will cook the spinach. Delish! Serve with a wedge of buttered bread to mop up the sauce.

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Return of the Honey Soy Mackerel

• 1 fresh chilli, finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, finely minced
• 2 tbsp soy sauce
• Juice and zest of 1 lime
• 1 tsp honey
• 4 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp sesame oil
• 3-4 whole mackerel (or any oily fish)

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Sea Bass with Orange Butter Sauce

Fast, healthy, impressive and just a handful of ingredients!

• 1 mug freshly squeezed orange juice (or the stuff from a carton but fresh is best)
• A nugget of butter (about 2-3 tbsp)
• 4 sea bass fillets
• Sea salt and black pepper
• A splash of olive oil

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Dreamy Creamy Leeks with Whiting

• 375g whiting fillets
• Sea salt and freshly ground pepper
• ½ mug of plain white flour
• A few splashes of olive oil
• 3-4 leeks, cleaned, trimmed and finely sliced (save the tougher dark green bits for the stock pot)
• 1 mug of white wine
• 200g crème frâiche
• ½ tsp Dijon mustard
• A handful of roughly chopped parsley, basil or tarragon (optional)

Season the fish well on both sides. Put the flour on a large plate. Coat the fish in flour. Set aside.

Heat a splash of oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Add the leeks. Season. Lower the heat, cook till they're soft. Add the wine. Bubble it up and reduce by half. Then, fold in the mustard and crème frâiche. Take off the heat while you cook the fish.

Place a new pan over high heat. When it's hot, add a splash of oil. Let it warm for a mo. Add the fish - cook till golden on each side.

Warm the sauce back up for a min or two. Taste. Season. Serve. Scatter over some herbs over if you have some.

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