Fish & Shellfish

Blue Cod Pie

Cut boned blue cod fillets into credit card sized pieces. If very thick fillets cut diagonally to keep reasonably thin. Place into a suitable baking dish. Cover with a thick white sauce. A little mushroom instant soup mix or cheese makes an interesting addition. Cover with cooked sliced potatoes and onion rings. These should be slightly under rather than over cooked. Cover with grated cheese and sprinkle with breadcrumbs. Bake in a moderate hot oven until golden brown.

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Crust for Fish Pies

For a crust with a difference try the following,

Grate a couple of cups of cheese and mix with a handful or so of dried bread crumbs and a half cup or so of mashed potatoes. stir in sufficient eggs (3 or 4 ) to make a dryish mix and spoon directly over the fish. This will be quite lumpy, so try and get it as even as possible. It will probably flatten as it cooks.

Bake until golden brown. The topping should be quite thick and is delicious.

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Marinated Blue Cod

6 Blue Cod Fillets (Boneless)
Salt & Pepper ,
4-6 Lemons ,
2 Medium Onions,
400 ml can of Coconut Cream.
Optional:- Tomatoes, Chives, Spring Onions, Mushrooms, Peppers, Grated Carrot, Parsley.

Cut up fillets into 2 cm cubes and place into medium bowl.
Finely dice onions and add seasoning to the fish.
Squeeze the lemons and add the juice to the fish, then place the empty lemon shells on top of the fish.
Refrigerate overnight, stir contents 3 - 4 times to ensure fish marinates evenly.

Next day, drain marinade, add coconut cream, grated carrot, tomatoes, peppers, whatever you fancy to the fish.

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Cheesy Fish Cakes

Boned Blue Cod Portions.
Cooked mashed potatoes.
Salt & Pepper,
Parsley,
1 cup grated cheese.
1 beaten egg and Breadcrumbs.

Mince Raw fillets, Put minced fish into a bowl with equal amount of cooked mashed potatoes, parsley, seasoning and one cup of grated cheese. Bind together with a little of the beaten egg. Turn on to a floured board and cut into equal pieces. Form each piece into a small ball, dip in egg and breadcrumbs. Deep fry in hot oil until golden brown. Serve with Tartare Sauce.

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Blue Cod with Pineapple & Ginger

Cube 4 Boned Cod Fillets,
1 Carrot cut into fine strips,
1 Onion, chopped fine,
small chopped celery sticks,
2 Tsp grated green ginger (or 1 Tsp ginger powder).
2 Tsp Butter.

Combine all except fish in bowl and cook on high for 3 minutes.

Add half a 450gm tin drained crushed pineapple,
1 small chopped Red Pepper,
half cup cream or coconut cream,
2 Tsp Soy sauce and Fish.

Microwave on high for 7 minutes, stir at 3 minutes. Serve over pasta.

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Tuna Steaks

Steak whole tuna. Steaks should look like entire eye filet of beef. Then cut into individual steaks about 20 cm thick. Sprinkle with a little rock salt and mixed herbs. Leave stand for about ½ hour.

Heat griddled fry pan with a mix olive oil and butter. Pan MUST be smoking hot. If the pan bursts into flame when the steak added it's hot enough. Steak must be seared each side, cooking just enough to leave centre almost raw. perhaps 20/30 seconds per side.

Tuna cooked this way is to die for!!!

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Baked Tuna

Clean and scale whole tuna, removing fins and head. Stuff gut cavity with chopped onions, tomato, fruit (including tinned fruit). Place in a oven bag with 500 gm margarine and juice of tinned fruits and bake very slowly for several hours, basting often.

Eat hot or cold.

Juices make an excellent fish chowder if thickened.

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Tuna Pie (Serves 6-8 people).

A very easy luncheon dish. Freezes well.

Half cup of Milk, 3-4 Silverbeet Leaves,
2 or 3 eggs 6-8 Mushrooms (sliced),
Half cup Grated Cheese
1 cup Rolled Oats 1 large Carrot (grated),
Quarter teaspoon of Dried Herbs 1 Onion (chopped),
250 grams Cottage Cheese 2 tomatoes (optional),
185 grams Tin Tuna in Brine Half cup of grated cheese (second measure)

Lightly beat milk and eggs. Add first measure cheese, oats salt and pepper, herbs and cottage cheese. Drain and flake Tuna and add. Add All vegetables, mix thoroughly. Transfer to flat ovenproof casserole dish. Sprinkle with second measure cheese. Bake 180 degrees for 40-60 minutes. Serve hot or cold.

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Creamed Scallops

Clean Scallops carefully. We make sure we retain the "roe". It adds colour and flavour to the dish.

I coat the scallops in flour and then poach in butter and white wine. If more than a pan full, place cooked scallops to one side until all done and then remove from the heat. Add cream to pan and reduce slowly. When suitably thickened return the cooked scallops and bring all to heat.

Button mushrooms cooked with the scallops also adds a nice touch.

If desired a grated cheese top can be added and baked until brown

This dish is very rich but does retain the delicate scallop flavour.

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Opening Mussels (The French Way)

Place half a gallon of mussels in a wide deep pan, add 1 shallot or very small onion, 5/6 stalks of parsley, a sprig of thyme, ¼ bay leaf, a pinch of pepper, ¼ pint dry white wine. Cover pan tightly and cook over a sharp heat for 5/6 minutes, shaking the pan from time to time. Remove from heat as soon as mussels open.

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Blue Cod Livers

Don't turn your nose up, cod livers are a real delicacy. We would cook about two cups full for two people.

Be sure to remove the bile duct when collecting.

Wash livers carefully in water, dry.

Place a small amount of butter in a sauce pan and sauté about ¼ the amount of finely diced onions as you have livers. Add livers and continue to cook. As livers change colour, add salt and pepper to taste and a small amount of vinegar, continue to cook and add flour to thicken. Livers will break down to a paste.

When cooked they make a wonderful spread on toast or as a side dish with steak. A small amount of anchovy paste may be added if desired during cooking. Omit salt in this case as anchovies are very salty.

NOTE:- Fresh Livers cannot be frozen, although do freeze quite well after cooking

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Microwave Blue Cod

This is a favourite for lunch, simple and quick.

Take however many boned fillets as you require and lay out as a single layer in a baking dish.

Sprinkle a small amount of grated mild cheese,
a grind of pepper and salt,
a squeeze of lemon and a couple of small knobs of butter.

Do NOT be heavy handed as the idea is to enhance, not swamp the delicate flavour of the fish.

Cover and microwave until the flesh is JUST cooked.

And with fresh baked bread the best fish butty you've ever tasted.

Although we use Blue Cod, the local delicacy........ we are sure it would work with any good white fish.