Oven Baked Fresh Cod with Potatoes and Charlottes

Ingredients: (for 4 people)

• 2 fresh cod fillets (about 700grs) skinless and boneless (cut into small pieces)
• 4 Large pealed potatoes cut into very thin slices (about 5mm thick)
• 8 Charlotte's (thinly sliced)
• 8 Spring onions (sliced)
• 2 Broccoli heads (cut into pieces)
• 4 Garlic cloves (finely diced)
• 250mls fresh cream (you can use creme fraiche)
• 1 fish stock cube (knorr or any other brand)
• 1 bunch of parsley (finely chopped)
• 1/2 Glass of white wine (sweet)
• Juice of 1 lemon
• A little olive oil, salt, black pepper and butter.

An uncomplicated recipe, simply cook the potatoes in water until they become translucent, but not completely cooked (cooking for around 7-10 minutes depending on the potatoes quality), at the same time place on a frying pan a little olive oil and as soon as is very hot add the Charlotte's and the garlic with a pinch of both salt and pepper, stir regularly until these become golden, which then you should add the wine and the spring onions, leaving these to cook until soft (about 3-4 minutes.

In a Pyrex tray, cover the bottom with a film of olive oil, then lay out the sliced potatoes until the bottom is covered, on top of these place half of the onions mixture and also crumble half of the stock cube over it, repeat the process potatoes and onion mixture and stock cube, on on top of this final layer place the filleted fish pieces on top, and cover the fish with sliced red (or white onions) and finally to top it all add the fresh cream over it all, cover the tray with foil and place in a 180 degrees Celsius preheated oven for 20 minutes.

Once the 20 minutes are over, remove the aluminium foil from the tray, with care not to burn yourself or for food to be stuck to it, and let it remain in the oven at the same temperature for a further 20 minutes.

During the last 20 minutes place a deep pan on the stove with two fingers deep of water in it adding to it the broccoli put the lid on and once reaches the boil reduce to minimum leaving it to cook for those 20 minutes.

During the last five minutes before the broccoli are ready, place a little bowl in bain-marie and place in it a little butter around two soup spoons, until its melted adding to it at this stage the chopped parsley    and the lemon juice.

Now that all is ready at the same time is just to assemble the dish on the plate and eat it. Bon apettit!!

Fish and Chips Rico Way

Once again I am picking another great British dish and making it mine with super flavour and textures.

Recipe Ingredients: (for two)

• 2 cod fillets (skinned)
• 4 medium potatoes (with the skin cut into wedges)
• 1/2 a glass of flour
• 1 teaspoon of baking powder
• 150mls sun-flour oil
  
• some coarse sea salt, black pepper, 1 tea spoon of dehydrated parsley, some olive oil

Place a pan with some boiling water and a pinch of salt on the stove medium heat to keep water boiling, put the potato wedges in and let it boil for 3-4 minutes. After this drain the wedges and place them in a bowl (meanwhile switch the oven on 200c until hot), add to the wedges 3 soup spoons of olive oil + 2 tea spoons of coarse sea salt and 2 tea spoons of the dehydrated parsley, toss it all until well mixed, distribute these wedges on a baking tray with the wedge up on each potato piece, place them in the oven and let them cook for 30-35 minutes.

Ten minutes before the potatoes are done pour the sunflower oil into a deep frying pan and let it get very hot. Meanwhile put the flour in a bowl + a pinch of coarse salt a little pepper and the tea spoon of baking powder, add some water to the consistency of thick runny yoghurt with the aid of a balloon whisk, dip the fillets in the batter and let them get a thick covering rubbing excess on the sides of the bowl and place them in the frying pan the oil should cover them.

Fry for about 3-4 minutes on each side until golden brown, then place them on a plate with a few kitchen towels to drain the excess fat, then just serve them with the chips (wedges) and a dollop of tartar sauce (optionally you can boil some peas and have them like that or mush them with a couple of mint leaves and some lemon juice and serve on the side)

Also the batter if you prefer instead of water you can add some beer instead for a lighter texture and more flavoursome batter, although I like the simplicity of this one I made.

Fresh Cod Fillets with Potatoes Cooked In a Rose Wine Sauce

Recipe Ingredients:(Good for 4 people)

• 4-6 cod fillets (no bones or skins)
  
• 8 medium potatoes (peeled and sliced)
• 1/2 bottle of rose wine (the bottle being 750ml)
  
• 1 large white onion (finely chopped)
• 3 garlic cloves (minced)
• 2 heaped soup spoons of fresh coriander (chopped)
• 1 fish stock cube (knorr or similar)
• 100mls fresh cream
  
• 1 soup spoon of butter
  
• 1 soup spoon of plain flour diluted in half a glass of water
  
• a little olive oil, rock salt and freshly ground black pepper
  

A very simple preparation, place a pan with a little olive oil a pinch of rock salt and a pinch o black pepper on the heat, once well heated add there the garlic and the onion, stirring it frequently let it get golden (caramelized a little). Once that happens add the sliced potatoes and the rose whine and on top of those place the fish, adding a little more black pepper and a little salt over each fish fillet, put a lid on and once it starts to boil reduce to minimum allowing it to simmer for around 20miutes, to turn the sauce simply move the pan around with an angle (don't use spoons as to not break the potatoes or fillets).

After the 20 minutes remove the lid and add the butter and fresh cream as well as the flour and water mix (add more water if necessary), but mix the sauce again by swirling the pan do this occasionally until the sauce thickens which then means is time to put in the coriander and a couple of swirls of the pan, put the lid back on let it simmer a further 3 minutes and is ready to serve.

I wanted it this simple, obviously nothing stops you from adding to the cooking some carrot cauliflower broccoli etc... it really is up to you, but I really enjoyed the simplicity of this dish and the superb smooth silky textures and mild tastes it offered.

Ginger and Paprika Cod with Prawn Rice

Receita em Português AQUI

Recipe Ingredients: (Enough food for 4)

• 300grs rice
• 4 fresh cod fillets (skinless)
• 1 piece of ginger the size of 2 garlic cloves (minced)
  
• 4 garlic cloves (minced)
• 200grs prawn (uncooked and pealed)
• 1 onion (very finely diced)
• 1 courgette (diced)
  
• 1/2 green pepper (diced)
• 1 soup spoon of turmeric
  
• 1/2 tea spoon of cayenne pepper
  
• 2 soup spoons of tomato concentrate
  
• 1 fish stock (knorr or Oxo or similar)
  
• a little olive oil
  
• (optional a little chorizo, diced)

Marinade the fish rubbing on it a mixture of two garlic cloves with some olive oil a little salt and pepper, paprica and ginger, on both sides, and let it flavour for at least half hour.

On a pan you need to cook the rice, which will take about 10-12. Cook it until is virtually cooked but not quite done, drain it and while draining it run some boiling water through it as this will remove the excess starch as well as leaves it wanting to absorb the rest it needs to finish cooking, this is so that when you add the sauce it swells the rest and acquires fully the sauce flavour as if it was cooked in it, just without the stodginess.

In a pan you put a little olive oil together with the onion, pepper, remaining 2 garlic cloves, cayenne, salt and pepper. So you cook these until the onion is slightly browned, at this stage you add the courgette the 2 spoons of tomato concentrate "diluted in a little water", and the fish stock, let it all boil for about 15 minutes, at the end of that add now the prawns (and optionally the chorizo) let it cook for a further 3-4 minutes (not any longer or the prawn will go rubbery) and is ready to serve after you add the rice to the sauce give it a stir, put the lid on and let it rest around 2-3 minutes.

Obviously controlling the time, you will have started the fish while doing the sauce even though this one is quite quick to do. Put a skillet or frying pan that can go in the oven, on the stove with a little olive oil, once hot add the fish, and quickly seal it around 2 minutes on each side, then you stick the fish in the oven preheated to 180 Celsius (gas mark 4) for about 10 minutes. And that is as simple as it gets.. A wonderful easy and very healthy economical meal.

Nut Free Salad Pesto Pasta with a Pan Fried Cod Loin

Easiest and fairly healthy meal. Recipe Ingredients:

• 400grs fresh pasta (I used spirals)
• 250grs packet of three leaves salad (mine was, spinach, rocket and water cress)
• 3 garlic cloves (minced)
• 1/2 red bell pepper
• 1/2 red chilli
• some olive oil
• 1 juice of whole lemon
• 4 fresh cod loins
• salt and pepper to taste

In a frying pan put a little olive oil and two of the minced garlic cook for 1 minute add the salad, and toss it quickly when it goes limp and darker in colour pour it all into a jug and add 3 glugs of olive oil, the lemon juice the bell pepper and chilli, blitz it all with the blender. Meanwhile cook the pasta in boiling water with a little salt and a little vegetable oil, it takes around 15 minutes to cook once cooked add the pesto, you made. Also on the pan you sautéed the salad add a little more olive oil the remaining garlic a little salt and pepper, and the cod loins you can squeeze a little lemon juice over them if you want it will take around three minutes on each side to cook completely depending on thickness, and is all done ...check the times and plan how and when to cook things so that all finishes at the same time, this is a lovely light and fast meal yet very filling and colourful. cheers!!

Portuguese Battered Cod & Roasted Potatoes with Cauliflower

Receita em Português AQUI

Now this is a very simple dish and therefore the recipe is mainly on the cod and it's batter, but I will also descriptively tell you how to make the accompaniment.

Recipe ingredients: (enough for 4)

• 1 egg (stirred in a bow)
  
• 4 soup spoons of flour (in another bowl)
  
• 1 garlic clove (minced)
• 1 lemon (in juice)
  
• 400grs fresh cod fillets (skinless and cut into smaller portions)
  
• salt and pepper (to taste)

The roasted potatoes I done these without any precooking, basically just get some medium to small potatoes (enough for the people you cooking them for, around 2-3 per person), peal them and the larger ones cut in half. Place a roasting tray in the oven with some olive oil to cover the bottom, then once hot place the potatoes in and back into the oven for about 45 minutes at 200c (temperature) and that should be the potatoes done.

The cauliflower and broccoli (yes I did broccoli, but is not on the picture as plate was already full) I steamed these, by putting a pan on the stove with about 1 inch deep of water with a little salt, I washed and cut both of these veg to more manageable pieces and place them in the pan with a lid on and once started boiling I reduced the flame to just above minimum to continue the boiling and placed a lid on the pan to recycle the water and steam, I cooked these for 15 minutes, obviously keep a check as you may want them better cooked or less cooked. but that is the veg done.

The fish, this one you dry very well with either paper towels or kitchen towel, squeezing the fish to really draw the excess water (as they always have lots of water) this is important as next we marinade the fish and we want these marinade to be absorbed. On a little container (maybe a ramekin) mix the lemon juice and the garlic, leave it for about 3-5 minutes to infuse flavours and then put it all over the fish marinading the fish in this leaving it for 30 minutes, don't forget to also add a little salt and pepper to the marinade. Once this is done, you place a frying pan on the stove with about 1/2 inch of vegetable oil, and piece by piece (of cod) you pass it through the flour, both sides shake off the excess than into the egg making sure is well involved, than into the piping hot oil, repeat the process until the frying pan is full, but make sure at the same time you need to turn the fish over as soon as it is sealed, letting it cook on both sides until is golden brown, I had to do the fish into two go's as it didn't all fit in the first batch in the frying pan. Once the fish is cooked place it on a plate with a couple of paper towels to absorb the excess oil. And you done, it is delicious and the fish just flakes off when you eat it.

I use the above accompaniment in the winter and in the summer (also a more traditional Portuguese way) I do it with tomato rice and a mix salad of tomato, onion and lettuce (with a little vinaigrette, making this meal lighter and more refreshing. Have fun..

Prawns and Cod - Fisherman Rico Style

Receita em Português AQUI

This wasn't a very cheap diner overall, however if you do the account per person it is very cheap as you'd never eat this quality at the price per person. Total cost was around £10.00 and serves 4 people so is about £2.50 per person ... see.

Recipe Ingredients:

• 1 onion (finely chopped)
• 4 medium tomatoes (de seeded and skinless, roughly chopped)
• 200grs button mushrooms
• 5 spring onions (chopped)
  
• 2 garlic cloves (minced)
• 1 red pepper (finely but roughly chopped)
• 500grs Cod (de boned and skinless, chopped into small cubes)
  
• 250grs King Prawns fresh
• 400grs rice (basmati)
• 1 bunch parsley (chopped)
• 3 bay leafs
• 1/3 tea spoon of chilli powder
• 4 soup spoons of olive oil + 2 of vegetable oil
• a measure of Poitín (or Cognac) + 1 measure of Port wine
• Salt and Pepper (to taste)

Another easy recipe to make, as always and very healthy. Put a pan on the stove and boil the rice, once the rice is boiled place it in a colander draining. While the rice is cooking you can start making the sauce, which is also very simple.

Place another pan on the stove (high) place the oils inside until very hot add then the onion, garlic, bay leafs, red pepper and the salt pepper. Let these ones cook until the onion is caramelized, at this point you add the chilli, tomatoes and button mushrooms, let these cook for another 5 minutes, and now add the tomatoes, fish, spring onions, Port and Poitín. Continuing to cook for a further 3 minutes now add the prawns cook for a further 2 minutes until they cooked through and finally the parsley (saving a little to decorate the dish). And you basically done.

Get the rice and pour boiling water over it, letting it drain again this will make it very loose and fluffy, create a bed of rice in each plate and put some sauce over it and decorate it (see picture).

Also alternatively you can add instead of Poitín and port just a full glass of red wine, that will work too.

Kings Ridding on Gridled Cod & Roasted Veg

Today I went to town with my food recipe...I thought I would treat myself and the family, so this meal is a little more expensive to make but surely makes for it in taste.

Receita em PORTUGUES clique AQUI

Above you can see all the vegetables I put in the oven to bake, the potatoes are parboiled and marinated (photo taken with a yellow tint for effect, still trying to work out the camera)

I also cooked separately 3 sweet potatoes, and in a pan some broccoli steamed.
And here are the cooked vegetables.

Recipe Ingredients:

• 1/2 green pepper (just for flavour thinly sliced)
• 250grs Charlotte onions (pealed and halved)
• 250grs pomodorino tomatoes or any sweet baby tomatoes (with a criss cross cut)
• 1 large courgette
• 1 large piece on broccoli (cut into pieces)
• 350grs cod fillet cut into portions (about 4-5)
• 200grs pealed and uncooked king prawns
• 3 large sweet potatoes
• 3 garlic cloves (thinly sliced)
• some cayenne pepper
• salt and pepper to taste
• and some olive oil (to put in various things)
• 1 lemon (cut into two halves, for juicing)
• 1 small bunch of parsley (finely chopped)
  

You marinade the following as described:

Potato marinade (to be applied once potato is parboiled):

salt & pepper to taste; paprika & olive oil (toss it)

Prawn marinade (applied to raw prawn):

Cayenne pepper; lemon juice (1/2); garlic slithers & salt and pepper taste.

Cod marinade (applied to raw cod portions):

Lemon juice (1/2); garlic slithers & salt and pepper taste.

Preparation:

Do all the marinades to the raw fish and prawns, cook the potatoes that have been previously pealed and cubed (you don't want to cook the potatoes just half cook them), then apply the marinade to the potatoes tossing them, place them in a tray, arranging into the tray add the Charlotte's halved and the sliced courgettes drizzle a little oil over them and sprinkle a little salt.

At the same time put in another tray the sweet potatoes also pealed and cubed, drizzle a little olive oil and sprinkle salt, cook in (200c) the oven for about 15 minutes, pull the potato and onions tray out and spread the tomatoes and the green pepper (all this time the fish is marinating) put back in the oven for another 15-20 minutes, at this stage put the broccoli steaming (should be done in 15-20 minutes) and all the other food is ready.

When they are about 3 minutes to finish cooking place the griddle on the stove and when pipping hot place the fish fillets skin up and cook until you can see the fish changing in colour indicating that is cooked up to half way then with a spatula turn around, get someone to start dishing the veg :) and by the time they finish the fish is cooked (use your judgement) them place the prawns in the griddle pan and follow same advice as the fish, just be aware the prawns cook very very quick indeed. Then just assemble it all on the plate and you can see the result bellow (don't forget the touch Parsley).

Above is a picture without the sweet potatoes bellow has sweet potatoes... Just illustrating that you can mix and match, you can leave the sweet potatoes out or maybe do parsnips instead ...or maybe you don't want fish you want a steak, why not, prawns go great with steak...your imagination is the only thing that limits you... "bon appetit"

Short and Smoking Cod

This is my latest invention, and I guarantee it was delicious:

Recipe Ingredients:

• 400grs of smoked cod
• 1 onion
• 1 garlic
• 1 large head of broccoli
  
• 1 hand full of cheese
• 1 Glass full of grated cheese
  
• 2 glasses of milk
• salt and pepper to taste

Poach the fish in the milk until cooked then strain fish remove any skin and bones an flake it into a bowl (do not throw the milk away), dice the onion and the garlic finely and stir-fry it until caramelized, add it to the fish, boil the broccoli until cooked then dice it and add it to the fish, finally in a glass mix some flour (about two spoons full) and water until runny cream consistency, take me milk to the heat when starting to boil pour the flour mixture into the milk slowly and always stirring until quite thick like very thick gravy, then add the cheese which will make it thicker still, add this to fish too. (Alternatively you can use instead of milk one cup of mash potato mixed in with the cheese and into the fish mixture)
For the pastry mix 1 cup of flour with about 50grs of butter.mix with your hand until it resembles crumbs then add a little water and kneed it until it forms a soft dough,cut it in half and roll one half to cover bottom of pirex dish and the other half for the lid, brush the top with milk and an egg yolk and bake in in the oven for about 25 minutes.
For the accompaniment I sliced four potatoes 4 carrots and 2 sweet potatoes drizled them with olive oil paprika, salt and pepper. and baked that too in the oven for the same 25 minutes. "Bon apetit"