Category: Sea

Lambis soup

11/4/2020

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The conch has been used in many ways not only as a trumpet or a Cameo but as well as money or personal adornment even building material and its meat is absolutely delicious!
The meat of the Queen Conchs or Lambis in French Guadeloupe, is eaten raw in salads or served in fritter, salad and soups, curries and ceviche.
It is a traditional meal of the Caribbean’s sea regions and I have eaten a delicious soup when
working in the Guadeloupe.

Ingredients

1 kg conch flesh cleaned and cut in big pieces
4 garlic cloves
1 bouquet garni,
4 juicy tomatoes medium size, chopped
2 onions finely chopped, julienned
2 red capsicums
A medium size red pepper
Juice of 1 lime or lemon
1 small bouquet of fresh flat parsley finely chopped
4 sprig fresh thyme
4 or 5 chives finely chopped
2 tablespoon of olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

Method

In a large heavy bottom pot make a court bouillon with the conches, the bouquet garni, ½ red pepper and 1 crushed garlic clove.
Cook for about 40 to 50 minutes or longer until fully cooked.
Strain the liquid and set it aside.
Cut the conches into smaller pieces. Finely mince the parsley and crush the remaining garlic.
Quarter tomatoes and finely slice the capsicums.
In a pan heat oil, add garlic and minced herbs.
Add tomatoes, capsicums, onions, chives and let it cook until the tomatoes have released their juices.
Add the conch pieces and let pan fried for a few minutes.
Add conch cooking liquid mixed with lime juice.
Add thyme.
Cover and let simmer on medium heat for 15 to 20 minutes.
Salt and pepper.

You can serve it with a dhal or rice with red beans or even pasta like in Italy

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Fufu with smoked fish (Congo)

16/12/2018

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Fufu and smoked fish (Congo)

I have learned this recipe when visiting very good friends living in Paris twenty years ago and never stopped cooking it. J'adore, its simple, not too expensive and very filling, perfect for winter.

4 peoples

Ingredients :

2 medium whole smoked kippers, (Or any 2 smoked fish you can find at the fishmonger or shops)
Cut off the head, the central bone then the skin as much as you can.
If you can’t take off the bones, don’t worry it will be easy to eat as the bones and skin have softened during the smoking preparation.
Or….you can use already filleted smoked fish J
1 big or 2 small skinless tomatoes tin.
Approx. 400g fresh Akra or frozen, cuted in 2cm slices.
500g frozen spinach or 1kg of fresh spinach.
2 onions sliced in small pieces.
2 teaspoons of hot paprika or smoked paprika.
3 teaspoons of soya sauce.
2 soupspoons of olive oil.
Salt and pepper.
350g of semolina.

Method :

In a big heavy pan add the oil and trow in the onions.
On medium heat let it cook for 5/4 minutes until translucent.
Add the tomatoes then paprika, soya, salt and pepper.
Still on medium heat cook for several minutes then
Add the spinach, Akras and let it cook 30 minutes until it is hot.
Add the smoked fish sliced onto big parts.
On low heat let it summer for 20 minutes.

When it is done prepare the Fufu

In a big pan, boil 500ml of water.
Pour in the semolina in a steady stream and stir continuously with a wooden spatula.
Place the saucepan back on medium heat.
Whisk intensively until it starts to solidify. It has started to cook.
Turn and press continuously until the texture is not too hard or too solft.
Add more semolina if it is too liquid.

Once the Fufu is ready, turn on your best African music and serve :)

It’s divine !!

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WHITE FISH

14/10/2018

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Whole baked fish is the easiest, most delicious way to cook almost all white fish.

Ingredients :
for 2 people

1 medium size fish, gutted and scaled
2 big tomatoes chopped
1 onion chopped.
1 small bouquet of flat leaf parsley finely chopped
Olive oil
2 tablespoons of white wine (Chardonnay or Pinot grigio)
Salt and pepper
Optional : walnut oil - truffle oil
link : how to judge the freshness of whole fish

Mixture :
Fresh Oregano, thyme, sage, basil, marjoram, a little bit of rosemary from the garden if possible,
otherwise use dry mixed herbs
2 cloves garlic crushed
1 tablespoon of crushed ginger
1 tablespoon of curcuma

Methods

Preheat the oven to 200C
Combine parsley, all the herbs, the crunched ginger, salt and pepper in a bowl.
Stir to combine. Set aside.
Drizzle this mixture with olive oil and mix well.
Add a splash of Walnut oil/
Give the fish a soak in salt water, pat it dry and season it inside and out with
Salt & pepper
Give the fish a little rub down with olive oil
Spread half of the mixture in the cavity of the fish
Spread half of the mixture over the fish.
Display the onion, tomato, garlic with 1 tablespoon of olive oil and 2 tablespoons of
white wine, salt and pepper in a foil. ( you can add in this bed a little bit of salad)
Fold the sides of the foil over the fish, covering completely, seal the packet closed.
Place the package on a baking dish.
Place it in the oven and bake for 20-26 minutes until cooked through.

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Local Clams (Palourdes et Praires)

14/10/2018

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Local Clams (Palourdes and Praires)
Digging the beach sand for salty delicacies is one of my passion
I can't stop digging out from the salted sand, the local clams called Palourdes and Praires in Bretagne.
I do have a special tool made in Brittany and it is just perfect !
Here is how I cook local clams in the most simple way.

Ingredients :

Palourdes or Praires
A small bouquet of parsley
Fresh pepper
Fresh thyme
Olive oil

If you buy it, be sure that they are closed and not broken, it is a proof that it is fresh.

Methods

Wash them with a lot of fresh water, don't soak them.
Throw them in a big pan with 1/2 glass of water on medium heat.
Add the parsley finely chopped.
Shake the pan vigorously several times.
It will take approx. 3 minutes
Once they are all opened, drain the clams.

You can eat it strait away with few drops of olive oil, drizzled with fresh thyme
(thyme flowers as well) and fresh pepper.

Buddy it up with fresh pasta or fresh green salad

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Mackerels

14/10/2018

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WHOLE BAKED MACKERELS

Whole baked Mackerel is the easiest, most delicious way to cook this fish.

Rich source of Omega 3 Mackerel is a marvel. I know... I know, some people can't bear the smell when it is cooked and the taste is quite strong but if you consume it very fresh and cook it slowly, wrapped in the oven, it is amazing.
link : how to judge the freshness of whole fish

Ingredients :

2 medium size fish, gutted and scaled (how to do link)
2 big tomatoes chopped
1 onion chopped.
2 small shallots or one spring onion
1 small bouquet of flat leaf parsley finely chopped
Olive oil
Optional : walnut oil - truffle oil
50g softened butter
1 lemon cut in rings
2 tablespoons of white wine (Chardonnay or Pinot grigio)
Salt and pepper

Mixture :
Fresh oregano, thyme, sage, basil, marjoram, a little bit of rosemary from the garden if possible, otherwise use dry mixed herbs
2 cloves garlic crushed

Options :
Sun dried tomatoes and tomatoes compote, hummmmmm .... tasty :)

Methods

Preheat the oven to 200C
Combine parsley, all the herbs, salt and pepper in a bowl.
Stir to combine. Set aside.
Drizzle this mixture with olive oil and mix well.
Add a splash of Walnut oil -optional
Give the fish a soak in salt water, pat it dry and season it inside and out with salt&pepper
Give the fish a little rub down with olive oil
Spread the mixture in the cavity of the fish.
Make a bed with the onion, garlic and add1 tablespoon of olive oil and 2 tablespoons of white wine.
Add salt and pepper in the foil.
Display the tomato slices with a little bit of butter over the fish
Fold the sides of the foil over the fish, covering completely, seal the packet closed
Place the package on a baking dish.
Place it in the oven and bake for 20-26 minutes until cooked through.

Try the option with tomatoes compote and dried tomatoes

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Brandade de Morue - Creamy salted Cod

17/8/2013

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When it is well prepared, it borders on ethereal!
This classical French can be found everywhere, at most fishmongers, market and is still an iconic bistro fare.
It is an ordinary dish, very familiar as a meat pie or fish and chips in Australia.
It is served as a lunch or dinner but as well as an appetizer dip.

Ingredients

A beautiful fillet of salt cod about 800g (I like to buy the one with skin and bones as it keeps the savour to the flesh)
100ml heavy cream
3 garlic cloves peeled and crushed
200ml Olive oil
2 bay leaves
Fresh thyme
1 bouquet garni
Whole Pepper.

Preparation

For tender salt cold, the only way is to not overcook it and keep the heat low, at just under a simmer ; rapid boiling will kill the tenderness in the cod and it will be dry.

The day before, give the fish a good rinse then soak it in a big bowl of water, cover completely the cod, changing water every 2 to 3 hours.
The next morning the cod is ready to be cooked.
Drain the cod and transfer to a saucepan with cold water, the bay leaves, thyme and 10 whole pepper, then bring to a gently boil.
Simmer over very low heat for 10 minutes.
Once cooked, drain the cod and peel of the skin if any and with carefull attention take off the bones.
Still warm, flake the fish (break into small pieces) and set aside.
Gently simmer half of the olive oil ( I add a bouquet garni to the oil, so the perfume oil infuses the fish, deliciously).
Lightly, heat the cream (optional).
In a saucepan, on very low heat poor half of olive oil for 3 minutes.
Add the fish.
Pour the other half olive oil, several tablespoonfuls at a time until the cod has incorporated all the oil.
Add the lightly heated cream and the smashed garlic and still on very low heat, whisk it until the cod has absorbed the cream.
All the ingredients should, ideally, be at the same temperature
Add a lot of pepper.

Serve the brandade lukewarm or cold, with toasted bread.
You can replace the cream for warm milk.
This silky cod cream can be kept in the fridge for 4/5 days.

Some heretics cooks add mashed potatoes , add the cooked potatoes puree to the cod before adding the cream and combine until just incorporated. Do not over mix.

EXPLORE :

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Fish in banana leaf

2/6/2013

2 Comments

if you want to cook an elegant dish without the effort, then try this recipe. This fish wrapped in banana leaves looks professional and hard to make, but it requires little effort. Although you can use aluminium foil to cook fish in the same fashion, banana leaves add a natural fragrance and an elegant appearance.

Serve 6

¼ cup of Olive oil
12 small fish fillets (cod or any other firm white fish)
12 thin slices of fresh lemon
12 thin slices of fresh mango (mango from tin will do very well too)
5/6 large fresh banana leaves -take care not to tear leaves. Cut 24 rectangles strips 10cm x 25/30cm long
(if you don’t have fresh banana leaves, you can use tin foil)
2 onions sliced in rings
2 large stalk lemongrass, white part only, chopped in 12
5 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped
2 green chilli or mango pickles if you prefer
1tbsp of fresh ginger, peeled
2tbsp of fish sauce
A fresh small bouquet of coriander or 2tsp ground coriander
Salt and pepper

Rice and finely chopped red chilli to serve.

Process garlic, chillis, ginger, coriander, fish sauce, salt and pepper in a small food processor to a rough paste.
Cut each banana leaves to size.
Place a layer of the spice paste on 12 banana leaves in half across the middle.
Lay a fish fillet on the top.
Then lay a mango slice on the top of the fish fillet.
Then pile two or three onions rings, 1 thin slice of fresh lemon, then lemongrass.
Wrap up into a parcel.
Cook flat in a frying pan with olive oil at medium eat for 4/5 minutes each side.
To check, open one banana leaf and insert a fork into the fish fillet. Once the inside appears opaque, you can safely remove the fish.

Serve hot with rice and chopped red chilli.

2 Comments

Lambis soup

Fufu with smoked fish (Congo)

WHITE FISH

Local Clams (Palourdes et Praires)

Mackerels

Brandade de Morue - Creamy salted Cod

Fish in banana leaf

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