Salmon Croûte, Brussels Sprouts in Cream and Wild Rice with Mushrooms and White Truffle Oil

October 30, 2008 / Ren

Dried oyster, trumpet and morchella mushrooms, shallot, wild rice, (real) white truffle oil, Brussels sprouts, heavy cream, butter, whole nutmeg, black sea salt, white peppercorns, wild Alaskan salmon and a blend of dried onion, garlic, carrot, red pepper, tomato, orange peel, parsley, bay, thyme, basil, celery, lemon peel, oregano, savory, mustard seed, cumin, marjoram, coriander, cayenne and rosemary.

Rinse and begin cooking the wild rice according to package directions.

Moisten a salmon filet with olive oil and season with the spice blend, sea salt and white pepper. Place fish onto an oiled skillet, wrap in a sheet of water-soaked red cedar paper and tie with kitchen string.

About 20 minutes before the rice is done, brown the trimmed and split Brussels sprouts in a little butter until browned. Add heavy cream and simmer partially covered until almost tender, about 10 minutes.

While the vegetables are simmering, saute minced shallot and sliced mushrooms in butter and truffle oil, stirring frequently until just done, about 3-5 minutes. Set aside.

Place the salmon in a 350 degree oven and cook about 10-12 minutes.

Uncover the vegetables and season with salt, pepper and nutmeg.

Add the mushrooms and shallots to the rice and fluff with a fork.

Assemble the plate, topping the Brussels sprouts with seasoned, toasted bread crumbs.

Rating ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦

Chicken Soup with Basil Pesto Pasta

October 28, 2008 / Ren

Made from ingredients that were on hand rather than from a recipe.

Dried pasta filled with basil pesto, celery, onions and carrots, olive oil, home made chicken stock (see previous post), rapini, Italian herbs with red and black pepper, some of our previously put by dried tomatoes, garlic and 1/2 roast chicken. Mise en place.

Pull the meat and skin from the bones. Toss the bones into the cannister along with the onion and celery ends and freeze as stock-starter for next time.

Cut the meat into spoon sized pieces. I prefer to use both white and dark meat in chicken soup.

Bring the stock to a slow boil and skim away any scum with the edge of a ladle.

Add the chopped, dried tomatoes first, as they need a full 30 minutes to reclaim their previously toothsome goodness.

After about 10 minutes, add the pasta which needs an additional 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, saute the vegetables and herbs in olive oil until just underdone. Cooking the vegetables first ensures that they will stay suspended in the stock rather than all floating to the top. Transfer the vegetables to the soup pot and simmer until done, about 5-10 minutes.

Add the chicken and rapini and simmer until chicken is heated throughout and rapini is tender, about 5 more minutes.

Serve topped with a little Italian cheese if you like.

Rating ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦

Chicken Stock

October 28, 2008 / Ren

The carcass of yesterday’s roast chicken, celery, onion, carrot, parsley, thyme, bay, peppercorns and garlic.

Begin by cooking the chicken and vegetables in a Dutch oven until it begins to brown a little. This will help to give the stock a rich color.

Add the herbs, peppercorns and enough cold water to cover. Cook over high heat until it just begins to boil, then turn the heat down and let simmer for 1 hour, skimming the scum about once every 15 minutes.

Simmer an additional 8 hours, skimming occasionally and adding a little hot water as needed to keep the ingredients submerged.

Strain through a fine mesh strainer into a clean container and immediately cool that in a sink full of ice water. The goal is to cool the stock below the bacterial level of 38 degrees as quickly as possible.

Done correctly, the stock will safely keep in the refrigerator for at least three days or in the freezer for 3-4 months.

‘Putting by’

October 27, 2008 / Ren

Buying “fresh” produce from halfway around the world in the dead of winter (or any time of year for that matter) is problematic for a number of reasons. Our great grandparents understood that certain foods were simply not not available out-of-season.

“Putting food by” or preserving, can be accomplished by several methods, including root cellaring, salting, canning, pickling, curing and drying.

1 dozen large fresh jalapenos, cored, split and seeded.

Into the stove-top smoker over medium heat; close the lid just as the wood chips begin to smoke. Do you see the wisps of smoke coming from both ends of the pan?

Don’t want to cook them too much, just long enough that they begin to brown around the edges.

Straight into a pre-heated dehydrator. Those are tomatoes drying on the rack below.

Here are the smoked, dried peppers after about 24 hours. You can store them just like this in an airtight container, or pulverize and store in a spice jar.

In either case, watch the jars closely for a couple of days to make sure there isn’t any moisture present. At the first sign of condensation, you must immediately re-dry the goods or risk spoilage. If everything looks good after a few days, the peppers will keep indefinitely.

Lots of things are suitable for drying, including tomatoes and herbs.

Barack and Michelle on Rachel Ray

October 27, 2008 / Ren

[vodpod id=Groupvideo.1705547&w=425&h=350&fv=%26rel%3D0%26border%3D0%26]

Roast Chicken and Potatoes with Red Pepper Rapini

October 26, 2008 / Ren

The goal- a savory, moist and tender bird with really crispy skin. The key to success here is to brine the bird overnight, then dry-pack it the next morning.

For the brine, kosher salt (about 1 cup per gallon of water), herbs, peppercorns and garlic. Boil all ingredients together for 5 minutes to dissolve the salt and allow the herbs to release some oil.

Add enough ice water to cool the brine and increase the volume according to the amount of salt you used. When cool, pour the brine over the chicken and add a little olive oil. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

The next morning, discard the brine and thoroughly rinse the chicken inside and out. Pat it dry, then make a dozen or so slits into the legs, thighs, breast and back of the bird.

Combine 1 tablespoon kosher salt, 1 teaspoon baking powder, 1 teaspoon black pepper and fresh chopped herbs such as savory, sage rosemary and time.

Moisten the chicken with olive oil (a mister works great for this), then rub all of the salt mixture onto the bird, thinly covering as much surface area as you can. Refrigerate for the rest of the day.

Prepare the rapini by washing it and removing 3/4 of the stem end. Chop the rest into 2-inch pieces. Plunge into rapidly boiling water for 1 minute, drain and transfer to ice water to stop the cooking process. Drain again and set aside.

Roast the chicken breast side down for 25 minutes in a 450 degree oven. Turn the chicken breast side up, add seasoned potato wedges and continue to roast until an instant thermometer reads 135 degrees in the deepest area of the breast, about 20 minutes. Increase oven temperature to 500 degrees, and continue to roast until skin is crisp and internal temperature reaches 160 degrees, about 20 minutes. Set aside to rest.

Meanwhile, make pan gravy by pouring off the grease from the roasting pan, leaving the fond behind. Loosen the brown bits by adding a little white wine and scraping with a wooden spoon. Add this to a pot with chicken stock, and quickly reduce over high heat. Thicken with a little rice flour if necessary.

Saute scallions and garlic in olive oil. Add the drained rapini and red pepper flakes. Sautee all together until tender, about 5 minutes.

Carve, plate and serve.

Rating ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦

How to make a really great grilled cheese sandwich

October 26, 2008 / Ren

Use a generous amount of butter (not oil or margarine) and cook over low heat.

Use good, fresh bread. I’m using a seeded multi-grain bread made from whole wheat, rye, oats and barley.

Use a flavorful cheese with good melting properties. I’m using sharp white cheddar and asiago.

To enhance the flavor, sprinkle a little sea salt on the cheese before placing the other slice of bread on top.

Here’s the trick- weight the sandwich with a bacon press or something similar. You want enough weight to press the sandwich down without totally flattening it. Flip and repeat.

Crispy, melty goodness.

Thai Curry Shrimp with Ginger Jasmine Rice

October 25, 2008 / Ren

Fresh ginger, shallot, garlic, peppers, cilantro, lemon grass, coconut milk, Thai spices*, coconut oil, jasmine rice, fresh jumbo shrimp and unsweetened flaked coconut. Not shown; red curry paste**

Substitute coconut milk for 1/2 of the water called for in the instructions for the rice. In that mixture, steep freshly grated ginger, lemon grass and spices for 15 minutes.

Saute the shallot and garlic in coconut oil until colored. Add peeled & deveined shrimp, spices and peppers and continue to saute until shrimp is just under done. Add curry paste, coconut milk and cilantro. Stir to combine, then simmer on low until thickenend, about 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, cook the rice in the coconut milk and water mixture until liquid is absorbed, about 15 minutes.

Serve topped with toasted coconut and additional cilantro.

* corriander, red pepper, cumin, nutmeg, cinnamon, garlic, black pepper, basil, cardamom and cloves

** dried red chili, garlic, lemon grass, salt, galangal, shrimp paste, kaffir lime peel and pepper

Rating ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦

Organic farming ‘could feed Africa’

October 24, 2008 / Ren

Traditional practices increase yield by 128 per cent in east Africa, says UN

By Daniel Howden in Nairobi
Wednesday, 22 October 2008

Organic farming offers Africa the best chance of breaking the cycle of poverty and malnutrition it has been locked in for decades, according to a major study from the United Nations to be presented today.

New evidence suggests that organic practices – derided by some as a Western lifestyle fad – are delivering sharp increases in yields, improvements in the soil and a boost in the income of Africa’s small farmers who remain among the poorest people on earth. The head of the UN’s Environment Programme, Achim Steiner, said the report “indicates that the potential contribution of organic farming to feeding the world maybe far higher than many had supposed”.

Food & Water Watch

October 23, 2008November 14, 2016 / Ren

Take Action Food & Water Watch

Tell Congress to Break Up Milk Monopolies

Over two years ago, the Department of Justice started an investigation into anti-trust violations by Dairy Farmers of America (DFA), the company that picks up over a third of the milk from U.S. farms. The DOJ has never released the findings of their investigation and we need Congress to shine some light on what is going on in the dairy industry.

Tell the House and Senate Judiciary Committees it’s time for them to conduct hearings into anti-competitive behavior by dairy giants like DFA.

Food Security

October 23, 2008 / Ren

Pollan a Must-Read « Sustainable Food Center

Pollan a Must-Read

Sunday’s New York Times Magazine entitled The Food Issue is rife with dialogue on the failures of the Western food system and what each of us can do about it. I worked in a glatt-kosher restaurant in NYC for two years and was thrilled to read the article on how different members of the movement are creating change in hopes of bringing humanely raised animals into the equation of mindful and spiritual eating.

Michael Pollan’s long-anticipated open letter to our next Farmer in Chief makes the strongest case yet for a shift away from a global, industrial food system. Pollan weaves the seemingly disparate issues of energy, healthcare and food sovereignty together beautifully – and most importantly, in a way that everyday people (even politicians!) can understand.

Full article

Pozole Roja with Cornsticks

October 22, 2008 / Ren

Pozole Roja is a traditional pre-Colombian stew, adopted as the local cuisine of Guerrero, Mexico. In the US state of New Mexico, pozole (from Spanish pozole, from Nahuatl potzolli) is traditionally served on Christmas Eve to celebrate life’s blessings.

While it looks a little complicated, it really isn’t hard. As long as you have “mise en place” (everything in place) before starting, you’ll get through this fine, and be justly rewarded in the end.

Pork shoulder, dried ancho and guajillo chiles, garlic, achiote seeds, dark chocolate with chipotle, cinnamon and cocoa nibs, crema (think of Mexican crème fraîche), fresh cilantro, fresh mint, key limes, Spanish onion, Mexican oregano, olive oil, peppercorns and nixtamal (white corn/hominy).

Start by toasting the achiote seeds in a hot, dry skillet until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add good olive oil and infuse over low heat for about 20 minutes. Strain the resulting annatto oil through a coffee filter placed inside a funnel. Stored in a cool, dark place, annatto oil will keep indefinitely.

Trim the excess fat from the pork, but leave a little intact. In a Dutch oven, sear the pork in a little of the annatto oil. Add onions, garlic and oregano and cook another 5 minutes.

Add water (or stock, if you prefer) to cover, cilantro and mint (I’ve stuffed the herbs into a cheesecloth bag for easy removal) and S&P. Simmer until pork is fork-tender, about 2 hours.

Split the chilies and remove the stems and seeds. Place on a flat skillet and weight for about 20 seconds. Flip and repeat.

Transfer the toasted chilies to a bowl, cover with boiling water and let stand until soft, about 1/2 hour.

Gather up the ingredients for cornbread. Coarse-ground yellow cornmeal, all-purpose flour, milk, baking powder, butter, egg, chiles and salt.

Lightly toast the cornmeal on a dry skillet to bring out the flavor, then add it to the bowl with the other ingredients (I’ve added a little shredded cheddar cheese). Mix until just combined, about 1 minute. Do not over mix.

Blend the re-hydrated chiles with 1/2 of its soaking water until smooth. Transfer to pan and cook until thickened, about 10 minutes. Add the hominy and simmer another 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, pour the cornbread mix into a pre-heated iron cornstick pan (or muffin tins or 8×8 glass baking dish) and bake at 450 degrees until golden brown, about 25 minutes.

Serve in a bowl garnished with crema, chopped mint and cilantro, and shaved chocolate.

Weeknight Meatloaf

October 20, 2008 / Ren

This just seems right on a cool fall evening.

Fresh beef and pork, about 3/4lb of each, onion, garlic, hot pepper paste (optional), unsulphered blackstrap molasses, Worcestershire, strained tomatoes, milk, thyme, S & P, egg, apple cider vinegar and a large sandwich roll.

Start by coarsely grinding the well-chilled meat into a glass bowl. Add the onions, garlic, thyme, S & P, Worcestershire and egg. Mix by hand until ingredients are dispersed, but take care not to over-mix.

Moisten the lightly toasted, shredded bread with a little milk and fold into the meat mixture.

If you are unsure of the seasoning, just fry a little sample to taste and adjust as you see fit.

Make the glaze by cooking the tomatoes, molasses, Worcestershire, vinegar and pepper paste together until thick and deep mahogany colored, about 5 minutes.

Put the meat mixture into a perforated loaf pan and cover with the glaze (I’m also going to roast a yellow potato and some greens beans). Cook in a 350 degree oven until the meatloaf reaches 160 degrees (about 1 hour and 20 minutes). Let rest 5 minutes before serving.

Rating ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦

Chipotle Black Bean Chicken Chili (favorite)

October 19, 2008 / Ren

Crushed tomatoes, black beans, onion, garlic, jalapeno, cilantro, roasted peppers, chicken, corn, chipotle powder, smoked sweet paprika, sea salt and cheddar cheese.

Brine* the chicken for 1 hour before starting the recipe. Brining makes the chicken much more tender and juicy.

In a Dutch oven, saute the onions, jalapeno, garlic and chipotle until tender, about 7 minutes.

Add tomatoes and peppers, simmer 10 minutes.

Brown the corn with cilantro. Browning releases the sugars and intensifies the corn flavor.

Add the corn, drained black beans and a large spoonful of nutritional yeast flakes. Stir and simmer 10 minutes.

Cook the (rinsed and patted dry) chicken in hot oil with smoked paprika until almost done, about 5 minutes per side.

Cut the chicken into bite size cubes, add to the chili and simmer until chicken is cooked through, about 10 minutes.

Serve topped with shredded cheese and slivered scallions.

* “The brining process forces water into the muscle tissues of the meat by a process known as diffusion and osmosis. This additional moisture causes the muscle tissues to swell and hold more water. The resulting water in the muscle tissues will make the meat more moist and tender. Any spices herbs or other flavorings you add to the brine solution will get taken deep into the meat with the water.”

Rating ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦

Local Food

October 19, 2008 / Ren

From Wikipedia

Local food (also regional food or food patriotism) or the local food movement is a “collaborative effort to build more locally based, self-reliant food economies – one in which sustainable food production, processing, distribution, and consumption is integrated to enhance the economic, environmental and social health of a particular place” and is considered to be a part of the broader sustainability movement. It is part of the concept of local purchasing and local economies, a preference to buy locally produced goods and services. Those who prefer to eat locally grown/produced food sometimes call themselves “localvores” or locavores.

5-Minute Chocolate Cake

October 15, 2008November 14, 2016 / Ren

I’m straying from more than one of my nutritional boundaries here, but I do so strictly in the interest of science. And, because its chocolate cake. In 5 minutes.

Adapted from a recipe found at Dizzy Dee

3 Tablespoons organic graham flour*
4 Tablespoons non-refined cane sugar
3 Tablespoons unsweetened cocoa
1 Egg
3 Tablespoons milk
3 Tablespoons walnut or coconut oil
1/4 Teaspoon cinnamon
A little vanilla
Pinch salt

Oil the inside of a large mug. Thoroughly combine all ingredients in the mug and microwave on high for 3 minutes. Let cool for a couple of minutes and serve warm with sweetened cream.

* (from about.com) Graham flour is a form of whole wheat flour, named for Sylvester Graham (1795-1851), a forerunner of the health food movement and the inventor (1829) of Graham Crackers. Graham developed this form of flour in the 1830s in hopes of diverting people away from the less healthy refined white flour. His Graham hotels promoted vegetarian meals and unseasoned foods.

To make graham flour, the endosperm of winter wheat is finely ground. The bran and germ layers are returned and mixed in, resulting in a coarse, brown flour with a nutty and slightly sweet flavor. Today, some commercial granaries remove much of the wheat germ to prolong the shelf life of the flour. The germ contains oil that accelerates rancidity. Graham flour is unrefined and unbleached.

Rating ♦ ♦ ♦ +

Arañitas

October 13, 2008 / Ren

Arañitas (little spiders) are fritters made from shredded plantains. Use a mostly green plantain or, like mine, your little spiders won’t have any legs. Still delicious, though!

Grate the peeled plantain into long strips. This one is over-ripe for this recipe, so its more mushy than it should be. So, do as I say, not as I did.

Form the shreds into a little patty, roughly the size and shape of a silver dollar. Carefully drop them into hot oil (I’m using peanut oil, taking care to keep it below the smoking point), turning them once with a slotted spoon.

Transfer to a paper napkin-lined plate to drain. Immediately season with lots of s&p and serve hot as an accompaniment to your favorite Cuban dish.

These can be made a day or 2 ahead and reheated in a 350 degree oven if needed, but they are best eaten shortly after frying.

See How to Select a Plantain for a quick description of what to do with plantains at varying stages of ripeness

Roasted Orange Cauliflower Soup

October 13, 2008 / Ren

Orange cauliflower, garlic, carrots, cardamom pods, nutritional yeast flakes*, milk, onion, s&p and broth

Trim away the leaves, then split the head of cauliflower into 8 wedges, leaving the core intact. Place onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, mist with olive oil and season with s&p. Put pan on lowest rack of a 475 degree oven. Roast 10 minutes, turn wedges over and roast another 10 minutes.

Toast the cardamom pods until brown and fragrant. When cool, pulverize in a spice blender, mortar & pestle or whatever you have handy.

Saute the carrots, onion and garlic until colored & tender.

Remove the califlower from the oven and transfer to the pot, breaking away the florets from the core as you go. Add enough broth to just cover the vegetables. Cover the pot, reduce the heat to a gentle boil and cook until vegetables are very soft, about 20-30 minutes.

Turn off the heat. Carefully puree hot soup with an immersion blender. Add milk, cardamom to taste, s&p and yeast flakes. Simmer 5 minutes longer.

Garnish with whatever you find appealing. I’m using a chopped floret, slivers of radish and some of yesterday’s fennel feathers. Serve hot with a section of toasted baguette.

*The nutritional yeast is what makes this recipe stand out. It tastes something like parmesan or white cheddar cheese, with a slight nutiness. Great on popcorn!

Rating ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ –

Tomato Sausage Strata with Baby Fennel

October 11, 2008 / Ren

Home made sausage, purple basil, Italian cheeses, Roma tomatoes, baby fennel, whole milk, stale bread, brown eggs.

Trim, split, core and chop the fennel bulb.

Saute the sausage with garlic, onions and fennel. I’ve added smoked paprika and red chili flakes for color and kick.

When the sausage is done, turn off the heat and set aside.

Prepare the quiche-like filling by mixing milk, eggs, salt & pepper and dried herbs.

Line a buttered dish with rounds of stale bread.

Add the cooked sausage.

Add the tomatoes and chopped fennel feathers.

Add the cheese.

Some more bread.

Milk/egg mixture and dried basil.

More cheese and fennel. Decorate with the tomato ends if desired.

Bake at 350 degrees until eggs are set and top is crisp and brown.

Let rest 10 minutes before serving.

Fresh-made Sausage

October 11, 2008 / Ren

All I wanted was a little fresh Italian sausage, so I went to the market to take a number to stand in line to pay an outrageous sum of $4 a pound.

Hold on. Did I just see sugar in the list of ingredients? And sodium nitrite?!

While this chemical will prevent the growth of bacteria, it can be toxic for mammals. (LD50 in rats is 180 mg/kg.) For this reason, sodium nitrite sold as a food additive is dyed bright pink to avoid mistaking it for something else. Cooks and makers of charcuterie often simply refer to sodium nitrite as “pink salt”.

Various dangers of using this as a food additive have been suggested and researched by scientists. A principal concern is the formation of carcinogenic N-nitrosamines by the reaction of sodium nitrite with amino acids in the presence of heat in an acidic environment. Its usage is carefully regulated in the production of cured products; in the United States, the concentration in finished products is limited to 200 ppm, and is usually lower. In about 1970, it was found that the addition of ascorbic acid inhibited nitrosamine production. U.S. manufacturing of cured meats now requires the addition of 500 ppm of ascorbic acid or erythorbic acid, a cheaper isomer. Sodium nitrite has also been linked to triggering migraines.

Time to make my own sausage, the way I like it, with lots of Not Sugar and extra No Preservatives!

Talk to your butcher. Ask her for some nice, fresh, boneless pork. Trim any excess fat and membrane, and push the cold pork through your grinder. Add seasoning if you wish, but do grind it a second time.

Leftover sausage deteriorates quickly, so if you’re not going to use it within 2 days, store it frozen, pressed flat in a zipper bag.

Homemade Seitan

October 6, 2008 / Ren

Seitan [SAY-tahn] or “wheat meat” is a long-popular vegetarian meat substitute, known for its ability to look, feel and taste like the ingredient that it is replacing.

I am not a vegetarian pour le moment, but I do recognize healthy (if you’re not gluten-restricted, that is), tasty protein when it crosses my plate. Unfortunately, the cost of store-bought seitan is increasing as fast as the economy is tanking. Let’s see if we can make our own with a little lot of help from Isa Moskowitz over at the Post Punk Kitchen.

Vital wheat gluten flour, nutritional yeast flakes (not active dry yeast), garlic, ponzu, soy or tamari, tomato paste, vegetable broth and lemon zest.

Combine the flour and yeast in a large bowl and the rest of the ingredients in another bowl. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry, combine then knead by hand 3-5 minutes. Dough will be spongy, but not very sticky.

Roll the dough out into a log, then cut into equal sections roughly 1/2 inch thick. Put the pieces into the still-cold broth, bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for about 1 hour.

Let cool in the pot another hour before using. Stored in its broth, the recipe-ready seitan will keep in the fridge for 5 days or so. Stay tuned for more tasty things made with our own seitan (why, here’s one example already, and hey, its darn good!).

Rating ♦ ♦ ♦ +

Salmon Casserole (favorite)

October 5, 2008 / Ren

High quality, wild pink salmon, whole milk, butter, french roll, lemon, salt & pepper, asiago cheese, celery, roasted red peppers, pasta, fresh dill and white wine.

Cook pasta according to package instructions, leaving slightly under done. Rinse, drain and set aside. Simmer milk well seasoned with salt, pepper and white wine until reduced to the consistency of cream. Add dill and remove from heat.

Drain and flake the salmon and add the vegetables, lemon zest with a little juice, 2/3 of the bread crumbs and cheese and fold in the white sauce.

Turn mixture into a buttered casserole, top with the remaining bread crumbs, cheese and a little smoked paprika and bake at 350 until the sides are bubbly and the topping is nicely browned, about 30 minutes. Allow to stand 5 minutes before serving.

Rating ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ –

Seared Halibut, Grilled Green Beans and Fried Mushrooms

October 4, 2008 / Ren

Fresh Alaskan Halibut, organic green beans and dried exotic mushrooms

Marinate the beans in olive oil, garlic, salt and pepper. Make bread crumbs to top the fish. I’m using a leftover wheat bun pulsed with a little dried parsley.

Rehydrate the mushrooms in hot water with a tablespoon or so of soy sauce. Prepare two plates of seasoned rice flour, beat the egg with a little water.

Dress the fish with olive oil, fresh ginger, lemon juice, salt and pepper.

Sear the fish in a heavy skillet until nicely colored on both sides, top with bread crumbs and put the pan into a hot oven to finish.

While the fish is cooking, start the mushrooms. Dust in flour, dip into egg wash and then back into the flour. Drop into hot oil. Get those beans going- they should cook until they begin to brown and shrivel a bit.

Drain the mushrooms on a brown paper bag then assemble the plate.

Rating ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦