A Spanish Tomato, Avocado, & Sea Bass Salad

This is a dish I tried when on holiday in Majorca, it just had tons of fresh flavours and textures and has a sweet and tangy kick to it. The best bit is that it is mega healthy, we normally have it with Salmon or sometimes with steak thinly sliced. I would also serve this with some tortilla crisps as this adds more texture to the dish. So easy to make and can be eaten on its own just with some crusty bread.

Serves 4

Ingredients:

460g Sweet Vine Ripened mini Tomatoes (small ones seem to have bags more flavour)
2 Sea Bass Fillets
2 Avocados ( place in Fridge before hand)
2 Large Spring Onions
Hand full of Coriander
100ml Tomato Juice
50ml Orange Juice
5 Dashes of Tabasco
Sea Salt Ground
Black Pepper
Olive oil ( Good Quality)
Lemon Juice

What to do:

Dice the Sea Bass into small cubes and place in a bowl, our two table spoons of Lemon Juice onto the fish and stir gently to coat. the Lemon Juice will cook the fish so not completely raw. put in the fridge to chill

In a bowl pour the tomato juice and orange juice, put the Tabasco sauce and season with the sea salt and pepper. then pour a drizzle some good quality Olive oil mix and then taste. place in the fridge to chill 

Handy Tip:

remember to taste this as every ones pallet is different, also it might be bit strong now but ones you have added the Tomatoes and Avocado etc this will dampen the taste.

Dice the tomatoes and remove the middle place in a bowl, then dice the cold avocados
into small pieces, and add to the bowl.


Finley slice the spring onions and coriander and toss together, then add the tomato and orange juice and mix together. now add the chilled Sea Bass. and toss together making sure you do this gently as not to break up the delicate avocado.

Serve whilst cold, with tortilla crisps for that great balance of flavours and textures.

Photos by Matt Grice

Recipe by Matt Grice

Perfect Rice

The key to great rice is one part rice to 2 parts water, and coating the rice in oil. Use the recipe instructions below and this will give you great perfect rice every time as there is nothing worse than soggy gluppy rice!!

INGREDIENTS


Basmati Rice
1 Tbsp Olive Oil
Sea Salt
Ground Pepper
Boiling water

Serves 2

What to do:

On a low heat (lowest it can go) heat a pan, add the oil, then a ramekin of rice (if for 4 people add two ramekins and so on...) take your spatula and stir the rice in the oil and make sure every grain of rice is coated in oil. add a pinch of sea salt and pepper.

Handy Tip

By coating the rice in oil this helps the rice not stick together

Once the rice is coated, pour in two ramekins of boiling water and cover. (still on a low heat) This should take around 10 mins but the way to tell its ready is when all the fluid has been soaked up by the rice, please see the pictures attached ( do not stir the rice during this) 

Once the fluid has gone remove from the heat place a tea towel over the pan and place the lid on top ( See picture) and leave for around 10 minutes

Once ready fork the rice and check to taste, the rice should be light and the rice should not be stuck together...perfect and its ready to serve!

Pickled Red Cabbage

Pickled Red Cabbage

Ingredients:

300gm Finely shredded Red Cabbage
1 Star Anise
400ml Red Wine
275ml Malt Vinegar
140ml White Wine Vinegar
140ml Balsamic Vinegar
5 Bay Leaves
10 Whole Cloves
1tsp Whole Black Peppercorns
1tsp Whole Pink Peppercorns
1 Stick Cinnamon (snapped in half)
5 Whole Dried Chillies
250gm Sugar
80gm Coarse sea salt

What To Do:

Half and quarter the red cabbage. De-vein away the large stem and finely slice the red cabbage leaves. Put the sliced red cabbage in a bowl or on a tray and salt with coarse sea salt, mix well. And leave for 2-3 hours until a deep rich colour is achieved. Drain and wash all the salt away thoroughly – pat dry.

Place all the vinegar, wine and sugar in a suitable pan and reduce by half.

Place all the dry ingredients in a pestle and mortar and coarsely pound. When the reduction is near completion throw all the dry spices into the reduction and allow to infuse for 5 minutes. Pass the reduction through a fine sieve and, while warm, pour on to the red cabbage, allow to cool.

Place the cabbage in a Kilner jar and seal. The liquor should just cover the cabbage.

Triple Cooked Chunky Chips

These take a while but are so worth it!

Serves 4

INGRIEDIENTS:

6 extra large Maris Piper Potatoes
Sunflower oil (enough to be able to deep fry)
Sea Salt
Pepper

WHAT TO DO:

Wash and peel the potatoes and cut in to equal sized chips (about 5" length, 2" width). Put them in a pan and fill with cold water (you want to wash off the starch) drain the water and refresh the pan with cold water. Then put the pan on the heat until boiling. Simmer for around 15 mins or until the potatoes looked cooked (you want them to be close to breaking up as this what gives you soft fluffiness inside the chips!)

Once cooked take them out and place on a cooling rack, then put in your freezer for 1hr...freezer?...an hour?!!! Yes, this takes the moisture away, so when you fry them they go mega crispy (I could go in to this scientifically but I have a life so...nah!).

While the chips are in the freezer heat your deep fat fryer to 140 degrees. Place the chips in the fryer for 5 mins, your looking for the chips not to colour but to produce a light skin on them.

  HANDY TIP:

Do them in batches, so less chance of them breaking. There is no rush at this stage as they are going back into the freezer.

Once done, place on the rack and put back into the freezer for an hour, Heat the oil to the Max, remove the chips from the freezer and deep fry for 7 minutes (do in batches again).

Remove from fryer, sprinkle with sea salt and pepper... and ENJOY!

Recipe from Heston Blumenthal

Photo's by Rach Grice