Special equipment • 8 skewers

SERVES 4

Ingredients:

1–2 tbsp medium-hot tikka masala curry paste, or other curry paste

4 tbsp Greek-style plain whole-milk yogurt

2½lb (1.1kg) mixed skinless fish fillets, such as swordfish and salmon, cut into chunks

handful of fresh mint leaves, finely chopped

½ cucumber, seeded and diced

juice of 1 lime

sea salt

For the salsa:

1 fresh mango, pitted, peeled, and diced

1 cucumber, halved lengthwise, peeled, seeded, and finely chopped

½ red onion, finely chopped

1 fresh red hot chile pepper, seeded and finely chopped

1in (2.5cm) piece of root ginger, grated

Method:

1 If using bamboo skewers, soak them in cold water for 30 minutes to prevent burning. Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C) or the broiler to high.

2 To make the mango salsa, mix together the mango, cucumber, onion, chile, and ginger in a bowl. Set aside to allow the flavors to develop. In another bowl, mix together the curry paste and 2 tablespoons of the yogurt. Season with salt. Spread the paste all over the fish, making sure that each piece is well coated. Let marinate for a few minutes while you prepare the raita dip.

3 Mix together the remaining yogurt with the mint, cucumber, and lime. Taste, and season with salt.

4 Thread the fish onto skewers to make kebabs. Line a baking sheet with foil, coat with no-stick cooking spray, then place the kebabs on it. Put in the oven or under the broiler, and cook, turning several times, for 5–8 minutes or until the fish is opaque throughout and slightly charred on the outside. Serve hot with the salsa and raita.

Mixed tikka fish kebabs with mango salsa and lime raita

Special equipment • blender

SERVES 4

Ingredients:

1 tbsp olive oil

1 onion, finely chopped

3 garlic cloves, finely chopped

5 celery ribs, chopped

2 carrots, chopped

sprig of fresh thyme, leaves only

spoonful of tomato purée

½ cup dry white wine

4 ripe tomatoes, peeled

3¾ cups light fish stock or bottled clam juice mixed with water

2 haddock fillets, about 12oz (350g) each, cut into chunks

8oz (225g) raw shrimp, peeled and deveined

handful of flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped

sea salt

Method:

1 Heat the oil in a saucepan over low heat and add the onion, garlic, celery, and carrots, along with some salt and the thyme. Cook gently, stirring occasionally, for about 10 minutes.

2 Stir in the tomato purée, increase the heat to high, and add the wine. Let it bubble for a couple of minutes, then add the tomatoes (squashing them with a fork) and a little of the stock, and cook a few minutes longer. Pour in almost all of the remaining stock, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat slightly, and simmer for 10 minutes. At this point, you can puree the sauce with a hand-held blender until smooth, or leave it as is. Add the remaining stock if the mixture is too thick.

3 Add the fish and shrimp, cover the pan, and cook for 5–10 minutes until the fish is cooked through. Serve hot with fresh crusty bread.

Quick fish stew

SERVES 4

Ingredients:

1 tbsp olive oil

1 onion, finely chopped

pinch of sea salt

2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

1–2 green bell peppers, seeded and finely chopped

¾ cup dry white wine

1lb (450g) fresh clams in the shell, well rinsed (see Cook’s Notes)

handful of flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped

lemon wedges, for serving

Method:

1 Heat the oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. Add the onion and salt, and cook for about 5 minutes until soft. Add the garlic and peppers, and cook gently until the peppers begin to soften. Increase the heat to high, and add the wine. Cook for a couple of minutes until the wine begins to evaporate.

2 Add the clams and cook, covered, shaking the pan occasionally, for 5–6 minutes or until the clams open. (Discard any clams that do not open.) Stir in the parsley. Serve hot with fresh crusty bread to sop up the juices, and lemon wedges for squeezing.

Pan fried clams with parsley and garlic

SERVES 4

For the teriyaki sauce:

1–2 tbsp soy sauce

1 tbsp honey

1in (2.5cm) piece of fresh ginger, finely grated

1 tbsp mirin (rice wine) or dry sherry

pinch of granulated sugar

4 thick-cut skinless sustainable cod fillets, about 5½oz (150g) each

9oz (250g) thick or medium fresh udon noodles

4 scallions (green onions), sliced

handful of fresh cilantro, leaves only

lime wedges, for serving

Method:

1 Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C). To make the teriyaki sauce, mix together the soy sauce, honey, ginger, mirin, and sugar. Pour over the fish, and leave to marinate for about 10 minutes.

2 Place the fish pieces in a roasting pan, and bake for 10–15 minutes until the fish is cooked through.

3 Meanwhile, put the noodles in a bowl, and cover with boiling water. Leave for few minutes, then drain and toss with the scallions and cilantro. Serve with the fish and lime wedges for squeezing.

Teriyaki fish with noodles

SERVES 4

Ingredients:

24 cherry tomatoes on the vine, snipped with a bit of the stem left on

4 peeled garlic cloves

few sprigs of fresh thyme

grated zest of 1 lemon

pinch of hot red pepper flakes

1–2 tbsp olive oil

4 mackerel fillets, 4–5½oz (115–150g) each

sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method:

1 Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Combine the tomatoes, garlic, and thyme sprigs in a roasting pan. Sprinkle with the lemon zest and pepper flakes. Drizzle with the oil, and season with salt and pepper. Roast in the oven for 10 minutes, until the tomatoes begin to soften and shrivel.

2 Remove from the oven, place the mackerel on top of the tomatoes, then cover the pan with foil. Return to the oven for 10–15 minutes, until the fish is cooked through. Serve hot with a salad and fresh bread.

Mackerel with garlic and tomatoes

SERVES 4

For the spice mixture:

1 tbsp cornstarch

1–2 tsp cayenne pepper, to taste

1 tsp paprika

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1 tsp ground coriander

4 haddock fillets, about 6oz (175g) each

1 x 14oz (400ml) can unsweetened coconut milk

1 fresh red jalapeño chile pepper, seeded and finely chopped

juice of 1 lime

splash of Asian fish sauce

pinch of sugar (optional)

6oz (175g) fresh green beans

1 tbsp peanut or sunflower oil

sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method:

1 To make the spice mixture, stir together the cornstarch, cayenne, paprika, cinnamon, and coriander. Season the haddock fillets well with salt and pepper, then coat well with the spice mixture. Set aside.

2 Pour the coconut milk into a wide saucepan, add the chile, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer, and add the lime juice, fish sauce, and sugar. Stir in the green beans, and simmer for about 5 minutes.

3 Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large nonstick frying pan over high heat. Add the fish, and cook for about 10 minutes, turning once, until golden.

4 To serve, add the fish to the sauce, and serve hot. Alternatively, serve the sauce on the side.

Variations:

Use salmon fillets instead of haddock.

Spiced haddock with coconut, chile, and lime

Special equipment • 8 wooden skewers • ridged cast-iron grill pan

SERVES 4

Ingredients:

2 large tuna steaks, 4–5½oz (115–150g) each, cut into large chunks

juice of 1 lemon

1 tsp Chinese five-spice powder

olive oil

1 red onion, quartered and separated

12 cherry tomatoes

2 small zucchini, sliced

handful of fresh cilantro, chopped

sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method:

1 Soak bamboo skewers in cold water for 30 minutes. Combine the tuna, lemon juice, and five-spice and oil in a bowl, and toss well to coat. Season with salt and pepper.

2 Thread tuna, onion, tomato, and zucchini onto skewers. Cook on a very hot grill pan for 3–5 minutes on each side until the tuna is seared and the tomatoes begin to blister. Sprinkle with cilantro, and serve at once.

Tuna, tomato, and zucchini skewers

SERVES 4

Ingredients:

4 turbot fillets or other white fish fillets, such as haddock, sustainable cod, or pollack, 5½oz (150g) each

2 tbsp olive oil

1 onion, finely chopped

handful of plump raisins

handful of pine nuts, toasted

1–2 tsp capers, rinsed and gently squeezed dry

2 large handfuls of fresh spinach leaves, rinsed and drained

sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method:

1 Season the fish with salt and pepper. Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a large nonstick frying pan over medium heat. Add the fish and cook gently for 10–12 minutes, turning once, until opaque throughout. This will depend on the thickness of the fish, but be careful not to overcook. Remove the fillets from the pan, and set aside to keep warm.

2 Carefully wipe out the pan with paper towels, then add the remaining oil. Cook the onion, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes until soft. Add the raisins, pine nuts, and capers and cook for a few minutes longer, breaking up the capers with the back of a fork. Stir in the spinach, and cook until just wilted. Taste, and season with salt and pepper if needed. Serve the fish on a bed of the wilted spinach mixture.

White fish with spinach and pine nuts