It’s Seafood Week, a time to celebrate Great British seafood.
Being an island means we are very spoiled when it comes to fish and shellfish caught off our waters.
There’s nothing better than eating fish in a restaurant when it’s so fresh it tastes like it was plucked from the sea just minutes before (even if you live in the Midlands!), or as a chef taking a fresh delivery and deciding what to do with your halibut, mussels, prawns, monkfish or sea bream, to name just a thousand!
It’s fair to say we chefs love cooking with fish. I think it’s because there are so many different varieties of fish and endless ways of cooking it. Cod is a great example. It can be battered, pan-fried, roasted, poached, grilled and sous vide. It’s subtle flavour and firm, flaky texture makes it so versatile. It’s fantastic with chips (obviously) complements salty meats like pancetta and chorizo, amazing as a curry, and served with a whole range of buttery sauces.
Seafood also tests the skills of a chef. From descaling and cleaning through to filleting and ensuring you don’t under or overcook it, it is one of those things which reminds you why you chose to be a chef in the first place.
Here’s a recipe for you to try:
Prawn, chorizo and vegetable stir fry
Ingredients:
1 pack of cooked tiger prawns
1 small pack of fresh peas
1 small pack of sugar snap peas or mangetout
1 small pack of chorizo cubes
1 yellow pepper, sliced into strips
Half a courgette, sliced
1 red chilli, sliced thinly
1 bag of thin noodles
Fresh coriander, chopped
Method:
1. Put some sesame oil in a wok, or frying pack, and fry the chorizo for a few minutes.
2. Add the vegetables and noodles and continue frying for another 3-4 minutes, adding some more oil if necessary.
3. Add the noodles, followed by the prawns and fry for a further 2 minutes.
4. Remove from the heat, add the coriander and serve.
About Neil Shaefer
Marketing & Communications Executive of SK Foods.
Your food. Our Passion.
