Edinburgh Evening News 72 - Scottish Hake Fillet, Shellfish Cannelloni, Fennel and Dill Purée, Clams
As today marks the last day of Seafood Week I thought that it was only fitting to share a dish that makes the most of the amazing seafood that Scotland has to offer.
This week I am sharing a recipe for the new hake dish which is currently appearing on the menu at the restaurant. In the development of this dish we experimented with different colours and patterns for the pasta. We use squid ink to create the striped effect and we’ve even come up with a method for making tartan pasta! Once you have mastered the basic method of making pasta then you can get creative by adding flavours and colour to the dough to create your own pattern.
More information about Seafood Week can be found at http://www.fishisthedish.co.uk/seafoodweek
Serves 4
For the shellfish mousse
Ingredients
250g plaice 5 scallops, roe removed 1 egg 175ml double cream A pinch of salt 50g cockles, cooked and shells removed 50g mussels, cooked and shells removed ½ tbsp. chopped dill
Method • Blend the scallops and plaice • Add the salt and the egg • While blending drizzle in 125ml of the cream until combined • Chill the mixture for half an hour • Fold the remaining cream through the mixture • Add the cockles, mussels and dill • Place the mixture into a piping bag and return to the fridge for half an hour • Pipe onto rolled out clingfilm • Roll up into cylinders and store in the fridge
For the pasta
Ingredients 200g pasta flour 5 egg yolks 1 whole egg 5ml olive oil
Method • Place the flour on a board • Make a well in the centre and add the egg yolks and olive oil • Using your fingertips, mix the ingredients together until it resembles breadcrumbs • Add the whole egg and mix until it forms a dough • Wrap the dough well in clingfilm and refrigerate for 1 hour • Roll the dough through a pasta machine until you reach the thinnest setting • Cut into lasagne sheets • Store in the fridge layered between clingfilm until required
For the fennel and dill purée
Ingredients 2 bulbs of fennel, thinly sliced 3 shallots, diced 75g butter 300ml milk 300ml double cream ½ pack of dill, finely chopped Salt
Method
• Melt the butter in a heavy based saucepan and add the shallots and fennel • Sweat until the fennel is cooked and almost falling apart but with no colour • Add the milk and cream and simmer for 15-18 minutes • Add the dill • Blend in a high speed blender until smooth and glossy • Season to taste with salt • Pass through a fine sieve • Keep warm until needed
For the garnish 200g clams 200g cockles 1 clove garlic, crushed 25g butter 100ml white wine
• In a pan simmer all ingredients with a lid on until the shellfish have opened • Pick the clams and cockles out of their shells • Pass the cooking liquor through fine muslin • Reserve the liquor to reheat the clams and cockles when serving
For the hake
Ingredients
4 x 180g portions of hake, pin boned A drizzle of rapeseed oil 30g butter 1/2 lemon, juiced Sea salt
Method • Heat up a non-stick pan until almost smoking hot • Add a drizzle of rapeseed oil • Place hake, skin side down in the pan and turn down the heat • Cook the hake slowly on its skin side until it is cooked halfway up the fish • Add a sprinkle of salt, the butter and lemon juice • Take the pan off the heat, turn the fish over and allow it to finish cooking in the residual heat
To serve:
• Poach the mousse in simmering water for 6 minutes • Cut one end of the clingfilm and slide out the cylinders of mousse • Heat the clams and cockles • Cook the pasta sheets in salted boiling water for 1 minute only • Drain and season with a little salt • Place the mousse onto the pasta sheets and roll up completely • Transfer to the plates and unroll the pasta but leave enough rolled around mousse to create the cannelloni effect • Plate remaining elements as per the image
