Robin Ellis

Much fish curried!

This is adapted from a recipe by the brilliant and imaginative British food writer–Nigel Slater.

It’s simple and a good dish for company (we had it on Christmas Eve one year)– allow 150 g/5 oz of fish per person.

You can make the basic sauce ahead of time–even the night before–and prepare the fish pieces in advance too.

Then all you have to do is reheat the curry sauce and slip in the fish in the appropriate order while you cook some brown basmati rice.

We had it tonight with a cooling cucumber raita.

Serves 4

2 medium onions–chopped

2 cloves of garlic–chopped

1 tablspoon of olive oil

1 teaspoon black mustard seeds

a thumbnail size piece of fresh ginger–chopped

3 small red chillies (the heat level is a matter of taste)–chopped

1 teaspoon each–garam masala, cayenne and turmeric

225 g/8 oz fresh or tinned tomatoes–chopped

500 ml/1 pint/2 cups stock–I use organic vegetable stock cubes

250 g/9 oz mussels

8 clams (palourdes)–if you can find them

600 g/20 oz white fish in fillets–this could be monkfish, haddock, cod or some of each, preferably fish that holds its

shape when cooked in pieces

8 prawns in their shells

1 tablespoon of low/no fat yogurt – whisked smooth

A good handful of chopped parsley–or coriander if you can find it

•  In a casserole large enough to hold all the fish, fry the chopped onions and the garlic gently in the oil until soft.
•  Add the mustard seeds and ginger and mix.
• Add the chopped chilli and mix.
•  Add the garam masala, cayenne and turmeric and mix.
•  Add the chopped tomatoes and let them mingle with the spices for 5 minutes.
•  Add the stock and bring everything to the boil.
•  Let this sauce simmer for 15 minutes.
• Let the sauce cool.
•  Stir in the yogurt carefully.
  

  ready for the fish

• Debeard, scrape and rinse clean the mussels.
• Scrub the clams if you have them.
• Check the fish fillets for bones and cut into bite-size pieces.
• Have the prawns standing by.
• Reheat the sauce if you have precooked it.
•  Slip in the white fish and cook until it turns opaque.
•  Then add the mussels, clams and prawns.
• Cook gently, making sure that the sauce is covering the fish, until the mussels and clams open and the prawns heat through.

• (I sometimes throw the mussels and clams in a saucepan with a tablespoon of water to get them to open, then add them to the curry.)
•  Check the salt, add the parsley/coriander and bring this bubbling colourful wonder to the table.