Poached sole fillets with spinach puree & saffron

For ➍

12 sole fillets

500 g potatoes

350 g spinach

butter*

5 dl fish stock

1 dl cream**

saffron

pepper & salt

for the garnish:

thyme

spring onion

Cook potatoes in salted water, drain and crush.

Stew spinach. Mix into the mashed potatoes. Season with salt and pepper.

Poach the rolled sole rolls in 4 dl fish stock.

Reduce the remaining 1 dl fish stock with 1 dl cream* and a pinch of saffron. Season with salt and pepper.

Decorate with tufts of thyme and spring onion.

*Replace with olive oil

**Replace with oat cream.

Seared tuna on risotto with samphire & tomatoes

For ➋

tuna:

1 lime (juice only) 

1 garlic clove (peeled & crushed)  

2 tbs olive oil      

sea salt & pepper (freshly ground) 

2 x 200 g tuna steaks

risotto:  

2 tbs olive oil 

200 g risotto rice

50 g leek, chopped  

20 cl white wine  

80 c fish fumet    

sea salt & pepper (freshly ground) 

10 cherry tomatoes  

150 g samphire 

1 tbs Parmigiano

1 lime (quartered)

Mix together the lime juice, garlic, olive oil and salt & pepper in a shallow dish. Add the tuna and turn over several times to coat in the marinade. Place in the refrigerator until required.

Heat the fish fumet.

Heat some olive oil. Add the leek. Cover and cook mildly on moderate heat for 10-15 m. 

Add the rice until coated in the oil.

Slowly add the wine, and stir it through the rice.

Add most of the fumet. Cover and cook on moderate heat for 10-15 m, depending on the rice. Add some more fumet if needed.

Meanwhile, half the cherry tomatoes, and bake them in some oil.

Bring some of the fumet to boil and cook the samphire for 2-3 m.

When the risotto is soft and creamy, add 1 tbs Parmigiano. Add the tomatoes and samphire. Cover and let stand for 1 m. Spoon the risotto on plates

Bake or grill the tuna for 1 m on each side. Cut the tuna in nice slices and add to the plates. Serve immediately with quartered lime.

Waterzooi van hondshaai & saffraan (saffron waterzooi of dogfish)

For ➍
600 g dogfish, cut into 5 cm pieces [or firm white fish like cod]
1 l fumet*
2 stalks leek
4 stalks celery
1 fennel
3 onions
2 cloves garlic
1 tbs olive oil
3 sprigs thyme
3 laurel leaves
4 capsules saffron powder (or threads)
a splash vermouth​
15 cl cream**
1 tbs soft butter***
1 tbs flour***
a few twigs chervil
sourdough bread
pepper & salt

Heat the fish fumet.
Clean the leek, celery and fennel and cut them into rough pieces.
Peel the onions and cut them roughly.
Peel the garlic, press into pulp.
Heat the olive oil in a large pan. Fry the onions. Add the leek, celery and fennel. Simmer for a while. Add the garlic pulp.
Put the pieces of fish on the vegetables.
Add the thyme, laurel and saffron. Mix carefully, add a splash of vermouth.
Pour the hot fumet over the fish. Add the cream.**
Add freshly ground pepper and salt.
Let the waterzooi boil on a gentle fire for about 5 m.
Knead the butter and the flour into an even mixture.***
Stir some of the mixture under the cooking liquid to bind the sauce.*** [ Add some more if necessary].***
Continue to simmer for another 10 to 15 m.
Check a piece of fish whether it is done.
Sprinkle with soms chervil. Serve with sourdough bread.

*Use less if you want a thicker sauce without butter or flour.*** Be sure the fish is covered with liquid.
**Use soy replacement product to avoid real cream.
***Omit if you want. Make the sauce thicker by reducing the amount of fumet. See (*).

Groene waterzooi met kabeljauw (green Flemish cod stew)

For ➋
2.5 cl full cream
pinch bicarbonate
½ bunch curl parsley, rinsed
1 bunch watercress, rinsed
2 pieces cod fillets (about 200 g each)
1.5 laurel leaves
1 twig thyme
½ zucchini, unpeeled, diced
1.5 stems celery, cut into 1 cm pieces
½ stalk leeks, cut into 1 cm pieces
dash olive oil
½ clove garlic, crushed into pulp
½ onion, finely sliced
300 g potatoes, diced
½ l fish fumet
pepper & salt
50 g samphire (optional)

Heat 4 dl of fish fumet.
Bring water to a boil in a jar and add a pinch of baking soda to preserve the green color of the herbs.
Add the parsley and the watercress (keep some watercress apart for decoration). Boil for 5 m. Scoop the greens with a slotted spoon from the liquid and collect everything in the cup of the blender.
Add a dash of the cooking liquid and puree the spices in the machine. Let the appliance run for a long time, until you have a fine pureed sauce.
Pour a dash of olive oil into a large pan with a raised edge. Heat the oil on a medium heat.
Put the potato in the pot. Simmer briefly (or until the potato turns opaque, probably 5-10 m). Add the onion chips, then the garlic pulp. Heat for a few m. Lower the fire, stirring occasionally.
Add leeks and the celery to the pot, raise the heat a little higher and stir.
Add the zucchini and simmer.
Add the leaves of laurel and the sprigs of thyme. Season the stew with freshly grinded pepper and a pinch of salt.
Pour the warm fish fumet into the pot, until the pieces are covered for ¾. Bring everything to the boil, preferably under the lid.
A few m later, put the portions of fresh cod on top of the steaming hot waterzooi. Put the lid back on the pot and let the pieces of fish poach for 5 m on medium heat. Turn the pieces of cod and leave the fish in the simmering stew for another 3-4 m. Pierce the fish to check the doneness. Do not overcook the noble cod.
Remove the pieces of cod from the pot and set aside for a moment.
Remove the sprigs of thyme and the leaves of laurel from the stew. Pour a little cream, followed by the green herb sauce of watercress and parsley.
Stir, taste and add enough pepper from the grinder and a pinch of salt.
Optional: stir the samphire in some oil for 1-2 m)
Serve a portion of vegetables with potatoes in the soft green sauce in a deep plate.
Place a piece of cod on top and finish the plates with a tuft of fresh watercress. (Optional: add some samphire for a more salty taste).