Jane Grigson's Fish Book Part 16

PRAWNS & SHRIMPS.

Palaemon serratus & & Crangon crangon Crangon crangon [image]

I agree with something I read once about prawns and shrimps the prawn was described as a 'tasty morsel', but the writer R. C. O'Farrell in Lobsters, Crabs and Crawfish Lobsters, Crabs and Crawfish went on to say that it was 'less of a palate-tickler than a freshly-cooked brown shrimp', preferably eaten out of a paper bag while walking along the promenade at Morecambe. A rare food pleasure I remember from the war years was walking along Morecambe Bay with my sister, each of us with a brown paper bag of shrimps. They were small and brown, the best kind. We chewed without bothering to peel all of them. Something of their vivid sweetness came through in potted shrimps when they went on sale again as food became easier. But then they began to taste dull. Eventually, I discovered why it was not my increasing age, as I had feared, but a complete change in production. went on to say that it was 'less of a palate-tickler than a freshly-cooked brown shrimp', preferably eaten out of a paper bag while walking along the promenade at Morecambe. A rare food pleasure I remember from the war years was walking along Morecambe Bay with my sister, each of us with a brown paper bag of shrimps. They were small and brown, the best kind. We chewed without bothering to peel all of them. Something of their vivid sweetness came through in potted shrimps when they went on sale again as food became easier. But then they began to taste dull. Eventually, I discovered why it was not my increasing age, as I had feared, but a complete change in production.

In the old days, the catch was cooked on board and brought in at all hours. Whatever the time of day or night the fishermen's wives, mothers, daughters, aunts, sisters and grandmothers would set to and pick (sh.e.l.l) the shrimps, then they would pot them in b.u.t.ter, catching the fresh flavour. This used to be done at home in the family kitchen but now it is a formal process carried out in a centre still by the wives, etc. where the shrimps are chilled and then sh.e.l.led, all in ordinary working hours. What is more, they are augmented with frozen shrimp from elsewhere. You have only to think of a crab you have boiled yourself and eaten within an hour or two, and a packet of frozen crab meat to understand the difference.

The odd thing is that these delicate creatures feed on the rubbish of the sea and sh.o.r.e. This tends to be glossed over in modern books on the subject, by the use of genteel latinate words 'organic remains' and scientific phrases. For realism one has to go to the Victorians who took a very concrete look at the animal life they were describing 'If a dead small bird or frog be placed where ants can have access to it, those insects will speedily reduce the body to a closely cleared skeleton. The shrimp family, acting in hosts, as speedily remove all traces of fish or flesh from the bones of any dead animal exposed to their ravages. They are, in short, the princ.i.p.al scavengers of the ocean; and, notwithstanding their office, they are highly prized as nutritious and delicious food.'

Precisely. One has only to think of the hygienic insipidity of a battery hen's food, and the manure heap picked over by a farmyard hen, to see that fine flavour is not always produced in the way we might prefer.

The word prawn does cover an enormous variety of sh.e.l.lfish these days. The large pink prawn we are used to, Palaemon serratus Palaemon serratus, the one the French call bouquet rose bouquet rose, is now jostled by deep-frozen prawns from many other parts of the world including the striped tiger prawn from Asia. The situation is further confused by our habit of calling the Norway lobster a Dublin Bay prawn. And in America many of the creatures we label prawns are called shrimps.

This need not worry the cook, apart from plain curiosity. Try all these exotic shrimps or prawns, and you will probably agree that none of them can beat the shrimps or prawns from our own seas. There is no comparison between freshly-caught, freshly-boiled sh.e.l.lfish and the deep-frozen kind and the smaller the sh.e.l.lfish the more this seems to apply. As to cooking, tiny shrimps and prawns are suitable for eating out of a paper bag, for potting (below), for making sauces. More can be done with the larger ones without spoiling their immediacy of flavour all large prawns can be used in the same kinds of recipe, so don't let distant origin and strange appearance put you off.

TO COOK PRAWNS AND SHRIMPS.

I have a.s.sumed that the prawns and shrimps you buy have been boiled already by the fishmonger. But if you are handed a bucket of live ones, this is what you do.

(a) Bring a big pan of seawater to the boil, plus salt. Or a pan of tapwater, plus enough salt to make a strong enough brine for an egg to float in (see p. 112 p. 112). Put in the shrimps or prawns. By the time the water comes back to the boil the shrimps will probably be done (i.e. the tiny shrimps, not American large shrimps). Prawns and larger American shrimps will take 5 to 6 minutes further boiling. Be guided by the change of colour and keep trying them. Under-boiled ones are mushy. Overboiled ones are hard.

(b) In The Home Book of Greek Cookery The Home Book of Greek Cookery, Joyce M. Stubbs says that prawns lose far less flavour if they are put without water in a tightly covered pan and set over a high heat to cook in their own juice (the mussel system). Shake the pan occasionally, for about 10 minutes. Cool a little before sh.e.l.ling.

TO Sh.e.l.l SHRIMPS AND PRAWNS.

'Take hold of the creature by the head and tail and straighten it out. Then press head and tail towards each other in a straight line, and afterwards pull them apart. The entire coat of mail will come away in your right hand, merely leaving the edible portion to be tweaked from the head.'

(Pottery by A. Potter) by A. Potter) PRAWN OR SHRIMP b.u.t.tER.

In the old days, one had to pound shrimp or prawn meat with the b.u.t.ter but nowadays it is easy to crush the whole thing in a blender. Melt an equal weight of b.u.t.ter, then add the prawn or shrimp mixture to the pan. When the mixture boils, pour through a muslin-lined sieve into small containers.

ELIZABETH DAVID'S PRAWN PASTE I first came across this recipe in Elizabeth David's booklet, Dried Herbs, Aromatics and Condiments Dried Herbs, Aromatics and Condiments, and have used it many times. If you are in a hurry, put all the ingredients into a liquidizer and blend at top speed; it may be necessary to add a little more olive oil. The combination of prawn and basil is delightful.

Serves 34250 g (8 oz) cooked, peeled prawns46 teaspoons olive oilcayenne pepper, dried basiljuice of 1 lime or or lemon lemon1 saltspoon crushed coriander or or c.u.min seed (optional) c.u.min seed (optional) 'Mash or pound the prawns to a paste. Very gradually add the olive oil. Season with cayenne pepper and about half a teaspoonful of dried basil warmed in the oven and finely crumbled. Add the strained juice of half a lemon or of a whole fresh lime (when available, the lime is much the better choice). When the mixture is smooth, and is seasoned to your satisfaction salt may or may not be necessary, that depends how much has already been cooked with the prawns pack it into a little jar or terrine. Cover and store in the refrigerator. Serve chilled, with hot thin toast. Do not attempt to store for more than a couple of days.'

If you are using freshly boiled prawns in the sh.e.l.l, allow approximately 1 litre (1 pt) gross measure. The sh.e.l.ls and heads will make the basis of a good sh.e.l.lfish soup (see p. 288 p. 288).

PRAWN SAUCE.

A beautiful sauce which goes with a variety of white fish cod, sole, turbot, brill, halibut, hake, monkfish, John Dory, bream and porgies and enhances the pleasure of lobster, scallops and octopus.

250 g (8 oz) prawns in their sh.e.l.ls60 g (2 oz) b.u.t.ter1 heaped tablespoon plain flourup to 1 tablespoon tomato concentrate1 dessertspoon wine vinegar1 lump sugar90 ml (3 fl oz) double cream150 ml (5 fl oz) Marsalasalt, pepperwalnut-sized lump of b.u.t.ter Sh.e.l.l the prawns and set the flesh on one side. Then put the sh.e.l.ls only into a pan, and cover with 450 ml (15 fl oz) water. Simmer for about 20 minutes, then liquidize. Pour the resulting gritty mixture through a fine sieve, and keep warm.

Melt the b.u.t.ter in a clean pan, stir in the flour and cook for 2 or 3 minutes. Stir in the sieved sh.e.l.l liquid gradually, until the sauce is smooth. After 10 minutes' simmering, or a little more, flavour with tomato concentrate. Add vinegar and sugar. Cook for another 5 minutes before stirring in the cream, then the Marsala, little by little, to taste. Correct the seasoning before putting in the prawns to heat through. Remove from the heat, stir in the final nut of b.u.t.ter and serve immediately.

To serve, pour some of the sauce over the poached, or lightly-fried fish, and hand round the rest in a sauceboat. Any sauce left over can be mixed with a spoonful or so of mayonnaise, and used as a dressing for cold fish.

SHRIMP SAUCE.

To a veloute sauce* add at the last moment a 125 g (4 oz) carton of potted shrimps. The spiced b.u.t.ter gives an excellent flavour to the sauce. (Potted shrimps can be added to a bechamel sauce* in the same way.) ARTICHOKE AND SHRIMP SALAD (Fonds d'artichauts Ninette) This is a fine way to start a special meal the flavour of sh.e.l.lfish harmonizes beautifully with artichoke. Mayonnaise adds zest and richness. Do not be tempted to use canned artichokes; they have no flavour and lack consistency.

Serves 67 cooked artichoke bottomscooked puree sc.r.a.ped from the leaves250 ml (8 fl oz) mayonnaisemustardfresh parsley, chervil, tarragon, chives, chopped200 g (7 oz) sh.e.l.led shrimps or prawns6 prawns in their sh.e.l.ls (optional) Chop then mash one of the artichoke bottoms with the puree from the leaves. Mix with the mayonnaise and add a little mustard, then the chopped herbs. Fold in the shrimps or prawns. Pile this mixture up on the artichoke bottoms remaining and put a prawn in its sh.e.l.l on top of each. Serve chilled on a bed of lettuce.

If the artichoke bottoms are on the small side, and there is too much shrimp salad, pile the remainder in the centre of the serving dish and put the artichoke bottoms round it.

BAKED AVOCADO WITH SHRIMPS, PRAWNS, OR CRAB.

Here is the most successful way of serving avocados hot. The flavour is not lost in the brief cooking and blends deliciously with the sh.e.l.lfish and cheese sauce.

Serves 63 large avocadoslemon juice300 ml (10 fl oz) thick bechamel sauce*2 heaped tablespoons grated Cheddar1 heaped tablespoon grated Parmesan3 tablespoons double cream175 g (6 oz) peeled shrimps or prawns or or crab meat crab meatsalt, pepperbreadcrumbs, melted b.u.t.ter Halve the avocados and remove the stones. Enlarge the cavities, but leave a good firm sh.e.l.l behind. Cube the avocado you have cut away. Sprinkle it with lemon juice, and brush more lemon juice over the avocado halves, to prevent discoloration.

Heat two-thirds of the sauce, which should be very thick indeed as it is a binding sauce. Keep it well below boiling point. Leave the pan on the stove while you stir in the cheeses, gradually, to taste. The flavour should be lively, but not too strong. Mix in the cream and sh.e.l.lfish, with seasoning, and the avocado cubes. If the mixture is very solid, add the remaining sauce. You need to strike a balance between firmness and sloppiness; in the final baking the sauce should not run about all over the place, but keep the sh.e.l.lfish and avocado cubes nicely positioned.

Put the avocado halves into a baking dish. Divide the stuffing between the cavities, mounding it up. Scatter on the breadcrumbs and pour a little b.u.t.ter over them. Bake for 15 minutes at gas 6, 200C (400F) and complete the browning under the grill if necessary. Do not keep the avocados in the oven any longer than this, as they do not improve with prolonged heating.

BAKED GIANT PRAWNS (Camaro no forno) A bonus from writing about food is that it is an easy way of making friends. Last summer I took a cab in Paris and soon discovered that the driver was Portuguese. I asked her what dishes made her feel homesick. We were still talking or rather she was still talking when I arrived at my destination, and she would not let me go until she made sure I understood how to make this recipe.

'I make this dish, Madame, when we have something to celebrate. Or just when I want to think about home. Sometimes I can only afford one prawn each, but the oil is so good, Madame, that n.o.body minds!' Back at home, I made it with the huge prawns now on sale at good fishmongers: I thought it the best thing I had eaten for months. The oil is indeed delicious, so provide plenty of bread.

For each person 23 huge prawns (the Mediterranean type)1 tiny red chilli1 small clove juicy garlic, slicedolive oilsalt, pepper1 ramekin about 10 2 cm (4 1 inches) deep Set the oven at very hot, gas 8, 230C (450F). Fit the prawns you need to push them into place into each ramekin. Tuck in the chilli and the garlic. Pour over oil to come level with the top of the prawns. Sprinkle with plenty of salt. You can leave them to marinade for several hours in the refrigerator, if this suits you.

Stand the ramekins on a baking sheet and put them into the heated oven for 10 minutes. After this time the oil should be boiling ferociously, and the top of the prawn sh.e.l.ls lightly browned. Let the dishes stand for a minute or two, then serve with plenty of bread to mop up the oil. A mixture of wheatmeal and strong plain white flour gives a good loaf for this kind of food. Put finger bowls on the table as well.

NOTE Do not let anyone swallow the chilli, unless they have leather throats. The garlic can be eaten, and serve sprigs of parsley afterwards if people are worried about breathing over their neighbours. Do not let anyone swallow the chilli, unless they have leather throats. The garlic can be eaten, and serve sprigs of parsley afterwards if people are worried about breathing over their neighbours.

CURRIED PRAWNS.

Serves 6750 g (1 lb) prawns1 large onion, chopped60 g (2 oz) b.u.t.ter1 heaped teaspoon curry powder1 rounded tablespoon plain flour300 ml (10 fl oz) fish stock*150 ml (5fl oz) double creamsalt, pepper Sh.e.l.l the prawns (use the sh.e.l.ls for making the stock). Melt the onion in b.u.t.ter until soft. Stir in the curry powder and flour and moisten with the strained stock and the cream. Reduce to a thick sauce and season to taste. Reheat the prawns in the sauce for a few seconds, just before serving.

MANGO PRAWNS.

'I was a long way from the sea when I heard about this one,' wrote Alan Davidson in the Seafood of South-East Asia Seafood of South-East Asia, 'precisely, at Ban Houei Sai, the enchanting village which stands on soil studded with sapphires in the Golden Triangle area of Laos. I was on the trail of Pangasianodon gigas Pangasianodon gigas, the giant catfish of the Mekong. Peter Law, a narcotics expert from Hong Kong, was following other trails of his own; but he is also a gastronome and was moved by some turn in the conversation to impart this recipe to me... may be used for crab instead of prawns. Whichever you use, the amount of crustacean and the amount of mango should be about equal.'

Use the large cooked Mediterranean prawns that a number of fishmongers now sell, otherwise go for crab.

Serves 48 prawns4 mangosDRESSING300 ml (10 fl oz) mayonnaise or or double cream double cream2 tablespoons freshly grated horseradisha squeeze of lemon or lime juice1 teaspoonful sugara little freshly ground peppera little single cream or or creamy milk to thin dressing, if necessary creamy milk to thin dressing, if necessary Peel the prawns, and cut up into chunks. Prepare the mangos so that you are left with the empty skins and the flesh cubed.

Mix prawns and mango. Mix the dressing ingredients, then stir it gradually into the prawn and mango. Stop when the mixture is nicely bound and not in the least liquid. Divide between the empty mango skins, and arrange on a dish. Garnish with strips of sweet red or green pepper and mint leaves. Serve chilled.

MELON AND PRAWN VINAIGRETTE.

This is a very good dish to take on a picnic. Carry the salad in a plastic container and spoon it into the melon sh.e.l.ls when you are settled in your picnic spot.

Serves 63 small Charentais melons2 kiwi fruit6 small tomatoes, peeled300 g (10 oz) prawns, cooked1 tablespoon chopped dill2 tablespoons hazelnut oil2 tablespoons lemon juicesalt, freshly ground black peppersprigs of dill Cut the melons in half and discard the seeds. Scoop the flesh into b.a.l.l.s, using a melon bailer, and wrap the melon sh.e.l.ls in plastic wrap.

Peel the kiwi fruit, cut in half and slice. Cut each tomato into eight wedges, discarding the seeds, and place in a plastic container with the melon b.a.l.l.s, kiwi fruit, prawns and chopped dill. Mix the oil, lemon juice and seasoning together in ajar.

Just before serving, tip off any juices that have collected from the melon mixture. Shake the dressing well to mix and pour over the melon, kiwi fruit and prawns. Spoon into the melon sh.e.l.ls and garnish with the sprigs of dill.

PRAWNS AND MUSSELS IN A CREAM SAUCE.

Serves 61 onion, chopped300 ml (10 fl oz) dry white winebouquet garniabout 2 kg (4 lb) mussels2 shallots, chopped45 g (1 oz) b.u.t.ter30 g (1 oz) plain flour90125 ml (34 fl oz) double creamsalt, pepper, parsley375 g (12 oz) prawns Put the onion, wine and bouquet into a pan, and bring to the boil. Add the mussels and leave them to open in the usual way (p. 239). Discard the sh.e.l.ls and strain the liquor. Cook the shallots gently in b.u.t.ter until soft. Stir in the flour, moisten with mussel liquor and cream, and reduce to a good thick consistency. Season to taste. Meanwhile, sh.e.l.l the prawns. Reheat the prawns and mussels for a few seconds in the sauce just before serving.

PRAWNS IN TOMATO AND VERMOUTH.

This recipe comes from Home Book of Greek Cookery Home Book of Greek Cookery by Joyce M. Stubbs. by Joyce M. Stubbs.

Serves 4750 g (1 lb) prawns1 small onion, chopped2 cloves garlic, chopped60 g (2 oz) b.u.t.ter250 g (8 oz) peeled, chopped tomato1 sprig rosemary or or sweet basil sweet basilgood pinch of cinnamonsalt, pepper1 teaspoon sugar6090 ml (23 fl oz) vermouth6090 ml (23 fl oz) double cream Sh.e.l.l the prawns. With a tiny teaspoon, sc.r.a.pe the soft part from the heads and set it aside. Melt the onion and garlic, until soft, in the b.u.t.ter. Add the sc.r.a.pings from the prawns, tomato, rosemary or basil and cinnamon. Season with salt, pepper and sugar (eventually, with northern tomatoes, you may find it necessary to add more sugar and plenty more pepper). Simmer, uncovered, for half an hour. Sieve into a clean pan. Pour in the vermouth and the cream and stir the sauce together. Reheat the prawns in it at the last moment.

PRAWNS WITH RICE, AND PRAWNS IN PASTRY CASES.

Prawns are so full of flavour that they are the ideal fish for serving in rich sauce with boiled and b.u.t.tered rice. This is usually pressed into a ring mould, before being turned on to a serving dish; the prawns in their sauce are poured into the centre. If for rice you subst.i.tute deep-fried caissettes 5-cm (2-inch) thick, crustless slices of bread, hollowed out in the middle you have an even better method of making a few prawns go a long way. If you are pampered by the proximity of a first-cla.s.s pastrycook, you can buy brioches and use them to hold the prawns and sauce (sc.r.a.pe out the soft dough inside first, having removed the little topknot). A solution which is open to everyone is to buy or make puff pastry or shortcrust pastry cases. Any of the three mixtures in the recipes for Curried prawns, Prawns and mussels in a cream sauce or Prawns in tomato and vermouth are offered as suggestions they can easily be varied to suit your resources and tastes.

POTTED SHRIMPS.

Fresh shrimps should be used at all times. The best ploy is to buy lots, eat some fresh and then pot the rest, and this should be done as soon as possible after you have bought them.

To every 600 ml (1 pt) of picked shrimps which will serve 6-8 when potted allow 100125 g (34 oz) b.u.t.ter. Melt it slowly with a blade of mace, cayenne and a shade of grated nutmeg. Stir in the shrimps and heat them through without boiling. Stir all the time. Remove the mace, and then divide between little pots. Cool quickly in the refrigerator. Cover with clarified b.u.t.ter.

To serve, warm them slightly. Provide brown bread and b.u.t.ter. Prawns, crab and lobster can all be potted in the same way.

SHRIMP AND TOMATO BISQUE (Potage a la crevette) Whatever the attractions of travel or Paris were for Dumas, he was always drawn back to the sea (he quotes Byron: 'Oh sea, the only love to whom I have been faithful'). He wrote much of his Dictionnaire Dictionnaire at Roscoff in Brittany, and some in Normandy at Le Havre, where he met Courbet and Monet. He loved the shrimps and at Roscoff in Brittany, and some in Normandy at Le Havre, where he met Courbet and Monet. He loved the shrimps and bouquets roses bouquets roses of that coast, and invented this soup for them. In the end he died near the sea. of that coast, and invented this soup for them. In the end he died near the sea.

Judging by a similar recipe in the soup section in the Dictionnaire Dictionnaire, this dish was invented by Dumas himself. Ideally, it should be made with the remains of a pot-au-feu pot-au-feu liquid and live shrimps. If you cannot manage this, use a good beef stock and boiled shrimps (or prawns, or mussels opened with white wine liquid and live shrimps. If you cannot manage this, use a good beef stock and boiled shrimps (or prawns, or mussels opened with white wine see see method 2 on method 2 on p. 239 p. 239).

Serves 4750 g (1 lb) tomatoes, peeled, chopped500 g (1 lb) onions, sliced150200 g (57 oz) shrimpswhite winesalt, pepper, cayennebouillon from pot-au-feu or or beef stock beef stock Cook tomatoes and onions slowly in a covered pan. When the tomato juices flow, raise the heat and remove the lid. Simmer steadily for about 45 minutes, then sieve.

Meanwhile cover the shrimps generously with white wine, add salt, pepper, cayenne. Bring to the boil, and cook briefly for a moment or two. Try one to see if it is ready. Strain off the liquid. Peel the shrimps, setting aside the edible tail part. Put the debris back into the pan with the liquid, and simmer for 15 minutes to extract all flavour from the sh.e.l.ls, etc. Strain, pressing as much through as possible. Measure this shrimp liquid, and add an equal quant.i.ty both of the tomato puree and beef stock. Bring to the boil, taste for seasoning, and adjust the quant.i.ties if you like, adding a little more tomato or stock, or both. A pinch of sugar will help bring out the flavour if the tomatoes were not particularly good.

Put in the shrimp meats, and heat for a moment, then serve. Do not keep the soup waiting as this will toughen the shrimp tails.

NOTE If you use cooked shrimps or prawns, start their preparation at , covering the debris very generously with white wine. If you use cooked shrimps or prawns, start their preparation at , covering the debris very generously with white wine.

TEMPURA.

In other words fritters, because the European fritter is thought to have been the origin of this popular j.a.panese food. When the Jesuit missionaries arrived with Saint Francis Xavier in sixteenth-century j.a.pan, they ate the dish on Ember Days, fast days occurring at four periods of the year the quattuor tempora quattuor tempora when ordinations could take place. The first Tokugawa ruler, Ieyasu, died about sixty years later from a surfeit of when ordinations could take place. The first Tokugawa ruler, Ieyasu, died about sixty years later from a surfeit of tai tempura tai tempura, fritters of sea bream or tai tai, the most prized of j.a.panese fish. Some at least of the missionaries' works had made devoted converts.

If you have an electric deep frier, you will find tempura easy to organize on the fondue bourguignonne fondue bourguignonne principle which is to say that all the separate ingredients that go to make up a tempura are prepared beforehand, and the cooking is done last of all at table with no loss of sociability for the cook. This is the ideal, because these rather delicate fritters should be eaten immediately, straight from the pan, each person dipping his piece into a small bowl of sauce the moment it is ready. principle which is to say that all the separate ingredients that go to make up a tempura are prepared beforehand, and the cooking is done last of all at table with no loss of sociability for the cook. This is the ideal, because these rather delicate fritters should be eaten immediately, straight from the pan, each person dipping his piece into a small bowl of sauce the moment it is ready.

In j.a.pan, chopsticks are used for both cooking and eating tempura. But unless you are very skilful with them, you will find it easier, when cooking, to make use of a perforated spoon in the normal way. Fondue forks are the obvious solution, if you have them.

Prepare the three elements of the dish sauce, seafood and vegetables, batter in the following order: Serves 4SAUCE 2 tablespoons sake1 tablespoon mirin [image]

or 3 tablespoons mirin 3 tablespoons mirin or or dry sherry with some sugar dry sherry with some sugar

2 tablespoons sugar150 ml (5 fl oz) das.h.i.+ or or stock stock Simmer together for two minutes. Pour into a bowl, or individual bowls, and leave to cool.

FISH AND VEGETABLES16 mushrooms or or dried s.h.i.+take dried s.h.i.+take24 large prawns in their sh.e.l.ls24 mussels, scrubbed and sc.r.a.ped2 aubergines4 spring onions Cut the stalks of fresh mushrooms level with the caps, or soak the s.h.i.+take until soft, drain them, and discard the stems. Sh.e.l.l the prawns. Open the mussels in a large pan, covered, over a very high heat (see p. 239 p. 239); remove them from their sh.e.l.ls (keep the cooking liquor for another dish). Cut the aubergines into 8 or 12 pieces each, according to their size. Trim roots and damaged outer skin from the spring onions. Arrange elegantly on a dish. (Other ingredients can be added e.g. cubes of firm white fish fillets, pieces of young carrot, red and green pepper and so on.) BATTER The master of a tempura restaurant in Tokyo, the famous Tenichi restaurant, has written a small book on the special foods of the capital. In it he gives this recipe for the correct, very light batter. He observes that the old way of reading the characters of the word The master of a tempura restaurant in Tokyo, the famous Tenichi restaurant, has written a small book on the special foods of the capital. In it he gives this recipe for the correct, very light batter. He observes that the old way of reading the characters of the word tempura tempura gives you 'flour' and 'silk-gauze'. 'The whole word could mean to wear light stuff of flour, as a woman wears silk-gauze that desire may be stimulated in the beholder by glimpses of the beauty underneath.' This gives you a good idea of what the fritters should look like when they are ready to eat. gives you 'flour' and 'silk-gauze'. 'The whole word could mean to wear light stuff of flour, as a woman wears silk-gauze that desire may be stimulated in the beholder by glimpses of the beauty underneath.' This gives you a good idea of what the fritters should look like when they are ready to eat.

Break an egg into a measuring container, and whisk it smooth. Add four times its bulk of water, then five times its bulk of flour. In other words, if your egg occupies 30 ml (1 fl oz), you should end up with 300 ml (10 fl oz) of batter. Whisk well.

TO COOK Heat a pan of deep oil to 177182 C (350360 F). Dip the individual pieces of food into the batter, shake off the surplus, and deep-fry for a few minutes until the coating is crisp and a rather whitish brown. With the spring onions, you will find it easier to use your fingers for dipping them into the batter rather than a perforated spoon. If you are not handing out the cooked fritters straight from the pan, arrange them on an elegantly folded napkin on a serving plate and keep them warm in the oven. Obviously the cooking has to be done in batches, so that there is no risk of the oil losing heat. Heat a pan of deep oil to 177182 C (350360 F). Dip the individual pieces of food into the batter, shake off the surplus, and deep-fry for a few minutes until the coating is crisp and a rather whitish brown. With the spring onions, you will find it easier to use your fingers for dipping them into the batter rather than a perforated spoon. If you are not handing out the cooked fritters straight from the pan, arrange them on an elegantly folded napkin on a serving plate and keep them warm in the oven. Obviously the cooking has to be done in batches, so that there is no risk of the oil losing heat.

WINTER ARTICHOKE SALAD.

I discovered by accident how well the earthy flavour of Jerusalem artichoke combines with the sweetness of prawns. Christmas came round one year, and there was no possibility of having the usual smoked eel or smoked salmon. I bought some prawns in their sh.e.l.ls instead. Wondering exactly how I was going to serve them, I drove home and came in through the back kitchen past a basket of Jerusalem artichokes. The dish was a great success. It looked beautiful with the contrast of grey, pink and green: the flavour was fresh and unusual, an appetizing start for the lengthy Christmas dinner. It is also good before strong and substantial game dishes.

The quant.i.ty of prawns can be varied; you want enough to provide the contrast, but not so many that they become too dominant. I sometimes buy 750 g (1 lb) prawns in their sh.e.l.ls (for six people), set a few aside for decoration, then sh.e.l.l the rest; the debris goes into a pot with fish bones to make the next day's soup, or stock for a prawn sauce to serve with cauliflower, p. 281 p. 281.

Serves 61 kg (2 lb) Jerusalem artichokesabout 125 g (4 oz) sh.e.l.led prawns or shrimpsolive oil vinaigretteplenty of chopped parsley and chives or or spring onion spring onion6 prawns in their sh.e.l.ls Cook the artichokes in their skins. Peel and slice them neatly. This means discarding the squashy parts, but do not throw them away they can be used to flavour mashed potato, or potato soup. Put the slices in a shallow dish and dot the prawns or shrimps over the top. Pour on enough vinaigrette to moisten the salad and add a good scattering of herbs. Arrange the prawns in their sh.e.l.ls on top. Serve well chilled.

NOTE The artichokes can be cooked and sliced well in advance. Cover them with vinaigrette. Add the sh.e.l.lfish an hour before serving, and chill. The artichokes can be cooked and sliced well in advance. Cover them with vinaigrette. Add the sh.e.l.lfish an hour before serving, and chill.

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RED MULLET Mullus surmuletus [image]

Red mullet is one of the finest fish in the sea, though sadly for Americans it is confined to the Mediterranean, the Black Sea and the Atlantic coast of Europe: it can also be one of the most confusing. First of all, your eye may be deceived by the similar but paler rose-coral of the gurnard (and, in France, by the similar name of rouget rouget). Secondly, your ear can be deceived so that you buy other, cheaper mullet grey or rainbow or striped for instance thinking they are going to taste the same, or at least similar: they do not, and belong to quite another family, the Mugilidae Mugilidae or true mullets. The red mullet is a goatfish of the or true mullets. The red mullet is a goatfish of the Mullidae Mullidae family, and far superior in flavour. family, and far superior in flavour.

Sometimes it is called sea woodc.o.c.k, because of its liver which must on no account be discarded with the other innards (the woodc.o.c.k is always cooked with its trail). This delectable item was much prized by the Romans who had a pa.s.sion for red mullet. Martial exhorted his readers not to sully their gold dishes with mullet weighing less that 1 kg (2 lb) the Romans had a vulgar weakness for size. Personally, I am grateful for any red mullet I see, and have never noticed any difference in flavour between medium and large fish the small mullet you sometimes see in frozen blocks are tasteless, but this is not their fault. In markets in Provence, I have seen these miniature fish in the mixtures sold for making Bouillabaisse and other fish soups; they are part of the general rock fish mixture.

It is a commonplace of cookery that the best fish need the simplest cooking. One or two flavourings, though, have become part of the red mullet tradition, fennel, for instance, and tomatoes. Olives, too. Certainly such things are a help, not because the mullet needs them but because it is too expensive a fish to buy in lavish quant.i.ties.

I sometimes meditate ruefully on the subject, and recall that one night in August 1819, 5,000 red mullet were taken in Weymouth Bay. The sea was red with them. Now if Constable had been there then, instead of three years earlier in 1816, the pink glow of that vast catch might have been reflected in his paintings of the bay. These days, the red mullet are snapped up by restaurateurs, and eschewed by provincial fishmongers who think their clients won't pay the price. Go on asking your fishmonger, be persistent, and one day he may listen to you.

HOW TO PREPARE RED MULLET.

Some cooks leave the scales of the mullet in place if they are going to grill or deep-fry it: they form an impermeable coating so that the fish cooks in its own juices, steams one might say, inside a carapace. Mostly, though, it is best to scale mullet and be able to eat the skin, or so I think. Try to do this without using a lot of water, so that you keep the reddish-pink tones as lively as possible.

When gutting the mullet, treat the liver delicately, be on the lookout for it, and return it to the cavity as it is the best part.

Recipes for grey mullet, bream, ba.s.s and bluefish can often be adapted to red mullet. Orange juice, especially bitter orange juice, used discreetly, or orange wedges, can be subst.i.tuted for lemon.

GRILLED RED MULLET WITH FENNEL (Rouget grille au fenouil) About twenty and more years ago there was a pa.s.sion for serving grilled fennel on a bed of dried fennel stalks which were then set alight with alcohol. It was indeed a delightful dish, especially on holiday in Provence where, in some small restaurant, it was done for you. People came home and tried it for themselves and for a while there was quite a market for dried fennel stalks. Clever business, that. In fact, fennel of the kind used, Foeniculum vulgare Foeniculum vulgare, grows like a weed in any garden here and the stalks are perfectly easy to dry. I suppose it was when cooks realized that once they had a plant of fennel in the backyard, they would have a fennel jungle next year, that the dish began to go out of fas.h.i.+on. And all the little burnt bits of fennel stopped you eating the skin of the fish, too, which with grilled mullet especially is one of the bonuses.

Serves 66 red mullet each weighing 250300 g (810 oz), scaled1 green leafy fennel stalk, cut from the top of Florentine fennel or or a little pastis a little pastisa little clarified b.u.t.ter*salt, pepper6 heads of Florentine fennel, quartered1 medium onion, chopped1 large clove garlic, chopped fine4 tablespoons b.u.t.ter2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese Gut the mullet from the gills, removing and saving the livers. Into the cavities, put a short stalk of green fennel, or brush them out with pastis, and replace the livers. Slash the fish two or three times on either side. Brush over with b.u.t.ter and season, paying particular attention to the slashes.

Meanwhile, cook the fennel quarters in boiling salted water until just tender, and cook the onion and garlic slowly in the b.u.t.ter. Drain the fennel and add the pieces to the onion pan, mixing everything well so that the fennel is bathed in b.u.t.tery juices. Put into a heatproof dish, sprinkle with the cheese and brown nicely under a preheated grill. Keep the fennel warm while you grill the mullet on both sides, about 7 minutes in all.

Serve mullet and fennel together, with bread and dry white wine.

RED MULLET WITH MUSHROOMS.