“You may already know how much I enjoy a hot fish sandwich. This latest incarnation is combined with a delicious satay nut butter, and I like to add a contrasting layer of crunchy kimchi slaw, too,” says Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall.
“This sandwich works well with white fish fillets, such as haddock or coley, but it’s also great with meatier fish like mackerel or bream.”
Hot fish sandwich with satay nut butter
Serves: 2
Ingredients:
2 skinless fish fillets (100–120g each), such as hake or coley, or MSC-certified haddock or cod
A little light plain wholemeal flour
Oil or fat for cooking
2 bay leaves
2 garlic cloves, crushed
Sea salt and black pepper
For the satay nut butter:
2 tbsp crunchy peanut butter
½ small garlic clove, crushed or very finely grated
Finely grated zest and juice of 1 lime or ½ lemon
1 tbsp soy sauce
To assemble:
2 large, soft wholemeal baps, split
4 lettuce leaves
1 ripe tomato, sliced
2-3 tbsp Kimchi slaw (optional)
Method:
1. First make the satay nut butter. Combine all the ingredients in a small bowl and mix well, seasoning with a few twists of pepper. If the nut butter seems too thick to spread, stir in a dash of water to loosen it.
2. Check the fish fillets for pin-bones, removing any you find with tweezers. Season the fish well on both sides with salt and pepper. Dust the fillets with a little flour.
3. Heat a little oil or fat in a non-stick frying pan over a medium heat. Add the bay leaves and fry until they start to colour (you are using them to flavour the oil and fish so it’s okay if they brown a bit).
4. Add the fish fillets to the pan, along with the garlic, and fry for 3-4 minutes, basting with the oil, until nearly cooked through. Carefully flip the fish fillets over and cook for a minute or so on the other side.
5. In the meantime, spread the bap bases with a generous spoonful of the satay nut butter. Lay two overlapping lettuce leaves on top, then a couple of tomato slices.
6. Using a thin spatula or fish slice, lift the hot fish fillets out of the pan straight onto the tomato slices. Top with a spoonful of kimchi slaw if you like.
7. Sandwich together with the bap tops and squeeze gently to bring the layers together. Eat straight away.
Creamy roast cauliflower and cashew soup
“This is a deliciously creamy white soup, packed with lots of lovely alliums (leek, onion, garlic), which get roasted with the cauli,” says Fearnley- Whittingstall.
If you have time, leave the cashews to soak for a few hours to soften – they’ll blend to a smoother finish.
“The garlic topping is a great addition and can be made ahead, but it’s by no means essential. ”
Serves: 4
Ingredients:
100g cashew nuts
1.2–1.5 litres hot vegetable stock
1 large cauliflower (about 1.5kg), trimmed and cut into small florets, leaves kept
2 leeks, trimmed and cut into chunks
1 large onion, roughly chopped
3 celery sticks, roughly chopped
1 tsp cumin seeds
2 tbsp oil or melted fat
5 sprigs of thyme, leaves picked
Sea salt and black pepper
Garlic oil topping:
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 garlic cloves, finely sliced
2 tbsp sunflower or pumpkin seeds (or a mix)
A pinch of dried chilli flakes
To finish:
A small handful of chives, finely chopped, and/or parsley
Method:
1. Put the cashews into a bowl, pour on 1.2 litres hot stock and leave to soak for at least an hour.
2. Preheat the oven to 190C/170C fan/gas 5.
3. Put the cauliflower florets into a large roasting tray, along with their roughly chopped leaves (if they’re in good nick). Add all the other veg and the cumin seeds. Add the oil or fat, season well with salt and pepper and toss the veg to coat lightly.
4. Transfer the roasting tray to the oven and roast for 20-25 minutes until all the veg are tender and golden.
5. In the meantime, make the topping. Put the extra virgin olive oil into a small saucepan with the garlic, seeds, chilli flakes and a pinch of salt. Place over a medium heat and heat gently for just a minute or two until the garlic starts to turn pale golden. Immediately take off the heat and pour the garlicky oil into a bowl. Leave to infuse until the soup is ready.
6. Scrape the contents of the roasting tray into a jug blender, add the thyme leaves and tip in the cashew nuts, along with their soaking liquor. Blitz until smooth. Return the soup to the saucepan and reheat gently, without boiling. (Or you can blitz the soup directly in a saucepan, using a stick blender, as you reheat it.) Either way, add a dash more stock to thin the soup a little if it seems too thick.
7. Ladle the soup into warmed bowls and top each serving with a trickle of the crispy garlic oil and a sprinkle of chopped chives and/or parsley.
Courgette, honey and lemon cake
“The mighty lemon drizzle cake is everyone’s favourite bake,” says Fearnley-Whittingstall. “This spin on it has the unlikely inclusion of courgettes, which balances the sweetness and keeps the cake nice and moist too. It’s also a great way to make a dent in a glut of summer courgettes.
“The lemon drizzle topping makes it irresistibly zingy. You can also serve the cake as a dessert with crème fraîche, summer berries and an extra trickle of honey.”
Makes: 8-10 slices
Ingredients:
350g coarsely grated courgettes (about 2 medium)
½ tsp fine salt
150g wholemeal spelt flour
100g fine plain wholemeal flour
100g ground almonds or hazelnuts
½ tsp bicarbonate soda
1 tsp baking powder
30g poppy seeds (optional)
125ml rapeseed or coconut oil
50g soft light brown sugar
30g honey
3 medium eggs
Finely grated zest and juice of 2 lemons
4 sprigs of thyme, leaves picked and chopped (optional)
50ml milk
For the lemon drizzle:
Finely grated zest and juice of 1 lemon
1 tbsp honey
20g caster sugar
Method:
1. Preheat the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4 and line a 1kg (2lb) loaf tin with baking paper.
2. Tip the grated courgettes into a fine-meshed sieve set over a bowl. Sprinkle with the salt and toss through (it will draw out moisture from the veg). Leave to drain for 20 minutes or so, then press the courgettes with the back of a spoon to get rid of a bit more water.
3. In a bowl, mix together the flours, ground nuts, bicarbonate of soda, baking powder and poppy seeds if using. Set aside.
4. In a large bowl, whisk together the oil, sugar and honey. Beat in the eggs, one by one, then stir in the grated courgettes, lemon zest and juice, and the thyme if using. Now gently fold in the flour mixture, alternately with the milk. Pour the mixture into the prepared loaf tin and bake for 45-50 minutes until golden and risen.
5. While the cake is in the oven, make the lemon drizzle. In a small bowl, lightly mix the lemon zest and juice with the honey and sugar to combine without dissolving the sugar.
6. To check the cake is cooked, insert a skewer into the middle – it should come out clean. As soon as you take the cake from the oven, spoon the lemon drizzle over the surface. Leave the cake in the tin for 10 minutes then transfer it to a wire rack and allow to cool completely before slicing and serving.
Swaps and additions: Use grated squash or pumpkin instead of courgette. Or go 50:50 with courgette and a grated root, such as beetroot, carrot or parsnip. Just mix it with the courgette before salting. Beetroot, as you can imagine, makes a gorgeous pinky purple version.
‘How to Eat 30 Plants a Week’ by Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall (Bloomsbury, £25).
