Great Family Food. Kevin Dundon
peeled
juice of 2 limes
2 tbsp dark soy sauce 2 tbsp chopped fresh coriander salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 Sauté the shallots in a large pan with the garlic and olive oil for 2-3 minutes. Add the chopped lemongrass and cook for a couple of minutes.
2 Add the chicken stock and bring the mixture to the boil. Add in the mushrooms, the red chilli and the prawns. Continue to cook for 3-4 minutes, or until the prawns are lightly cooked.
3 Finally, add the lime juice, soy sauce and the chopped coriander. Correct the seasoning and serve.
Kevin’s Irish Paella
This is great midweek supper, ideal if you’ve got guests popping in for a bite to eat. Although paella is a traditional Spanish dish, I have added a couple of quintessentially Irish ingredients to this version.
Serves 4
1/2 onion, peeled and sliced
2 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
50g/2oz chorizo, chopped
6 rashers of smoked bacon, chopped
350g/12oz/13/4 cups paella rice (or basmati, if you are stuck)
90ml/3fl oz/1/3 cup white wine
1/2 tsp saffron strands
1.2 litres/2 pints/5 cups mild fish stock
450g/1lb selection of raw fish such as pollock or haddock, cubed
12 large whole Dublin Bay prawns (langoustines)
2 tbsp chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
50g/2oz spinach
110g/4oz curly kale (optional)
lemon wedges or juice of 1 lemon
salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 Place the onion, garlic, chorizo and bacon in a large wok or wide-based saucepan and fry together over a gentle heat.
2 Add the rice and stir until completely combined with the onion mixture. Pour in the white wine and leave to reduce for a few minutes. Infuse the saffron strands in 100ml/31/2fl oz/scant 1/2 cup boiling water and add to the pan—this will immediately colour the dish.
3 Add half the fish stock and mix thoroughly. Allow the liquid to come to the boil, then simmer gently until all the liquid has evaporated.
4 Add the cubed fish and the remainder of the fish stock. Cook gently on a low heat for 5-6 minutes, stirring occasionally.
5 When the fish is cooked through, add the parsley, spinach and kale, if using. Season to taste. Lay the prawns across the top and scatter over the lemon wedges or squeeze the juice directly onto the dish. Bring the saucepan to the table and allow people to help themselves.
Hearty Fish Stew
Tiger prawns, monkfish and mussels are gently simmered in a rich garlic and tomato sauce, bringing a real Mediterranean flavour to the table. The broth can be made in advance, so you can reheat it and add the fish just before serving.
Serves 4
1 large fennel bulb
2 tbsp olive oil
1 garlic clove, peeled and chopped
200ml/7fl oz/scant 3/4 cup dry white wine
300ml/10fl oz/11/4 cups fresh fish stock
2 × 400g/14oz tins of chopped tomatoes
pinch of sugar
250g/9oz cherry tomatoes, halved
450g/1lb monkfish fillet, cut into 4cm/11/2in chunks
12 large tiger prawns, heads removed
12 mussels, scrubbed pimento paste (optional)
1 tbsp snipped garlic chives
1 tbsp chopped fresh lemon thyme
extra-virgin olive oil
salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 Remove the feathery tops from the fennel bulb, roughly chop and set aside to use as a garnish. Cut the remaining fennel bulb lengthways into quarters and finely chop, discarding the core.
2 Heat the oil in a large frying pan or wok, add the fennel and fry for 5 minutes. Add the garlic and fry for a further 1 minute. Stir in the wine, stock, tinned tomatoes and sugar, bring to the boil, then simmer gently for 5 minutes. Add the cherry tomatoes and cook for a further 5 minutes. Season well with salt and pepper.
3 Add the monkfish and bring back to a simmer. Stir in the prawns and mussels, cover and cook for approximately 5 minutes, or until the mussels have opened and the fish is cooked. Discard any mussels which have not opened. Mix in the pimento paste, if using, at this stage.
4 To serve, ladle the stew into 4 deep plates or bowls, scatter over the fennel tops, garlic chives and lemon thyme and drizzle with extra-virgin olive oil.
Seafood Chowder
With a large supply of seafood so readily available in Wexford, where I live, is it any wonder that fish features so much in this book? I often double the quantities in this recipe and use the leftovers to make fish pie (see page 117).
Serves 4
50g/2oz/1/2 stick butter
1 small onion, peeled and chopped
1 leek, trimmed and diced
1 small carrot, diced
1 potato, peeled and cubed
50g/2oz smoked salmon slices, cut into julienne (long thin strips)
125ml/4fl oz/1/2 cup dry white wine
425ml/15fl oz/generous 13/4 cups fish stock or water
275g/10oz mixed fresh fish fillets, skinned and cut into bite-sized pieces (such as cod, haddock, hake and salmon)
12 raw Dublin Bay prawns (langoustine), scrubbed clean
150g/5oz mussels, scrubbed clean
1 tbsp chopped fresh tarragon
200ml/7fl oz/generous 3/4 cup pouring cream
salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 Heat a large pan over a medium heat. Add the butter and once it is foaming, tip in the onion, leek, carrot, potato and smoked salmon. Sauté for 2-3 minutes, or until softened.
2 Pour the wine into the pan and allow to reduce by half. Add the fish stock and bring to a simmer, then add the fresh fish and shellfish. Return the pan to a simmer and add the tarragon and cream, then season to taste. Cover with a lid and simmer gently for a further 2-3 minutes, or until the fish and prawns are tender and the mussels have opened (discard any that remain closed).
3 To serve, ladle the chowder into warmed serving bowls, piling plenty of the fish and shellfish into the centre of each one.
Chicken