Great Family Food. Kevin Dundon
cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 leeks, trimmed and thinly sliced
175g/6oz/3/4 cup crème fraîche
1 × 275g/10oz tin of sweetcorn, drained
4 tsp chopped fresh parsley
salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 Preheat the oven to 190°C/375°F/Gas Mark 5. Line a 33 × 23cm/ 13 × 9in Swiss roll tin with baking parchment.
2 In a large saucepan, melt the butter, add the nutmeg and spinach and wilt the spinach for 3-4 minutes, or until it is completely cooked. Remove from the heat, squeeze dry, season with a little salt and pepper and allow to cool for 10 minutes.
3 Beat the egg yolks in a large bowl for 3-4 minutes, or until they are pale and creamy. Add the cooled and drained spinach.
4 Beat the egg whites in a separate bowl until they are stiff and full of air. Gently fold the egg whites into the spinach mixture and transfer to the prepared tin. Sprinkle the grated Parmesan on the top. Bake for 18-20 minutes, or until well risen and golden brown. Allow to cool completely in the tin.
5 Meanwhile, in a small pan, sweat the leeks in a little butter until they are completely soft. Allow to cool. Invert the roulade onto a large piece of parchment paper.
6 Mix the leeks, crème fraîche, sweetcorn and parsley together with some seasoning. Spread the creamy filling over the roulade and roll up tightly. Be warned—it does have a tendency to crack. Serve with a large salad or some minted baby potatoes.
Prawn Cocktail
Shallots, a sprinkling of paprika, a dash of Tabasco and brandy add a real twist to this classic starter.
Serves 4
16 Dublin Bay prawns (langoustines)
1 bay leaf
5 lemon wedges
1 small head of iceberg lettuce, finely shredded
2 shallots, peeled and thinly sliced
freshly snipped chives, to garnish
Marie-Rose Sauce:
150ml/5fl oz/2/3 cup mayonnaise
4 tsp tomato ketchup
pinch of paprika, plus extra for dusting
dash of Tabasco sauce
30ml/1fl oz brandy
1 To prepare the sauce, mix the mayonnaise, ketchup and paprika together until well combined. Stir in the Tabasco and brandy to suit your own taste. Proceed with caution with the Tabasco, as it can give excessive heat to the dish. Cover the bowl and store the sauce in the refrigerator until required—it will sit there happily for a couple of days.
2 Bring a large saucepan of salted water to the boil. Prepare the prawns by cracking them at the base and pulling off the tail and the shell as far as the head. Using a sharp knife, make a shallow cut down the middle of the outside vein and pull out the dark coloured vein. Alternatively, ask your friendly fishmonger to do this for you. I like to leave the head on, as it gives a nice finished look to the cocktail.
3 Add the bay leaf and a wedge of lemon to the boiling water and plunge in the prawns. The water will immediately cool down, so you must allow it to come back to the boil again. Once it reboils, cook the prawns for 60-90 seconds, or until they are firm to the touch.
4 Have a large bowl of iced water standing by. When the prawns are cooked, plunge them into the iced water for 4-5 minutes to cool them rapidly and prevent them overcooking. The boiled water in which you cooked the prawns can be chilled and/or frozen and used as a simple fish stock for other recipes.
5 Serve in large martini glasses for a bit of fun. Mix the shredded lettuce with the thinly sliced shallots and arrange it at the bottom of the bowl or glasses. Put four of the prawns on top of the lettuce (hanging slightly overboard) and add a large dollop of the chilled sauce on top. Dust with a little additional paprika and garnish with the remaining lemon wedges and fresh chives.
Mild Monkfish Curry with Coconut
Coconut milk, peppers and red curry paste turn this simple monkfish dish into a mouth-watering treat. Use the tender monkfish tail for this quick and easy recipe and serve with plain basmati rice.
Serves 6
1 tbsp sunflower oil
1 green pepper, cored, deseeded and thinly sliced
1 red pepper, cored, deseeded and thinly sliced
1 red onion, peeled and thinly sliced
1 bunch of spring onions, trimmed and chopped
7-8 mushrooms, sliced
2 tsp red curry paste
800ml/28fl oz/generous 3 cups coconut milk (2 tins)
1 monkfish tail (about 1kg/21/44lb) cut into six pieces
450g/llb 2oz boiled basmati rice, to serve
fresh basil leaves, torn (optional)
1 Heat a deep wide-based pan with the sunflower oil. Quickly fry the vegetables over a high heat until just beginning to soften. Add the red curry paste and fry for 2-3 minutes, or until the vegetables are all fully coated with the paste.
2 Pour the coconut milk into the pan, making sure you scrape every last bit out of the cans. I usually rinse them out with a little water and add this to the pan as well to make sure I get all the goodness. Bring the mixture to the boil, then reduce the heat and place the pieces of monkfish in the broth. Cover the pan and gently simmer for 8-10 minutes over a very low heat, or until the fish is cooked. Baste the fish with the broth during cooking.
3 Remove the fish from the pan and place on top of softly boiled basmati rice and divide the remaining sauce among the plates. If the sauce has become too thick, add a little water, vegetable stock or even white wine if you are feeling indulgent and return to the boil. Freshly torn basil is also good mixed into the sauce.
Halibut en Papillotte
Serving this fish still in its wrapper means that each member of the family gets a full facial from all the steam escaping and it works very well as a quick meal. En papillotte is a French term that translates as ‘cooked in paper’.
Serves 4
1 red pepper, cored, deseeded and thinly sliced
1 carrot, peeled and thinly sliced
1 red onion, peeled and thinly sliced
110g/4oz/3/4 cup green beans, thinly sliced
50g/2oz/scant 1 cup fresh basil
4 halibut steaks (about 150g/5oz each)
1 lemon, thinly sliced
salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 Preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F/Gas Mark 6. Cut four sheets of parchment paper, A4 size, 297 × 210cm/12 × 8in.
2 Mix the vegetables together in a bowl. Divide the basil leaves between the four pieces of parchment paper, placing the basil in the centre of the paper. Neatly arrange the vegetables on top of the basil.