Recipes for December
Haddock Fillet with a Crusty Cheese and Mushroom Topping
(serves 4)
Once assembled, this requires only a few minutes in the oven. Serve it with Potatoes Dauphinois, which can be cooked in the oven at the same time.
- 4 Orkney haddock fillets, each weighing about 5 oz (150g)
- salt and pepper
- 7 oz (200g) mushrooms, sliced
- 4 oz (110g) Orkney Cheddar, grated
- 2 oz (50g) butter
- 3 oz (75g) white breadcrumbs
- 1 oz (25g) sesame seeds
Preheat oven to 170°C, 150°C for Fan oven, 325°F, Gas Mark 3
- Begin by laying the fish side by side in a well greased roasting tray and seasoning them lightly. Cover each fillet with a layer of mushrooms and top with grated cheese.
- Next melt the butter in a frying pan and stir in the breadcrumbs and sesame seeds.
- When the butter has been absorbed, season the mixture and use it to cover the cheese and mushroom layers on the fish.
- Bake for 20 minutes. Use a fish slice to carefully remove each haddock and serve at once.
courtesy Alan Bichan food columnist for the Orcadian, from his book "A Year in an Orkney Kitchen".
Lemon Sole St Agnes
(serves 4)
If you have a food processor, you can prepare the topping for the fish in seconds. Serve this delicate dish with whole potatoes and a dressed salad.
- 4 fillets lemon sole, each weighing about 4 oz (110g)
- sunflower oil
- 5 oz (150g) white breadcrumbs
- 3 oz (75g) peeled, cooked prawns, finely chopped
- 3 oz (75g) mild or medium Cheddar, grated
- 1½ tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tbsp snipped chives
- a little salt
- freshly ground black pepper
- Wash the sole fillets and pat dry. Remove the dark skin and brush lightly on both sides with sunflower oil.
- Then mix all the other ingredients together with two table spoons of sunflower oil.
- Next remove the rack from your grill pan and line with foil. Brush with sunflower oil to prevent sticking. Grill the fish under a medium heat, until half cooked through. It will take about 1 minute.
- Now turn the fish over and top with the breadcrumb mixture. Lower the heat and grill until the topping is light brown and the fish is cooked through.
courtesy Alan Bichan food columnist for the Orcadian, from his book "A Year in an Orkney Kitchen".