Ship to shore nutrition

TASTE:It's healthy, can be inexpensive, and it's quick to cook, so why don't we eat more fish? Here are two easy, quick, fish supper recipes

I ADMIT I’M A poor example of a good preacher when it comes to eating fish at home. I often order fish in a restaurant, but don’t want to cook at home. Partially, it’s because I think of fish as a luxury, the same as I do meat. But that is ludicrous as many types are so much cheaper, and it’s much better for you than red meat, in general.

My hypocrisy reached new heights when I found myself buying Omega-3 tablets. When I got home, I realised that all I need to do is eat a little bit more oily fish, rather than spend money on supplements that I probably don't need, similar to what Michael Pollan urges us to do in his fantastic book, Food Rules: An Eater's Manual.Rule 40 says: "Be the kind of person who takes supplements – then skip the supplements"

The point he makes is that in controlled studies, supplements seem to achieve little. But the people who take supplements are usually healthier, simply because they adhere to a better type of lifestyle incorporating exercise, whole grains and an overall better diet.

Clearly there are exceptions to this rule, as in women who should take folic acid before conception, and people with iron deficiencies, but the point he’s trying to drive home is that by eating a balanced diet, full of plants, whole grains, fish and accompanied by moderate alcohol intake (a glass of wine or two with dinner) is the way to go. If we can avoid heavily processed junk food and enjoy treats in moderation, we probably don’t need supplements.

So my fish drive this summer will be about that – trying to enjoy a bit more fish, so there’s no need for supplements. It’s just about changing habits, which is why this hake bake works well. It reminds me of the coriander chicken baked recipe that I love, and is a really good mid-week supper. (It is the same kind of thing, but using chicken breast and coriander seeds.)

If you’re not happy doing it yourself, ask your fishmonger to remove the skin from the fish and to check for bones, which he will happily remove with a tweezers. This recipe would also be gorgeous with monkfish. The marinade could be done the night before and then all you need to do is marinate the fish in it before you go to work and then bung it in the oven in the evening. The bits of yoghurt seems to crisp and sizzle at the edges and there’s usually enough sauce to soak up with a bit of bread.

The sesame fish dish is a recipe that has been tweaked from a Sarah Raven one. She used salmon, and even though the picture here uses salmon and is coated on all sides, when Peaches and I tasted it we thought it was sesame overkill. So one side coated in sesame seeds is plenty, and use trout if you wish. The pea pesto is a lovely accompaniment and very easy to make, and was also lovely on sourdough toast with a little shaved Parmesan and extra olive oil.

Hake bake

Serves 4

4 tbsp olive oil

1 tsp cumin

1 tbsp coarse ground black pepper

Pinch curry powder

2 tsp nigella seeds

Good few pinches salt

1 tbsp dried mint

200ml yoghurt

4 hake fillets, skinned

Mint leaves, lemon wedges and olive oil to serve

Heat the olive oil in a pan and saute the cumin, pepper, curry powder, nigella seeds and salt for a few minutes, until you start to get a great roasted smell off the spices. Allow them to cool down and add them to the mint, yoghurt and mix well. Add the hake and marinate overnight, or for only a few minutes, whatever suits. Bake at 200 degrees/gas mark six for about 10-12 minutes, until the fish is cooked. Sprinkle with mint leaves and drizzle more olive oil over the fish. Squeeze some lemon juice on top and serve when it has cooled a little.

Sesame trout (or salmon) with pea pesto

serves 4

40g sesame seeds, lightly toasted

Salt and pepper

2 tbsp olive oil

1 knob butter

1 tbsp toasted sesame oil

2 trout or salmon fillets

Spread the sesame seeds on a large plate and season with lots of salt and pepper. Heat up a large non-stick frying pan with the olive oil in it. Dip the fish on to the seeds and coat on one side. Then fry the fish in the olive oil, seeded side down.

Season with more salt and pepper and add in the knob of butter to help give colour and flavour. You will be able to turn the fish over to get a bit of a searing on the other side. Add the sesame oil when you’re just about finished cooking.

We found these only took a few minutes on each side. But if you like them really well cooked, I’d transfer them to a hot oven (180 degrees/gas four) for another five minutes or so, as the seeds can start to burn in the pan and the salmon will finish cooking better in a hot oven.

Pea pesto

300g frozen peas

Large handful of basil

Juice of 1 lemon

1 tbsp peeled and grated ginger

3 cloves garlic

Salt and pepper

2-3 tbsp olive oil

2-3 tbsp water

Squeeze honey

Thaw the peas or blanch quickly and refresh in cold water. When they are cold, process or mash the peas with the rest of the ingredients. Season well and serve. This will keep for a few hours in the fridge.

See also itsa.ie