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A battered fish bun, a sundae and sangria: Yotam Ottolenghi’s seaside recipes

A battered fish bun, a sundae and sangria: Yotam Ottolenghi’s seaside recipes

Yotam Ottolenghi

I love British seaside traditions: eating fish and chips, setting up camp on a pebbly beach, putting up a striped windbreaker, jumping in and out of the chilly water. I think I love them so much because they’re so different from what I grew up doing on the Mediterranean coast: eating chopped salad and actually swimmingin the water because, well, it’s the Med. These days, I have the best of both worlds: I can marvel at my kids jumping in and out of the freezing sea while I focus mostly on the fish-chips-ice-cream-sundowner side of things.

Marmite fish sub with marie rose sauce (pictured top)

This sandwich takes inspiration from both the Mexican Baja fish taco and the New Orleans po’ boy, but with the very British additions of Marmite and marie rose sauce.

Prep 10 min
Cook 30 min
Makes 4

300g hake fillet, or pollock or sustainable cod, skinned
Salt and black pepper
350ml vegetable oil
4 soft white hotdog buns
, or torpedo rolls

For the cabbage salad
100g white cabbage, thinly shredded, ideally with a mandoline
1 red chilli, stem discarded, the rest cut into thin rounds, seeds and all

For the marie rose sauce
50g tomato ketchup
50g mayonnaise
20g English mustard
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp Tabasco
2 tsp brandy or vodka
10g dill leaves
, roughly chopped
50g gherkins, finely chopped, plus 1 tsp gherkin brine for the cabbage salad

For the batter
1 tbsp Marmite
150ml sparkling water
1 tbsp brandy or vodka
175g plain flour
100g coarse polenta
1 tsp baking powder

Lay out the fish on an oven tray, sprinkle evenly with a quarter-teaspoon of salt, then refrigerate for 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, put the cabbage and chilli in a medium bowl with an eighth of a teaspoon of salt and the gherkin brine. Use your hands to mix everything together, so the cabbage softens, then set aside.

Next make the sauce. In a medium bowl, mix the first six ingredients with half the dill and all the gherkins, and set aside.

Now for the batter. In a large bowl, whisk the Marmite and sparkling water, then add the brandy, 125g flour, 50g polenta and all the baking powder, and whisk until loose and porridge-like in texture. In a second large bowl, mix the remaining 50g each of flour and polenta.

Take the fish out of the fridge, dab it all over with kitchen towel to remove any moisture, then cut into 2cm-wide slices.

In a large saucepan, heat the oil on a medium-high heat until it reaches 170C (or when a drop of batter sizzles immediately when dropped in). Toss the fish in the dry flour and polenta mix to coat, then drop half of it into the wet batter and turn to coat evenly. Carefully drop the fish one piece at a time into the hot oil and fry for three minutes, turning once halfway. Transfer to a tray lined with kitchen towel to drain, then pierce each piece of fish with a knife to let the steam escape: this will help it stay crisp. Repeat with the remaining fish and batter.

To serve, cut open each bun along its length, taking care not to cut all the way through. Generously spread the insides with the sauce and top with some fried fish. Stir the remaining dill into the cabbage salad, pile some on top and serve.

  • The Guardian aims to publish recipes for sustainable fish. Check ratings in your region: UK; Australia; US.
Strawberry and mascarpone sundae
Knickerbocker glory: Yotam Ottolenghi’s strawberry and mascarpone sundae with banana chips.

One of the many joys of this is that it’s made without an ice-cream machine. All the work is done in a food processor (and in the freezer and by time), making homemade ice-cream something everyone can do. Both ice-creams will keep for a month, as will the sauce and banana crumb. As with all ice-cream, use the best-quality eggs you can.

Prep 20 min
Cook 70 min
Freeze 24 hr
Serves 8-10

For the mascarpone ice-cream
4 eggs
125g caster sugar
225g single cream
225g mascarpone
25ml brandy or rum
60ml honey

For the strawberry ice-cream
150g caster sugar
450ml double cream
450g
strawberries, hulled and halved
1 tsp ground cinnamon
2 tsp red-wine vinegar

For the strawberry sauce
200g strawberries, hulled and halved
100g caster sugar
50ml red-wine vinegar

For the banana chips
100g sweet banana chips
25g unsalted butter
, melted
⅛ tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp caster sugar

For the mascarpone ice-cream, put the eggs and sugar in a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, and whisk on medium-high speed for five minutes, until doubled in volume, pale and fluffy. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, whisk the cream, mascarpone, brandy and honey by hand for a minute, until slightly moussey. Turn the mixer speed down to the lowest setting, then gently fold in the cream mixture. Pour into a container, cover and freeze overnight.

Now for the strawberry ice-cream. Put the sugar and 200ml cream in a medium saucepan. Whisk well, then set over a medium-high heat and cook, stirring occasionally, for four minutes, until the sugar dissolves and wisps of steam appear. Meanwhile, put all the remaining strawberry ice-cream ingredients, including the remaining 250ml double cream, in a blender, pour in the hot cream mixture, then leave to cool for five minutes. Blitz for a minute, until very smooth, then pour into a container, cover and freeze overnight.

Put all the ingredients for the strawberry sauce in a medium saucepan, and press the fruit with the back of a fork to burst it slightly. Bring to a boil, then turn down to a simmer and cook for five minutes, until slightly reduced and syrupy.

Set a small colander over a small bowl and line it with a clean tea towel. Pour the strawberry mix into the centre of the towel, then tie two of the corners together and gently weigh the contents down with a tin. Leave to cool, then chill overnight.

Heat the oven to 180C (160C fan)/350F/gas 4. In a food processor, pulse the banana chips to a coarse crumble. Tip into a large bowl with the melted butter, cinnamon, sugar and half a teaspoon of salt, and toss. Line an oven tray with baking paper and spread the banana chip mixture evenly on top. Bake for 16-18 minutes, until it turns a deep golden brown, then remove, leave to cool, tip into an airtight container and seal.

Once the mascarpone ice-cream is frozen solid, working quickly, pop it out of its container and on to a board, and cut into 5cm cubes. Put these in a food processor and blitz for three or four minutes, until the mix has melted slightly and has the consistency of smooth peanut butter. Return to the container, cover and freeze again. Repeat with the strawberry ice-cream. After another six to eight hours, both ice-creams will be ready.

To finish the strawberry sauce, discard the pulp and pour the strained liquid into a small jug. To serve, scoop one ball of each ice-cream into small bowls or tumblers, pour over some sauce and sprinkle liberally with banana chip crumbs.

White sangria with elderflower, lemongrass and kiwi
Yotam Ottolenghi’s white sangria with kiwi and lemon.

This is a portable and not-so-messy way of jazzing up glasses of wine or bubbles on the beach. Just pour the syrup into a flask or old jam jar and take it with you, ready to be topped up with your wine of choice.

Prep 5 min
Cook 5 min
Cool 40 min
Makes 4

2 lemongrass stalks, bashed and thinly sliced
1 tsp black peppercorns
1 lemon
– zested to get 6 fine strips of peel, the fruit cut into thin rounds
100ml elderflower cordial
2 tbsp caster sugar
750ml
dry white wine (ie, one standard bottle), such as albariño or sauvignon blanc
3 tbsp Cointreau (or other fruity liqueur such as Grand Marnier)
1 kiwi fruit, cut into thin rounds, skin and all

Put the lemongrass, peppercorns, lemon peel, cordial, sugar and 100ml wine in a small saucepan and whisk with a fork to incorporate. Bring to a boil on a medium-high heat, then take off the heat and set aside to infuse and cool completely – this will take about 40 minutes.

Pour the syrup through a fine-mesh sieve and into a jar or flask for which you have a lid. Add the Cointreau and seal. Either pack up the syrup and take to the beach to mix with more wine, or enjoy immediately by doing the following.

Pour the syrup and remaining 650ml wine into a large glass jug, add the lemon and kiwi rounds, top with lots of ice and serve very cold.

Courtesy: theguardian

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