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| Fish of the Month - Gurnard |
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Gurnard
With its red skin and bony-looking head, gurnard has long been neglected by the British public, and in the past has even been used as a bait fish. Now gaining in popularity, gurnard is widely available from fishmongers and is ideal for use in soups, stews & casseroles.
Generally available from July to February, gurnard can be readily substituted for red mullet.
To get the best from gurnard, use whole fish or bite size pieces of fillet to flavour a soup or stock.
Gurnard with mussels & saffron
(serves 4)
2 heaped tbsp butter
4 large cloves of garlic, finely chopped
1 stick of celery, finely chopped
8 saffron strands
2 large or 4 small fillets of gurnard, skinned and cut into bite-size pieces
500g of live mussels
2 glasses of white wine
2 tsp tomato purée
1 tin (275g) cooked cannelini beans, drained
parsley to garnish
Method
Melt the butter in a casserole dish and add the garlic, celery and saffron. Cook over a medium heat, stirring until soft but not coloured. Add the fish, and sauté for a couple of minutes. The fish should still be quite firm. Add the mussels, then pour in the wine. Cook until the wine bubbles, then add the tomato purée, the cannelini beans and a little water. Bring to the boil and cook gently for a few minutes until the fish is cooked and the mussels are wide open. Serve spooned into bowls, with toasted bread rubbed with garlic & drizzled with olive oil on the side.
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