Hake With Mussels And Cider Food

HAKE WITH MUSSELS AND CIDER

Steps:

• Blitz the parsley and garlic to a coarse paste in a food processor. Add the softened butter and blend until combined. Transfer to a small bowl and chill in the fridge.
• Cook the potatoes in salted water for 10 minutes, or until tender. Drain and set aside.
• If any mussels are opened, tap them lightly on a hard surface. If they don't close, discard them.
• Melt a knob of butter in a pan and add the shallot, celery carrot, thyme, bay leaf and peppercorns and cook until softened. Add the mussels and pour in the cider. Put the lid on and cook for 2 minutes until all the mussel shells are open.
• Strain the stock into a bowl and discard any mussels that remain closed. Set the mussels and stock aside.
• Heat a frying pan over a medium heat. Add a knob of butter, and when foaming, put the two hake fillets into the pan, skin-side down. Fry for approximately 5 minutes, depending on the thickness of the fish. Turn over and cook for a further 2 minutes or until just cooked through. Remove from the heat and keep warm.
• When you are ready to serve, reheat the cooking liquor from the mussels in pan and reduce slightly. Whisk in the garlic and parsley butter.
• Add the potatoes and mussels and lemon zest to heat through.
• Place the hake on two plates, add the potatoes and mussels over the fish and spoon over the sauce. Sprinkle with parsley and serve.

MUSSELS STEAMED WITH CIDER & BACON

Steps:

• PREPARATION: Raw mussels MUST be alive when you cook them, so careful preparation is key. Wash them under cold running water until it runs clear, and scrub if necessary. Pull the 'beard' away from each individual mussel - this is the byssus thread, a protein the mussel 'spins' so it can attach itself to rock or rope. Drain and then check; if the shell is tightly shut, this is a good indication that it's alive. If the mussel is open, tap it sharply for a few seconds - if it is alive, it will close. Discard any that appear to be dead as they can decompose very rapidly, and eating one that you aren't sure of is not worth the risk. Don't check them too far in advance; cook within a few minutes to be on the safe side.
• Heat the butter in a pan large enough to easily fit the mussels, then fry the bacon for 4 mins, turning occasionally until it starts becoming crisp. Throw in the shallots and thyme leaves, then cook for 1 min until softened. Whack the heat up to maximum and add the mussels to the pan, then pour over the cider. Place the lid on the pan, give it a good shake, then cook the mussels for 5-7 mins, shaking the pan occasionally, until all the mussels have opened. Discard any that haven't.
• Use a slotted spoon to scoop the mussels into bowls and place the pan back on the heat. Bring the juices to the boil and stir in the crème fraîche, if using. Pour the sauce over the mussels. Serve with hunks of crusty bread for mopping up the sauce.
• COOKING TIPS: Mussels are most often steamed open over a small amount of flavoured liquid, as in Moules marinière, although they can also be oven roasted and are particularly good cooked 'en papillote' (in a bag). Wine, stock, beer and cider are all great for cooking mussels, but take care not to add salt to the liquid as mussel juice can be very salty. Drop the mussels into the liquid, cover with a tight-fitting lid, then cook until they have opened and the meat has settled into one side of the shell; this usually takes 3-4 minutes. Avoid overcooking as the meat shrivels and becomes tough. Check them all again before serving and discard any that haven't opened. If a mussel is unopened at this stage, this indicates that it was already dead. You will probably notice the colour of the meat varies between beige and orange. This is an indication of sex - beige for male and orange for female; there is no difference in flavour. Once cooked, mussels are usually lifted into a bowl and the cooking liquor is reduced by simmering. Pull the meat from one shell and then use that shell as a pincer to remove meat from the rest. Serve simply with crusty bread - lovely!

STEAMED MUSSELS WITH CIDER, SPRING ONIONS & CREAM

Steps:

• Wash the mussels in a colander to remove any dirt and grit. Pick through them, removing any stringy 'beards' from the shells. If any of the mussels are slightly open, tap them on the work surface to see if they close (which means they are still alive) and discard any that remain open.
• Melt the butter in a large heavy-based saucepan. Sauté the spring onions and garlic over a high heat for 1 min before pouring in the cider or perry. Add the thyme and the mussels, cover and cook for 3-4 mins or until the mussels start to open. Add the cream, season and stir in the parsley.
• Divide the mussels between bowls. Pour over the sauce and any spring onions left in the pan. Serve with crusty bread to mop up the juices/.

NDUJA-BAKED HAKE WITH CHICKPEAS, MUSSELS & GREMOLATA

Steps:

• Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/ gas 6. Tip the chickpeas into a large roasting tin and nestle the fish, skin-side down, among them. Dot over the nduja, and season with sea salt and black pepper. Scatter over the mussels and pour over the wine.
• Cover the tin tightly with foil and put in the oven for 15-20 mins until the fish is cooked and the mussels have opened - discard any that stay shut. Gently lift the fish onto serving plates. Scatter the mussels and chickpeas with the parsley and lemon zest. Drizzle with olive oil, give it all a good stir and serve with the fish and lemon wedges for squeezing over.