'alf a fish

I'm a big fan of the bargain sell-by date yellow label knock down fridge at my local Asda. If I lived near some decent shops (grocer/butcher/fish monger) I'd much prefer that. But I don't. I live next to a petrol station an A road, a Motorway and a railway line. So I'm stuck with fucking Asda. Part of the Walmart family. I imagine it is a pretty shitty family.

So when asked what she fancied for dinner tonight the Baconator said fish. Fish is at the expensive end of the market so I literally only buy it if it's on yellow label. As luck would have it Asda had a massive fillet of salmon for £4.50. Fuck yeah.

This recipe is based on a cheaper estimation of a recipe my dad usually does on Christmas Eve. He does it a lot better. Although he also uses much more expensive ingredients. So without further ado here is my recipe for a baked side of salmon.

You will need

Salmon fillet (either get a big side of salmon or a few smaller fillets depending on who you're feeding).
1 Tomato
1 White Onion/a handful of shallots
Garlic
Dill/Chives (preferably fresh)
White wine
Lemon juice
Salt/Pepper (for seasoning)
Olive oil

Roasting tin.
Tin foil (a sheet twice the size of the roasting tin)

Method:

If you got a side of salmon like I did tonight cut that bitch in half. Place skin down and season with S&P and if you fancy, some dried dill and/or garlic powder (which I find is a nice touch).

Pre-heat the oven to about 200 Celsius. I think that's like gas mark 5 or 6.

Cut the Onion in half and slice one half of it (you can also use a couple of halved shallots or a couple of spring onions). A long with some fresh dill & garlic spread it out on the foil in the bottom of the roasting tin. Drizzle with a little oil. The fish will sit on this which will prevent it sticking to the foil if you forget about it.

Finely dice the rest of the onion(s). Mince about 6 cloves of garlic and chop up a few caper berries. Roughly chop the dill/herbs. Stick half the fish in the pan (skin down on top of the onions) and then smother the flesh with about half of the onion/garlic/caperb'/herb mix. Drizzle with a little oil, a splash of lemon juice and a splash of white wine.
Slice the Tomato and place over the top of the fillet. Then chuck the rest of mix on top before placing the other half of the fish on top. Pour over a little more wine & lemon juice and surround it with any left over fresh herbs (if you're anything like me you'll probably forget to use the fucking things anyway).

Fold over the rest of the foil and press the edges so it seals like a parcel.

Put it in the oven for about 20-30 minutes if you've just got a couple of small super market fillets give it an hour or so if you've got a whole side like I have tonight. When its cooked it should be a light, almost white pink, and flaky but still moist when its cooked.

Serve with new potatoes and fine beans. Or salad. Or something else. It's a free country.



I'm finishing this recipe off having just finished eating it. It was cracking and we've got enough left to freeze and have another night when I can't be arsed to cook.

All in all this is a pretty healthy recipe which is damned tasty, so worth having a go if you're dieting but want a bit of a treat (as I am at the moment).

Anyway tomorrow being St Patrick's day I'm making an Irish stew in my slow cooker. I'll be making it up as I go along so I might blog that too.

Now I'm one of those people who takes pictures of food and puts them on the internet too...

I bloody love cooking. Especially for myself. I know it sounds selfish but I've been a chef and cooking is no fun at all if you're putting a shit load of effort into it and then you don't to eat it. Whilst working unsociable hours. And then going home smelling of chips.

Since moving in with my other half (who henceforth shall be referred to as "the Baconator") I've really stepped up the amount of cooking and experimenting in the kitchen that I do. The Baconator loves to eat too and can't cook. So she washes up. Which is great.

I regularly find myself saying 'oh I should really start writing recipes down'. But I don't and so this blog is an effort to get theses recipes down. Also it's an opportunity to share ideas with friends. Last night for a friends birthday we went over for homemade burgers and my friend Chloe used a recipe that I sent her for my "'Chorizo' Burgers". They were even better than I'd made them before so the idea of sharing recipes has taken on a new appeal.

I tend to do everything by eye and tongue. Lots of taste testing and variation whilst cooking. So there will rarely be any measurements in recipes I post. If you're somebody who requires a recipe book to cook you might find these difficult to replicate. Best just take the general idea and experiment yourself. It's more fun that way anyway and you're likely to be able to make them even better (The Baconator is still quite fussy which can sometimes hold me back from adding certain ingredients).

I may post again tonight as I'm currently cooking a side of salmon. I'll also add up the "Chorizo" burger recipe at some point. Posts will be sporadic.