Donal Skehan - Home Cooked

Working beside the pan, dip the fish goujons in the batter one at a time and then into the hot oil. Make sure not to overcrowd the pan as this will reduce the heat. Cook them for about 4 minutes until golden brown, turning halfway through the cooking time. Remove the goujons using a slotted spoon and place on a plate lined with kitchen paper.

Season generously with sea salt and ground black pepper. Serve with lemon wedges and a good helping of mushy mint peas and a quarter of the rosti.

SOLE MEUNIÈRE

Fish is often forgotten as the ultimate fast food. It is an incredibly quick cooking ingredient and I would normally wax lyrically about just how healthy it is too, but not in this recipe. No, this recipe is all about the nutty golden brown butter that forms the sauce alongside the tang of lemon juice and the salty hit from the capers. It’s a bit of an all-in recipe and if you’re going to make it, serve it with some steamed veggies for a delicious dinner.

SERVES 4

4 sole or plaice fillets, skin on

5 tbsp plain flour

Sea salt and ground black pepper

2 tbsp olive oil

100g butter

Juice of 1 lemon

3 tbsp capers, drained and rinsed

A little flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped, to garnish (optional)

Remove any prominent bones from the fish fillets using tweezers. Season the flour with salt and pepper on a large plate and press the fillets into the mix to coat on either side. Shake off any excess and set aside on a clean plate.

Heat the oil in a frying pan, which is big enough to accommodate the fish fillets over a high heat. Add the fish fillets, skin-side down, and cook for 2 minutes and then turn over and cook for a further minute until golden. Using a fish slice, remove the fillets from the pan and set aside on a warmed plate.

Place the pan back over a high heat and melt the butter until it is foaming, then add the lemon juice and capers and continue to cook until the butter turns a nutty golden brown. Pour the butter, lemon and caper mix over the fish and serve straight away garnished with the parsley, if using.

FLAVOUR BOMB SALAD

If you ever needed proof that something incredibly delicious can be made in a very short amount of time, then this salad is just that! Packed with punchy heat from the chorizo and salty squidginess from the halloumi, this little dish is full of wonderful things to keep you interested, even if you have very little time to make dinner. Speed up this recipe by buying sunblushed tomatoes intstead of roasting them yourself.

SERVES 4

300g cherry tomatoes, sliced in half

1 tbsp olive oil

1 tbsp balsamic vinegar

100g chorizo sausage, cut into chunky discs

200g halloumi cheese, cut into 1cm thick slices

Juice of ½ lemon

1 tbsp cider vinegar

1 garlic clove, peeled and finely chopped

Sea salt and ground black pepper

1 Baby Gem lettuce, leaves separated

200g chickpeas, drained and rinsed

½ red onion, peeled and finely sliced

Preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F), Gas Mark 6. Toss the tomatoes in a little olive oil and balsamic vinegar and place in a roasting tin. Roast in the oven for about 35 minutes until they have shrunk and become caramelised.

Meanwhile, dry fry the chorizo in a frying pan over a high heat until the discs are sizzling and coloured. Remove them from the pan using a slotted spoon and place on a plate lined with kitchen paper. Save the oil the chorizo has produced in the pan.

Place the frying pan back over the heat. Add a drop of olive oil if required and then fry the halloumi slices on both sides until they have a nice golden colour.

To make a dressing for the salad, pour the lemon juice into a bowl, then add the cider vinegar and garlic, season with sea salt and ground black pepper and whisk to combine.

In a large bowl, toss together the Baby Gem lettuce leaves with the dressing, chickpeas, chorizo and red onion and transfer to serving plates. Top with the halloumi slices and roasted cherry tomatoes and serve straight away.

SPICY SEAFOOD PAELLA

What I love most about this recipe is that a big steaming pan of food is served straight to the table and people just dig in. It also makes a great leftover lunchbox if you’re lucky enough to have any left.

SERVES 4–6

12 prawns, shell on

2 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped

Good pinch of paprika, plus 1 tsp

A good grinding of black pepper

3 tbsp olive oil

150g chorizo sausage, cut into chunky discs

1 large onion, peeled and finely chopped

200g Arborio or paella rice

A few thyme sprigs

1 tsp turmeric

1 tsp cayenne pepper

125ml white wine

1 × 400g tin of cherry tomatoes

400ml fish stock

1 large squid, cut into rings

150g frozen peas

Good handful of flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped, to garnish

Lemon wedges, to serve

Put the prawns in a bowl and then add the garlic, paprika, black pepper and olive oil. Stir to coat the prawns and then set aside to marinate.

Meanwhile, dry fry the chorizo in a frying pan over a high heat until the discs are sizzling and coloured. Remove them from the pan using a slotted spoon and place on a plate lined with kitchen paper. Save the oil the chorizo has produced in the pan.

Cook the onion in the chorizo oil for about 6 minutes until softened, then add the rice, thyme, turmeric, cayenne and the remaining 1 teaspoon of paprika. Cook for 3 minutes, then pour in the wine and cook for 1 minute before adding the tomatoes and stock. Simmer for about 15 minutes, without stirring, then add the prawns (with the marinade) together with the squid, peas and chorizo. Simmer for 5 minutes.

Before serving, sprinkle over the parsley and tuck lemon wedges in around the sides. Serve straight to the table.

PASTA ALLA NORMA

As sweet as it might sound, this dish is not named after the old lady who used to serve me lunch at school. It’s a classic Italian recipe from Sicily supposedly named after the opera La Norma by Vincenzo Bellini. Like most pasta dishes, it’s wonderfully simple to prepare and makes for a tasty weeknight supper. Use any pasta you like and try to get ricotta salata, a creamy cheese that makes a world of difference to the dish. If you can’t find ricotta salata, you could use mozzarella.

SERVES 4

1 large aubergine, cut into 3cm cubes

6 tbsp olive oil

Sea salt and ground black pepper

1 onion, peeled and finely chopped

1 tsp dried chilli flakes

6 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped

2 × 400g tins of plum tomatoes

Good handful of basil leaves

400g linguine

75g ricotta salata cheese, finely grated

Preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F), Gas Mark 6. Toss the aubergine in a mixing bowl with 4 tablespoons of olive oil and season with sea salt and ground black pepper. Transfer to a roasting tin and place in the oven to cook for 25 minutes.

While the aubergine is cooking, prepare the sauce. Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large saucepan over a medium heat. Add the onion and fry gently for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until softened. Add the chilli flakes and garlic and cook for a further 2 minutes. Pour in the tomatoes and use the back of a fork to mash them down. Mix through half the basil and season with sea salt and ground black pepper. Allow to simmer for 6 minutes.