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Recettes de poissons et fruits de mer

For me, the pleasure of fishing doesn't end when we return to harbour. I believe in responsible fishing and keeping only what we need, because preparing, cooking and sharing your catch is all part of the experience.

Here are some of my tried-and-tested recipes to help you enjoy your catch long after your fishing trip!

How to Fillet a Fish
How to Clean a Cuttlefish
Sea Bass Baked in a Salt Crust

Sea Bass Baked in a Salt Crust

 

Ingredients

  • 1 whole sea bass (1.5 kg), gutted but not scaled

  • 3 kg coarse grey sea salt

  • 2 egg whites

  • 2 level tablespoons of herbes de Provence

  • 2 sprigs of thyme

  • ​

Preparation

  1. Preheat the oven to 210°C (410°F), gas mark 7. Do not scale the fish. Rinse it and pat it thoroughly dry. Place the thyme sprigs inside the fish.

  2. Spread a layer of coarse salt over a large ovenproof dish or baking tray, then lay the fish flat on top.

  3. Mix the remaining salt with the egg whites and herbes de Provence.

  4. Cover the fish completely with the salt mixture, pressing it down firmly to form a sealed crust.

  5. Bake for 30–35 minutes. Remove from the oven and leave to rest for 10 minutes before breaking open the salt crust with a rolling pin or small hammer. The skin should peel away easily while the fish is still hot. Serve immediately.

Black Seabream Tartare

Black Seabream Tartare

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Ingredients

  • Black seabream fillets

  • Green lemons (limes)

  • 4 cl olive oil

  • Fleur de sel

  • 10 g pink peppercorns

  • 6 sprigs fresh coriander

 

Preparation

  1. Remove the skin and bones from the fish fillets using fish-bone tweezers. Cut the fish into strips, then into small cubes. Place in a bowl over ice.

  2. Zest and squeeze the limes. Remove the coriander leaves, roll them together and finely slice them. Peel and finely chop the spring onions, using both the white and green parts. In a bowl, combine the lime juice and zest, olive oil, coriander, salt and pink peppercorns.

  3. Dress the fish with this mixture, add the spring onions and arrange in a stainless-steel serving ring. Garnish with rocket leaves and fresh herbs, then serve.

Chef's Tip

Season your tartare just before serving to prevent the citrus juice from "cooking" the fish too much. A good tartare should retain the natural texture of the fish, with the lime and olive oil enhancing its flavour rather than overpowering it.

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Important — Precautions When Eating Raw Fish

When preparing this tartare, use very fresh fish that has been gutted promptly after being caught and kept refrigerated. To reduce the risk of parasites, freeze the fish for 7 days in a domestic freezer at -18°C before eating it raw.

Thaw the fish in the refrigerator and maintain the cold chain throughout preparation. Eating raw fish is not recommended for pregnant women, young children or people with weakened immune systems.

Pollack Dieppoise-Style

Pollack Dieppoise-Style

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Ingredients

  • 2 pollack fillet portions

  • 200 g button mushrooms

  • 1 small tin of peeled prawns or 150 g brown shrimps

  • 1½ tablespoons flour

  • 60 g butter

  • 1 tablespoon thick crème fraîche

  • Black pepper

  • 1 fish stock cube or court-bouillon

 

Preparation

  1. Place the pollack portions in cold water mixed with court-bouillon (which you can prepare using boiling water and a stock cube).

  2. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook for about 10 minutes.

  3. Drain the fish, reserving the cooking liquid.

  4. Flake the fish and keep it warm.

  5. Strain the cooking liquid through a fine sieve.

  6. In a small frying pan, sauté the mushrooms until lightly golden. Season with salt and pepper, then set aside.

  7. Melt the butter in a saucepan, stir in the flour and gradually whisk in the fish cooking liquid. Stir continuously until the sauce thickens.

  8. Season lightly with pepper and add a tablespoon of crème fraîche.

  9. Arrange the fish flakes in an ovenproof dish.

  10. Add the mushrooms and peeled prawns.

  11. Cover with the sauce.

  12. Place in the oven briefly to heat through, then serve piping hot.

Pan-Seared Fish... Almost!
fish and chips

Pan-Seared Fish... Almost!

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Ingredients

  • Fish of your choice

  • 100–150 g butter (seaweed butter is particularly good!)

  • Salt and pepper

 

Preparation

This is a very simple yet delicious recipe, where the only real challenge is getting the cooking just right. Ideal for pollack, sea bass, seabream, red porgy or John Dory.

  1. Cut two fillets from the fish, making sure not to remove the scales.

  2. Melt the butter (preferably seaweed butter) in a frying pan.

  3. Place the fish in the pan, skin and scales facing down.

  4. Reduce the heat. The fish should cook gently, and the butter must not burn.

  5. Spoon the melted butter over the flesh regularly throughout cooking.

  6. As soon as the top of the fish turns opaque, briefly turn the fillet over for a few seconds, then serve immediately.

Fish and Chips

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Ingredients

  • 1 cod fillet

  • 1 glass of flour

  • 1 glass of beer

  • 2 eggs

 

Preparation

  1. Mix the flour and beer in a bowl.

  2. Add the egg yolks and stir until combined.

  3. Beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form.

  4. Gently fold the beaten egg whites into the batter, taking care not to knock out the air. Your fish and chips batter is now ready!

  5. Generously dip the fish fillets into the batter.

  6. Deep-fry at 160–180°C (320–355°F) for 3–4 minutes, depending on the thickness of the fillets.

  7. Remove from the oil and drain when golden brown. Check that the fish is cooked through.

  8. Serve with chips.

Pan-Seared Fish... Almost!

Fish Fritters (Accras de Poisson)

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Ingredients

  • 400 g white fish (cod, pollack, seabream, etc.)

  • 200 g flour

  • 150 ml water

  • 2 eggs

  • 4 garlic cloves

  • 2 large onions

  • 1 shallot

  • 1 bunch of parsley

  • 1 sachet baking powder

  • 1 fish stock cube

  • 1 chilli pepper

  • Salt

  • Oil for deep-frying

 

Preparation

  1. Poach the fish in court-bouillon for approximately 10 minutes.

  2. Drain the fish and flake it into small pieces.

  3. Finely chop the onions, garlic, shallot, parsley and chilli pepper, then mix them with the fish.

  4. Blend this mixture briefly to obtain a coarse paste.

  5. In a mixing bowl, combine the flour and baking powder. Make a well in the centre and add the eggs. Gradually add the water, mixing until smooth. Add the fish mixture and mix thoroughly.

  6. Using two spoons, shape the mixture into small balls and carefully drop them into hot oil.

  7. Fry until golden brown, then remove and drain on kitchen paper.

  8. Serve hot.

Fish Soup

Fish Soup

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Ingredients

  • 2 kg mixed fish (seabream, red gurnard, wrasse, pollack, etc.). Personally, I find that the more red gurnard you use, the better! It gives the soup a wonderful flavour.

  • 2 onions

  • 2 carrots

  • 1 leek

  • 1 fennel bulb

  • 3 tomatoes

  • 1 tin tomato paste

  • 4 garlic cloves, with the central shoots removed

  • 1 bouquet garni (bay leaf, thyme, etc.)

  • 1 pinch saffron

  • 3 tablespoons olive oil

  • 3 litres water

  • Salt and pepper

 

Preparation

  1. Clean and gut the fish, then cut them into large pieces. Wash the carrots, leek and fennel, and cut them into small cubes. Finely chop the onions and sauté all the vegetables in hot olive oil until softened.

  2. Add the fish and cook for a few minutes.

  3. Wash and chop the tomatoes, then add them to the saucepan. Season with garlic, tomato paste, bouquet garni, saffron, salt and pepper. Pour in the hot water, bring to the boil and simmer for 45 minutes.

  4. Blend the soup, then strain it through a fine sieve or food mill to remove the bones and obtain a smooth consistency.

Sea Bream with Chorizo

Sea Bream with Chorizo (Oven-Baked)

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Ingredients

  • 1 whole sea bream

  • Tomatoes

  • Potatoes

  • Olive oil

  • ½ litre dry white wine

  • 1 onion

  • Salt and pepper

  • Mild chorizo

  • Fresh parsley

 

Preparation

  1. Gut and scale the fish.

  2. Make several cuts in the flesh of the sea bream and insert slices of chorizo.

  3. Place the fish in a large ovenproof dish.

  4. Cut the potatoes into pieces and arrange them around the fish.

  5. Drizzle with olive oil.

  6. Cover with slices of tomato, onion and chopped parsley.

  7. Pour the white wine into the bottom of the dish.

  8. Sprinkle with a little mild chilli powder.

  9. Bake at 180°C (350°F) for approximately 30 minutes, depending on the size of the fish. Check that both the fish and potatoes are cooked through before serving.

Mackerel Rillettes

Mackerel Rillettes

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Ingredients

  • 1 litre court-bouillon made with white wine

  • A few mackerel

  • 100 g thick crème fraîche

  • 1 tablespoon strong Dijon mustard

  • Lemon juice

  • Salt

  • Pepper

 

Preparation

Seasoning the court-bouillon and the rillettes properly is essential, as this is what gives the dish its flavour.

  1. Fillet the mackerel and remove the bones.

  2. Poach the mackerel fillets in the white wine court-bouillon, then leave them to cool.

  3. Flake the fish and mix it with the thick crème fraîche and strong mustard.

  4. Season with salt and pepper, and add lemon juice to taste.

  5. Serve on slices of toast.

Spider Crab Pie

Spider Crab Pie

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Ingredients

  • 2 sheets of puff pastry

  • 2 spider crabs

  • 2 leek whites

  • 2 shallots

  • 1 bunch of chives

  • 50 g butter

  • 3 tablespoons crème fraîche

  • White wine vinegar

  • Dry white wine

  • Salt, pepper and curry powder

 

Preparation

  1. Remove the meat from the spider crabs. This is the longest part of the recipe!

  2. Finely chop the leek whites and gently cook them in 2 teaspoons of butter until soft and translucent.

  3. Leave to cool, then add the spider crab meat and chopped chives.

  4. In a saucepan, reduce the two finely chopped shallots with 3 tablespoons of vinegar and 6 tablespoons of dry white wine. Add 1 tablespoon curry powder, 3 tablespoons crème fraîche, 40 g softened butter, salt and pepper.

  5. Combine the leek and crab mixture with the shallot sauce.

  6. Line a pie dish with one sheet of puff pastry, add the crab filling and cover with the second sheet.

  7. Seal the edges and make a small steam hole in the centre of the pie.

  8. Bake in a preheated oven at 180°C (350°F), gas mark 6, for approximately 25 minutes, until the pastry is golden brown.

Calamari Fritters

Calamari Fritters

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Ingredients

  • 500 g cleaned squid

  • 150 g flour

  • 2 eggs

  • 150 ml milk

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil

  • Salt and pepper

  • Oil for deep-frying

  • 1 lemon

 

Preparation

  1. Clean the squid, remove the skin and innards, and rinse thoroughly under cold water.

  2. Cut the squid bodies into rings approximately 1 cm thick. Pat them dry with kitchen paper.

  3. Separate the egg whites from the yolks.

  4. In a bowl, combine the flour, egg yolks, milk and olive oil. Season with salt and pepper, then mix until smooth.

  5. Beat the egg whites until stiff and gently fold them into the batter.

  6. Heat the frying oil to approximately 175°C (345°F).

  7. Dip the squid rings into the batter, making sure they are evenly coated.

  8. Fry in small batches for 2–3 minutes, until golden and crispy.

  9. Drain on kitchen paper and serve immediately with lemon wedges.

Armorican-Style Cuttlefish

Armorican-Style Cuttlefish

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Ingredients

  • 1 kg cleaned cuttlefish

  • 2 onions

  • 2 shallots

  • 2 garlic cloves

  • 400 g chopped tomatoes

  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste

  • 15 cl dry white wine

  • 5 cl cognac

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil

  • 1 bouquet garni

  • A pinch of cayenne pepper

  • Salt and pepper

 

Preparation

  1. Clean the cuttlefish thoroughly, remove the skin and cut the flesh into pieces.

  2. Peel and finely chop the onions, shallots and garlic.

  3. Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan and sauté the cuttlefish over a fairly high heat until the liquid released has evaporated.

  4. Add the onions and shallots, then cook for a few minutes until softened.

  5. Add the garlic and pour in the cognac. Allow it to reduce briefly.

  6. Pour in the white wine, then add the chopped tomatoes, tomato paste and bouquet garni.

  7. Season with salt, pepper and a pinch of cayenne pepper.

  8. Cover and simmer gently for approximately 45 minutes, or until the cuttlefish is tender. Add a little water if the sauce becomes too thick.

  9. Remove the bouquet garni and adjust the seasoning.

  10. Serve hot, accompanied by rice or steamed potatoes.

Seaweed Butter

Seaweed Butter

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Ingredients

  • 250 g unsalted butter, softened

  • 20 g dried edible seaweed

  • 1 shallot

  • A little lemon juice

  • Salt and pepper

 

Preparation

  1. Leave the butter at room temperature until soft enough to work with.

  2. If necessary, rehydrate the seaweed according to the instructions on the packaging, then drain thoroughly.

  3. Finely chop the seaweed and shallot.

  4. In a bowl, combine the softened butter, seaweed and shallot.

  5. Add a little lemon juice and season with salt and pepper to taste.

  6. Mix thoroughly until all the ingredients are evenly distributed.

  7. Place the butter on a sheet of cling film or baking parchment and roll it into a cylinder.

  8. Refrigerate until firm.

 

My Tip

Seaweed butter is delicious melted over freshly cooked fish, especially sea bass, pollack or seabream. It can also be used when pan-frying fish to give it a distinctive maritime flavour.

Beurre Blanc Sauce

Beurre Blanc Sauce

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Ingredients

  • 200 g cold unsalted butter

  • 2 shallots

  • 10 cl dry white wine

  • 5 cl white wine vinegar

  • Salt and white pepper

 

Preparation

  1. Peel and finely chop the shallots.

  2. Place the shallots, white wine and white wine vinegar in a small saucepan.

  3. Bring to a gentle boil and reduce until only a small amount of liquid remains.

  4. Reduce the heat to very low.

  5. Cut the cold butter into small cubes and add them gradually, whisking continuously.

  6. Continue whisking until the sauce becomes smooth, creamy and slightly thickened.

  7. Season with salt and white pepper.

  8. Serve immediately with freshly cooked fish.

 

My Tip

The secret to a successful beurre blanc is to keep the heat very low while incorporating the butter. The sauce must never boil once the butter has been added, otherwise it may separate.

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