Take your Good Friday fish supper to the next level

We Irish are not the best when it comes to eating and enjoying fish, but we are getting better – especially as we learn more about the great seafood found just off our pristine coast.

Eating more wild fish isn’t just good for our health – it also helps support Irish dayboat fishers, who often work under difficult conditions to get seafood from the ocean to your plate.

It’s always best to source seafood from a trusted local fishmonger, but if you don’t have access to one, you can order sustainable Irish seafood online and have it delivered, fresh, right to your door. It has never been easier to enjoy the bounty of the sea.

Serves 4

Ingredients

For the crêpe batter:

140g plain flour

200ml whole milk

2 eggs

25g butter, melted

For the lemon and chive crème fraiche:

200g crème fraiche

Zest and juice of ½ lemon

30g finely chopped chives

Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

To assemble:

200g smoked Irish trout

4 eggs, fried sunny-side up

100g fresh, in-season herbs (tarragon, fennel fronds, chive flowers, woodruff, wild garlic or sorrel)

Mixed green salad, to serve

Method

1 Make the crêpe batter: in a large blender, place all of the crêpe ingredients and blend on high until the mixture is completely combined, with no lumps. You can leave the batter in the blender, or place it in a pourable container with a lid. Let the batter chill in the fridge overnight (which is best), or for a minimum of 30 minutes.

2 Make the lemon and chive crème fraiche: place the crème fraiche, lemon rind, lemon juice and chives in a mixing bowl and whisk to combine. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste. Chill until ready to serve.

3 When the crêpe batter has rested, heat a medium-sized, non-stick pan over medium heat. Add a bit of oil or butter to the pan and wipe it with some kitchen towel (you don’t want too much grease in the pan).

4 Pour approximately 100g of batter into the preheated pan and immediately swirl it around to ensure the batter coats the bottom. Let the bottom set for approximately 1 minute, then, using a rubber spatula, gently lift the sides of the crêpe – if it doesn’t lift easily, it needs more time to cook. When it lifts, flip the crêpe and cook for an additional 40 seconds on the other side.

5 Place the cooked crêpe on a parchment-lined tray and keep warm in the oven while repeating the process with the remaining batter. This should make four to six medium-sized crêpes.

6 When the crêpes are cooked, use the same pan to fry the eggs. Place 1 tbsp of butter in the pan and add the four eggs. Lower the heat to medium low and cover. The eggs will cook on the bottom and steam on the top.

7 Time to assemble: place a crêpe on a dinner plate and smear approximately 50g of crème fraiche on one side, followed by 50g of smoked trout. Scatter the fresh herbs over the top and then fold the crêpe in half, then in half again so it looks like a triangle. Top with a fried egg and serve warm with a side salad.

Serves 4-6

Ingredients

For the sauce gribiche:

3 large eggs, hard boiled, yolks removed from whites

6 cornichon pickles

2 tbsp capers

1 small shallot, minced

½ bunch each tarragon, dill and parsley

2 tbsp red wine vinegar

2 tsp Dijon mustard

250ml mild Irish rapeseed oil

Salt and pepper, to taste

For the crab cakes:

125g mayonnaise

1 large egg

2 tsp Dijon mustard

3 dashes of Worcestershire Sauce

2 dashes of hot sauce

500g Irish crab meat

150g bread crumbs

1 tsp each: paprika, garlic powder, onion powder

1 tsp salt

Freshly ground black pepper

200ml sunflower oil, for frying

To serve:

One bunch of asparagus

Method

1 Make the sauce gribiche: boil the eggs for 9-11 minutes (you want a hard yolk for this sauce). Place the cooked eggs in an ice bath to shock before peeling and separating the yolks from the whites.

2 Place the egg yolks in a food processor and finely dice the egg whites. Set the egg whites aside for later.

3 Add the vinegar, mustard and some salt and pepper to the egg yolks. Turn on the food processor (you can also use a blender here) and, while processing, carefully add the oil in a thin stream. This will make a dressing which is slightly thinner than a mayonnaise.

4 Finely chop the capers, cornichons, shallots and fresh herbs. Add to the finely diced egg whites. Add the egg yolk mixture to this and fold everything together. Taste and adjust seasoning with more salt and freshly ground pepper, if needed. Place in an airtight container and chill until ready to use (you can make this up to two days in advance but it is best eaten within 24 hours).

5 Make the crab cakes: preheat the oven to 150°C and line a baking tray with parchment. In a large bowl, combine the mayonnaise, mustard, egg, Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce, crab, spices and bread crumbs. Mix well to combine and season with salt and pepper.

6 Using a heavy-bottomed frying pan, heat the sunflower oil on medium until hot. Add large spoonfuls of the crab cake mixture and cook for 2-3 minutes on each side, until golden brown and cooked through. Lower the heat slightly if the crabcakes are browning too quickly.

7 When cooked on both sides, place the crabcakes on the lined baking tray and keep warm in the oven until ready to serve.

8 In the meantime, bring a pot of salted water to a rapid boil. Fill a large mixing bowl with cold water and ice and set aside. Trim the ends off the asparagus and place in the boiling water. Cook for 1 minute to 90 seconds, until bright green but not completely cooked.

9 Place the asparagus in the ice bath to ensure they cool immediately. Place the cooled asparagus on some kitchen towel to drain.

10 To serve, place the asparagus on a plate and add one to two warm crab cakes. Top with a generous dollop of the sauce gribiche and serve immediately (this recipe is also great topped with a poached egg for breakfast for brunch).

Serves 4

Ingredients

For the maple gastrique:

125ml maple syrup

125ml Irish apple cider vinegar

Pinch of flaky sea salt

For the pea purée:

1 shallot, finely sliced

10g butter

250ml hot vegetable stock

300g frozen peas

Salt and pepper, to taste

To assemble:

12 large, fresh Irish scallops, coral removed

2 tbsp butter

Salt and pepper, for seasoning

200g thin, streaky bacon

Pea shoots, fennel fronds or spring cress, for garnish

Method

1 Make the maple gastrique: in a medium-sized saucepan, bring the maple syrup and apple cider vinegar to a rapid boil. Keep it at the temperature and cook for 5-10 minutes, until a syrup consistency is achieved – the mixture should coat the back of a spoon. Add the sea salt, cool completely and store in the fridge until ready to use (this will keep in an airtight container for up to two weeks and goes equally well with fish or pork).

2 Next, make the pea purée: in a saucepan, melt the butter over a medium heat and cook the shallot until it is translucent but not browned. This should take about 2-3 minutes. Add the vegetable stock and bring to a simmer.

3 Add the frozen peas and cook until the peas turn bright green and are cooked through, about 2-3 minutes. Strain the peas using a fine mesh strainer but keep all of that cooking liquid.

4 Add the peas and shallot to a blender and add ¼ of the cooking liquid. Blend, adding cooking liquid a bit at a time, until your desired thickness is achieved. We used approximately 150ml of liquid to make a thick, spreadable purée.

5 Season to taste with salt and pepper, add the purée to a container and cool to room temperature. You can chill the purée in a tightly sealed container overnight in the fridge, but it is best used within 24 hours.

6 Make the bacon crumb: preheat the oven to 200°C and line a baking tray with parchment. Place the streaky bacon on the baking tray and bake for approximately 15 minutes, or until crisp – you want to make sure the bacon is really well cooked or it won’t crumble.

7 Let the bacon cool to room temperature and then, using a sharp knife, chop until a fine crumb is achieved. Place in a dish and keep in the fridge overnight or at room temperature until ready to use.

8 Prepare the scallops: place the scallops on a plate lined with a kitchen towel. Pat dry with more kitchen towel and season both sides of the scallops with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

9 Heat a non-stick pan on medium-high. Once it's nice and hot, add the butter to the pan to sizzle and melt. Place the scallops in the pan and sear for 45-60 seconds on each side, adding a bit more butter if you wish, until they are a nice, golden-brown colour but not overcooked.

10 Time to assemble: if chilled, gently reheat the pea purée, maple gastrique and bacon crumb. Place a generous dollop of pea purée on the base of each plate and gently swoosh it around with the back of a spoon.

11 Place three scallops on each plate and sprinkle some bacon crumbs over the top of each. Drizzle with the warm maple gastrique, then garnish with pea shoots, spring cress or fennel fronds. Serve immediately to the table.

Serves 4

Ingredients

For the tandoori monkfish:

4 monkfish tail fillets

(if you can’t get the tail meat, just use regular monkfish fillets)

4 tbsp Tandoori spice blend

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 tbsp finely grated ginger

1 red chilli, finely chopped (optional)

200g natural yogurt

2 tsp salt

Freshly ground black pepper

Juice of one lemon

For the coconut rice:

500g basmati rice, soaked in cold water for 30 minutes and then well-rinsed

400g tin full fat coconut milk

600ml cold water

2-3 kaffir lime leaves (optional)

1 tsp salt

For the mango chutney slaw:

One head of savoy or napa cabbage, finely sliced

2 large carrots, peeled and grated

2 red bell peppers, finely sliced

½ bunch coriander, finely chopped

4 tbsp mango chutney

Juice of one lime

60ml Irish rapeseed oil

Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

Method

1 Marinate the monkfish: place the monkfish in a non-reactive dish, like a casserole dish. Top with the yogurt, tandoori spice blend, garlic, ginger, chilli (if using), salt, pepper and lemon juice. Using your hands, mix the marinade into the fish thoroughly. Wrap with cling film and chill for 1-2 hours.

2 Preheat the oven to its hottest setting (we set our oven to 230°C). Line a deep baking tray with parchment and set aside.

3 Start the coconut rice: place the soaked and rinsed basmati rice

into a large pot with a tight-fitting lid. Add the coconut milk, cold water, lime leaves (if using) and salt. Stir to combine the coconut milk and water.

4 Place the pot of rice on a high heat on the hob and bring to a boil, stirring occasionally so the coconut milk doesn’t scald. Once the rice comes to a boil, reduce the heat to low, cover and let the rice cook for about 25 minutes, until all of the liquid has been absorbed.

5 While the rice is cooking, make the slaw: in a large bowl, combine the cabbage, grated carrot, red pepper and coriander. In a separate bowl, mix the chutney, lime juice and rapeseed oil. Pour the dressing over the vegetables and mix well to coat. Season with salt and freshly ground pepper to taste and leave to marinate until ready to serve.

6 When the oven is really hot, place the monkfish on the lined baking tray. Pour any remaining marinade over the fish. Place in the oven and depending on the fish, roast on high for 15-20 minutes (a full monkfish tail will take approximately 20 minutes, but smaller pieces could cook very quickly). The marinade will brown and the monkfish will be slightly firm to the touch, but still very tender once cooked.

7 To serve, add a generous spoonful of rice to a warmed serving plate. Add a big piece of the monkfish and top with a large serving of the slaw. Garnish with coriander and more chutney, if desired.

Serves 4

Ingredients

For the miso brown butter:

125g butter

65g light miso paste

To assemble:

4 fillets Irish halibut, skin removed and boned (your fishmonger can do this)

1L good quality chicken stock

2 tsp light soy sauce

1 tsp sesame oil

1 tsp rapeseed oil

500g mixed mushrooms (shitake, chestnut, or shimeji

200g baby spinach

500g cooked udon noodles

100g finely sliced spring onion

50g thinly sliced red chilli (optional)

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Crispy garlic, crispy shallots or crispy onions (shop bought), to garnish

Method

1 Make the miso brown butter: in a saucepan, bring the butter to a light simmer. It will start to bubble. Let the butter cook for approximately 5 minutes, until the milk solids turn brown and the butter has a nutty smell. Keep at a consistently high heat but do not let it burn. Remove the butter from the heat and let cool to room temperature.

2 Add the miso paste to the butter. Chill until ready to use (you can make this up to three days ahead).

3 Next, prepare the mushrooms: thickly slice the mushrooms (if using Asian style mushrooms like enoki or shimeji, leave them whole and just trim the ends). Heat a large non-stick pan on high heat and sear the mushrooms in batches until they are nicely seared – if you crowd the pan, they will get soggy, so make sure you do this in batches. Set aside until ready to use.

4 Place a heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven over a medium heat. Add the chicken stock, soy sauce and sesame oil and bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to a light simmer. Add the mushrooms, udon and spinach and gently cook until the noodles are cooked through. Add 1 tbsp of the miso brown butter and stir through.

5 Preheat the oven to 200°C. In an oven-safe pan, heat the rapeseed oil on medium high. Season the halibut fillets with salt and pepper and place in the hot pan to sear.

6 Cook the halibut for 1-2 minutes, until golden brown on one side. Then, flip and immediately place the pan in the preheated oven to finish cooking. Roast the halibut for approximately 10 minutes – the fish should be flaky and tender when finished. Brush a small amount of the miso butter on the hot cooked halibut.

7 To serve, divide the noodles between four large pasta bowls. Add plenty of mushrooms and spinach to each and evenly divide the broth between the bowls. Add a fillet of halibut to the top of the noodles, then top with spring onions, crispy garlic and chillis, if using. Serve piping hot.

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