Stuffed Whiting

4 medium whiting
Half a small onion
2 small lemons
2 oz fresh white breadcrumbs
1 tsp coriander (if liked)
Salt and pepper
Half an ounce of butter

PREPARATION TIME 15 MINS
COOKING TIME 30 TO 35 MINS
CALORIES PER SERVING 140
SUITABLE FOR FREEZING IF FRESH FISH IS USED

Clean the whiting, trim heads and tails. Rinse, dry and remove backbones. Peel and chop the onion. Grate the rind of one lemon and squeeze and strain juice. Add the onion, lemon rind and juice to the breadcrumbs and coriander (if used). Season well with salt and pepper.

Melt the butter, add to the stuffing mixture and mix well. Divide this mixture between the four fish, then place them in a greased meat tin, in one layer. Pour in 3 tablespoons of cold water and cover the dish.

Bake in a moderate oven (3500F/1800C, Gas mark 4) for about 30 minutes or until the fish are tender. Drain well and serve with the other lemon, cut in quarters as a garnish.

Steamed Gurnard with Sweet and Sour Ginger Sauce

2 medium red gunards
2 tablespoons sunflower oil
6 spring onions
2 inch cube of fresh ginger peeled and grated
2 clove garlic, peeled and finely chopped
2 oz pineapple chuncks, finely diced
1 tablespoon unsweetened pineapple juice
1 tablespoon dark soy sauce
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
5 fl oz water
Chopped pring onion greens to garnish

Set up the steamer. Remove the innards from the gunnard, then wash the fish and pat dry. Place in the steamer and cook for about 15 minutes according to the size of the fish, until the flesh is opaque and eases off the bone.

Meanwhile make the sauce. Heat up the sunflower oil in a large pan or wok and stir fry the spring onions, garlic and ginger for 1 minute. Draw the pan off the heat, add the pineapple, juice, juice, soy sauce, vinegar and water, return to the heat and stir briskly.

Transfer the gurnard to warmed plates and pour over the hot sauce. Garnish the fish with chopped spring onion greens and serve immediately.

Variations: small snapper or bream may be substituted.

Baked fillest of Mackerel with fresh mint and apples

4 small to medium filleted mackerel
A little oil
1 large lemon
2 apples (Cox or Russet) thinly sliced but not peeled
1 bunch finely chopped mint
Freshly ground black pepper
Sour cream to serve (optional)

Pre-heat the oven to Gas Mark 7, 220 degrees C. Wash the mackerel fillets and pat dry with kitchen paper. Lightly oil four squares of foil, cut to size of the fish, and place a fillet skin side down on each one. Season with a good squeeze of lemon juice and shake of pepper, and scatter over the mint to taste. Arrange the apple slices along the fillet and sprinkle on more lemon juice.

Bring up the edges of the foil squares and at the same time roll up the fillets neatly. Crimp the foil to seal them fairly firmly and twist the ends so that the look like large sweet wrapping. Bake in the oven for 15 – minutes, re-arranging halfway through cooking.