Fish & Seafood

Chorizo & Bean Stew – the hearty flavours of Spain

It seems a very long time since I’ve written a food post – probably because it has been a very long time! But as I cooked this fabulous dish and then sat down to write the recipe it felt like coming home. Food has the ability to do that – it soothes, it comforts, it brings people together and it makes the world feel like a safer place.

This is just the dish to achieve all of the above. It’s easy enough to double or triple the recipe if you want to feed a horde, it’s hearty and full of flavour and perfect to chase away the winter blues – although I’d be inclined to make this at any time of the year. Currently it’s mid-winter in New Zealand and bringing a touch of Spanish sunshine to my kitchen helps to brighten the cold and dark evenings.

You might think it strange that for the feature shot of this post I’ve used a photo of the raw ingredients. There is a reason. I like to make an effort when cooking this type of dish (or any type of dish) to source the very best of ingredients. I made a trip to my local gourmet market and picked up some beautiful tiger prawns and authentic Spanish chorizo (the real thing).

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Tamarind Fish & Prawn Curry – the perfect balance of sweet, sour and heat

For some time I have been wanting to post this recipe. But whenever I cook it I can never hold out long enough to take photographs. This curry is a recurring favourite and as soon as it is transferred from pan to plate my husband and I greedily dive in.

It’s one of those curries that really needs to be eaten with a spoon – very pleasing. But that’s not the only pleasing thing about it. It’s the most stunning colour, boasts a beautiful balance of sweet, sour and heat and tastes out of this world.

Need I say more?

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Fish with Coconut & Tamarind Sauce

The recipe I’m sharing with you today is not the post I’d planned for this week. On a recent visit to my local gourmet market I had a list in my head of what I needed to pick up for dinner that evening. But it all changed when I strolled past the fish counter.

And when I say stroll past, I invariably end up stopping to see what beauties are on offer. My local market has two fresh deliveries of seafood every day. It’s important when you’re buying fish or seafood to have a reliable provider who you know will have the freshest produce.

On this particular day the ocean had brought them blue cod. Although blue cod is endemic to New Zealand it is more commonly found in the waters of the South Island and so not always available in Auckland. Such a treat when it is. I couldn’t resist. My plan for dinner that night was changed in an instant.

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Sauce vierge – perfect in its simplicity

You’ve all heard the term “less is more”. When it comes to food and cooking it’s a motto to live by. That’s not to say complex and creative dishes don’t have their place. But there are times when paring it back is essential and the key to being a good cook is knowing when to do this.

I’ve mentioned previously that when I travel to Italy the first thing I eat is a Caprese salad. Mozzarella, tomatoes, basil and olive oil. That’s it. Of course you could try and be creative and add other things. But why would you? It’s perfect just as it is.

This week I’m sticking with the combination of tomatoes and basil (an outstanding combination of the food world) but move from Italian to French cuisine to bring you sauce vierge. This sauce is another example of less is more – keep it simple and let the quality of the ingredients and their flavour carry the dish.

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Hosting the perfect dinner party – and how to cook your own delicious hot smoked salmon!

Everyone loves a dinner party. Some enjoy hosting them while others prefer to only ever attend as a guest.

Despite our lives being made ever easier by shortcuts in the kitchen the idea of cooking for a dinner party still manages to instil dread in a lot of people. Perhaps it is the uncertainty, the lack of consistency that plagues them.

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My thoughts on The Cuckoo’s Calling by Robert Galbraith – and a delicious recipe to farewell summer

This coming weekend in New Zealand we turn our clocks back, which heralds the end of daylight saving and, sad but true, summer. Luckily the days are still warm with plenty of sunshine but there is a definite chill creeping into the mornings and evenings.

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The spectacular Marlborough region of New Zealand – and a fabulous recipe for Peperonata Couscous!

When my husband and I moved to New Zealand from the UK we looked forward to the time when family and friends would head Down Under to visit. It took some years before my husband’s sister and brother-in-law were able to come out. That made it all the more exciting – and challenging for us! We thought long and hard about where we would take them and which parts of the country they would most enjoy.

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The Inspiring North Devon Coast – and how to make delicious homemade fish and chips!

During the years I lived in London it wasn’t easy to convince my husband we should see more of England. A born and bred Londoner, he couldn’t see the appeal of travelling around England. “I thought you wanted to see Europe,” he would say. And of course I did, but there was also much of England I wanted to see. Fortunately I did manage to get him out and about in his own country, perhaps more so on trips we’ve made back to the UK since our move to New Zealand.

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RAVELLO, a gem of the Amalfi Coast – and how to make the most delicious seafood linguine!

I came to travelling later in life than most. Or perhaps I should say later in life by the standard of my generation. When my mother was in her twenties it was something quite exceptional if you travelled as far afield as Europe or the United States.

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