Jane Grigson's Fish Book - Jane Grigson [250]
LOBSTER Can be cooked like crab, but is better steamed if you are cooking it yourself. At home choose a large pan, put in 2 cm (¾ inch) of water, 4 teaspoons sea salt and 4 of vinegar. When boiling, put in the lobster, cover it and cook it for 15 minutes. Remove it with tongs and uncurl the tail with a wooden spoon; if it springs back efficiently, it is cooked.
MUSSELS Scrub and scrape mussels under the cold tap. Tug away the beard and discard any that are cracked. Arrange them in batches in a single layer in a heavy pan. Set the pan over a very high heat, covered, and leave it for 1 minute. Inspect to see if the mussels are open. Give them a few seconds longer, if not. For the best flavour, never leave them longer than necessary. Tip them into a colander set over a bowl. Remove a half-shell from each or leave them as they are. Discard any that remain shut when the rest have opened. Strain the liquor and keep it for soup or stock and sauces.
OYSTERS, CLAMS AND COCKLES Scrub them and then, holding each one in a cloth-wrapped hand, insert an oyster knife, or any thin, short, stubby knife, between the shells as close to the hinge as seems practical. Lever off the top, i.e. flatter shell, freeing the attached oysters. Clams and cockles have twin shells, so it doesn’t much matter which one you discard. Ease the fish from the shell to make it easier for the eater.
SCALLOPS I have never seen scallops on a French platter of shellfish, but there is no reason not to include them, especially if your choice is limited. Tiny queen scallops, if very fresh, could be served as they are, once washed well. So of course could the larger kind: slice them thinly across the disc.
To cook them, rinse them well and remove the frill and tough muscle, leaving only the tender white disc and the coral. Halve the discs across and poach all the pieces in a little fish stock until they are just opaque. Serve the pieces from 3 or 4 scallops in one deeper shell, allowing 3 or 4 scallops per person.
Scallops at the fish counter have usually been opened, and the edible part cleaned, the rest thrown away. If, however, you get the chance of buying closed, uncleaned scallops, they are likely to be fresher. Open them like mussels, or put them into a preheated very hot oven. Inside you will finds an unaccustomed murkiness, the gritty frill and so on. Under the cold tap remove and rinse until you are down to the edible part.
FISH CAKES
I was never fond of northern ways with fish – fish pies and muddles of that kind, and overcooking generally – but fish cakes are another matter. Especially when made with smoked haddock or salmon or crab, or the fresh inshore cod which was taken for granted until lately, but seems such a treat now. I read somewhere a few years ago that Newcastle eats more fish fingers than anywhere else in the country – which seems scandalous for a place that has the makings of excellent fish cakes to hand.
Sometimes fish cakes are smartened up, but I think that food of such basic purity and goodness should be left alone. Anchovy essence is the one permitted flavouring, Lazenby’s according to my husband but unfortunately you cannot get it now: I have the feeling that modern brands are not as good.
Makes 6–8
250–375 g (8–12 oz) cooked fish, flaked
250 g (8 oz) cooked potato, the fresher the better
yolk of 1 large egg
about 2 tablespoons chopped parsley
1 teaspoon anchovy essence
60 g (2 oz) butter
salt, pepper
large egg white, beaten slightly
fresh white breadcrumbs
clarified butter* or bacon fat (see recipe)
Mix the first five ingredients. Melt the butter in a pan over a very low heat and put in the mixture, beating them together – the warming through makes this easier, but the mixture should not cook properly. Season to taste, then spread out on a plate in a thick layer and cool.
When cold, form into cakes of whatever