Author Archive

This is a simple, quick and yet very tasty way to serve white fish that would make a nice dinner for two, an entree for guests, or even a light lunch. There are a number of variations I can think of, including cooking the fish fillets in little paper parcels, but this is the easy way.

You need white fish fillets such as bream, cod, ling or dory – one per person. You also need an oven proof covered skillet and an oven set to 175°C/350°F.

For 2 people:

In the cold pan put a tablespoon of olive oil, 1 chopped shallot, 1 finely chopped garlic clove.

Cover the pan and set over a medium heat. Meanwhile chop one large tomato and select two sprigs of thyme. Pour one small glass of white wine or half a glass of vermouth.

Now lay the fish fillets over the garlic/shallot mixture, pour over the white wine, scatter the tomato over the fish and add a tablespoon of chopped black olives to the pan. Season with black pepper, lay the thyme sprigs lengthways over the fish, cover and continue to cook on the stove top for a further five minutes.

Now put the skillet, still covered, in the oven for a further 15 minutes or until the fish is cooked through. This can be eaten hot or cold with the pan juices spooned over.

Here’s a quick, very simple and yet delicious dessert you can serve at any time. I have simplified the original tarte aux pignons recipe, gleaned in France, without losing, I think, much of the flavour. Click on this link:
Pine Nut Tart Recipe

The finished result should look something like the picture below, which is shown with a lemon vanilla sauce.

photo credit: scaredy_kat

Braised lamb shanks are a favourite of mine, especially for a winter’s evening, in front of a fire with friends. Slow cooked, the flavours are allowed to mingle and the meat falls off the bone. Serve the shanks whole. My recipe is here Braised Lamb Shanks

photo credit: joannapoe

I’ve added a French-style lemon tart recipe to the baking section of my website. You can find it here: Lemon Tart
photo credit: avlxyz