Dom in the Kitchen Homepage

Recipes from my Lincolnshire kitchen

pan-fried skrei with pea and cauliflower crush

by

… if you’ve been paying attention dear reader you’ll know i’ve been eating a lot of fish recently as part of the Fish is the Dish – Happy Healthy Hearts promo and i’ve loved every second of it… the fish i’ve been sent has been incredibly good quality and has included a large variety of fish which only ever comes from responsibly sourced industries, in fact Fish is the Dish is created by Seafish a government body who’s aim is to support and improve the environmental sustainability, efficiency and cost effectiveness of the whole of the UK fish industry.  I realise it can be a little confusing especially with all us food bloggers encouraging you with fabulous ways to cook and eat fish when, in reality, we should be cutting down on all fish consumption for the sake of the planet… but I guess this is a bigger conversation for another time… it’s a topic of conversation that I struggle with but that I hope I answer by cooking, as often as I can, with as much local and seasonal produce that I can get my hands on…
… for me there’s a dichotomy with Skrei too… Skrei is an Arctic Cod, line caught and much loved Norwegian delicacy which is only available between January and April each year.  It’s a migratory fish and journey’s thousands of miles annually from the Barents Sea to the Lofoten Islands in Northern Norway to reproduce… it is said that during this short period the seas around the islands are teaming with millions of these beautiful fish…  and it’s thanks to this epic journey through icy, dark waters that Skrei has a lean, bright white firm flesh and is rich in protein, vitamins and minerals which makes it a hugely versatile, healthy and wholesome food… the beautiful skrei was sent to me by the good people at the Norwegian Seafood Council who also love and cherish their amazing fish resources…

pan-fried skrei with pea and cauliflower crush
in order to fully appreciate the incredible clean flavour of this fish and to, in a way honour its presence on my plate I have kept the ingredients and recipe very simple, ultimately this is fish in it’s purest form, pan-fried with a little butter, oil and seasoning and served with a creative mash that has its heritage in the old-fashioned kind of ‘cod n chips’ serve…

2 skrei fillets (available in all good fish-mongers and also on-line here)
butter and olive oil
salt and pepper

250g frozen peas
1 medium cauliflower
a few basil leaves
a few mint leaves
olive oil

place the cauliflower and peas on to steam and once tender place in a large bowl with a glug of olive oil, the basil, mint and a little seasoning then blitz gently with a handheld whizzer thingy until you reach the desired consistency.

meanwhile smear the skin of the skrei with a little olive oil and season well with salt and pepper, next heat a small heavy pan and melt a little butter into it.

place the fish skin-side down into the pan and fry for two to three minutes until the skin is golden and crispy then season the flesh side with a little more salt and pepper and a drizzle of oil and then turn the fish over and pan fry the flesh side for a further two minutes until perfectly cooked

eat and of course, enjoy!

Share this post:

Share on LinkedIn

Reader Interactions

Related Posts with Thumbnails

Comments

  5. Mark Willis says

    Dom, you know I'm not a fish-lover, hence I know little about fish species, so I'm glad you explained what “skrei” is. To the uninitiated it sounds as if its origins are in South Africa! Talking of which – have seen how far it is from the Barents Sea to the Lofoten Islands? Not thousands of miles, surely?

  6. Sue/the view from great island says

    This literally made my mouth water as I was reading it. I don't know if I've ever had Skrei, but I adore fish of all kinds, so I'll have to check into it. I love the cauliflower 'crush' too! I wish I could sit down and tuck in right now!

  9. bellini says

    I have not heard of this particular type of cod, but this dish sounds heart healthy and perfect for these warm Spring days.

  11. Magnolia Verandah says

    Simple is sometimes preferred, have not heard of this cod before and more than likely will not be available here, but probably any fish would be perfect sat on that sensational pea and cauli mash.

  13. Jenn says

    That's my biggest struggle with fish.. I LOVE it! I would eat it every day, but I do know how bad it is for our planet…. sooooo, I only eat it once a week 🙂
    This dish looks AMAZING! Love the color and love the simplicity!

  15. Karen S Booth says

    LOVELY recipe Dom, and like Janice, I am also annoyed that my Skrei didn't arrive either…..oh well, I can imagine how wonderful it would have tasted through your FAB recipe! Karen