Ingredients
- 3 Mackerel
- 1 Bream
- Fish Stock
- Olives
- Chickpeas
- 1 Fresh Lemon
- 1 Preserved Lemon (quartered lemons packed in salt in a mason jar)
- 4 Romano Peppers
- 20 Cherry tomatoes
- White Onion
- One Shallot
- Ginger
- 3 sticks of Celery
- Red Chilli (medium hot)
- 6 cloves of Garlic
- 3 large white Potatoes
- Coriander seeds, Dried Cumin, Turmeric, Ginger, Paprika
- Saffron
- Fresh Cilantro
- Black Pepper
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- Salt
In a steel dry pan toast the coriander seeds and a pinch of black pepper, this will take a few minutes as the oils release and the seeds start to change colour. Add your ground spices of dried Cumin, Turmeric, Ginger and Paprika and remove from the heat.
Add a pinch of saffron to small bowl of water to release the flavour.
In a mixer pour in your toasted spices and blend. Finely cut the stem of the cilantro and add to the mixer together with 2 medium chillies, a chopped shallot and 6 cloves of garlic. Cut a lemon in half and add the juice into the mixer, if you hold the cut side to your palm as you squeeze you will retain the pips. Peel the skin from a knob of ginger, then roughly chop and add into the mixer before finishing with the saffron infused water. Add a good glug of extra virgin olive oil and blend to form a paste. Season with salt and black pepper and blend again. This is your chermoula paste.
Line a baking tray with parchment paper and lay out your peppers, drizzle with extra virgin olive oil and a pinch of salt. Place into a hot oven for around 25 minutes until they blister and blacken. Remove from the oven and place directly into a zip lock bag. The steam will cause the peppers to sweat which will release the skins and you will be left with roasted flesh of the pepper.
Heat your fish stock in a large deep pan and add a pinch of saffron. Peel 3 large potatoes and cut into slices. Add to the fish stock for around 40 minutes to poach.
Prepare the cherry tomatoes by slicing in half and slice 6 garlic cloves.
In a large pan heat a good glug of extra virgin olive oil and slowly simmer the sliced garlic. Add a sliced white onion 3 sliced sticks of celery and sweat until they soften then add in the chermoula paste and stir through before adding the cherry tomatoes and the chopped roasted peppers. Pour in a ladle of fish stock and allow to simmer for 2 -3 minutes so the cherry tomatoes soften. Add in a preserved lemon, cut into quarters, a cup of chickpeas and a handful of pimiento stuffed olives.
Layer the bottom of a large oven proof dish with the poached potato slices and pour over the contents of your pan.
Removed the head/tail and spikes and fins from your bream and a mackerel and chop into decent sized chunks. Nestle the chunks into the tagine and season with a sprinkle of salt and pepper. Put the lid on the pan and place into an oven for 20 minutes. Fillet the remaining Mackerel and season. Heat some extra virgin olive oil in a pan and place in the fillets skin side down before flipping over and turning off the heat. Prior to serving blow torch the skin to create a crispness before placing on top of each serving.
Pitta Bread:
Ingredients
- 3 – 4oz Butter
- 1lb strong bread flour
- 2 tsp Yeast
- Salt
- 2/3 cold to 1/3 hot water
Activate your yeast – fill a bowl with 2/3 cold water and then add a 1/3 of boiling water to create a good tepid temperature. Add 2 teaspoons of yeast and then whisk. Leave for 4 minutes until you see bubbles appearing on the surface of the water.
In a pan melt 4oz of butter.
Add 1lb of strong bread flour to a mixing bowl and mix in two tsp of salt – make sure this is mixed through before you go onto the next step, or you will kill the yeast. Mix through a spoon of your toasted chermoula spices. Add your water a few tablespoons at time there are no exact measurements you need to do this by feel. Add your butter to create a silky appearance before turning out onto a floured board and working the dough.
Knead the dough – push/fold/turn for around 5 – 6 minutes until the mix is elastic and not tearing. Add a splash of melted butter to a bowl to coat your dough, cover and leave to prove for around an hour.
Separate the dough into around 8 portions and form into a bun shape. Place onto a sheet of parchment paper and cover with an additional sheet of parchment to prevent a crust forming. Leave to prove for a further 15 minutes.
Stretch out each pitta on a floured surface to your required shape. Cook in a dry pan for around 2 minutes per pitta before placing in the oven for a few minutes to create the pockets.