Hake in a seafood sauce with pasta and summer veg

Good guy

This is what I cooked this evening:
Sauce: slice a couple of shallots and put in a pan with a good handfull of mussels. Cover and cook off until the mussels open, then remove the shellfish and take out of the shells - set aside.
Simmer the liquor from the mussels until the shallots are soft and the liquor has reduced a bit. Off the heat, add about a tablespoon of passata, a tiny pinch of chilli flakes and some cream. Stir to mix and taste for seasoning. Reduce to wanted consistency.
Meanwhile, set the pasta to cook and shell some baby broad beans and prepare a handful of sugar-snap peas. When the pasta is nearly ready, chuck in the veg and leave them to blanch until the pasta is cooked. Drain and toss in a glug of oil. Heat your frying pan for the hake with some good olive or rapeseed oil and cook the fish. Add the mussels back into the sauce to warm through.
Serve!
I used my own shallots, chilli, beans and peas. (The pasta tree didn't fruit yet!) The best rapeseed oil around is from the Donegal Rapeseed Oil Company.

Good guy · Posted: Thu Jul 16, 2015 8:35 pm Post subject:

Oops, forgot to post photo. My presentation skills could do with a bit of work but it tasted damn good!

tagwex · Posted: Thu Jul 16, 2015 9:08 pm Post subject:

I suppose it would do for a starter. What was the main course? I have a ferocious appetite.

Good guy · Posted: Thu Jul 16, 2015 11:11 pm Post subject:

Roast rump of Wexford dinosaur served with Lugnaquilla dumplings in a Barrow Djouce.

tagwex · Posted: Fri Jul 17, 2015 12:34 am Post subject:

Ohhhh dear. Geography lesson coming up.

I suppose the dinosaur is me, we can claim a small part of the River Barrow but I am afraid Lugnaquilla is in Wicklow. 2 outta 3.

There is also a Djouce mountain in Wicklow or was that yet another feeble attempt at a pun?

Good guy · Posted: Fri Jul 17, 2015 1:31 pm Post subject:

It was a very good pun, so there! Personally, I don't give a hoot where the mountains are - for the sake of conviviality I chose some from "down there".
If you like, though, I can recommend our alternative to Baked Alaska: it's Sliabh Sneacht pudding with a Scalp topping.

tagwex · Posted: Fri Jul 17, 2015 2:07 pm Post subject:

I give up.

Good guy · Posted: Fri Jul 17, 2015 6:04 pm Post subject:

About time!
( I don't really mean it though. Who would I tease?)

tagwex · Posted: Fri Jul 17, 2015 6:30 pm Post subject:

Anyone else. I don't care who!

Good guy · Posted: Mon Jul 20, 2015 8:40 pm Post subject:

Go on, you love it, really. I can tell!

tagwex · Posted: Mon Jul 20, 2015 9:24 pm Post subject:

If only you could see me cringing.

Good guy · Posted: Mon Jul 20, 2015 10:30 pm Post subject:

That would be a sight all right!