Recipes: Taking a new look at Welsh cooking
Nov 26 2009 By Sarah O’Meara
WELSH food isn’t the best known or most highly regarded cuisine in the world.
But Colin Pressdee, author of Food Wales: A Second Helping, hopes to help give it a higher profile.
As Colin points out, Wales has a thriving food industry, including great seafood in the Conwy area.
MUSSELS WITH CONWY BEER
Serves two
INGREDIENTS
500g mussels in shell
25g onions - finely chopped
25ml oil
25g butter
100ml Conwy bitter (or substitute any local bitter)
Fresh thyme, parsley and coriander
Ground black pepper
METHOD
Wash mussels, remove the ‘beards’ and discard any that are broken or do not close tightly when tapped.
Fry onions in oil and butter until just beginning to colour. Add beer and herbs, pepper and simmer for 3 minutes. Add mussels and turn heat to full. Cover pan with lid and cook for 3 minutes, shaking the pan occasionally, until all shells are open. Dredge with more finely chopped parsley and serve with mussels piled in a bowl with the juice spooned over.
WING OF CONWY SKATE WITH SHRIMPS AND OLIVES
Serves two
INGREDIENTS
2 wings of Conwy skate 150g each
50g shallot finely chopped
25ml oil
50g butter
6 large green olives, stones removed and chopped
50g Conwy shrimps
50ml Conwy Porter
METHOD
Fry shallots in oil and half butter until just colouring.
Push to the side of the pan.
The fry the skate for 2 minutes either side, turning carefully.
Test they are cooked through and that they will slide off the bone easily.
Season with Anglesey sea salt and freshly milled pepper.
Remove to serving plates and keep warm.
Add the olives and beer cooking quickly to reduce to half.
Add the butter and shrimps swirling the pan to incorporate butter into a smooth sauce.
Check seasoning.
Spoon over the skate wings and serve.
FILLETS OF CONWY CODLING WITH MUSSELS & SHRIMPS
Serves two
INGREDIENTS
2 fillets codling about 150g each
1 small leek - green finely chopped, the white in strips
25ml oil
12 cooked mussels with their juice - about 100ml
50g peeled shrimps
50g butter
METHOD
Place cod skin side down onto a board and remove the flesh in neat slices cutting at a 45 degree angle and sliding the knife along the skin. Remove any bones. Use the skin for stock.
Fry the leeks in the oil, covering the pan, until just soft.
Add the mussel juice and heat through to simmering. Put the cod onto the leeks, cover the pan and cook on a gentle heat for 2-3 minutes until just firm. Remove and arrange in the centre of 2 plates and keep warm.
Add the butter to the pan and swirl to form a glossy sauce. Add mussels and shrimps, check seasoning and arrange the sauce with leeks and shellfish around the cod, using a little of the sauce to coat the fish.
* Food Wales: A Second Helping by Colin Pressdee is published in paperback by Graffeg Publications, priced £14.99.
* For more information about Welsh food visit www.walesthetruetaste.co.uk and to buy fresh seafood, www.menaioysters.co.uk
