Cookery School

With the promise of spring in the air (anyone else seen those daffodils pushing their way up?) it's time to start finding ways for fish to feature in your dinner plans.

This delish dish won't take forever to make but does look like you've been slaving over the stove for hours. We won't tell anyone if you don't...

Serves 4

Ingredients

4 plaice fillets skinned
150g basmati rice
4 closed cap mushrooms
½ fresh fennel bulb
150ml double cream
400ml fish stock
25g unsalted butter
50mls Pernod

Method

Rinse the rice under cold running water to remove excess starch. Place into a pan of boiling fish stock and simmer for 12 minutes.

In a separate pan add the butter then add the sliced mushrooms and the fennel. Cook with the lid on for 1 minute. Remove the lid. Add the Pernod and burn off the alcohol. Add 400ml fish stock and 150ml double cream.

Cut the plaice fillet in half lengthways, season and roll up from tail to head end. Secure with a wooden skewer.

Place the paupiette of plaice into the sauce and cook for a further 2/3 minutes with the lid on.

Season to taste and serve on a timbale of rice.

Serving suggestion:
Serve with a medley of steamed fine green beans, baby corn and sliced red peppers

www.nigelbrownchef.co.uk

This quintessential Italian dessert is always a crowd-pleaser. Smooth and delicious, it is very easy to mix together and it best made the day before - so is perfect for stress-free entertaining.

Top with whatever you can find: berries, chocolate... both! This wonderful pudding can be as simple or decadent as you like.

Ingredients

Base your recipe on the following:
For every 100mls of double cream allow 1 sheet of leaf gelatine, 3 drops of vanilla essence and a ¼ teaspoon of castor sugar.

Method

Soften the leaf gelatine in a bowl of cold water and warm the cream sugar and vanilla in a pan to a steaming stage, when the gelatine is softened dissolve it into the warm cream mixture and fill your dish to the brim and chill.

To serve, place the dish in a little hot water and run a knife around the inside of the dish to remove the pannacotta, set on the service plate.

Raspberry Coulis Recipe

250g washed Raspberries
100g icing sugar

Place both ingredients into a thick bottom pan. Gently heat to boil. Once the Raspberries have become a pulp, remove from heat and using a hand blender blend to a liquid, pass through a fine sieve to remove the seeds, chill and refrigerate.

For additional flavour you may wish to add a liqueur of your choice such as Raspberry liqueur.

www.nigelbrownchef.co.uk