Stephens Fish Dumplings And Saffron Sauce Recipes

Steps:

• Heat skillet over medium high flame until it's nice and hot. In the meantime with a sharp knife, score the skin side of the snapper and salt and pepper. Add 1/8 of a cup of the olive oil to skillet. Put the snapper meatside down, sear until you've got a golden crust then turn the fillet over and cook 2 minutes more. Take the fillets out of the skillet and set aside while you saute the fennel in the same skillet for 5 minutes. Set the fennel aside and drain any oil from the skillet. Put remaining 1/8 cup olive oil into skillet over medium heat. Add shallots, garlic, saffron, and saute for 1 minute. Deglaze skillet with wine, lemon juice and pernod. When there is almost no liquid left in skillet add fish stock or water. Bring to a simmer and add fennel back to skillet and continue to simmer for 2 more minutes. Put snapper on top of fennel, put skillet in a preheated 425 degree oven for 5 to 6 minutes. Remove from oven and put fennel on a plate and snapper again on top of fennel. Return skillet to high flame and reduce pan juice by half, remove pan from heat and add butter. Swinging pan until dissolved and sauce has thickened, salt and pepper to taste and spoon around fish and fennel.

Steps:

• Heat oven to 190C/fan 170C/gas 5. Season the fish and spread a little butter over the flesh side of each. Put in a shallow, buttered, ovenproof dish and sprinkle with the flaked almonds, lightly pressing them on. Bake for 12-15 mins until the flesh flakes easily.
• Meanwhile, make the sauce. Gently fry the shallot with a small knob of butter in a small pan. Add the stock and saffron, bring to the boil, then boil until reduced by about two-thirds. Stir in the crème fraîche and bubble for a minute or so until slightly thickened. Pour a little sauce around each portion of fish. Lovely served with tiny, buttered new potatoes and green beans, or a fresh green salad.

Steps:

• Pour 2 cups of boiling water into a bowl and sprinkle with the saffron strands. Use a spoon to press the saffron strands against the side of the bowl to release the flavor. Cover the bowl with a plate and set aside.
• Heat the oil in a large skillet over low. Add the bell peppers, onion, tomatoes, garlic and cilantro stems, and season to taste with salt and pepper. Increase the heat to medium-high and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onion is transparent.
• Nestle the fish into the vegetables, sprinkle with the paprika, red-pepper flakes (if using), 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Pour the prepared saffron water over everything. (You can do all of this in advance 1 day in advance, and refrigerate until ready to finish.)
• When ready to cook, add the olives and preserved lemon (if using - but if using fresh lemon, that will come in Step 5). Bring the mixture to a boil over high, reduce to low, cover the pan and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes, basting the fish every 5 minutes. Sprinkle with the cilantro leaves during the last few minutes of cooking.
• Taste for seasoning and serve, setting the fish on top of the vegetables. Sprinkle with fresh lemon juice, if not using the preserved lemon. Serve warm or at room temperature.