r ikh Monks , mullet and moulds VISITORS to Reggio nell'Emilia in
Italy will be surprised to discover that the city's most famous saint, Bishop Prosper, is com- memorated not by the great cathedral but by the little church of San Prospero, tucked away behind it in the market square. Saint Prosper, who died on 25 June in the year 466, built the church outside the walls of Reggio and directed that he should be buried there. But the people of Reggio made him their patron saint and in the year 703 his remains were moved to their present resting-place inside the city walls. He may well be the patron of pros- perity, if you need it, but in fact he gave away all his possessions to the poor. A very nice and gentle saint. Today, 29 June, is the feast of Peter and Paul, so I thought a fine fish dish would be appropriate. I was given a great deal of cream by my neigh- bour, Caroline Spencer, and thought this up to use some of it.
Gigot of monkfish
tailpiece of monkfish, 1-3 lbs olive oil 2 plump cloves garlic, cut into fine slivers 4 fluid oz dry vermouth or Chambery 10 oz preserved wild mushrooms in oil 6 fluid oz thick cream lemon juice 1 tbsp chopped parsley 1 tbsp chopped tarragon salt and pepper
You can get jars of the mushrooms in Sainsbury's. Ask the fishmonger to remove the membrane from the fish or do it your- self. Place the fish in a suitable ovenproof dish. Insert the slivers of garlic with a sharp knife. Season well with Maldon salt and freshly ground pepper and anoint with olive oil. Cover and place in a preheated oven at Gas 7, 425F, 220C, for 15 minutes, then turn the heat down to Gas 4, 350F, 180C. Add the vermouth, which you have warmed, and cook for a further 30 minutes, basting occasionally. When the fish is just about done, add the mushrooms, cream, parsley and tarragon, adjust the seasoning and add a little lemon juice to taste. Stir everything together, basting the fish, and return to a hot oven, Gas 7, 425F, 220C, for 5 minutes. Serve in the cooking dish with plain new potatoes, and I added samphire, but hot cucumber would be good.
Grey mullet is a fine-looking fish and not `Well, if we can't manage sex, could we try some violence?' all that expensive, not as good as red mullet but with its own charm. Pepita Aris gives an excellent receipt in her new book Andalusia coming out at the end of July. The saffron does the trick.
Lisa en Amarillo Serves 4 21/4 lbs grey mullet, cleaned
salt and freshly ground black pepper 10 oz potatoes, diced 14 fluid oz fish stock or water 4 tbsps olive oil 2 slices country bread, decrusted 1 small onion, chopped 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped about 20 saffron strands juice of 2 lemons
Wash the mullet inside and cut them into thick steaks of 5-6 oz each, discarding head and fins. Season with salt. Cover the diced potatoes with fish stock or water and sim- mer until virtually cooked. Heat 3 table- spoons of olive oil in a shallow flame-proof casserole which will just hold everything in one layer. Fry the bread quickly on both sides. Transfer to a mortar or a food pro- cessor and reduce to crumbs. Add another tablespoon of olive oil to the pan and fry the onion until it is soft, then add the garlic. Purée the onion and garlic with the bread. Crumble in the saffron, adding the lemon juice and enough of the potato stock to make a thick sauce. Arrange the fish in the centre of the casserole and spoon the pota- toes around it. Pour the saffron sauce over the fish and the remaining potato liquid over the potatoes. Cover and cook very slowly for 15-20 minutes.
The following jolly little creatures are delicious with cold ham or other meats and chicken, or they can be served on their own with a good Italian tomato sauce.
Spinach and potato timbales 1 oz butter 1 onion, finely chopped 9 oz fresh spinach, washed 1 lb potatoes, cooked and mashed 8 oz mascarpone cheese 4 oz plain flour good pinch freshly grated nutmeg salt and freshly ground pepper 2 size 3 eggs, beaten Fry the onion in butter until soft. Blanch the spinach in boiling water for 1 minute. Drain and rinse in cold water before squeezing in a clean tea-towel to remove excess liquid. Chop the spinach and mix with the onion, butter, mashed potato, cheese, flour and nutmeg. Season to taste, then bind with the beaten eggs. Divide the mixture between four oven- proof moulds and cover loosely with oiled foil. Place in a large roasting tin, then add enough water to reach halfway up the sides of the moulds. Cook at Gas 4, 350F, 180C, for 25-30 minutes. Turn out and serve at once.
Jennifer Paterson
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