From the sea

If there is one thing that I love to cook it is fish. It offers such variety and is marvellous for bringing out one's creative instinct. For me fish also makes the perfect way to start a meal. You can excite your diners with something they probably won't cook much of at home (I'm baffled as to why so many people are scared of cooking fish) and uncork a classy white wine to complement it.  Is there a greater pleasure?

The price of fish can be off putting but there are plenty of cheaper options which, if treated with respect, can make dishes fit to grace any table. I'm going to start by looking at the humble mackerel.

The first thing about mackerel is that it really does have to be super fresh, otherwise its texture becomes too soft and its natural oils too fishy. A good fishmonger is therefore essential. Another point worth noting is that mackerel can stand up to strong flavours so it provides the perfect foil to let your creative instincts take over. Be bold!

Mackerel 'masala', roasted sweet potato and cauliflower curry

I want to encourage you to be creative and to use recipes as ideas rather than to slavishly stick to them. To achieve this you need to understand the thought processes behind the dish:

• Curry spices and mackerel go well together
• Cauliflower is an under used vegetable which also goes well with curry flavours
• The sweetness in the sweet potato pulls it all together

Ingredients (serves 4)

4 super fresh mackerel fillets, trimmed into a neat shape and pin boned. About 100g trimmed weight

Garam masala, home made preferably but shop bought okay

1 head of cauliflower

1 large sweet potato  

1 onion

4 or 5 cloves of garlic pounded to a paste using Maldon sea salt

1 large thumb of fresh root ginger, pounded to a paste

4 pieces of fresh turmeric root, pounded to a paste (it really stains your hands for a day or so)

Cumin, coriander, fennel and mustard seeds (about a heaped tsp of each)

Fenugreek, 4 green cardamon pods, black pepper, garam masala

Good quality tin of tomatoes

Nigella seeds (optional)

Method

1. Trim and pin bone the mackerel fillet season with Maldon sea salt. Rub about 1 tsp of garam masala into both sides of the fish. Set aside 
2. Toast the seeds and pods, mix with the ground spices and grind them all together
3. Slowly cook the thinly sliced onions in a mixture of unsalted butter and oil (or ghee if you can get it). Cook until soft, light brown and sweet.
4. Add the ground spice mix to the onions and cook slowly for a few minutes, stirring and taking care that it doesn't burn. Add the ginger, garlic and turmeric pastes. Add the tin of tomatoes, breaking up the whole tomatoes, add some water and simmer to form a curry sauce. Season and balance the flavours of the sauce with just a splash of white wine vinegar. Keep the sauce on a slow simmer, adding water if it becomes too dry
5. Meanwhile roast the cauliflower and the sweet potato. For the cauliflower cut it up into florets and blanch briefly for a couple of minutes. Dry the florets and then coat them with oil, the garam masala mix and salt. Repeat the same procedure for the sweet potatoes also adding some nigella and cumin seeds (optional). On a medium high heat (about 180 degrees C), roast the potatoes for about 35-40 minutes, turning once during cooking and the cauliflower for approximately 15 minutes.
6. When cooked add the roasted cauliflower and sweet potatoes to the curry sauce, fold until combined and simmer for a further 5 minutes. Take off the heat
7. Cook the mackerel skin side down in a very hot non-stick frying pan for about two minutes. Flip the mackerel fillet over and remove the pan from the heat. 
8. Place a spoonful of the curry in the centre of a large deep bowl and lay the mackerel across. Garnish with a few fresh coriander leaves.

To blog or not to blog?

Blogging has always been in the back of my mind as a potential additional outlet for my food obsession. But until now I have always resisted. Why?  Was it the anticipated pain of coming up with a cheesy (sorry I meant to say catchy) name? Was it the feeling that blogging was definitely secondary to actually cooking  - what kind of people blog anyway? Was it the the overriding thought that who cares about what I have to say? Or is it simply that I'm just too damn lazy? Anyway, no need to answer these questions as here I am, cheesy name in hand, starting on my first blog.

Why on earth will anyone want to read another blog about food when there are so many out there? The answer is they probably won't, but having read that it takes up to three years to get anyone to actually take any notice of you, then at least I can be blissfully unaware for the time being! What are my credentials I hear you ask? Well I have run my very own pop up restaurant or supperclub or whatever you want to call it to some local acclaim. Since 2010 I have 'amazed' the diners of the Muswell Hill/ Bounds Green borders with my seasonal banquet, Dinner at the Pavilion. Catering for around 50 diners a session in the tiniest kitchen imaginable I have put on twelve of such feasts.  The main purpose of this blog is to provide a platform on which to record my recipes and give you an insight into the inspiration that has led me to approaching two decades of turning my home kitchen into a starred establishment - I'm still waiting for the booking from the Michelin inspector!

And finally, why the name The Spicy Englishman? Firstly I quite liked the way it sounded, which I think is important. Secondly whilst I don't like to categorise what I cook, it does reflect my food philosophy; top quality British produce with recipes that draw on the cultural diversity of London (where I have lived for 22 years) for their creative inspiration. That said, I also cook traditional and classically inspired food. The cultural diversity does not simply refer to ethnicity. London's cultural diversity is all encompassing.

I'll leave you with a photo of the lamb dish from my last Dinner at the Pavilion;

Essex salt marsh lamb rump and neck, summer bean ragout and spinach, roasted tomato and garlic sauce