If you are finding January slightly dull and you fancy spicing things up at tea time then why not give this fish recipe a go?

I am all for trying something new and fish is great just now. The fact that this dish will also allow you to eat more of something that the Government actually advises is a double bonus.

So why not pop into your local fishmonger and get with the banter as there is always buckets of that in there, in fact it’s more fun than a butchers shop on a Friday morning! (Don’t tell the butchers I said that!) Ask for some Gurnard, bat your eyelids and get them to fillet and pin bone it for you because believe me they have sharper knives and more know how than you and, let’s face it you don’t want to spend the afternoon filleting fish.

You don’t need to have a tagine, a pot with a lid will be fine so do not let that stop you. It’s an all in one pot, fabulously tasty supper.

Moroccan Gurnard tagine

1 red onion, finely chopped

2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

2 tablespoons of rapeseed oil

1 teaspoon of whole cumin seeds

1 teaspoon of ginger

1 cinnamon stick

1 lemon, chopped

1 tablespoon of harissa paste

125ml (4 fluid ounces) of white wine

200ml (7 fluid ounces) of fish stock

500g (1 pound 2 ounces) of mixed white fish Gurnard, monk and cod, cut into big cubes (If the fish is all for stew/soup then ask the fishmonger for tail cuts are they are less expensive)

200g (7 ounces) of mussels (optional)

100g (3.5 fluid ounces) of ripe tomatoes

Couscous and coriander to serve

 

1 Heat the oil in a tagine/pot and gently cook the onion and garlic until soft

2 Add the cumin, ginger, cinnamon stick and lemon and cook for two minutes

3 Stir in the harissa and cook for one minute

4 Add the wine and fish stock and bring to a gentle simmer

5 Add the fish and cook for a couple of minutes, then add the mussels and tomatoes, season with salt and pepper and cover. Cook gently for 5 minutes.

6 Serve on a bed of steamed couscous and sprinkle with freshly chopped coriander