Kitty Coles took a last minute trip to Lanzarote and was inspired to cook some island specialities …
“Whatever you eat [in Lanzarote] or wherever you eat it, you will likely get 2-3 sauces on a little plate as you sit down. The first is Mojo Verde, a green sauce mostly made up of coriander and sometimes a little parsley. Then there’s Mojo Rojo, a red sauce made with red peppers and chillies, and finally aioli, of course. I love all three, and with a simply grilled piece of fish with salt-crusted potatoes and tomato salad or a jar of chickpeas there are few things more delicious to me.”
“The fish can be anything you like – here I have done a whole seabream but roasting some fillets of seabass, hake, cod or monkfish would be just as good. As would a piece of meat too. This platter of food is something that will always please a crowd, but will also come together easily for a midweek meal.” @kittycoles
Start by making the mojo verde
Ingredients
1 garlic clove, peeled
A large handful of coriander (50g), including stalks
A small handful of parsley (20g) or just extra coriander
1 green chilli, deseeded and roughly chopped
1 tsp of ground cumin
1 1/2 tbsps of white wine vinegar
100ml extra virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper
Method
1. Start by making the Mojo Verde. In a food processor, add the garlic, coriander, parsley, green chilli, cumin, vinegar, oil and a pinch of salt.
2. Blitz until finely chopped but not completely smooth then pour into a bowl and set aside.
3. You can also just finely chop everything and mix if you don’t have a food processor.
Fish and silky roasted red peppers
Serves 2-4 depending on the fish
Ingredients
4 red peppers
1 whole fish such as sea bass or 4 fillets of fish
Method
1. Preheat the oven to 220°C Fan.
2. Lay the whole peppers on a baking tray lined with parchment paper, then roast in the oven for 25-30 minutes until they are a little blackened on the outside and completely soft. Remove from the oven and place in a bowl. Cover with a plate or cling film to allow them to steam for 15-20 minutes so the skin easily peels away.
3. Pat the fish dry, then place it on the same roasting tray the peppers were on. Season with salt and pepper and drizzle with olive oil so it’s coated on both sides. Roast in the hot oven for 20-25 minutes (this cooking time will depend on the size of the fish). Allow to rest for a few minutes before plating up.
4. While the fish is roasting, peel the skin off the peppers, discarding the seeds, skin, and stalks, leaving you with silky soft peppers. Place the whole fish on a platter with the peppers and drizzle with a little extra virgin olive oil and a squeeze of lemon. Serve alongside the Mojo Verde and/or the fennel aioli on the side.
5. I love to serve this with rinsed jarred chickpeas simply dressed with lemon, salt, and pepper as the Mojo will act as the dressing.
Fennel seed aioli
This aioli is a great accompaniment to my fish and silky red peppers. It will last a week in the fridge and is delicious with everything. There is also no need to make aioli from scratch although I personally think it’s worth it. If you’d rather mix toasted and bashed fennel seeds and lemon juice into shop bought mayo, then it’ll still taste great.
Ingredients
100ml neutral oil
75ml extra virgin olive oil
1 heaped tsp of fennel seeds
1 egg yolk
1 heaped tsp Dijon mustard
Zest and juice of 1/2 lemon
1 small garlic clove, finely grated or very finely chopped
Pinch of flaky sea salt
Method
1. Measure out the 2 oils in a jug.
2. Heat a small pan over medium heat and toast the fennel seeds for a minute until fragrant.
3. Lightly bash them in a pestle and mortar or just with the back of a knife on a chopping board.
4. Add the egg yolk, mustard, fennel seeds, a pinch of salt, garlic and lemon zest to a bowl set over a damp tea towel to keep it steady. Whisk vigorously until the egg yolk goes a little pale. Now, very slowly pour in the oil in a thin and steady stream, whisking as you go until it starts to thicken.
5. Continue to whisk until you’ve used all the oil, then squeeze in the juice of half the lemon.
6. Taste for seasoning and enjoy.
Sign up to THE GLOSS Table with Kitty Coles, food newsletter and be the first to see Kitty Coles’ monthly recipes and insight into all things food. Sign up here.