Donal Skehan: Home Cook airs Wednesdays at 8.30pm on RTÉ One.
Ingredients
Serves: 4
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 15 minutes
- 500g (1lb 2oz) fresh clams
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 4 x 200g (7oz) firm white fish fillets (eg cod, hake, turbot)
- 25g (1/4 stick) butter
- 150ml (5fl oz) white wine
- 4 slices of sourdough bread
- 1 garlic clove, cut in half
- Extra virgin olive oil, for drizzling
- 150g (5oz) frozen peas, defrosted
- 250g (9oz) baby spinach
- 75ml (1/3 cup) double (heavy) cream
- Zest of one lemon
To serve
- 4 tsp trout roe
- A few sprigs of dill
- Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Method
- Prepare your clams, tap each one on the board/counter and discard any that don't close. Soak in a bowl of cold salted water for about 20 minutes then rinse well in cold water.
- Heat the oil in a lidded sauté pan. Season the fish and fry over a medium high heat for 2–3 minutes until golden, then flip over. Add butter to the pan and baste as the fish cooks for a further 2–3 minutes. Transfer to a warmed plate and keep warm in a low oven.
- Add the clams to the pan with the wine, cover and cook over a high heat for 3–4 minutes until all the clams are opened (discard any that remain closed).
- Meanwhile, toast the bread, rub with the garlic halves, drizzle with extra virgin olive oil and sprinkle with salt.
- Scoop out the clams with a slotted spoon into a warm bowl. Add the peas and spinach to the pan and cook until the spinach is wilted, then add the cream and lemon zest.
- Season to taste, then return the clams to the pan and stir through. Divide them between four warmed bowls and top each with a piece of fish. Drizzle with extra virgin olive oil and spoon over some trout roe. Add a good grinding of fresh black pepper, sprinkle with the dill and serve with the garlic toasts.
