Recipe from episode 3

Steven’s fish broth

This is a pleasingly frugal recipe. You can buy an inexpensive fresh fish, such as gurnard or grey mullet, get the fishmonger to fillet it for you, then use the head, skin and bones to make a flavourful stock. The broth is enhanced with a few herbs and vegetables, the fish flesh goes in at the end. As a finishing touch, you can add a swirl of garlicky, chilli-hot rouille, though I have to say, the soup is delicious even without it, or croûtons, made from leftover bread for added crunch.

Ingredients

Serves 4

Skin, head and bones from 1 medium, firm-fleshed fish
2 celery stalks, chopped
1 garlic clove, peeled
1 onion, roughly chopped
1 large carrot, sliced
A sprig of thyme 1 bay leaf
Stalks from a bunch of parsley and/or lovage, leaves reserved
A few black peppercorns
A splash of white wine
1 lemon, zest and a squeeze of juice

First, make a simple fish stock: put the fish head, skin and bones in a saucepan with all the ingredients for the stock. Add 1 litre of cold water and bring to a gentle simmer. Cook very gently for half an hour; do not allow it to boil hard, as this spoils the flavour. Strain the stock, discarding the fish skin, head, bones and vegetables.

Season well and add in any bits of fish flesh to the broth along with some freshly chopped parsley and lovage leaves (and any other seasonal herbs you might have to hand), along with some lemon zest and a squeeze of juice, to taste.

More River Cottage fish dishes

ONLINE COURSEHands on Fish and ShellfishTaught by Gelf Alderson

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Tackling fresh fish takes confidence, knowledge and technique. It can seem a daunting task, but in this course Gelf will guide you through the skills you need. Once you’ve learned the techniques and practised it yourself you will finish the course feeling confident in your ability to cook fish and shellfish at home.

You will be introduced to varieties of fish seasonally available, updated on current sustainability guidelines and given advice on how to shop for the freshest fish. You will learn the basics of fish preparation including gutting, scaling and filleting three types of fish – flat, round and oily – with a particular focus on knife skills. And you will learn a variety of techniques including pan-frying, baking and stewing plus creating stocks and broths and a number of delicious recipes.

ONLINE COURSENext Level Fish & Shellfish SkillsTaught by Gelf Alderson

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River Cottage's Executive Chef Gelf Alderson teaches you how to handle fish and shellfish in his Next Level Fish & Shellfish online course with Learning with Experts.

Learn how to master challenging seafood dishes, shellfish preparation and learn to source the most sustainable and fresh fish. Including recipes for ceviche, oysters cooked three different ways and a crab bisque.

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