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Friday, August 15, 2008, 12:18
Sweetcorn and roasted red pepper pancakes
with a Green Peppercorn, Tequila and Lime Dressing
Cornish skipper Quentin Knights says that Cornish tuna is easy to cook and much easier than any other fish. “It’s all solid meat, no bones, it’s fresh and local, hard to mess it up, treat it like the equivalent of steak. It takes a matter of minutes to cook.”
There are a number of recipes on the Cornish tuna website, www.cornishtuna.com, but if you are feeling more adventurous here’s a suggestion from Angus McCaig at The Holt, Honiton.
This recipe is one that complements the Albacore tuna (Thunnus alalunga), using Cornish sea salt, to create a dish with integrity, Angus says. The albacore is a lovely fish to work with, easy to prepare and delicious to eat. The pancakes and the dressing can be made a day in advance if you like.
THE TUNA
Get a tuna fillet in one piece, allow 4oz of fresh tuna per person. You can buy more, it will freeze well.
2oz Cornish sea salt
freshly ground black pepper
2 tbsps olive oil
two pinches of Cornish sea salt
Fillet the tuna carefully from head to tail, remove any obvious filament.
Skin by holding the tail end of the fillet in one hand, flesh side up, and smoothly cut away the skin by pushing the knife away from you with a gentle sawing action. Trim the fillet to look neat and tidy. Save scraps for maybe a tuna pate. Rinse the tuna and pat dry. Alternatively ask the fishmonger to prepare it for you.
Rub generously with a small handful of Cornish sea salt, leave to cure in the fridge for six hours.
If you do this at breakfast time, the dish is in perfect condition for supper.
THE DRESSING
½ lime, finely grated zest
1lime, juiced
25ml shot of tequila (or gin works well if you don’t like tequila)
12 green peppercorns
1 tsp palm sugar or use light soft brown sugar
pinch of Cornish Sea Salt
1 tbsp olive oil
Crush the peppercorns with the side of a knife, put in a bowl, whisk in the other dressing ingredients, if it is too sharp add more sugar, if too sweet add more lime juice. Leave to rest.
THE PANCAKES
Makes about 8
200g sweetcorn
1 red pepper, de-seeded, roasted and peeled
2 eggs
4 tsp cornflour
110g self raising flour
salt and pepper
10g dill chopped
15g flat leaf parsley chopped
15g coriander chopped
2 tbsp Westcountry double cream
2 tbsps olive oil (for cooking the pancakes)
Slice the roasted pepper into fine strips.
Crack eggs into a large mixing bowl, beat in the cream and sift in the flours, beat until smooth, then fold in the rest of the ingredients except the olive oil.
Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary.
After six hours in the fridge, remove the tuna, rinse under cold water and pat dry. The cure will have firmed the flesh slightly. Rub a little freshly ground black pepper and two pinches of Cornish sea salt all over the prepared fillet.
Put a large non-stick frying pan on to heat. When very hot add 2 tablespoons of olive oil, then sear the tuna very briefly, no more than 30 seconds in total.
Put the tuna in the freezer for an hour.
Wipe the frying pan clean, then return to the heat, lower the heat to medium/low and add 2 tablespoons of oil.
Place spoonfuls of the pancake mixture at even intervals around the pan, I do four at a time and fry to a pale golden brown. Remove from the pan and place on kitchen paper to drain any excess oil.
TO SERVE
Remove the tuna from the freezer and slice very thinly. Arrange slices in a circle around the centre of the plate about 2 inches wider than your pancakes. Warm the pancakes gently. Stir the dressing and using a pastry brush, gently brush the Tuna slices with a thin coating of the dressing. Stack two or three pancakes in the centre of the plate, and then drizzle a fine line of the dressing around the edge of the plate. Place a little fresh herb garnish on top of the pancakes. Enjoy.
Recipe by Angus McCaig at The Holt, Honiton. 01404 47707
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