When it comes to fresh pilchards, it's a case of have your bait but eat it, too.
One of the best fish choices we can make, according to the Royal Forest and Bird Protection Society’s Best Fish Guide, is pilchards, also known as mohimohi or, in some restaurants, sardines. Unfortunately, we tend to pour culinary scorn on the pilchard, preferring to view it as a bait fish. Although it’s hard to convince some people about the excellent flavour of this fish, it’s well worth trying. Of course, this doesn’t mean rushing out to buy a bag of frozen bait from a service station and then cooking the fish for dinner. Ask for pilchards at your local fishmonger’s.
Caught off the Northland coast, the pilchard, with its rich, mineral taste, is an oily fish and a member of the sardine family, which is one of the mainstays of Sicilian cooking. A versatile ingredient, pilchards can be grilled on the barbecue in summer or cooked, as I have here, for use in a pasta dish. These fish require some preparation, but they are well worth the time and effort.
As we head towards spring, my food thoughts have begun to shift from the dark stews of winter, and I am looking for inspiring flavours that still have a touch of comfort about them, which is why I have included the ragu sauce recipe. Light enough for a spring dish, it has enough weight to satisfy my appetite on a cold day.
This is essentially a “bolognese” meat sauce, but with the addition of pork mince, which helps bring out a richness. The milk protects the meat from the harsh acid taste of the wine and tomatoes; the orange provides a mysterious fragrance. For a classic pairing, use fresh tagliatelle, fettuccine or tortellini. Many Italians would consider it a travesty to use spaghetti.
FETTUCCINE WITH PORK RAGU AND PARMESAN CHEESE
1 tbsp olive oil
50g unsalted butter
100g pancetta or bacon, chopped
1 onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
2 carrots, peeled and finely diced
2 celery stalks, finely chopped
2 bay leaves
200g beef mince
200g pork mince
salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 cup full-cream milk
½ tsp ground nutmeg
1 cup white wine
500g Italian tinned tomatoes, crushed
1 cup vegetable stock
1 orange, cut in half
600g fettuccine, cooked and drained
freshly grated parmigiano-reggiano
cheese, to serve
Heat the oil and butter in a deep saucepan. Once the butter melts, stir in the pancetta, then cook for 5 minutes. Add the onion and garlic, then cook until the onion is translucent. Add the carrot and celery, cook for 2 minutes, then add the bay leaves. Cook the vegetables until tender – about 10 minutes – stirring frequently. Add the beef and pork mince, breaking them up with a wooden spoon, and cook until well browned. Cook for a further 3-4 minutes, then season the meat with salt and pepper and add the milk. Simmer until it has reduced by half, then stir in the nutmeg and wine. Cook for 4 minutes or until the alcohol has evaporated, then add the tomatoes and stock. Bring to the boil, reduce the heat to a gentle simmer, then add the orange halves. Cover the pan with a lid and cook for 1½ hours, stirring occasionally. Taste and season again. Remove the oranges from the pan and toss the sauce with the cooked pasta. Serve with parmesan cheese on the side.
Serves 4.
THIS IS A VIBRANT DISH packed with flavour. Soak the raisins to remove excess sugar, as you don’t want them to be too sweet. If fresh pilchards aren’t available, use tinned sardines in olive oil. I do not use parmesan cheese on the finished pasta, as the flavour is not required.
LINGUINE WITH PILCHARDS, RAISINS, PINENUTS AND SILVERBEET
400g fresh pilchards
1 bunch silverbeet
150ml olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
2 tbsp raisins, soaked in warm water then
drained
60g pinenuts
salt and freshly ground black pepper
500g dried linguine, cooked and drained
If using fresh pilchards, snap off the heads, pulling out the gut as you do. Remove the back fin by grabbing the tail end and pulling toward the head. Open the fish flat, exposing the spine, then work it loose using your thumbnail. Lift the spine, pulling it away from the body and down towards the tail so that it pulls out the small bones, taking the tail with it. Wash the fillets under gently running water. Lay the fillets on kitchen paper.
Wash the silverbeet in cold water, then trim off and discard the white stalks. Bring a large saucepan of salted water to the boil, then cook the greens for 6 minutes. Drain the greens using a slotted spoon (the water can be used to cook the pasta), then allow to cool before squeezing out excess water and roughly chopping them. Heat a saucepan, add 50ml of olive oil and the onion, and cook until translucent. Stir in the silverbeet, cook for 5 minutes, then add the raisins and pinenuts and cook over a medium heat for 3-4 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Heat a frying pan over a high heat, then add the remaining oil. Place the fillets in the pan, then cook for a minute on each side. Season with pepper. Toss the silverbeet through the cooked pasta, then add the fillets, breaking them up slightly as you toss.
Serves 4.