Fish names in Spain

I started to visit Spain regularly almost ten years ago and was initially overwhelmed by the quantity and variety of fish available locally. This shouldn't have been a surprise as we stay in Santa Pola, one of the most important fishing towns on the Spanish Mediterranean.  But what were all these strange fish that are rarely if ever seen in England?  Translating the names into English was not always a help in finding out how to cook them as I was unfamiliar with many of the English names – I've never knowingly eaten Wrasse or Comber or Drum in England!

But then there are added problems in Spain. Not only is there the possibility of confusion by the use of regional names and different  languages (in addition to Castillian Spanish, the Basque, Gallician, Catalan and Valencian languages are much in use) but sometimes the same name is used to describe different kinds of fish or a generic name is used for several species within the same family.

Many of the fish in the Spanish markets are not available in the UK, but as I was familiar with several species available in France, I thought it might help to  compare the French names.  On occasions it has been helpful but on others it has only added to the confusion! Sometimes the translation is very similar.  For example, the Spanish name for Bluefin tuna, usually just labelled tuna in England, is simply Atún or Atún rojo in Spain and in French Thon or Thon rouge.  However, Longfin tuna is known as Albacore in England and Albacora  in Spain but not in France, where they refer to Yellowfin Tuna as Albacore.

The Longfin Tuna (English Albacore) is the only fish that can be labelled “white meat tuna” in the United States. The most highly prized in Spain are the line caught ones, the loins of which are canned or bottled as Bonito del Norte.  In Gallicia it is referred to as Atún blanco and sometimes as Thon Blanc in France. (although he French have another name, Germon).  

The best way to be certain what fish you are eating is to go to the scientific name but you cannot always rely on this for connecting with the popular or market name. Although the Longfin tuna is known as Albacore in English and Albacora in Spanish,its scientific name is Thunnus alalunga (known in Italy as Alalonga), but the scientific name for the Yellowfin tuna is Thunnus albacares! So it would appear that the French and Italian names in this case are more closely related to the scientific name than Spanish or English.

But there is more confusion to come because the prized Bonito del Norte is not Bonito, it's Albacore!
Bonito (Sarda sarda) is a separate but related species in the Mackerel family. In Spain it is simply called Bonito and Bonite à dos rayé in France. (Although in northern Spain Albacore is often called Bonito).

The Skipjack tuna, which is rare in the Mediterranean, but common the the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans and sometimes referred to in English as Oceanic Bonito, is known in France as Bonite à ventre rayé.  In Spain it is commonly called Listado or Alistado but there are different regional names.

Before causing any more confusion (I refer you back to my blogs on Colin and thePorbeagle shark) I have compiled a list of Spanish fish with their English and French names.  I started off by including only those fish which I had actually seen named on fish stalls, in fish markets or supermarkets in south-eastern Spain.  I have added a few related species , however, where they have been referred to in recipes and other books that I have studied.

All the Spanish names shown in Bold are ones I have actually observed and where  a name is used to describe more than one kind of fish it is starred *

This is very much a “work in progress” and is possibly wrong in some places. I would welcome corrections, additions, amendments and comments.

John's Spanish Fish Directory

SPANISH Pescado	ENGLISH Fish	FRENCH Poisson
Oilyfish (Bluefish)
Boquerón Anchoa	Anchovy	Anchois
Sardina	Sardine (small) Pilchard (adult)	Sardine
Caballa Verdel	Mackerel	Maquereau
Saboga	Shad	Alose feinte
Melva	Frigate Mackerel	Melva Bonitou
Estornino	Chub Mackerel	Maquereau  Espagnole
Bonito Albacora Bonito del Norte Atún blanco (Gal)	Bonito (Longfin tuna) Albacore*	Bonite* Bonite à dos rayé Germon Thon blanc
Atún	Tuna (Bluefin tuna) Tunny	Thon rouge
Atún claro Atún blanco (Gal) Albacares Rabil	Yellow fin tuna	Albacore*
Listado Alistado Palomida	Skipjack tuna	Bonite à ventre rayé
Bacoreta	Little tunny	Thonine
Mojama	Salted, dried tuna
Espadin	Sprat Brisling	Esprot
Arenque	Herring	Hareng
Botargo/Botarga	Dried Tuna Roe (sometimes Mullet)
Bream (porgy)
Dorada Orada	Gilt-head bream	Dorade royale, Daurade royale
Besugo Goraz Bogaraval	Axillary sea bream Sea bream Blackspot sea bream Blue-spotted bream*	Béryx Dorade Fausse daurade Bogaravelle
Palometa negra Zapatero Japuta Castañeta negra	Ray’s Bream	Castagnole Brème de mer
Palometa roja	Red sea bream
Dentón Urta	Dentex	Denté
Pargo Pagre	Common sea bream Red bream	Pagré
Sargo	White sea bream	Sar commun Sar Sargue
Aligote Besuc	Bronze bream	Pageot blanc Bézuque
Chopa	Black bream	Griset
Boga	Bogue	Bogue
Mabré, Marbré Herrera	Striped sea bream
Zapata, Botargo	Blue spotted Sea Bream*
Mojarra	Two banded sea bream	Sar doré
Maily-cheeked fish
Rascacio Escorpion*	(Black) Scorpion fish	Rascasse noire
Cabracho Gallineta	(Red) Scorpion fish	Rascasse rouge
Escórpora	Small scorpion fish	Petite rascasse
Arete Rubio* Gallineta*	Red gurnard	Grondin rouge*
Arete aletón	Longfin gurnard	Grondin sombre
Borrach Borracho Perlon	Grey gurnard	Grondin gris
Cabete	Large scaled gurnard	Cavillone
Malarmat Armado Armat Malarmado	Armed gurnard	Malarmat
Rubio*	Streaked gurnard	Grondin (rouge)*
Red Mullet
Salmonete de fango	Red mullet	Rouget barbet
Salmonete de roca	Red mullet	Rouget de roche
Grey Mullet
Pardete Pardetón Mújol Lisa* Mugil	Grey mullet	Mulet cabot
Galúna	Leaping grey mullet	Mulet sauteur
Galupe	Gold grey mullet	Mulet doré
Lisa* Llisa Lissa	Thick lipped  grey mullet	Mulet lippu Lissa
Botargo/Botarga	Dried salted roe
Seabass family
Lubina Llobarro Llop	Sea bass	Bar Loup de mer
Mero	Grouper (Sea perch)	Mérou
Cherne de ley	Bronze/White Grouper	Mérou blanc
Cherne Dentón	Dogtooth Grouper	Mérou noir
Falso Abadejo	Golden Grouper*	Badèche
Gitano	Golden Grouper*	Abadèche rouge
Cabrilla	Comber*	Serran
Serrano Imperial	Comber*	Serran à queue noire
Serrano	Comber*	Serran écriture
Merillo	Brown comber	Tambour
Flat fish
Rodaballo	Turbot	Turbot
Gallo* Gallitos Lliseria	Megrim Whiff Sail-fluke	Cardine Fausse limande*
Hipogloso Flet*	Halibut	Flétan
Rémol Rombo Rapante	Brill	Barbue
Solla	Plaice*	Plie Carrelet
Platija*	Plaice*	Plie
Platija* Platusa	Flounder Fluke	Flet*
Limanda	Dab	Limande
Lenguado*	Dover sole	Sole
Lenguado* Sortija	French sole	Sole pôle
Lenguado* Suela		Sole de Klein Sole tachetée
Mendolimon	Lemon Sole	Limande sole
Solleta		Fausse Limande*
Tambour Real Soldat		Sole ocellée
Cartilaginous fish including Rays & skates, sharks
Raya* de clavos Raya* commun	Thornback ray	Raie bouclée
Raya* Noriega	Skate	Raie Pocheteau gris
Angelote	Angel-shark Angel fish Monkfish*	Ange de mer
Pez perro Cazón* Mielga Alitán	Dogfish Huss Rock salmon	Roussette
Rosada	Dogfish or other small shark fillets
Caillón Cailón, Marraxo Marratzo Marraix Marratso mutormotz	Porbeagle shark Mackerel shark*	Veau de Mer Requin Taupe Taupe Maraîche
Morrajo Marrajo Marraxo azul Marrazo muturluze	Shortfin Mako Mackerel shark*	Requin-taupe bleu
Cazón	Tope School shark Mackerel shark*	Requin-hâ Milandre
Cod family
Merluza	Hake	Merlu Merluche Colin*
Bacalao	Cod	Cabillaud
Bacalao	Saltcod Stockfish	Morue sale
Abadejo*	Pollachius pollachius : Pollack Pollock	Lieu* Lieu jaune Colin*
Abadejo* Palero	P. virens : Coley Coalfish Saithe	Lieu* Lieu noir Colin noir
Faneca Abadejo*	Pout Pouting Pout whiting Sea pout Bib	Tacaud Moue
Egelfino	Haddock	Églefin
Capellán	Capelin Poor Cod	Capelan
Merlán Plegonero Maira*	Whiting	Merlan
Maira* Bacaladilla	Blue Whiting	Poutassou
Maruca Arbitán	Ling Blue Ling	Lingue
Other white fish
Rape Rata de mar	Monkfish Anglerfish	Lotte (de mer) Baudroie
Palometón	Leerfish Garrick	Liche
Anguila	Eel	Anguille
Angula	Elver	Civelle
Congrio	Conger Eel	Congre
Morena	Moray Eel	Murène
Espetón	Barracuda	Brochet de mer
Pámpano	Pomfret	Fiatole
Pez espada Emperador	Swordfish	Espadon
Pez de San Pedro Gall Gallo Pedro Gallo*	John Dory	Saint-Pierre
Pez gato	Catfish	Poisson chat
Corvina	Meagre	Maigre Sciène
Corbina Tambour	Croaker Drum Meagre	Tambour Maigre
Corvallo	Corb	Corb
Pez de Limón	Amberjack	Sériole
Chicharro Chicharillo Jurel	Horse Mackerel Scad	Chinchard
Merlo	Wrasse	Girelle
Vieja Vieja Colorada	Parrotfish	Perroquet-viellard
Escorpión* Araña blanca	Weever	Vive
Vibora	Weever	Vive rayée
Pez cinto	Scabbard fish	Sabre
Pejerrey Chuleto Chuclet/xauclet Eperalanós	Sand smelt Smelt	Prêtre Siouclet Sauclet Eperlan*
Pes de Rey	Kingfish
Crustaceans
Quisquilla* Quisquilla d’arena	Brown shrimp	Crevette grise
Camarón Quisquilla*	Prawn	Crevette rose
Carabinero	Prawn	Crevette rouge
Langostino	Prawn	Caramote Crevette
Gamba	Prawn	Crevette  rose du large
Cigala	Dublin Bay prawn Langoustine Norway Lobster	Langoustine
Bogavante	Lobster	Homard
Langosta	Spiny lobster Rock lobster Crayfish	Langouste
Cigarra Cigala gran	Flat lobster Slipper lobster	(Grande) Cigale
Buey	Common crab	Tourtue
Cangrejo	Shore crab	Crabe Crabe vert
Nécora	Swimming crab Blue crab	Étrille
Centolla	Spider crab	Araignée
Gallera/Galera	Mantis shrimp	Squille
Percebe	Goose-necked barnacle	Pouce-pied
Oreja de mar	Ormer Abalone	Ormeau
Lapa	Limpet	Patelle
Caracole gris	Sea Snail Whelk*	Bigorneau Escargot de mer
Cañadilla	Murex*	Rocher épineux
Busano	Murex*	Rocher à pourpre
Bigaro Caracolillo	Winkle	Bigorneau
Caracola Bocin	Whelk*	Buccin
Ostra	Oyster	Huître
Mejillon	Mussel	Moule
Datil de mar	Date-shell	Datte de mer
Nacár	Fan mussel	Jambonneau
Viera Concha Peregrina	Pilgrim Scallop	Coquille Saint-Jacques
Zamburiña	Scallop	Pétoncle
Berberecho	Cockle*	Coque
Almendra de mar	Dog-cockle	Amande de mer
Berberecho (verde) Verdigón	Cockle*	Coque/glauque
Langostillo Bereberecho verrucoso Escupiña	Cockle*	Bucarde
Almeja	Clam
Verigueto Escupiña grabada	Warty Venus Clam	Praire Italian: Vongola
Chirla	Striped Venus Clam	Petite praire Italian: Vongola
Almeja fina	Carpet shell Clam	Palourde
Almeja Babosa Choch	Venus shell Clam	Poulette Coque bleu
Almeja dorada	Golden carpet shell Clam	Clovisse
Navaja Muergo Longueirón	Razor-shell clam	Couteau
Cephalopods
Jibia Sèpia	Cuttlefish Inkfish	Seiche
Castaño Choquito Chopito* Chipirón* Choco Globito	Little cuttlefish Little “bobtail”	Sepiole
Chopito* Chipirón*	Little squid
Calamar Puntill Loligo Sepia	Squid	Encornet
Volador Pota	Flying squid Ilex squid	Calmar
Pulpo	Octopus	Poulpe
Other seafood
Erizo de mar	Sea Urchin	Oursin
Ortiga de mar	Sea anemone	Ortie de mer
Freshwater fish
Lucio	Pike SA: Snoek	Brochet
Perca	Perch	Perche
Trucha	Trout	Truite
Carpa	Carp	Carpe
Salmón	Salmon	Saumon
Lucioperco	Pike perch Sander Zander	Sandre
Trucha asalmonada Trucha Marina	Salmon trout Sea trout	Truite saumonée Truite de mer
Lamprea	Lamprey
Cangrejo de rio Ástaco	Crayfish
Tenca	Tench

08.09.2019

Leaving Colin behind

In pursuit of the Porbeagle Shark

In an attempt to resolve the Colin issue, (see my blog of 14 January 2014) who better to approach than the most European of my acquaintances, my former dining and drinking friend from the Council of Europe, Denis MacShane? The following is our twitter exchange:

John Austin ‏@JohnEAustin  Feb 8 @DenisMacShane Codswallop or pollocks? http://bit.ly/1dQUfg0  as a linguist can you enlighten me? http://bit.ly/1iAGrpG

Denis MacShane ‏@DenisMacShane  Feb 8 @JohnEAustin colin + merlu are hake. Merlan (sometimes confused wth merlu) is whiting. Feeble fishes for children invalids. Need tasty sauce

In a recent family conversation with Clive Miller, who knows France well, Clive explained the confusion caused by different regional names and said he had even seen Cod sold as Colin in the Vendée.  This problem of regional variations in fish names was confirmed by Sue Albery, in our conversation on facebook:

·        

Sue Albery Long experience of eating and buying fish in France has demonstrated the enormous range of regional names. I once bought veau de mer something akin to tuna and swordfish. It was brilliant but have not seen it since.

Having never heard of Veau de Mer myself, I searched the internet and discovered that it was one of the names used to describe Porbeagle Shark (Scientific name: Lamna nasus), which I thought I was familiar with as I had eaten it in south eastern Spain where it had been labelled Cailón.

Apparently this is a very popular fish in Galicia in northern Spain, where it is known as Marraxo.  Leiths Fish Bible gives its Spanish name as Cailones, and the French name as Requin Taupe.  Alan Davidson, in Mediterranean Seafood, gives the French name simply as Taupe and the Catalan Marraix.  Wikipedia gives an alternative French name of Maraîche.   In the Tio Pepe Guide to the Seafood of Spain & Portugal, (also by Alan Davidson) the Catalan name is given as Marraix, the Basque as Marratso mutormotz  and the Portuguese as Marracho.  All this seemed to make perfect sense, until........

....... the week following my facebook conversation with Sue, I was in Santa Pola, in southern Valencia, and on the fish counter in the Eroski supermarket there was a plentiful supply of Marrajo which, from its appearance and similarity in name to Marraxo, Marratso & Marracho, I assumed, wrongly I learned later, to be Porbeagle Shark.  One of the many good things about fishmongers in Spain is that fish is almost always labelled to indicate where, when and how it was caught and with its scientific name.  But this Marrajo was not labelled as Lamna Nasus but as Isurus oxyrinchus, which the Tio Pepe Guide confirms is Marrajo in Spanish but Shortfin Mako in English and not Porbeagle.  

The Tio Pepe Guide says that Mako is popular in Galicia and in southern Spain, that it has good white flesh which is often passed off as Swordfish, but that its taste is inferior to Porbeagle Shark.  In Galicia it is called Marraxo azul  and in the Basque country Marrazo muturluze and in Portugal simply Marracho.  The French for Shortfin Mako is given as Requin-taupe bleu.

Previously, I have also seen a similar looking fish in Spain labelled Cazón. This is another popular fish, particularly in Andalusia in south western Spain and known in English as Tope or School shark. This adds a further confusion with the similarity of the English name Tope and the French Taupe which I take to be Porbeagle.  Other names for Tope in France appear to be Requin-hâ and Milandre.

All writers seem to be agreed that Porbeagle, Tope and Mako are members of the same family, often referred to as Mackerel sharks. In The Fish Course, Susan Hicks says that “of the several kinds of shark available, the pinkish dense-textured flesh of the porbeagle and tope is the best and far superior to the cheaper white-fleshed shark meat”

Whether it was Porbeagle Shark or Shortfin Mako that I had eaten previously, it tasted good to me! I used a simple recipe that I found on the internet : – season the steaks with salt and pepper, pan-fry in butter for about 5 minutes each side and serve with lemon and parsley. Several other writers advise simply grilling and serving with a squeeze of fresh lemon or lime, but I have now been tempted to try more adventurous suggestions –

serving it with traditional Spanish Alioli or Skordalia (a Greek garlic and almond mayonnaise which is suggested in Leiths Fish Bible); Sam & Sam Clark also have a recipe for Almond Alioli in their Moro East;

grilled with a spicy marinade of olive oil, lemon juice, onions, garlic, ginger & chilli as recommended by Susan Hicks in The Fish Course (from a BBC series in the 80s);

poached and added cold to a mixed seafood salad as in Rick Stein’s A Taste of the Sea. Rick Stein also recommends Porbeagle for his Goan Fish Curry.

But before getting too enthusiastic there is a drawback.  Many species of shark are now regarded by some as an endangered species due to over-fishing!

A few years back, I recall enjoying “shark and bake” on the beach in Trinidad – a barbecued shark steak served in a large bread roll - a very popular dish with both locals and tourists, but I read in The Independent last week that the Papa Bois Conservation Group, in Trinidad & Tobago, has launched a “save the shark” campaign to stop people eating shark sandwiches in an attempt to protect a dwindling shark population.

So it may be advisable to check out the source and means of catching before you buy!  Currently in the EU there are severe restrictions on allowable catches of Porbeagle and Tope but not yet on Mako. All three species are regarded as vulnerable, however, by the IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources). The EU claims that current restrictions in place have resulted in some recovery of fish stock population of Porbeagle. Let's hope that successful management of fish stocks can enable us to continue to enjoy this fine fish!

John Austin

March 2014

 A footnote: 
Another load of old pollock!
Recently, I was astonished to see "Squid-less Rings" in the new Waitrose at Greenwich Creekside. Apparently they are made from pollock and whiting!  WTF
 John Austin

4 May 2014

 

A fish called Colin!

A fishy tale....

In recent years I have been spending most of my holidays in Spain and loving the rich variety of fish available.  Many of the varieties are not seen in English fishmongers and it takes quite an effort to learn what is what.  In the 1980s I spent many summers in France and became somewhat confused by some of the names used for particular varieties of fish.  In Paris I had come across Colin and was told it was Hake, but in south west France, where I usually stayed, Hake was called Merlu.

I was not the only one to be confused as this letter in The Guardian from 2009 shows:

·         The Guardian, Friday 10 April 2009

We have frequently found confusion in France over what to ask for when buying hake (Letters, 9 April). Ask for a colin south of the Loire and they won't know what you're talking about as they call it merlu. But north of the Loire, especially in Paris, it's called colin. We are not alone in our confusion as Larousse (1961 edition) recognised the north-south divide, but quotes merlan for the south, even though this is whiting. Keep up with me.

Move on 10 years and Pamela Vandyke Price just recognises colin as hake, in an otherwise remarkably useful Eating and Drinking in France Today (1971). Move on another 30 years and Alan Davidson's North Atlantic Seafood (2003) uses colin and merlu correctly, but also adds to the confusion by calling pollack colin in northern France. I have never heard pollack called that name. Most fish shops' bestselling fish is lieu jeune (pollack) and lieu noir (coley) - and you'll find great slabs of both in every supermarket in France.
Brian Smith
Highcliffe, Dorset

Pollack are definitely not the same as coley (coalfish). Pollack are brownish in appearence, with a dark lateral line, whereas coalfish are blue/black with a white line. Both are equally tasteless. Many years ago, fishing from the shore, we ate our first catches, but soon they were relegated to dog food. Our favourites were mackerel, haddock and gurnard, followed by plaice, dab, cod and ling. Both pollack and coalfish can be caught almost anywhere along the west coast; coalfish are the more abundant in Scotland, but the reverse applies in Wales and the south-west.
George Kitchin
Penrith, Cumbria

Guardian Letters 9 April 2009

So, north of the Loire Hake is called Colin but in the south they call it Merlu, which is closer to its Spanish name Merluza and its scientific Family name Merlucciidae.  So had I cracked it? Apparently not.

There are about a dozen different species of Hake around the world in the Northern and Southern Atlantic, the Pacific and in the Mediterranean & Black Seas. In Spain it is one of the most widely eaten fish and the Spanish account for between a third and a half of all Hake consumed in Europe.

To add to the confusion though, in parts of the English speaking world, such as the US, the name Hake is also used for fish of the Phycidaei  family, such as the Greater Forkbeard and the Spotted Codling found in the Atlantic, but that’s another story and I want to concentrate on Spain.

Having read the letters in The Guardian, I checked my rather tattered 1988 paperback copy of Larousse and there Merlan is correctly translated as Whiting, and Hake is translated as Merlu, but in the text, Larousse confirms that in restaurants and fishmongers it is commonly referred to as Colin.  Larousse then adds either confusion or enlightenment by explaining that Hake has a dark-grey/black head and that the French word colin comes from the Dutch word koolvisch meaning “coal fish” which in England we would call Coley, Coalfish or Saithe! But Coley is NOT Hake.

Just when I thought it was getting easier, I discover a fish in Spain called Abadejo, whose scientific name is Pollachius pollachius which, not surprisingly, is known as Pollack in England (American spelling, Pollock) but in France it is known as Lieu but it is also known as Colin noir.  There appear to be two varieties of Lieu - Lieu noir and Lieu jaune and I have been told recently that and Lieu jaune is Pollack and Lieu noir is Coley.

Nowadays I spend little time in France so I will leave the unravelling of the French nomenclature to some enthusiastic Francophile and I will concentrate on comprehending the Spanish names.  Sometimes the scientific family name can be of help as with Pollachius pollachius (Pollack above); and there is a related species Pollachius virens which appears  to be Coley.   Problem solved?  Well not quite.  In Spain they seem to use the same name, Abadejo, for both Pollack and Coley.  I have heard that in some parts of Spain Pollack may be called Palero  but I have not seen this name in any fishmongers, market or supermarket.

And just when I thought I was nearly there I learn that in some parts of Spain, Faneca, which in England is known as Pout or Pouting, is labelled Abadejo!

Is there anyone out there who can add to my enlightenment - or confusion?

John Austin

January 2014

Hake Tagine

It's been a long time since 27th August, when I promised to share my recipe if the dinner party was a success.  It was, so better late than never, here it is.

My first fish tagine, made some years ago in England, was derived from an Egyptian recipe in one of Keith Floyd's books from his TV series Floyd Around the Med. I have misplaced, lent or lost the book but the TV series is being repeated and the Egypt episode is on 22 January  Floyd around the Med so I must remember to record it.

In the meantime, here is my version

HAKE TAGINE

Hake (Merluza) seems to be the most popular fish in south eastern Spain but I could not find fresh fillets (filetes de merluza) or steaks (merluza en rodajas) anywhere in Santa Pola - one of the most important fishing towns on the Spanish Med - only frozen ones (from Namibia!!)....

...but every fish stall, market and supermarket, had whole fish and they will sell a whole one or half and clean it and do whatever you want with it.  I bought the tail end half and asked for it “cortado”.  They will ask how many or how thick you want the slices.  If you buy half a fish,  whichever end of the fish you choose, they will always give you half the head. (The cheeks are a delicacy served in the Basque country –Kokotxas – but you need a lot of heads to get enough for a dish). The head skin and bones of Merluza, however, are excellent  for fish stock.

Ingredients:

6  Hake steaks (merluza)

12 largish potatoes

3 tbsp olive oil

4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced

6 plum tomatoes

2 green peppers  & 2 red peppers, roasted to blacken and remove skins.  (in Spain, if the peppers are very large,  you will need only one of each)

handful of black olives

salt & pepper

Charmoula*

2 cloves garlic

1 tsp sea salt

2 tsp freshly ground cumin

juice of 1 lemon

½ tbsp red-wine or sherry vinegar

1 tsp paprika**

4 tbsp roughly chopped coriander (cilantro)

1 tbsp olive oil

Make Charmoula with  mortar & pestle or blender. Rub 2/3 of charmoula on fish steaks, cover and leave in fridge for  1 – 2 hours.

Parboil potatoes for 10-15 minutes – quarter or halve lengthways according to size.  Heat 2 tbsp olive oil and fry garlic until softened. Quarter tomatoes lengthways and add until they begin to soften.  Stir in green peppers, chopped or sliced and remaining charmoula. Season with salt & pepper.

Place potatoes on base of tagine/saucepan/frying pan with lid.  Scatter ¾ of tomato/pepper mixture over potatoes; place marinated fish steak on top; dab remaining tomato/pepper mixture on each steak; scatter olives on top, drizzle with 1 tbsp olive oil; put on lid and gently cook for 10-15 minutes. Serve with crusty bread and green salad.

*Charmoula is a blend of spices, made into a paste and used as a marinade in north African cookery mostly for fish but also for chicken.  I can’t recall where I derived my mixture from but you can make your own with whatever blend of spices you prefer.

In Moro East  ISBN 978 0 09191 777 7 Sam & Sam Clark have a charmoula recipe: 1 medium bunch coriander (40g); 2 large garlic cloves, grated; 2 tsp ground cumin; 2tsps Moroccan (unsmoked) paprika; 1½  tsps red wine vinegar; 4 tbsp olive oil. (They also have a recipe in Moro The Cookbook  ISBN 9780091880842)

In Rick Stein’s Mediterranean Escapes ISBN 978 1 84607 867 5 he has a recipe for Charmoula; 3 garlic cloves; 1½ tsps ground cumin; 1½ tsps paprika; ½ medium hot red chilli, seeded and chopped; ½ tsp saffron strands; juice of 1 small lemon; small handful of coriander leaves; small handful of mint leaves; 4 tbsps extra virgin olive oil. 

In England I have made this tagine with haddock and added 2 tsp of Ras el Hanout and a tsp of Sumach which are available in most Turkish or Middle Eastern delis.

** you can use sweet or hot according to your preference.  In their recipe, Moro specify unsmoked but I usually use Spanish smoked hot paprika which I have acquired a taste for. (Pimentón de la Vera comes from Extremadura, where they smoke the peppers to dry them whereas in the south they are dried in the sun) Paprika or Pimentón comes in three varieties – hot (picante), mild or sweet (suave or dulce) and medium (agridulce which translates as bittersweet or sweet and sour)

John Austin

Santa Pola

27 August 2013

Restoration work at Crossness

I am currently involved with a very exciting project on the Bexley/Greenwich borders as Chair of the Crossness Engines Trust.  To keep up to date with what is happening at Crossness; the restoration of the world's largest rotative beam engines and plans for the Great Stink Exhibition
visit the Crossness Engines Trust ...

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Perde Pilavi

PERDE PILAVI

I first encountered perde pilavi at a Kurdish restaurant in Istanbul September 2010

 This was it.....

 ...and then it was opened…..

It was accompanied by Ayran – a frothy kind of buttermilk…

...not dissimilar to Indian Lassi

 and followed by fresh pomegranate

  from this stall

 When I returned to London,  I searched the internet for recipes for perde pilaf and I decided to make my own version.  I found a recipe by Chef Musa Dagdeviren which I adapted

This was my first attempt in October 2010

In Istanbul the shape of the mould in which the pilaf was cooked was a cross between a pudding basin and a flowerpot. I really needed a deeper dish than the one I used.  This is what my first attempt looked like!

 ......but when it was opened it looked and tasted much like the one I had eaten in Istanbul

 I call that a result!

  

Here is my recipe…..

Perde Pilaf (Rotherhithe style)

(Pilaf "veiled" in a Pastry Crust)
 Serves 4

6 sheets of filo pastry*
8 chicken thighs
1 onion
1 carrot

1 stick of celery

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
Salt
250g Arborio, risotto or paella rice (short grain rice)
100g  butter for frying rice/nuts
2 tablespoons toasted flaked almonds
1 tablespoon pine nuts
1 tablespoon raisins or sultanas

1 tablespoon coarsely chopped dried apricots
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon ground allspice
1 teaspoon ground sumac**

½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
10 finely chopped mint leaves (optional)

3 finely chopped spring onions (white parts only)
2 tablespoons blanched almond halves

100g melted butter for brushing filo pastry
 
 
Put chicken, onions, carrots, celery, and lemon juice into a large pot. Cover with cold water, season to taste, bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat and simmer until chicken is cooked through, (20-25 minutes). Transfer chicken to a plate to cool. Remove and discard skin and bones. Shred chicken, stir in 1 teaspoon of ground sumac and set aside. Strain remaining stock in which chicken has been cooked and set aside (make up liquid to 800mls with hot water if necessary).
 
Wash rice, soak in lightly salted water for 20 minutes then drain. Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add flaked almonds and pine nuts and cook gently whilst stirring until golden (about 5 minutes). Add rice and cook until opalescent (about 10 minutes). Stir in chicken, 800mls stock, sultanas and apricots and season with salt to taste. Cover, reduce heat to low, and cook, stirring occasionally, until liquid has been absorbed and rice is softened but not fully cooked (about 20 minutes). Remove saucepan from heat and leave to rest, covered for 10 minutes. Stir in oregano, allspice, pepper, (mint) and chopped spring onions and set aside. 
 

Preheat oven to 180°C. Grease bottom and sides of a deep ovenproof dish or basin with butter. Arrange blanched almonds around the bottom and sides of pot, round side outwards (you may need more butter to stick them).  Take 6 sheets of filo pastry, brush one with melted butter and line dish (buttered side upwards), ensuring it fits touching the inside of the dish leaving sufficient overhang to cover. Continue lining dish with remaining sheets of filo, each brushed with melted butter, pressing lining firmly against the almonds.

Transfer filling to lined dish and gently pull edges of filo pastry over filling to cover completely (use extra buttered filo to cover any gaps). Bake pilaf, covered with a baking sheet, for 30 minutes. Uncover pilaf and continue baking until golden (about 30 minutes). Leave to rest for 5–10 minutes, then invert pilaf onto a plate. Serve warm.

We tried it again and, with Sylvi’s help, created a vegetarian version and used pudding basins this time.  It was also a great success at a dinner party in November,

  

One chicken, one vegetarian pilaf

We added a few more almonds to the recipe

 ……the chicken and the vegetarian versions were both delicious!

 Here is our vegetarian recipe…..

Perde Pilaf (Vegetarian option)

6 sheets of filo pastry*

800mls good vegetable stock

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
Salt
250g arborio/risotto/paella rice (short grain rice)
100g butter for frying rice/nuts
Mixture of dried fruit, nuts and seeds according to taste - the following is a suggestion:

            2 tablespoons toasted flaked almonds
            1 tablespoon pine nuts
            1 tablespoon raisins or sultanas

            2 tablespoon coarsely chopped dried apricots 

            2 tablespoon coarsely chopped walnuts

            1 tablespoon sunflower or pumpkin seeds

Chopped vegetables – the following is a suggestion:

1 finely chopped stick of celery,

1 finely chopped medium carrot

½ finely chopped red pepper

1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon ground allspice 

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
10 finely chopped mint leaves (optional)

3 finely chopped spring onions (white parts only )
2 tablespoons blanched almond halves to line dish

100g melted butter for brushing filo pastry
 
Wash rice, soak in lightly salted water for 20 minutes then drain.

Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Gently fry chopped carrot and celery to soften. Add flaked almonds and pine nuts and cook gently whilst stirring until golden (about 5 minutes). Add rice and cook until opalescent (about 10 minutes). Add 800mls vegetable stock and stir in remaining dried fruit and nuts and season with salt to taste. Cover, reduce heat to low, and cook, stirring occasionally, until liquid has been absorbed and rice is softened but not fully cooked (about 20 minutes). Remove saucepan from heat and leave to rest, covered for 10 minutes. Stir in oregano, allspice, pepper, (mint) and chopped spring onions and set aside. 

Preheat oven to 180°C. Grease bottom and sides of a deep ovenproof dish or basin with butter. Arrange blanched almonds around the bottom and sides of pot, round side outwards (you may need more butter to stick them).  Take 6 sheets of filo pastry, brush one with melted butter and line dish (buttered side upwards), ensuring it fits touching the inside of the dish leaving sufficient overhang to cover. Continue lining dish with remaining sheets of filo, each brushed with melted butter, pressing lining firmly against the almonds.

Transfer filling to lined dish and gently pull edges of filo pastry over filling to cover completely (use extra buttered filo to cover any gaps). Bake pilaf, covered with a baking sheet for 30 minutes. Uncover pilaf and continue baking until golden (about 30 minutes). Leave to rest for 5–10 minutes, then invert pilaf onto a plate. Serve warm.

* Filo - I used readymade fresh filo from my local supermarket.  If you have a local specialist deli you can use Yufka (Turkish)  Phyllo (Greek) or Bric (Tunisian) and follow the instructions on the packet.

** Sumac or Sumak is a spice commonly used in Turkish, Kurdish, Arab and Iranian cuisine.  The powdered form is usually available in Turkish grocers/delicatessens. The powder is obtained from the fruits of a particular species of Rhus plant, which are ground into a deep-red or purple powder which is used to add a lemony taste to salads or meat. In Arab cuisine, it is used as a garnish on meze dishes such as hummus and is added to salads in the Levant.  In Iranian, Turkish and Kurdish cuisine, sumac is added to rice or kebab.

John Austin

December 2010
revised December 2013