Oh, I do like to be beside the seaside! How true this is. I’ve lived in the UK for a long time but, for me, the joy of going to the seaside will always be about sitting on the beach, beside the sea, rather than having to get in the actual water: you can take the boy out of the Mediterranean, and all that. Being beside the seaside, though, still whets the appetite for certain seaside classics: ice-cream sandwiches, battered cod, curry sauce, fried doughnuts. Oh yes! I do like to be beside the sea!
No-churn mango ice-cream sandwiches with pistachios (pictured above)
Once assembled, these ice-cream sandwiches freeze well. Just make sure they’re wrapped individually, ideally in reusable kitchen wrap or in baking paper. Don’t throw away the brioche crusts: cut them into small pieces, toss in melted butter, then baked until golden and toss in cinnamon and sugar for a very sweet treat.
Prep 15 min
Cook 15 min
Freeze 3½ hr
Makes 12
850g tinned alphonso mango pulp – I use the East End brand
150ml condensed milk
5 limes, 2 juiced, to get 2½ tbsp
1 tsp vanilla bean paste
Flaked sea salt
200ml double cream
12 slices pre-sliced brioche, crusts removed and saved for another use (see recipe introduction), each cut into two equal rectangles
100g pistachios, toasted and roughly chopped
Line a 22cm x 30cm rectangular tin with baking paper or a silicone mat.
In a large bowl, mix the mango pulp, condensed milk, lime juice, vanilla bean paste and a half-teaspoon of flaked salt, until well combined.
In a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment (or in a large bowl with a hand whisk), whip the cream for about five minutes on medium speed, until it forms stiff peaks. Pour in a third of the mango mixture into the bowl and use a spatula to fold in until well incorporated. Repeat with another third of the mango mixture, then repeat a third time with the last of the mango mix.
Pour the creamy mango mixture into the lined tray and transfer to the freezer for 30 minutes. By this stage, the ice-cream should be just starting to freeze. Using a spoon or a spatula, mix the half-set ice-cream, then return to the freezer for another half-hour. Repeat this step three more times at half-hourly intervals, then leave the ice-cream in the freezer for an hour, until completely set. Tip out on to a chopping board and then, using a sharp knife, cut the ice-cream into 12 equal rectangular slices the same size as the brioche slices.
Using a small, sharp knife, trim the tops and tails off the remaining three limes, then remove the skin and pith by cutting down along the limes’ curves. Release the segments by cutting between the membranes, then roughly chop each segment into three or four equal-sized pieces and set aside.
To assemble, place one slice of the ice-cream on one brioche slice. Sprinkle over some of the pieces of lime and top with a second brioche slice. Dip the sides of the sandwich into the crushed pistachios, then place on a tray in the freezer. Repeat with the remaining ice-cream, brioche, lime and pistachios, then serve immediately or leave in the freezer to eat later.
Parmesan beignets with tomato vinaigrette
The classic deep-fried British seaside treat gets reimagined, courtesy of a salty, cheesy, vinegary detour to New Orleans.
Prep 15 min
Cook 30 min
Serves 4
For the vinaigrette
1-2 plum tomatoes, grated, skin discarded (150g net weight)
1 tbsp fresh oregano leaves, finely chopped
1 tbsp olive oil
3 tbsp red-wine vinegar
Salt and black pepper
For the beignets
150ml whole milk
50g unsalted butter
1 garlic clove, peeled and crushed
75g plain flour
½ tsp caster sugar
½ tsp ground turmeric
2 tsp cornflour
65g parmesan, finely grated
20g (about 5½-6 tbsp) finely chopped chives
1 lemon, zest finely grated, to get 1 tsp
⅓ tsp baking powder
2 eggs, beaten
1 litre sunflower oil, for frying
First make the vinaigrette. Put the grated tomato, oregano, oil and vinegar in a small bowl with a quarter-teaspoon of salt and a good grind of pepper, mix to combine and set to one side.
Put the milk, butter and garlic in a medium saucepan with a third of a teaspoon of salt and a good grind of pepper. Place on a medium heat, and bring up to a gentle simmer – this should take about four minutes. Add the flour, sugar, turmeric and cornflour, and cook, stirring, for about two minutes, until the mixture comes together in a ball. Remove from the heat, leave to cool for a few minutes, then stir in 50g parmesan, the chives, lemon zest, baking powder and eggs, and mix to a smooth, thick batter.
Put the sunflower oil in a medium saucepan – it should come about halfway up the sides of the pan – and set it on a medium heatfor about 10 minutes, to come up to frying temperature (ie, when a bit of batter sizzles immediately). Using two teaspoons, form a little spoonful of the batter and drop into the hot oil. Fry five to seven beignets at a time, so you don’t overcrowd the pan, and turn down the heat as the oil gets hotter between batches. Lift out the beignets with a slotted spoon and drain on a plate lined with kitchen paper, and repeat with the remaining batter.
Serve the beignets hot with the remaining 15g parmesan sprinkled on top and the vinaigrette on the side for dipping.
Pumpkin seed-crusted cod with curry sauce
You can swap the cod for another fish, if you prefer, and/or increase the amount of chilli to make the sauce even hotter. Make double the amount of curry sauce and freeze half for a quick midweek meal another time.
Prep 30 min
Cook 55 min
Serves 4
For the fish
2 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
10g piece fresh ginger, peeled and grated
½ tsp ground turmeric
2 limes, juiced, to get 3 tbsp
Salt and black pepper
500g sustainably-sourced cod (or other white fish), skinned, boned and cut into roughly 2½cm x 9cm strips
60ml olive oil
For the curry sauce
130g ghee
1 medium onion, peeled and thinly sliced, (100g net weight)
5 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
15g piece fresh ginger, peeled and grated
4 makrut lime leaves, stripped off the stem and finely chopped
4 tbsp (15g) roughly chopped coriander
1 large red chilli, roughly chopped, or more to taste
1 tbsp hot curry powder (or mild, if you prefer)
1 tsp turmeric
2 plum tomatoes, roughly chopped (100g)
500ml chicken stock
100g Greek-style yogurt
For the coating
70g pumpkin seeds
70g panko breadcrumbs
70g plain flour
1 egg
First, prepare the fish. In a large bowl, mix the garlic, ginger, turmeric, two tablespoons of lime juice and three-quarters of a teaspoon of salt. Add the cod, toss gently to coat and leave to marinate for at least 30 minutes but not much more than an hour, or it will start to break down.
Meanwhile, make the curry sauce. Melt the ghee in a large saucepan on a medium-high heat. Add the onion, garlic, ginger, lime leaves, coriander and fresh chilli, and cook, stirring from time to time so it doesn’t catch, for 12-14 minutes, until the onions have softened and started to take on some colour. Add the curry powder, turmeric and tomatoes, cook for five minutes, until the tomatoes have broken down, then pour in the stock, bring to a hard simmer and cook on a medium-high heat for another 20 minutes. Stir in the yoghurt and remaining tablespoon of lime juice, then take off the heat and leave to cool a little. Pour the mixture into a blender, blitz completely smooth, then return to the pan, ready to reheat before serving.
Heat the oven to 240C (220C fan)/475F/gas 9. In a food processor, pulse the pumpkin seeds about five times until they’re coarsely broken up, then add the breadcrumbs and pulse a couple more times. Spread out the seed mix on a medium flat plate or tray. Put the flour on another plate or tray and season with a quarter-teaspoon of salt. Beat the egg in a bowl large enough to dip the fish strips in later. Dip a piece of marinated fish first in the flour, then in the egg and finally into the seedy breadcrumb mix to coat, shaking off any excess each time, and transfer to a large oven tray lined with greaseproof paper. Repeat with the remaining fish and coatings, then drizzle the breaded fish all over with olive oil. Bake for 12-15 minutes, turning the fish once halfway, until golden all over. Meanwhile, gently reheat the curry sauce.
Transfer the cooked fish to a platter and serve with the hot curry sauce in a bowl on the side.
The Guardian aims to publish recipes for sustainable fish. Check ratings in your region: UK; Australia; US.
