Mediterranean Baked Pollock & Red Mullet Casserole with Chorizo, Chickpeas, Coriander & Mint Yoghurt

Thu, 14 January 2021

Chef: Niall Sabongi, The Seafood Cafe, Temple Bar, Dublin

This is my go to dish anytime someone wants a quick easy and delicious seafood recipe. In this recipe I’ve used Line caught pollock which I just love! Its local, super sustainable and delicious. We have also used Irish red mullet here which gives it that real authentic Mediterranean feel. With this recipe you can swop out the Pollock or Mullet and replace with any good Irish fish like hake, Brill, cod, turbot and you can also use a mix of different fresh fish and shellfish if you like.

(Feeds 2-4)

Ingredients
2 tbs tomato puree
Few strands of saffron
Table spoon of paprika
½ tbs of chilli powder
½ tbs cumin
½ tbs caraway seeds
½ tbs coriander seeds crushed

1 red pepper
1 tin of drained chickpeas
2 onions
6 cloves garlic
2 large potatos
1 lemon cut into slices
Handful of olives
½ a chorizo sausage
Olive oil
Salt
Pepper

Fish

200g of fish per person and ideally use a mix of 2 fish

For the Yogurt

250g Greek style yogurt
Handful of chopped mint
Handful of chopped coriander
Juice of 1 lemon
2 cloves of garlic grated or crushed in pastel and mortar
Salt to taste

Just combine all the above and add tablespoon of olive oil before serving

Method

Potatoes

1. Slice your potato, 1 onion, pepper and lemon ( about 1cm think on potato and onion and thin as you can for the lemon ) and season with olive oil, salt pepper and one clove of garlic grated or crushed
2. Roast this in oven on max heat for 15 min and then leave aside

Broth
1. In a cold pot or your casserole dish add 6 tablespoons of good olive oil
2. Add your sausage and warm and cook for 3-4 min to release the oil and flavour
3. Dice and add onion and cook on low to medium heat for 2-3 min
4. Thinly slice the remining garlic and add to the dish and cook for 2 min
5. Add all the dried spices ( excluding the saffron) and cook gently for 1-2 min
6. In small container add tbs of salt, tomato puree, good twist of pepper and 1 pint of warm water and saffron. Allow to sit for 5 min
7. Add to the dish with the spices
8. Add your can of chickpeas
9. Simmer for 4-5 min and taste for seasoning ( at this stage you can up the anti on your spice if you wish. I’m of the belief the more the better

Assembly

Into a oven proof casserole dish:
1. add the potato, onion and lemon with all the juice from the pan
2. pour over the broth with peas and sausage
3. nestle in your fish
4. add 2-3 tbs of olive oil

Cooking

Place dish in preheated oven at 180-200 for 15 min

Allow top rest for 3-5 min before serving. Just cover with tinfoil

Serve alongside the Coriander and mint yogurt and crusty bread