Fresh and local is best to beat food miles | Lawrence Murphy
If we are going to be careful about what we are eating to ensure ingredients are not coming from half-way around the world, we must look at using suppliers that farm or produce food within our local area.
Living where we do enables us not only to purchase our food from local farms, but also gives us the opportunity to enjoy some really fresh seafood.
Johnsons Fish was established in 1975 to give local fishermen an outlet to land their catches on a daily basis.
Since then the company has expanded to supply great fish to schools, colleges and restaurants.
You can also buy fish from Johnsons’ mobile fish stalls around the county, where you can choose whole fish and have them prepared in front of you.
Local day boat fish will give you the best quality, so just ask any of the team what’s been landed that day.
Ingredients – serves 4
4 gurnard fillets, bones removed
3 parsnips
2 shallots, finely chopped
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 stick celery, finely chopped
16 large green olives, de-stoned and chopped
25ml white wine vinegar
100ml white wine
75 ml olive oil
100g fresh spinach
Method
1. Peel the parsnips and cut into rounds. Place on an oiled baking tray and roast in a pre-heated oven 200C, gas 6.
2. While the parsnips are cooking make the dressing. Heat a small pan on a low temperature and add a dessert spoon of the 75g olive oil. Allow to warm then add the garlic, shallots and celery until soft.
3. Add the white wine vinegar and the white wine. Reduce the liquid by half and then add the olives and remaining olive oil. Keep warm.
4.Pan-fry the gurnard until golden and then transfer to the oven for 7 mins until cooked through.
5. Arrange the roasted parsnips onto the plates. Add the spinach to the dressing and allow to wilt. Spoon the dressing and spinach over the parsnips and top with the fish.