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Spring Broth with Baked Fish Spring is here. So let's celebrate with cooking lovely spring time dishes like this one below.

This is a take on an Italian dish called vignole. Unlike its cousin the bouillabaisse, it’s a deep green broth, full of zingy flavours which perfectly complement the fish.You really can use whatever fillet of fish you can find at a good price in the supermarket.

White fish like bass and bream work well, as would salmon. If you prefer a meat version, chicken breast would be great too. Any leftovers of the broth can be frozen for another day.

Recipe serves 2 people

Preparation time: 90 minutes

Ingredients: 2 fillets of fish

25g bacon lardons

40g frozen peas

30g frozen broad beans

A handful of fine beans

A few spring onions

Half a courgette

A handful of baby gem lettuce

2 garlic cloves

50g shallots

A small handful of parsley

A small handful of mint 2 lemons, unwaxed

150 ml extra virgin olive oil 2

0g unsalted butter

2 rashers of streaky bacon

200ml vegetable stock

Method: In a saucepan, fry the bacon lardons until crispy then add the sliced shallots and garlic. Fry for 2 minutes.

Throw in the peas, broad beans, fine beans, spring onion and courgette. Fry for an extra 5 minutes.

Pour in the vegetable stock, bring to the boil then throw in the shredded baby gem lettuce, mint and parsley.

Pour in the olive oil, butter and juice of the lemons. Cook for 15 minutes.

Season your fillet of fish, and place in the oven. If you have small fillets then you can pan fry them, for this place the fish skin side down in hot oil, you should aim to cook the fish almost the whole way before you turn it over.

Dish up your spring broth into a bowl, place the fish over the top.

Garnish with a dollop mayonnaise (which you can embellish with chopped basil too) Place a piece of crispy streaky bacon on top and serve.

 

Dessert:

This is a simple recipe that will impress most critics, it's quick, easy and more importantly delicious.

The addition of Greek yoghurt makes this chocolate mousse a touch lighter - it also helps it to set quicker.

Recipe serves 4 people

Preparation time: 25 minutes + 1 hour to set

Ingredients: 85g dark orange chocolate

1 tbsp cocoa

1 tbsp caster sugar

2 egg whites

50g Greek yoghurt

3 oranges

4 ameretti biscuits

Method: Break up the dark chocolate, place it in a bowl with the cocoa, caster sugar, juice and zest of the oranges.

Place the bowl over a pan of simmering water and allow the chocolate to fully melt. Leave it to cool.

Whisk the egg whites to a soft peak.

Once the chocolate is cool, add 20ml of boiling water to loosen it.

Carefully fold the egg whites through the chocolate mixture.

Place into serving dishes (coffee cups work well) and pop them into the fridge to set.

When ready to serve, crumble amaretti biscuit over the top and sprinkle a little remaining orange zest.