Baked Haddock with Lentils, Basil and Mascarpone

      This dish is a comforting one-pot wonder, as well as being extremely easy to make. Just serve it with some green vegetables on the side, such as broccoli or kale, and you have a complete meal ready to go. You can use cod or hake instead of haddock, too – whichever is available to you (it’s useful to keep fish fillets in the freezer for dishes like this). You can also use pre-cooked lentils.

       SERVES: 4 | PREP TIME: 10 MINUTES | COOKING TIME: 50 MINUTES

      4 skinless, boneless haddock fillets (about 150g each)

      4 tbsp rock salt

      2 tbsp vegetable oil

      2 onions, thinly sliced

      1 garlic clove, crushed

      1 tsp sweet smoked paprika

      2 tbsp tomato purée

      250ml tomato juice

      600ml good-quality chicken or vegetable stock

      250g puy lentils, well rinsed

      1 tbsp olive oil

      100g mascarpone

      2 tbsp milk

      grated zest of ½ lemon

      ½ bunch of basil, leaves picked

      sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

      1 Cover the haddock fillets with the rock salt and refrigerate for 10 minutes, then rinse the salt off under cold running water and pat the fish dry with kitchen paper. Set aside.

      2 Preheat the oven to 200°C/180°C fan/gas 6.

      3 Heat the vegetable oil in a large casserole dish over medium heat. Add the sliced onions, season well with salt and pepper and cook for about 10 minutes, until soft, then add the garlic and cook for a further 3 minutes. Stir in the smoked paprika, followed by the tomato purée. Cook for 1 minute, then mix in the tomato juice and stock. Season again with salt and pepper and bring to the boil. Add the lentils, mix well, cover the casserole dish with a lid, or foil, and place in the oven for 20 minutes, stirring after 10 minutes.

      4 Remove the casserole from the oven. Remove the lid or foil and place the salted haddock fillets into the lentils, pressing them down with a spoon so they are almost submerged. Drizzle the olive oil on top of the fillets. Pop the lid, or foil, back on top and return the casserole to the oven for 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and leave to rest for a further 5 minutes, covered, until the fish has cooked through.

      5 Place the mascarpone in a bowl with the milk, lemon zest and a pinch each of salt and pepper and whisk until smooth. Dollop on top of the fish and lentils. Pop the casserole back in the oven for 2 minutes then serve, sprinkled with the basil leaves.

       MARCUS’ TIP:

      Salting white fish with rock salt seasons the fish right the way through, while also removing some of the water content. Leave the salt on the fish for maximum 10 minutes, before rinsing it off (5 minutes for thinner fish).

       Thai Chicken Salad

      I am sure everyone has their own version of their favourite Thai chicken salad. This is mine. I really enjoy the freshness of the lime and coriander, and the savoury richness that the toasted peanuts add. My kids love the noodles, but not too much heat, so I tend to scatter extra chilli on top of mine after serving. To maximise the flavour, I suggest marinating the chicken breasts the night before, though you can skip this step (or marinate for a shorter time) if you’re in a hurry.

       SERVES: 4 | PREP TIME: 20 MINUTES, PLUS MARINATING | COOKING TIME: 15 MINUTES, PLUS RESTING

      3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

      100g unsalted peanuts, roughly chopped

      200g rice noodles

      2 medium carrots, peeled and cut into thin strips

      1 cucumber, cut into thin strips

      200g beansprouts

      ½ bunch of coriander, leaves picked

      ¼ bunch of mint, leaves picked

      red chillies, sliced, to serve (optional)

       FOR THE MARINADE

      4 tbsp coconut cream

      1 tsp red curry paste

      1 tsp white miso paste

       FOR THE DRESSING

      100ml rice wine vinegar

      25g palm sugar, grated, or soft brown sugar

      50ml fish sauce

      100ml toasted sesame oil

      2 tbsp tamarind paste

      2 lemongrass stalks, tough outer layers removed, inner layers grated with a fine or Microplane grater

      4cm piece of fresh ginger, peeled and grated with a fine or Microplane grater

      2 tbsp peanut butter

      grated zest and juice of 1 lime

      1 Whisk together the marinade ingredients in a small bowl. Put the chicken breasts in a dish, coat them in the marinade and refrigerate for at least an hour (ideally overnight).

      2 Preheat the oven to 220°C/200°C fan/gas 7.

      3 Lay a sheet of foil on your work surface. Place the marinated chicken on top then gather the foil around it. Place the foil package on a baking tray and bake in the oven for 15 minutes. Put the peanuts on a separate baking tray and roast in the oven for 5–7 minutes. Remove the nuts and chicken and allow the chicken to cool in the foil for 20 minutes, then unwrap and slice.

      4 Place the rice noodles in a large heatproof bowl and bring a kettleful of water to the boil. Cover the noodles in the boiling water and leave to sit for 10 minutes.

      5 Blitz all the dressing ingredients together in a blender, or in a jug using a stick blender.

      6 Drain the noodles and place them in a large bowl. Add the carrots, cucumber and beansprouts and mix well. Arrange on a large serving platter then top with the chicken and the dressing. Finish with the coriander, mint and peanuts (and sliced chillies, to taste, if using).

       MARCUS’ TIP:

      Make a double batch of the dressing and keep it in a jar in the fridge for up to 2 days. It is great to have on hand for coleslaw or a quick vegetable stir-fry.