LITMIR.BIZ

      6. Keeping a tight hold of the skin and using the knife in a sawing motion, continue to cut, keeping the knife at the same angle and cutting as close to the skin as possible until all the skin has been removed. Repeat with the remaining fillets.

SMOKED FISH PÂTÉ

      Fish pâté is so easy to make – simply add cream and lemon to the picked meat and serve alongside warm toast for a great meal. I’ve made this one with Arbroath Smokies, but it can also be made from smoked mackerel.

      SERVES 4

      2 Arbroath Smokies or cooked kippers, skin and bones removed

      Juice of 2 lemons 150ml (5fl oz) double cream

      25g (1oz) chives, finely chopped

      Sea salt and black pepper

      FOUR 250ML (9FL OZ) RAMEKINS OR LITTLE POTS

      1. Place the fish flesh in a blender and briefly pulse, then add the lemon juice and the double cream and purée to the desired consistency. (Don’t leave the machine running for too long, however, or the cream may split.)

      2. Transfer the pâté to a bowl, add the chives and season well. Divide between the ramekins or little pots and smooth over the surface. (If making these the day before, it is best to spread a little softened butter over the top of each one before refrigerating.)

      3. Serve with warm slices of brown bread and a little dressed watercress on the side.

      ‘At the end of a long day a good chef might think about giving it all up and doing something else. Next morning he’d be marvelling at a sleek, silver, line-caught bass or sniffing a big bunch of basil or thinking how he was going to sear those scallops and serve them with Iberico ham and lentils for lunch. It’s not a perfect job, but what is?!’

      RICK STEIN

BAKED ARBROATH SMOKIES WITH LEMON AND PARSLEY BUTTER

      I first tried these little fellas at a Scottish coastal market. The Smokies are cleaned and marinated overnight in salted brine, then hot-smoked over a hardwood fire covered with wet sacks to stop the wood catching alight. They are a true delight served with butter. You need to get to the market early if you want one, as word gets around that they’re cooking and people follow the smoke like zombies. To beat the queue, you can buy them online. Iain R Spinks is the best supplier I know, give him a bell and you won’t be disappointed.

      SERVES 4

      4 Arbroath Smokies

      2 lemons, cut into wedges, to serve

      FOR THE LEMON AND PARSLEY BUTTER

      250g (9oz) unsalted butter, softened

      Juice and grated zest of 3 lemons

      3 tbsp chopped flat-leaf parsley

      Sea salt and black pepper

      1. Preheat the oven to 220°C (425°F), Gas 7, and cut out four 30cm (12in) squares of greaseproof paper and four of newspaper.

      2. In a bowl, mix together all the ingredients for the lemon and parsley butter, seasoning the mixture with 2 teaspoons of salt and some pepper.

      3. Place a greaseproof paper square on top of a square of newspaper. Put a fish in the centre of the greaseproof square, then spread a quarter of the lemon and parsley butter over the sides of the fish and fill the cavity.

      4. Fold in the edges of the paper, roll into a parcel and tie up with string. Repeat the process with the other 3 fish and place them on a baking tray. (At this stage you could place them in the fridge for 6–8 hours or until you need them.)

      5. Before cooking, sprinkle the parcels with a little water and then bake in the oven for 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and serve whole at the table with the lemon wedges and some slices of brown bread and butter.