Stokes Sauces: Fish Friday

'Souper' Fish Friday

http://www.stokessauces.co.uk/page/sauces/traditional-condiments

Our Fish Friday newsletter article this week develops our take on fishy soups, blanquettes and chowders.

Salmon in Velouté Sauce

This is a classic French sauce but without the effort of a true blanquette. It is a creamy sauce thickened with a roux similar to a Bechamel but made with chicken (in this case, vegetable) stock rather than milk.

Melt 50 g of butter in a large pan then beat in 50 g of flour to a creamy roux. Add 2 or 3 tsp of Stokes Dijon Mustard and gently whisk in 1 litre of vegetable stock.

Cut 3 or 4 salmon steaks into bite-size chunks with a few sliced stems of spring onion.

Season with salt and pepper and simmer gently until the fish is cooked. It's delicious with rice, pasta or new potatoes.

Cacciucco Fish Soup

http://www.stokessauces.co.uk/page/sauces/ketchup-and-sauces

This beautifully rich soup has Tuscan origins using fish trimmings and stale bread to feed prisoners and impoverished farm workers. From humble origins - enjoy.

Go to your fishmonger or supermarket equivalent and literally ask for a bit of everything - monk fish, sea bream, prawns, squid, clams - whatever you can find.

Soften 2 diced shallots in a large pan then add 3 grated cloves of garlic, 1 chopped red chilli, 2 tins of chopped tomatoes and 4 tbsp of Stokes Bloody Mary Ketchup.

Add your white fish, squid and prawns with a good glass of white wine. Sprinkle with a tbsp of Italian dried herbs and simmer for 8 minutes.

Add the clams, cover and, lid on, simmer for 3 or 4 minutes. Check the seasoning and that your clams have opened, then turn it all out into a serving bowl over 3 or 4 thick slices of rustic bread - toasted. Serve and think of Tuscany.

[TIP: If you have a bottle of Stokes Chipotle Ketchup in the fridge (and you really should), stir 2 or 3 tbsp into the soup before adding the clams. This ripples a smoky Chipotle chilli heat through the soup.]

Seafood Chowder

A chowder is a thick soup or stew, being a meal in itself with potatoes and a hint of chilli.

Chop 1 large onion and fry it gently in vegetable oil until it softens, then stir in 1 tbsp of flour, 1 tbsp of Stokes Mustard & Dill Sauce and 1 tbsp of Stokes Cider & Horseradish Wholegrain Mustard.

Gently stir in 600 ml of Vegetable (or Fish) Stock and 200g of halved new potatoes. Boil, cover and simmer for 15 minutes. Then add 2 tbsp of Stokes Chipottle Ketchup and 300 ml of milk.

Now add a fresh fish combo of smoked (un-dyed) haddock, salmon and haddock (or cod) - you could just use a pre-packed fish pie mix - about 300 g. Simmer for 5 minutes than add 4 tbsp of single cream and a 250 g pack of mixed shellfish. After a further 3 minutes, it's good to go, served with baguette-styled bread.

Add 'souper' flavour with Stokes

- spoon it, shake it, squeeze it