Fish on Spinach with a Cider and Mussel Sauce

Name: Fish on Spinach with a Cider and Mussel Sauce
Yield: Serves 4
Ingredients: 1–2 bottles dry cider; 75 g (3 oz) unsalted butter; 900 g (2 lb) fresh spinach, picked and washed; 1 carrot, roughly chopped; 1 onion, roughly chopped; 15 g (½ oz) unsalted butter; 2 tablespoon plain flour; 4 × 175–225 g (6–8 oz) fish fillets; ½ leek, roughly chopped; Salt and freshly ground white pepper; 350 g (12 oz) shallots or onions, sliced into rings; 900 g (2 lb) fresh mussels, scrubbed and bearded; 600 ml (1 pint) Fish Stock or water; 2 glasses dry white wine; 1 star anise (optional); 1 sprig of fresh thyme; 85–120 ml (3–4 fl oz) (double) cream; 25 g (1 oz) unsalted butter; A pinch of saffron (optional); 1 bay leaf (optional); 2 celery sticks, roughly chopped

Preparation info

Serves
4

Difficulty
Medium

Appears in

More Rhodes Around Britain

By Gary Rhodes

Published 1995

About

I’ve just called this ‘fish’ because so many fish work well with this recipe: cod, halibut, sea bass, red mullet, turbot, brill – the list could go on. Make sure whichever fish you choose, it is well filleted with all bones removed. White fish should be skinned as well.

Ingredients

4 × 175–225 g (6–8 oz) fish fillets
2 tablespoon plain flour

Fish course
Pescatarian

Method

To cook the mussels, melt the butter and fry the vegetables, bay leaf, thyme and star anise, if using, for 8–10 minutes without colouring. Add the wine and boil to reduce until almost dry. Add the stock or water, bring to the boil and cook for a few minutes. Add the mussels and bring to the boil, stirring. Once the stock is boiling, the mussels will be opening and cooking. Drain and reserve the