Japanese Curry Meets Brit Crumbed Fish

This creation was inspired by a visit to Coco Ichibanya in London's China Town.

Coco Ichibanya is a 'fast food' place with table service, specialising in Japanese style curry.  

The menu of this popular chain restaurant inspired with omelette, katsu and some shrimp/prawn croquettes with curry.

The following week, at home, Brit crumbed fish (frozen and intended for oven baking) met Japanese style curry sauce.  I knew the fish would be crunchy like anything coated in panko and fried.  S&B cubes, first discovered during Covid, made the curry sauce.  Finally, there was a nice mathematical straight line of curry for presentation (that seemed important in all the ichibanya menu pictures).

Salmon fillet Bagel

I had a Eureka moment.  Why not a seared salmon fillet in my bagel rather than cold smoked slices ?

This was fast and tasty, a fillet wok seared and flaked in  large chunks.  Cream cheese, diced cucumber and a generous handful of peppery rocket.

Super fast for a special brunch or working from home lunch.  This will make your colleagues envious if you end up scoffing it in a teams meeting or impress your other half on a weekend.

I can wok sear a defrosted salmon fillet in around 4 minutes, ensure the wok is smoking, a drizzle of high temperature oil and drop in the salmon.  Flip once, after about 2.5 minutes and  cook for another 1.5 minutes (or until done to your liking- pink here).

Sesame seed Bagels please and as much cream cheese, cucumber and rocket as you feel you can contain between the bread.

Another Working from home lunch (sandwich) of sorts:

Quesadillas Re Imagined

Linguine alla Puttanesca

Following the recent pangriata post, I realised a puttanesca is yet to be shared.  This is easily fixable and it's an interesting puttanesca too, there's tuna and onion with anchovy, capers, black olives, garlic, chilli and tomato.  

I mixed an old favourite version of the sauce; garlic, chilli and anchovy with Tuscan Italian cooking school inspiration that included tuna and onion.  The toasted crumbs are a welcome later addition to this firm favourite.  The sauce is easily made from a few tins and cooks in around 30 minutes.

Pictured here, served with linguine, bucatini and spaghetti work equally well too.  Choose your pasta depending on mood and of course finish with those delicious crumbs, pangriata.

One final observation, many Italians and foodies like Mutti tinned tomatoes (me too) however Cirio (from further south in Italy) work better for me in this dish.  

Lobster with Gin and Herb Sauce

 Sometimes the best seafood dishes are the simplest ones. A good lobster barely needs anything to shine, but the right sauce can elevate it into something memorable.

This lobster was served with a creamy sauce built around mayonnaise and thick cream, brightened with lemon and lifted with a splash of gin. Fresh dill and parsley bring a herbal freshness, while garlic and shallots add depth. The result is a sauce that is rich but lively, perfectly suited to sweet lobster meat.

It is the kind of dish that feels luxurious yet effortless.

Shrimp Soup, Wakame and Dried Shrimp Paste

A furtive creation, inspired by wakame (dried seaweed from Japan) in the broth.  Then an afterthought to add dried shrimp paste.

More umami...from fresh and dried mushrooms.  There's ginger (a personal fetish) and spring onion too.

Let us not forget the all important prawns plus the broth is easily made from a few simple, storecupboard/pantry ingredients. 

Loving the Japanese influence of Wakame and a Chinese mushroom stir fry with a touch of shrimp paste.

Tuna & Shrimp Tabouleh

 A fresh, vibrant tabouleh that mixes land and sea: delicate raw tuna, tender shrimp, bright herbs, and juicy vegetables. The lemony couscous base is lifted by bursts of trout roe and finished with a creamy touch of cream cheese. Light, elegant, and perfect for warm days or a refined starter.

Ingredients

Couscous

Raw tuna, diced

Blanched shrimps

Raisins (dried)

Fresh mint

Fresh cilantro

Lemon juice

Trout roe

Diced cucumber

Cherry tomatoes, halved

Extra virgin olive oil (good quality)

Salt

Black pepper

Cream cheese (for finishing)

Seabass and Sichuan Potato Salad

Of course there's crispy fish skin from the wok fried seabass.

The fish is really a garnish for these tasty potatoes.

A 'salad' happily invited from hades, it's hot.  No mayonnaise dressing either (like many western potato salads).  Instead, we have spring onion, garlic, ginger, chilli oil, sichuan pepper, cumin, light soy, sesame oil and black rice vinegar.

I used evenly sliced sweet potato and large yellow potato.  They soaked up the sauce beautifully.  Dressed warm of course.

Finally, the potatoes are served with seared seabass (skin separated and crisped).

Spicy Shrimp and Tarragon Noodles

 Sometimes the best dishes come from balancing contrasts: creamy yet spicy, fresh yet comforting. These spicy shrimp and tarragon noodles are exactly that — delicate wheat noodles coated in a silky cream sauce, lifted by nuoc mam, fresh chillies and plenty of aromatic tarragon.

It’s fast, generous and full of flavour, perfect for a relaxed dinner when you want something elegant without overthinking it.

Jumbo Prawn Makhani

I tried hard to master the Indian Makhani sauce (unusual for a Brit from the home of 'Chicken Tikka Massala').  It was illusive but worth persevering.  Once you've smashed this sauce, chicken, paneer or prawns/fish are all fair game.  Handy if you're catering for mixed diets in a meal.

Prawns here.

For me, I wanted a spicy sauce with touches of cream, almond or cashew nut paste and butter.  I was lost until a former colleague, originally from Mumbai talked me through his  'butter chicken' recipe.  I didn't look back and am incredibly pleased to share it.  My colleague stressed kasuri methi, dried fenugreek leaves.

It's a light and spicy sauce that cooks in around 20 minutes, absolutely worth trying.  I added a splash of vodka, for fun and to bring out flavour compounds in the tomatoes.  It's purely optional and certainly worth considering.

Spicy tuna noodles with goat's cheese and herbs

 Spicy tuna noodles with goat’s cheese and herbs is one of those dishes that proves good cooking is not about complexity, but about balance. It comes together quickly, uses everyday ingredients, and yet delivers layers of flavour that feel intentional rather than improvised. Heat, acidity, creaminess and freshness all meet in the same bowl, each one supporting the others instead of competing.

This is not a traditional recipe tied to a specific cuisine. It sits somewhere between Mediterranean comfort food and quick weeknight noodles, guided more by instinct than by rules. Tomatoes are left rustic, tuna stays flaky, noodles remain neutral, and the goat’s cheese is treated with respect rather than melted into submission. The result is a dish that feels generous, slightly messy, and deeply satisfying.

The foundation of this recipe is contrast. Warm, spicy tuna and tomatoes meet cool, herb-flecked goat’s cheese. Olive oil softens acidity, chilli brings depth, and fresh herbs lift the entire dish just before it risks becoming heavy. Every element has a purpose.

Shrimp with Green Pepper and Chilli Black Bean Sauce

Fast and impressive, two words close to my culinary heart.  The sauce is scratch made from the collection of chinese condiments that lie mostly in the fridge.

I'm also a sucker for a noodle fry.

We have diced green pepper and red onion for vegetable goodness (truly I prefer brown or yellow onion as it stays crunchier when stir fried however, using what you have doesn't hurt).

The Shrimp are frozen and raw.  In Britland almost all shrimp is frozen, so I buy higher welfare 'jumbo or king' that I'd call medium at best.  Simply defrost them at the start of meal preparation and clean (mine are already shelled).

And, it is a noodle fry..because..my kitchen my rules.

There's plenty of umami and chilli, whilst this version isn't overly salty.  A pack of fermented salted black beans lies patiently in the fridge, waiting for moments such as these.

Asparagus Flemish style

 Introduction

This is one of Belgium’s most emblematic spring dishes. Flemish-style asparagus is all about restraint: pristine white asparagus, perfectly cooked, dressed with melted butter, chopped hard-boiled eggs and fresh parsley. This recipe truly respects the delicate flavour of the asparagus.

Ingredients (2 servings)

White asparagus (about 500 g)

2 eggs

80 g unsalted butter

Fresh parsley, finely chopped

Salt

White pepper or mild black pepper

Optional: a squeeze of lemon (very discreet)

Seabass, Artichoke and Potato Salad

I happen to love jarred artichokes in potato salad with a mustard vinaigrette dressing. They work really well together.

Here we have a seared seabass fillet and green beans to 'adorn' the salad.

There's also a tip from Germany, add pickle brine to your salad dressing.

Plus a tip from me, something 'oniony' ok I know oniony isn't quite a word but chives or finely sliced spring onion are fine.

Risotto with shrimp tartare and burrata

 This risotto is inspired by a dish I ate in Agrigento, Sicily, after visiting the Valley of the Temples. Creamy, delicate, and sun-kissed, it perfectly captured the contrast between ancient stone and fresh Mediterranean flavors.

Classic Sole Meunière

 Classic sole meunière is French cuisine in its purest form. A whole sole is skinned, lightly seasoned, and dusted with a fine veil of flour. It’s cooked gently in foaming butter until golden, turned once, and basted until just set.

White Miso Potatoes with Seabass Recipe

Japanese white miso, with pan roasted potatoes first hit the culinary radar a few years ago.

It's good (I think).  Why not serve the miso potatoes with pan fried seabass and green beans?

Rick Stein (UK chef and TV presenter) paired seabass and vanilla.  White miso wasn't exatly a leap of faith after that, it made sense.

Smoked Herring Salad with Brandade de Morue

 This smoked herring salad is a rustic yet refined dish, deeply rooted in Northern European flavors, but with a distinctly French twist. Instead of mayonnaise, the binder here is brandade de morue, bringing creaminess, depth, and a subtle garlic note that elevates the whole preparation.

Ingredients

– Smoked herring fillets, chopped (keep one fillet whole for decoration)

– Hard-boiled eggs, chopped

– Fresh parsley, finely chopped

– Onion, very finely minced

– Brandade de morue

– Plenty of freshly ground black pepper

Cod in Woodapple and Longan Sauce (with Mushrooms + Lemongrass-Coconut Chilli Rice)

 There are dishes that feel like a postcard from a place you’ve never been, yet somehow they make perfect sense on your plate. This is one of them: flaky cod gently poached in a glossy woodapple-and-longan sauce, mushrooms soaking up all that sweet-sour perfume, and a rice side that’s basically a warm hug of lemongrass, coconut and chilli.

Woodapple (bael) brings a tangy, marmalade-like depth with a faintly herbal edge, while longan adds soft honeyed sweetness. Together, they create a sauce that’s bright, aromatic, and ridiculously good with white fish.

Stuffed Squid with Coquillettes, Rouille Sauce and Gruyère

 Introduction

This is pure French comfort food with a southern accent. Tender squid tubes, prepared as stuffed squid, are gently braised in a tomato-based rouille sauce and served with creamy coquillettes finished with melted Gruyère. It is generous, homely, and deeply satisfying, the kind of dish that belongs on a family table rather than a fine-dining plate.

The contrast works beautifully: the slight chew of the stuffed squid, the richness of the filling, the punchy rouille, and the soft, cheesy pasta that absorbs every drop of sauce.

Longevity Noodles

This is usually reserved for Lunar New year although it's tasty enough for any special occasion.  Our viewers in Hong Kong and Singapore might also appreciate the thought.

It goes without saying, I love these, hence sharing.

Another 'whole is better than the sum of the parts' dish.  That's a mouthful, as are the noodles.  It's delicate and surprisingly tasty.

Noodles are a symbol of long life in lunar new year.  I just happened to find this recipe, added shrimp and the whole dish just sings (in harmony like a girl band formed by an X factor judge - or better).

Ok, I digress, the noodles are simply flavoured with ginger, light soy and sesame oil.  Nothing complicated.  Then add shrimp, mange tout, beansprouts and water chestnuts.