Spring has sprung!

“Spring has sprung!” said the bumble bee.

“How do you know?” said the old oak tree.

“I just saw a daffodil blooming on a windy hill!” – Anonymous

Cod liver paté on toast

I've briefly mentioned cod liver on Nami-Nami previously - here and here, but it deserves a new post :) There are almost no blog posts on the topic - a FoodBlogSearch enquiry ends with plenty of posts about cod liver oil capsules, and just one food blog posts apart from mine, written by Rosie Dequattro (now available only in in cache) and a mention of foie de morue by Clotilde back in 2004 (!). I always keep a can of cod liver chunks in oil in the larder, as it's a great stand-by to have when you have unexpected friends. Or when you simply need a lunch in a hurry.

I got the recipe from my mum, but it's the same universal recipe used in pretty much every cod-liver-loving family in Estonia (or Russia, for that matter, as Rosie's post reveals). I love it on toast, but you can also serve it to fill vol-au-vents or top small crostini.

Cod Liver Paté
(Klassikaline tursamaksasalat)



190 g can cod liver chunks in oil (look for it in Russian markets)
1-2 eggs, boiled, peeled and finely chopped
a small (shallot) onion, finely chopped
salt and freshly ground black pepper

Drain the cod liver, then place in a small bowl and mash with a fork. Add the egg and onion, season with salt and pepper. (You can add some mayonnaise, if you want a smoother paté, but it's not really necessary).
Garnish with fresh herbs (dill, parsley and chives are especially fine here) and serve.

Whole-baked fish with garlic butter, lemon salt, and dill mayonnaise

If you're looking for a simple, yet impressive fish dish for the weekend, then this adaptation of Donna Hay's recipe could be just a thing. Very simple to make, yet impressive-looking and delicious. I used two doradas a.k.a. gilt-head bream (Sparus aurata), but any similar-sized white-fleshed fish would work (seabass, snapper, bream etc). I've also downsized the recipe to suit our little family, and I served it with dill mayonnaise instead of garlic one. We do love garlic at our house, but as the fish was already baked with garlic butter, we thought that garlic mayonnaise as a side dish would be slightly overdoing on the garlic front.

K. really-really loved this, and volunteered to bring home the fish whenever necessary, just so he could enjoy this dish again.

Whole baked fish with garlic butter, lemon salt and dill mayonnaise
(Kala küüslauguvõi, sidrunisoola ja tillimajoneesiga)
Serves 2

2 smaller whole fish, scaled (if necessary) and gutted
50 g butter, at room temperature
2 garlic cloves, crushed
lemon wedges, to serve

LEMON SALT:
1 Tbsp finely grated lemon zest
2 Tbsp sea salt flakes

DILL MAYONNAISE:
100 g good-quality mayonnaise
1 small garlic clove, crushed
a generous Tbsp freshly chopped dill

Preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F).
To make the lemon salt, place the lemon zest and salt in a bowl, mix well. Set aside.
To make the dill mayonnaise, combine mayonnaise, garlic and dill. Set aside.
Use a small, sharp knife to make small slits in the fish skin. Combine the butter and garlic and place about a tablespoon of the butter mixture in the cavity of each fish. Dot the remaining garlic butter over the fish.
Place on a baking tray lined with non-stick baking paper and bake for 30–35 minutes or until cooked through. Serve with lemon salt, dill mayonnaise and lemon wedges.