Il Tricolore

Some meals are simply perfect. Of course it is all a matter of preference but last night's offering to the gods of cooking has to be listed as being on a par with the best that I have experienced. It's not arrogance. After all I merely cooked it, ate it and tasted it and it was indeed for my own pleasure. It's reportage. So I am not up there in the presentation of the food but to me that's not what I'm all about.

Ingredients:

• 2 x 250g pieces of hake loin.

• 4 slices from a lemon

• 4 thin slices from a block of unsalted butter

• freshly ground pepper

• 150g fresh samphire (rinsed)

• 150g fresh cherry tomatoes

• 50g capers

• Oil for frying the tomatoes

• Balsamic vinegar

Method:

Set the oven at 180C and bring up to temperature.

Place each hake loin onto its own piece of baking parchment, skin side down. Place the two slices of lemon on the fish and top each piece with a thin slice of butter. Season with freshly ground pepper.

Form the papillote pouches and place them on a baking tray. I used two enamel dishes that I was going to serve the fish on.

Place in the oven and cook for about 15 minutes.

Meanwhile halve the cherry tomatoes and season with pepper and set aside. (The capers will provide the salt)

Bring a pan of water to the boil and blanch the samphire. Drain and set aside.

In a frying pan add a few drops of olive oil and heat. Add the cherry tomatoes and trin them cut side down. fry for a while and then flip over and add the capers. Stir together and continue to fry for a couple of minutes. Add a little liquid ( water of white wine) and continue to heat for a while, if the pan is a little dry. Turn off the heat and set aside.

Bring out the fish and remove it from the pouch before placing it back in the centre of the cooking pan.

Dress with a little balsamic vinegar

Add the samphire and the tomato mix and serve immediately .

Observations:

You can of course use any fish. Cod and haddock would be good substitutes but they all have different texture.

I refrained from using garlic much as I love it because I didn't want to overpower the fish.