When it comes to seafood, choose the best, choose Shetland.

Marian Armitage made this for her appearance on BBC Radio Shetland’s ‘Shetland’s Larder’ and adapted the recipe for the ‘So Much To Sea’ community events.

It’s a more wintry recipe using seasonal root vegetables: onions, leek, a piece of a neep, a carrot, a potato and celeriac. Once the liquor is cooked all you do is add a selection of cut up pieces of fresh fish and cook for no more than five minutes. Marian used: squid, cod and monk cheeks but the choice is endless.

 

INGREDIENTS FOR FISH SOUP

• 25g Shetland butter (or use oil if you prefer)
• 1 small onion – chopped
• Half a leek – thinly sliced
• 1 carrot – grated
• A piece of a neep (50g) – grated
• A piece of celeriac (50g) – grated
• 1 clove garlic – crushed and finely chopped
• 1 potato peeled and cut into small pieces
• Zest of 1 orange – finely grated
• 1 tin of chopped tomatoes
• Pepper and a little salt
• 200ml white wine
• 200ml fish stock
• A handful of coarsely chopped parsley
• A selection of Shetland fish cut into pieces

 

METHOD

1. Soften the oil and garlic in the butter.
2. Add absolutely everything else and cook for 30 mins.
3. The raw fish should be added about 10 minutes before serving with a good handful of parsley to garnish.

 

INGREDIENTS FOR STUFFED SQUID

• 100g cooked couscous
• 4cm piece of chorizo – chopped
• 100g bag of baby spinach – cooked and chopped
• 25g Shetland butter
• 1 onion – chopped
• 1 clove garlic – chopped
• 1 tablespoon capers
• Squid tentacles – chopped
• A handful of chopped parsley

 

METHOD FOR STUFFED SQUID

1. Soften the onion and garlic in the butter
2. Add the chopped tentacles cook for a few moments
3. Add all the other ingredients mix thoroughly and heat through
4. Pack into the squid bodies and close with a skewer
5. Cook in the soup liquor for no more than 3 – 4 minutes on each side
6. Slice on to warmed plates and spoon over the liquor