Fishing villages and prawns fresh from the boat

I've mentioned Steveston before. Once here, of the infamous salmon gutting experience and also here, a short visual post about live sea urchins for sale. Fishing villages have a special allure for me, especially those in the South West of England, like these, full of salty old sea dogs, the smell of fish in the air and the endless wail of seagulls trying to fill their bellies. As a child I holidayed often in such places and always found the mystery of smugglers and pirates exciting, made stronger by the Enid Blyton Famous Five books I read, often telling tales of mysteries to be solved through misty coast line cliffs and violent, crashing waves. Of course, most British fishing villages no longer rely on good French brandy smuggled into caves to boost their economy, they have tourists and fish sales for that. Crab sticks, cockles doused in vinegar, tiny, pink prawns and chewy, sandy mussels, not exactly gourmet but nostalgic offerings none the less.

Vancouver has a teeny tiny little fish port located on Granville Island, complete with 2 or 3 fishing boats selling their freshly caught wares. It's where I bought the spot prawns from this blog post. If you really want some fresh sea food, however, you need to take the trip out to Steveston. A 30 minute car ride or an hour on a bus will land you in this mini fishing village. Incredibly popular with tourists, it has everything a good little seaside town needs, albeit with a more North American flare. Think gelato, fish and chip restaurants aplenty and a coastal trail around a dusty, scrubby bushed park.

But it's the fish that most people come for. Several boats roll in selling anything from salmon, prawns, tuna, skate, ling cod and those fresh sea urchins. Crowds gather, people push and jostle and many dollar notes are exchanged for bags of whole fish or other such sea wonders. I usually make the journey for the shrimp, this time $10 for a 4lb bag of ready shelled that created 2 meals, the tiny creatures diminishing even more once cooked, so that each prawn became no bigger than a thumbnail.

There is also a fish mongers on dry land with large polystyrene boxes outside containing the fresh catch for that week. These impressively gilled red snapper caught our eye.

Occasionally large ships such as this one pass by, piquing our interest as they move at a speed that seems to beggar belief compared to their vastness. Lots of people stop to watch and take photos, no doubt wondering what could possibly be contained inside. It's that mystery aspect again, although I'm sure their cargo is more likely to be cars or some such commercial commodity than ill gotten liquor. but who knows?

Recipe 1 : Prawn spaghetti with a tomato cream sauce

1 tin of plum tomatoes

1/2 dried chili, crumbled 

2 tsp dried oregano

1/2 tsp balsamic vinegar

salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

2 tbsp cream

2 lbs of small, raw, peeled shrimp

1 tsp capers

spaghetti for 2

Empty the can of tomatoes into a pan set over low- medium heat, adding the chili and dried oregano. Stir well and let it simmer very gently for about 20 minutes, adding a few drops of water if it seems to be getting too dry. Break the tomatoes up with a spoon and add the balsamic, season to taste and allow to simmer, covering the pan for another 10 minutes or so, (keep the heat low). 

Meanwhile, cook the spaghetti in a large pan of boiling salted water until al dente, (almost cooked but still retaining a little bite).

Drain the spaghetti and add to the tomatoes, adding the cream, prawns and capers. Turn the heat to medium - high and cook, stirring well to mix all the ingredients together and allow the tomato cream sauce to thicken slightly. Add a little butter if you like, stir well and serve.

Recipe 2 : Thai style prawn cakes

2 lbs peeled, raw shrimp

3 spring onions, (scallions), sliced finely

1 clove garlic, chopped

1 inch piece ginger, chopped

1/2 chili pepper, seeds removed and chopped

a handful of fresh cilantro (coriander)

2 tbsp oil

1.5 tbsp fish sauce

2 tsp raw cane sugar

juice of one lime

1/2 can water chestnuts, chopped small

1 slice day old bread, whizzed to breadcrumbs in a processor or 2 tbsp breadcrumbs

Place the prawns, spring onions, ginger, garlic, chili, cilantro, oil, fish sauce, sugar and lime juice in a blender or processor and puree coarsely until fairly smooth and well combined. 

Remove from the processor and place into a bowl. Add the water chestnuts and breadcrumbs and mix well.

Shape the mixture into 6 burger or cake type shapes and dust with a little flour on both sides to help them firm up a little. Place the cakes on a plate, cover with cling wrap and refrigerate for about 20 minutes.

Heat enough peanut or vegetable oil in a frying pan to reach about 1/4 inch up the pan, over medium - high heat. Test the oil is hot enough by throwing in a small piece of bread and watching it sizzle. If it immediately starts bubbling quite furiously, the oil is ready. Add the prawn cakes and fry for about 3 - 4 minutes on both sides until golden brown, cooked through and crisp. Remove and drain on paper towels.

The breadcrumbs in the mix add a nice toasted texture and the water chestnuts add crunch and a really fresh taste. The cakes are great to eat alone or dipped into a sweet chili sauce.

Recipe 3 : Arugula salad with a Thai inspired dressing

I felt the need to pair the fried prawn cakes with something bright, fresh and healthy and this simple little salad was born.

a handful of arugula (rocket)

1/4 bell pepper. seeded and thinly sliced

1/4 carrot, peeled and thinly sliced

1/4 cucumber, cut into small chunks

1 spring onion, thinly sliced

Dressing

1 tbsp fish sauce

1/2 tsp raw cane sugar

juice of half a lime

a little chili powder

Place all the salad ingredients in a bowl. Mix the dressing ingredients together, mashing the cane sugar into the liquids until dissolved and pour over the salad. Mix well.