March seems to mark heartwarming changes in my seaside town of Lyme Regis. The cold wet days are carried away by a milder, kinder type of breeze, and on it there’s a feeling of spring. The smaller fishing boats put back into the water, and the putt-putt-putt of their engines adds a new layer to the morning chorus. The smells of this wakening up of the season intensify my love of this place, and the sea and the food that belong to it; the smells of chips cooking and low tides, of vinegar and stone, of beach fires and fresh fish. These recipes connect me to this place and this time of year. There are plump pickled mussels in apple-cider vinegar to be piled on buttered brown bread. I’ve included an oyster dish that is as delicious as it is easy, and I think I’ve pieced together Mum’s fish pie – at least, it tastes pretty similar.

Grilled oysters in smoked bacon and wild garlic butter

Grilling oysters might seem at odds with popular convention, we’re so used to eating them raw, straight from the shell, but it wasn’t always that way. Oysters used to be cooked like other shellfish tends to be – steamed, fried and even popped in pies. Cooking them like this gives them a completely different feel, perfect for anyone who finds live oysters a challenge.

Serves 2
oysters 12 Pacific or native
smoked streaky bacon 2 rashers
good olive oil
unsalted butter 50g, soft
wild garlic 6-8 small leaves, rinsed and finely chopped
freshly ground black pepper
fresh white breadcrumbs 4 tbsp, coarse
pecorino or other hard sheep’s cheese 2 tbsp, finely grated
To shuck an oyster you’ll need an oyster knife (one with a sturdy, short blade) and a tea towel to protect your hand from the sharp shell (and the sharp knife). Hold the oyster firmly, cupped-side down in the tea towel, resting your hand on a chopping board, with the shell’s hinge facing towards you. Insert the knife tip downwards between the two halves of the shell at the pointed back end, at the hinge. Lever the shell open a little, then slip the knife along the underside of the top half of the shell, severing the oyster’s adductor muscle and fully opening the shell. Carefully slide the knife blade underneath the oyster to release it completely. Try to save any liquor in the shell. Shuck the oysters one by one, leaving them in the shell in their juices while you prepare the smoked bacon and wild garlic butter.

Dice the bacon into small pieces. Heat a little pan and trickle in a dash of oil. Add the diced bacon and cook, stirring regularly, until it is just cooked.

Tip the cooked bacon and any fat out into a bowl. When it’s cooled a little, add the soft butter, chopped wild garlic and a good twist of black pepper, and mix vigorously with a wooden spoon.

Place the oysters on a large shallow roasting tray. A crumpled sheet of foil can help to keep them upright. Divide the butter equally between the oysters then place the whole tray directly under a preheated grill. Cook the oysters for 3 minutes. While that’s happening, combine the breadcrumbs with the grated cheese and a trickle of olive oil. Sprinkle this mixture over the oysters then return them to the grill for a further 2-4 minutes or until they have turned a golden brown. Serve at once.

Potted crab

There’s a fisherman called Matt who runs a small yellow boat out of the harbour. In a month or so he’ll be landing cuttlefish, then later in the summer he will be taking out day-trippers for mackerel. Right now he’s landing brown crab, and I’m lucky enough to have his mobile number. If you can’t find fresh whole crab on the high street try Sole of Discretion, an ethical fishmonger in Devon, who’ll send you super-fresh picked crab meat direct.

Serves 4-6
unsalted butter 150g, very soft
shallots 2 small or 1 larger, very finely diced
lemon thyme or common thyme 3-4 sprigs, leaves stripped and chopped
salt and freshly ground black pepper
brandy 2 tbsp
fresh white crab meat 300g
cayenne pepper 2 generous pinches
unwaxed lemon juice and very finely grated zest of 1

Place a small knob of the butter in a small saucepan and set it over a low heat. When it’s hot add the shallots, thyme leaves and some salt and pepper, stir and cook gently until the shallots are soft and translucent. Pour in the brandy and bring to a simmer. Remove the pan from the heat and allow the mixture to cool to room temperature.

Place the remaining soft butter straight into the pan with the brandy and shallot mixture. Use a hand or electric whisk to beat the butter mixture until it’s light and airy. Gently fold the crab meat into the butter along with the lemon juice and zest, and season everything with salt, pepper and the cayenne for warmth. Then transfer to four small ramekins or one larger individual dish.

Use the back of a warm spoon to smooth over the surface of the crab. Sprinkle over a few extra thyme leaves and twist over some cracked black pepper.

Place the crab in the fridge until you are ready to serve. Remove it from the fridge at least 1 hour before you plan to eat it, otherwise it will be too cold.

I like to serve this potted crab with plenty of warm crunchy toast and some pickled gherkins or cucumber.

Pickled mussels and brown bread

Quite a lot of the mussels we enjoy eating in this country are “rope grown”, meaning, quite literally, they are grown on ropes. It’s a form of aquaculture that seems entirely positive, so we should all get behind it and cook more mussels. This recipe is far simpler than it appears, and it’s super delicious. Serve as a starter or with drinks before a meal. Fresh brown bread and cold butter is an absolute must.

Serves 2 as a starter or 4 as a snack
mussels 1kg, washed and debearded
red onion 1 small, peeled, halved and very finely sliced
cider vinegar 4 tbsp, good-quality
golden caster sugar 4 tsp
bay leaves 2
thyme sprigs 2
caraway seeds 1 tsp, toasted
coriander seeds 2 tsp, toasted and lightly crushed
chives ½ small bunch, very finely chopped
salt and freshly ground black pepper

Place a large pan over a high heat. Add 100ml water and when it’s boiling hard, tip in the mussels and place a close-fitting lid on the pan. Cook, shaking the pan once or twice, for 1-2 minutes, or until the mussel shells are all just open. Turn off the heat, then drain the mussels into a colander set over a bowl to catch the cooking liquor. Discard any mussels that haven’t opened up.

When the mussels are cool enough to handle, remove the meat from the shells and place it in a bowl. Pour all but the last couple of tablespoons of the mussel liquor (which can be gritty) into a clean pan. Add the sliced onion, cider vinegar, sugar, bay, thyme and the toasted seeds.

Bring the mixture up to a simmer then switch off the heat and let it infuse and cool for 15-20 minutes. Pour the pickling liquor over the mussels, add the chives and season to taste with salt and pepper. You can, if you like, tweak the balance of sweetness or acidity by adding a dash more sugar or vinegar, respectively.

The mussels can be eaten straight away, but I think they improve if you can leave them for a few hours to steep.

To serve, pile the mussels and lots of lovely oniony juices onto thickly buttered brown bread, and enjoy.

Clams with sausage, chilli and fennel seed

I’ve used Manila clams in this recipe, sustainably harvested from Poole Harbour in Dorset. They are a meaty, sweet clam and at this time of year they’re not difficult to come by. Be sure to ask your fishmonger about them. This is one of my favourite ways to cook them. It’s deeper and richer than most clam dishes and makes a perfect quick supper. Fennel seed, chilli and good herby pork sausages (with plenty of fat) work well with the clams, but if you can’t find this versatile bivalve for any reason, you can make a very similar dish with mussels.

Serves 4
olive oil 1 tbsp
butter a large knob
fennel seeds 1 tbsp, lightly crushed
chilli flakes a good pinch
pork sausages 6 free-range or organic, skinned and coarsely crumbled
bay leaf 1
onion 1 medium, peeled and finely diced
garlic 4 cloves, peeled and grated or finely chopped
lemon zest of ½ small
salt and freshly ground black pepper
chopped tomatoes 1 x 400g tin
live clams about 1.5kg
flat-leaf parsley ½ small bunch , leaves picked and finely chopped
extra virgin olive oil to finish

Place a large, heavy wide-based pan over a medium heat. Add the olive oil and the butter and when it’s bubbling away add the fennel seeds and chilli flakes. Sizzle gently for 1-2 minutes. Now add the crumbled sausage and bay leaf. Fry the sausage meat on all sides until it’s beginning to caramelise and it smells delicious. Add the diced onion, garlic, lemon zest and some salt and pepper and stir well. Cook, stirring regularly, for a further 4-6 minutes or until the onion is beginning to soften. Tip in the chopped tinned tomatoes and half a tin of water and stir well. Bring the sauce to a simmer and cook uncovered for 25-30 minutes. If it looks a little dry at any point add a dash more water. Taste the sauce and season with salt and black pepper to taste.

Rinse the clams thoroughly in fresh water, discarding any that remain open or have broken shells. Turn the heat up a little under the sauce and add the clams. Stir once or twice, then set a lid down on the pan. Cook the clams for 2 minutes giving the pan a shake and a shuffle once or twice as they cook.

Remove the lid, sprinkle in the chopped parsley, drizzle with extra virgin olive oil, and stir everything once. Discard any clams that haven’t opened. Bring the pan to the table and serve with buttered bread, mashed potato or a rich wet polenta.

Mum’s fish pie

This is my interpretation of my mum’s fish pie and I think it’s pretty close. The thing is, she never wrote any of her recipes down, so if I try and recreate something she made, I do it by memory. The memories I have of being in the kitchen with her as she prepared the smoked fish, shelled the mussels, chopped the parsley and mashed the spuds.

Serves 8
For the filling
fresh live mussels 800g, washed and debearded
free-range eggs 6, at room temperature
butter 125g
flour 100g
leeks 2 medium, split, washed and thinly sliced
whole milk 500ml, warmed
double cream 200ml
natural smoked haddock 600g, skinned and cubed
whiting, hake or cod fillet 400g, skinned and cubed
flat-leaf parsley 1 bunch, leaves picked and finely chopped
salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the topping
white floury potatoes about 1.2kg, peeled and cut into large chunks
butter 100g
whole milk 150ml
coarse white breadcrumbs 2-3 tbsp
mature cheddar cheese 2-3 tbsp
salt and black pepper

Place a large pan over a high heat. Add 100ml water and when it’s boiling hard, tip in the mussels and put on a close-fitting lid. Cook, shaking the pan once or twice, for 1-2 minutes, or until the mussel shells are just open. Drain them into a colander set over a bowl to catch the cooking liquor, and reserve. Discard any mussels that haven’t opened up.

When the mussels are cool enough to handle, remove the meat from the shells and place it in a bowl.

Cook the eggs in boiling water for 6-7 minutes. Drain them and carefully peel them when they’ve cooled a bit.

Bring the potatoes to the boil in a plenty of salted water. Cook for 20-25 minutes or until they are really tender. Drain and allow them to steam off for 5 minutes then return them to the pan. Mash the potatoes thoroughly. Then beat in the butter and milk. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Preheat the oven to 200C/gas mark 6.

Place a large heavy-based pan on a medium heat and add 25g of the butter. When it’s hot add the leeks, season and cook stirring regularly for 6-8 minutes or until they are soft. Lift the leeks from the pan to a plate, return the pan to the heat and add the rest of the butter. When it’s bubbling away add the flour, stir well and cook for a minute or so. Now gradually add the warm milk and the mussel liquor (except the very last bit which can be gritty), and stir until you have a smooth thick sauce. Allow the sauce to cook away gently for 4-5 minutes then add the cream and the cubed fish, along with the mussels, leeks and chopped parsley. Season well with salt and pepper and carefully stir everything together.

Halve the eggs and arrange them over the base of a large baking dish. Ladle the fish and sauce over the top, level it out then carefully spoon over the warm mash. Sprinkle the top of the pie with the breadcrumbs and cheese and place in the oven to bake for about 25-30 minutes until piping hot and golden on top.

Allow the pie to cool for 10 minutes before serving.

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