Salmon and Coley Egg Bake with Cheese and Herb Crust

This is a recipe comprised of two different types of sustainable fish. Coley is a lesser known member of the cod family which remains plentiful in our seas, while the salmon used in this recipe is farmed. This dish is very easy and fairly quick to make and should serve two people. I have served it with some new potatoes, simmered for half an hour in lightly salted water, and Brussels sprouts, simmered for ten minutes.

Salmon and Coley Egg Bake Ingredients

1/4lb fillet of salmon
1/4lb fillet of coley
2 eggs
2 tbsp fresh breadcrumbs
2oz cheddar cheese
1/4 red bell pepper
1 tsp freshly chopped basil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Sunflower oil for frying fish
Butter for greasing baking dish

Method

The salmon and coley fillets firstly have to be cooked by frying them gently in a little sunflower oil in a non-stick frying pan. Depending on the thickness of the fillets, they should take two to four minutes each side. When the fillets are cooked, they should be removed to a plate, covered and left for around ten minutes to cool. They can then be carefully flaked by hand and this is also a good way of removing and discarding any remaining bones.

The fish flakes should be spread evenly in an ovenproof dish, 6" in diameter and 1" deep, which has been liberally greased with butter. The eggs should be broken in to a bowl, seasoned with salt and pepper and beaten to combine. The egg mix should be poured over the fish and the dish placed in to the oven, preheated to 375F/190C/Gas Mark 5, until the egg can be seen to have set. This should take fifteen to twenty minutes.

While the egg and fish is cooking, the cheese and herb crust should be prepared. The cheese should be grated/shredded and the bell pepper finely diced, before being mixed thoroughly with the breadcrumbs and basil in a bowl. When the egg and fish bake is ready, it should be removed from the oven and the topping spread evenly on top. The dish is now finished under a hot grill for three or four minutes, until the topping begins to bubble and brown.

Running a blunt knife around the edges of the coley and salmon bake should free it easily from the baking dish and allow it to be carefully lifted to a plate with a plastic spatula or fish turner. It can then be halved and served with the potatoes and sprouts.

Remember, you can find lots more recipes for salmon, coley and other sustainable fish via the links in the right hand column of this blog and do your bit to help preserve our declining fish stocks.