Aromatic Baked Gurnard With Chilli Pak Choi

First off the baked gurnard... now this was my mother's recipe which I subtlety augmented with some soya sauce... everything else is hers. Now gurnard is not a well represented fish... you do not often see it in restaurants. Plus it is ugly - well the head is anyway... All rather a shame....because not only does it taste good it is also quite sustainable. If you want to buy sustainable fish then gurnard is a safe bet (at least for now)

2 gurnard gutted and cleaned.... ours were beheaded as well but it is not necessary
A small thumb size of ginger - cut into small slivers
1 stalk of lemongrass - finely sliced
Dash of olive oil
Dash of soya sauce
Seasoning
(for 2)

1. Pre-heat your oven to a medium heat.
2. Clean up your gurnard and place in some aluminium foil - enough to wrap around the fish.
3. Sprinkle the ginger and lemongrass over the fish and rub some into the flesh of the fish.
4. Dash over the olive oil and soya sauce and season.
5. Carefully fold the foil over the fish leaving some space above the fish to let it steam.
   
6. Place in the oven for 15-20 minutes.
   

Whilst your gurnard in baking quickly prepare the chilli pak choi. Pak choi is such a great thing to have, especially in the winter when there is a lack of great vegetables around.

Head of pak choi - separate leaves and wash
1 large red chilli (you want it quite mild really) - sliced
1-2 cloves of garlic sliced
Couple dashes of soya sauce
1 tbsp of oil (I normally use olive oil but sunflower would be just as good. Try sesame oil for a change)

1. Heat the oil in a large frying pan or wok - a medium to high heat.
   
2. Add the pak choi, chilli and garlic and stir for about a minute
3. Add the soya sauce and cook for 3-4 minutes but this is really up to you and how hard and crispy you want the pak choi. As you can eat it raw is does not need much cooking at all..
4. Serve with your gurnard.
   

You can add all sorts to the pak choi and chilli - red peppers, beanshoots, water chestnuts.... try a combination.