Devilled Gurnard with Mint and Tomato Salad

Serves 4

4 x 350 g (12 oz) gurnard, cleaned and trimmed

40 g (1 ½ oz) butter

1 teaspoon caster sugar

1 teaspoon English mustard powder

1 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 teaspoon ground coriander

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 teaspoons salt

For the Mint and Tomato Salad:

225 g (8 oz) small vine-ripened tomatoes, sliced

1 small onion, halved and very thinly sliced

1 tablespoon chopped mint

1 tablespoon lemon juice

Method

Pre-heat the grill to high. Slash the skin of the gurnard at 1 cm (1/2 inch) intervals on both sides from the head all the way down to the tail, taking care not to cut too deeply into the flesh.

Melt the butter in a small roasting tin. Remove from the heat, stir in the sugar, mustard, spices, vinegar, pepper and salt and mix together well. Add the gurnard to the butter and turn them over once or twice until well coated in the mixture, spreading some into the cavity of each fish as well. Transfer them to a lightly oiled baking sheet or the rack of the grill pan and grill for 4 minutes on each side, until cooked through.

Meanwhile, for the salad, layer the sliced tomatoes, onion and mint on 4 serving plates, sprinkling the layers with the lemon juice and some seasoning. Put the cooked gurnard alongside and serve, with some fried sliced potatoes if you wish.