Fish au Shrimp Boil
A rich and homely Friday night dinner, and eating out in Margate
This week’s recipe is inspired by the amazing pan I was given for my birthday. It’s the first cast iron pan I’ve ever owned and it’s from Netherton Foundry. It’s safe to say it’s the nicest bit of kitchen kit I own. I decided to christen it by cooking a piece of skin-on fish and serving it simply with a sauce that was rich but also spicy, a kind of Shrimp Boil spiced beurre blanc. I was very happy with the result, but it’s not for those who are careful about butter... I’m also sharing my reflections on a weekend in Margate (AKA London-on-Sea).
My experience with America’s own Shrimp Boil is not highly extensive. Like many others before me, I treated myself to one of Decatur’s shrimp boil kits in lockdown and was quite simply enchanted by the dish. That being a rather expensive meal to recreate at home, I wanted to bring some shrimp boil energy to a little home alone, Friday night fillet of fish…
The result was incredibly rich and homely. It somehow made me think of the Salisbury steak dinner that Dustin Hoffman cooks for his son in Kramer vs. Kramer (the greatest film ever). Though I couldn’t tell you why, because I’ve never tasted a Salisbury steak in my life. Something to do with the butter, corn and onions maybe, and the powerfully hot tears that that scene seems to squeeze out of me every single time.