Fish and Potato Bake
(Bouillinade)

Fish and Potato Bake or 'Bouillinade' is a traditional recipe from Languedoc, a region in France that borders Spain.

Therefore olive oil and fresh herbs are the main ingredients to most dishes from this area. It's rare to find sheep or cattle grazing in the fields here, so dairy produce is not in abundance.

One of the reasons why the people who live in this area of France tend to have a higher life expectancy than their counterparts in the north.

This recipe is one of my favourite fish dishes, because it is very much a comfort food, and I find my boys lap it up.

I have added a little touch of my own ie. the cheese at the end, not traditional to the dish, but a little of what you fancy won't hurt!!

Fish and Potato Bake (Bouillinade)

Serves:- 4, Preparation time:- 10 mins, Cooking time:- 30 mins

Ingredients

* 1 tablespoon of butter or lard
* 1 large handful of parsley
* 650g or 1&1/2lb of potatoes, sliced
* 1kg or 2lb of mixed fish, scaled, gutted, washed then cut into cubes
* 4-5 cloves of garlic, chopped finely
* cayenne pepper
* saffron
* salt and pepper
* 2 tablespoons of olive oil
* and some flour

Method

* melt the butter in a large pan, remove from the heat

* add all the parsley, salt, pepper, galic, saffron and cayenne

* dust the fish with flour

* then build layers of potato and fish starting and finishing with potatoes, in the pan

* just cover with cold water and bring to the boil

* add the olive oil, when boiling, then cover and simmer for about 20 mins

* you can also add a little cheese on top when cooked and place under the grill till it browns