Recipes: Guinea Fowl ‘Coq Au Van’, Seared fillet of wild sea trout, saffron potatoes, king prawn and vegetable chowder

John Paul, executive chef at his signature restaurant John Paul at the Marine, within the Macdonald Marine Hotel & Spa, North Berwick, was recently awarded Scottish Hotel Chef of the Year 2012.

His award-winning 2 AA rosette restaurant serves the highest quality Scottish-influenced dishes with brasserie-style prices against the spectacular backdrop of the Firth of Forth. Here he provides a couple of mouthwatering dishes for budding chefs to try in their own home:

Guinea Fowl ‘Coq Au Van’

Ingredients

1 whole guinea fowl

Half pint of beef stock

Half pint of chicken stock

10 baby onions

30g diced pancetta

Sprig of thyme

Sprig of rosemary

2 garlic gloves

1 large glass of red wine (Burgundy or similar/heavy)

1 teaspoon of tomato paste

Chopped shallots

Fresh tomato concasse

Fresh tarragon

Method

Portion and seal guinea fowl until golden brown in a casserole dish, then remove and reserve for use.

In the same dish, fry the garlic, shallots and pancetta, tyme and rosemary and cook for a few minutes.

Add tomato paste and wine and reduce by half.

Add beef and chicken stock with baby onions and then put in portioned and sealed guinea fowl.

Bring to the boil, put a lid on dish and put it in the oven at 160 degrees for approx 1- 1.5 hours or until cooked.

When ready, chop tomato concasse and fresh tarragon, sprinkle on and serve.

Seared fillet of wild sea trout, saffron potatoes, king prawn and vegetable chowder

Ingredients

2 140g fillets of wild sea trout, scaled and pin boned (please ask fishmonger to do this for you)

5 king prawns butterflied

Half a glass of white wine (not sweet)

Quarter pint of double cream

Tablespoon of diced courgettes

Tablespoon of sunblushed tomatoes

Tablespoon of asparagus

Tablespoon of sugar snaps

Tablespoon of petit pois

Knob of butter

Chopped parsley, chive and dill

1 large waxy potato (Yukon Gold preferably)

Few strands of saffron

Chopped shallots

Quarter pint of fish stock

Method

Reduce shallots and white wine in a pan then add fish stock and reduce by half.

Season and reserve for use. Cut potato to size of dice, then boil in water, saffron and salt, and reserve.

Start to pan fry your sea trout, skin side down, for 70 per cent of the cooking. Bring the sauce to the boil, add prawns, vegetables, herbs and potatoes.

Turn over sea trout, and finish with foaming butter.

To serve, put chowder in bowl and place sea trout on top of chowder.