As many of you may have gathered from my last journal, I felt it was time for a little break. So, last week, Tamara and I headed down to the south Dorset coast for a couple of days—the first time we’d had a trip sans enfants in a few years!
We stayed at a beautiful place called Outbuildings, just a few minutes’ drive from the coast. It’s set on a farm (a real busman’s holiday for me—I get dizzy if I open the window in the morning and don’t see grass and cows).
We were lucky to have one day of sunshine, which we spent hiking up to the top of Golden Cap, the highest point on the Jurassic coast. The next day? Torrential wind and rain. That didn’t stop Tamara, who dragged me out on a trail run—my legs are still feeling the effects of it!
Being by the coast is one of my spiritual saviours. I’ve written before about how getting out into the wild helps me escape my head and my thoughts. The sea amplifies that feeling—the sheer vastness of it always puts things back in perspective.
It also reignites my love for seafood. Dorset is home to our brilliant Friday fishmonger, Greig, and so much of what’s on offer down there can be found right here at Hartley every Friday morning.
I must admit, since Christmas, I hadn’t quite got my sea legs back when it came to cooking fish. But one of the places we ate at—on my culinary hit list for a while—was Rockfish in Weymouth.
Started by local seafood chef Mitch Tonks, Rockfish is an absolute must-visit if you’re on the South Coast. Fresh seafood, deliciously simple dishes, and a relaxed, seaside atmosphere—picture a beautiful plate of fritto misto, a cold glass of Devon lager, and the sea breeze in your hair. Perfection.
So inspired were we that we bought Mitch’s book, Rockfish. It’s packed with brilliant recipes using the best fish and seafood found on the South Coast.
This weekend, I’ll be trying my hand at Rockfish Seafood Chowder. Don’t forget—Greig brings in what’s been landed that day and has an encyclopaedic knowledge of the fish world. So if you’re missing an ingredient, just ask him what he’d use instead!
Ingredients
- 1kg mussels
- 500g live clams
- 200ml white wine
- A sprig of thyme
- 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 1 large leek, finely choppped
- 1 celery stick, finel chopped
- 100g diced smoked pancetta (optional)
- 2 fresh bay leaves – give them a little tear
- 400ml double cream
- 300g finely diced potatoes
- 200g skinless fish fillet cut into bite-sized pieces – pollack, cod and monkfish all work well
- 150g skinless Alfred Enderby smoked haddock fillet cut into bite sized pieces
- 12 peeled raw king prawns, or a handful of small peeled prawns
- A handful of chopped parsley
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Method
Wash the mussels in cold water. Scrape off any barnacles attached to the shells and pull off the brown wispy beards, if there. Discard any mussels with broken shells. If any mussels are open, tap them sharply. If they don’t close, discard them – they are dead and not edible. Rinse the mussels again, then drain in a colander.
Check that all the clam shells are undamaged and tightly shut (or close when tapped). Rinse under cold running water to remove any grit or sand.
Put the mussels and clams in a pan large enough to hold them comfortably without crowding – it’s better if they are spread out rather than being piled on top of each other. Add the white wine, thyme and 1 of the garlic cloves. Crank up the heat, cover and steam until the shells open. Leave to cool, then remove the clams and mussels from their shells, discarding any that haven’t opened. Strain the juices and reserve.
Melt the butter in the same pan and add the carrots, leek, celery, remaining garlic, pancetta, if using, and bay leaves. Cook gently until the vegetables are softened. Add the reserved shellfish juice and the cream and bring to a simmer. Add the diced potatoes and simmer for 8–10 minutes or until they start to break down.
Add the raw fish and prawns and cook for 5–6 minutes, then add the mussels and clams to warm through for a few minutes. Finish with plenty of chopped parsley and season to taste.