Arguably the best seafood chef in the world, Nathan Outlaw has shared this recipe with Villeroy & Boch and we are delighted to share it with you.
Probably the most premium fish you can buy or eat and normally the most expensive, turbot is a real treat for anyone.
Wild Turbot is at its best when the sea is at its coldest. Unfortunately, a lot of the time this coincides with the sea being at its roughest, making it harder for boats to get out and catch the prime treat. Luckily there is a good deal of quality farmed turbot on the market now, which is a far more sustainable source.
Your fishmonger will be able to help you find some great farmed fish. Good quality farmed fish should be fed on sustainable organic feed and farmed at sea.
Ingredients
Servings: 4
Preparation Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
Cooking Time: 20 minutes
For the Fish
- 1 x 1.5 – 2kg whole turbot (wild or farmed)
- Rapeseed oil, for cooking
- Cornish sea salt, for seasoning
For the Tartare Sauce
- 2 free range egg yolks
- 1 tspn english mustard
- 1 tspn white wine vinegar
- 300ml rapeseed oil
- 15g capers chopped roughly
- 15g gherkins diced
- ½ juice of 1 lemon
- Fresh tarragon
- Fresh parsley
- ¼ small lettuce finely sliced
- 200ml fish stock
For the ‘fish finger’
- 4 x turbot goujons from trim when preparing the turbot
- 1 whole free range egg (whisked ready for egg wash)
- 100g Plain white flour
- 200g Breadcrumbs
Method
SAUCE
If you are feeling handy, fillet and skin the turbot, or ask your fish monger to. Use the fish bones, trim and head to make the fish stock. Out of the fillets, cut four good sized portions of fish, and use the remaining fish to cut four goujons for the ‘fish fingers’.
For the ‘fish fingers’ take your goujons and roll them through some seasoned white flour, shaking off the excess, dip in the egg wash, then finally roll in the breadcrumbs.
To make the tartare sauce, first make a mayonnaise. Whisk together the egg yolks, mustard, and white wine vinegar. Gradually add the rapeseed oil, constantly whisking, until a thick mayonnaise forms. Add the chopped capers and gherkins, as well as some salt and fresh lemon juice to taste. Place the mayonnaise into a sauce pan and gradually add the fish stock until you have a sauce which coats the back of the spoon (single cream consistency). Leave to the side ready to heat.
To cook the ‘fish fingers’ Pre heat 200ml of rapeseed oil in a sauce pan to 160?C. You will need to start this before you start cooking to let it slowly come up to temperature. Make sure you use a large enough sauce pan – the oil should reach no further than a third of the way up the pan.
To cook the turbot fillets, heat a large non-stick pan for 1 – 2 minutes. Add a small drizzle of oil and place your turbot fillets in the pan. Allow the turbot to cook for two minutes on a high heat, then turn the heat down to medium and continue to cook for another minute. Season the fillets with sea salt and turn to cook on the other side. Season the top and remove the pan from the heat and allow the fillets to continue cooking in the pan. Place your tartare sauce on the heat and gently heat through, be careful not to boil the sauce as this will result in scrambled egg. Gently place your ‘fish fingers’ in to the hot oil and cook until golden brown. Remove with a slotted metal spoon and drain on some kitchen paper. Season with sea salt.
When your sauce is heated through add your lettuce and freshly chopped parsley and tarragon and pour a little in the middle of four bowls. Take your fillets of turbot out of the pan and place on top of the sauce. Finish by placing the ‘fish fingers’ on top.
Serve with some lightly fried diced potatoes or even some new potatoes.
For more great recipes from great chefs take a look at Chef’s Corner