Mike’s hearty roast tranche of Brill with fennel and shallot beurre blanc, crispy sautéed potatoes and endive.
Ingredients
- 5lb Flat Fish (Split lengthways over the two dishes)
- 2lb Waxy potatoes (Mike uses pink fir apple)
- 2 Red Chicory Bulbs
- Fennel
- Shallots
- Butter
- Bunch of chives
- Rosemary
- Garlic
- Glass of white wine
- Lemon
- Vinegar
- Cream
- Salt and Pepper
- Cup of Seasoned Flour
Method
Prepare the fish – halve the fish by following the natural anatomy, use your fingers to find the nub of bones on the head and using a sharp knife, follow the curve and cut. Remove the fins with scissors. To split the fish into two follow the natural curve across the centre of the fish, along the gut line and cut through the skin before using a wooden mallet and a cleaver to create a clean cut through the spine.
Portion the fish into steaks, again using the meat cleaver and a wooden mallet. Always aim for portions of equal thickness to ensure the cook through at the same time.
Place the potatoes into a pan of salted water, boil for five minutes.
Finely chop the fennel and shallots, slice the red chicory in half and cross hatch the cut side. Finely cut the chives.
Prepare the sauté pan with butter and olive oil, slice the potatoes into slices of similar thickness and add to pan, crush some garlic in skin and add to pan season with salt and pepper and add a sprig of rosemary. Turn the potatoes individually to cook on both sides.
In a separate hot pan add butter and olive oil and lay the red chicory bulbs cut side down and turn when coloured. Add a squeeze of lemon juice. Remove the chicory bulbs and seat on the potatoes to continue cooking.
Dredge the fish steaks in seasoned flour. Prepare a pan with butter, oil, rosemary and crushed garlic whilst ensuring the butter does not get too hot. Fry the steak on all four sides continually basting the top of the steak. Add a piece of lemon zest. Remove when golden and allow to rest.
Add the red chicory back into the pan and sprinkle a small amount of sugar over with a squeeze of lemon juice. Remove and rest with fish steak.
Prepare the Beurre Blanc – In a pan add butter, shallots and fennel and sweat over a low heat. Add a splash of white wine, a drop of vinegar and a squeeze of lemon. Add a touch of cream, turn down the heat and add the butter shake the pan to allow to emulsify. Add cut chives.
Plate the dish promptly to avoid the sauce splitting, layer the sauce, sautéed potatoes and steak with the red chicory on top, finish with additional sauce.