Food
Hooked on a feeling
by Martin Bosley
Simplicity is the secret to success when cooking fresh fish.
Fresh fish is one of the most rewarding ingredients to cook. A grilled fillet, for example, with its delicate, sweet flavours of the sea, can produce the most sublime eating pleasure.
At home, I prepare fish as simply as possible, eliminating cream and butter from the sauces unless I’m feeling particularly indulgent. Sometimes, though, I add a splash of Vermouth or Pernod or lightly whisk in a small amount of butter with any pan juices, adding a large amount of curly parsley that has been, in the words of British chef Fergus Henderson, “disciplined”. In other words, chopped. Of all the herbs that can accompany fish, parsley remains its most suitable companion.
At our restaurant, the menu features as many as five varieties of fish a day, and it includes the statement that all the fish we serve has been wild-caught using sustainable methods. I decided to include this information because overseas guests always seemed to want to know how old the fish was and what it had eaten. Initially, I thought they meant how long it had been out of the water. Eventually, I figured out that these were valid questions for people so used to buying and eating farmed fish. They wanted to know the age of the fish at harvest and if it had been fed growth hormones.
As New Zealand’s aquaculture industry focuses mainly on mussels, paua and oysters, with the possible exception of salmon, we tend to assume that our fresh fish is always wild-caught, and usually by day-boats at that.
I am fortunate to get my fish from Rachel Taulelei, a seafood supplier who is as passionate about fresh fish as I am. You will need to seek out a local fishmonger. Choose one whose shop is scrupulously clean and has no fishy smell. Make sure you sniff the fish first – it should be indistinct, sweet, and with an aroma of the sea. It should not smell strongly of anything. When buying whole fish, choose ones with clear rather than cloudy eyes, and skin that is covered with a light but clear film, not slimy.
Unfortunately, for reasons of convenience, we have become a generation of fillet eaters. This means we sacrifice flavour, as cooking whole fish on the bone certainly adds something to it.
It is difficult to give cooking times for fish, as so much depends on the thickness. Because fish does not tolerate overcooking, you need to learn to recognise when it is done. I watch as the heat travels through the fish, the translucent flesh changing to white as the protein cooks. I always rest my fish for a couple of minutes before serving, as this allows the flesh to relax.
For seasoning, I use sea salt, never pepper, which I feel it is too dominant. By all means season the accompaniments with as much pepper as you wish. After seasoning with salt, I squeeze a little fresh lemon juice over the fish.
In this recipe I use snapper, because when you cut into it, it flakes into the potatoes and mixes with the smoked eel.
GRILLED FISH, SMOKED EEL AND POTATO SALAD, WITH HORSERADISH CREAM
400g potatoes, peeled and chopped into
3cm cubes
200g smoked eel fillets
1 tbsp chopped chives
1 tbsp creamed horseradish
120ml crème fraîche
zest of 1 orange
salt and freshly ground black pepper
800g firm, white-fleshed fish fillets
2 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
salt
juice of 1 lemon
In a large saucepan of water bring the potatoes to the boil, then cook until they are tender when pierced with the tip of a sharp knife. Meanwhile, chop the smoked eel into 1cm cubes. When the potatoes are cooked, drain them through a colander but do not run cold water over them. Leave to cool. In a large bowl mix the potatoes with the eel and chives. Combine the horseradish, crème fraîche and orange zest, then toss gently through the potatoes. Season with salt and pepper. Preheat the grill. Place the fish fillets in a shallow baking dish and brush with melted butter. Put the fish under the grill for 3 minutes, then turn, seasoning with salt. Cook for another 3 minutes, depending on the thickness. Remove the fish to a plate and squeeze lemon juice over it. Divide the potato salad between individual plates, then place a piece of fish on top.
Serves 4.
DON’T LET ANYONE TELL YOU THAT red wine doesn’t go with fish. Fish can handle bold flavours, and can be treated robustly. Because of its slight mineral taste, blue cod is wonderful with mushrooms, but use monkfish if you can get it.
GRILLED FISH, ROAST KUMARA PURÉE, RED WINE AND MUSHROOM RAGOUT
500g kumara
olive oil
100g unsalted butter
salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 shallots, thinly sliced
8 portobello mushrooms, thinly sliced
1 sprig thyme
1 bay leaf
250ml red wine
250ml chicken stock
800g firm, white-fleshed fish fillets
2 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
salt
juice of 1 lemon
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