Robert Thompson serves up a stunning grilled pollock recipe, topped with a crisp wild garlic crust and a layer of intense tomato fondue. Fluffy gnocchi, rich Noilly Prat sauce and charred broccoli make the perfect accompaniments.
Blend all of the wild garlic crust ingredients until evenly mixed, then roll out between two sheets of silicone or greaseproof paper, making sure its an even thickness all over, approximately 3mm. Allow to firm in the fridge for 1 hour before use
Meanwhile, make the sauce. Add a dash of oil to a saucepan and add the shallots. Sweat until soft but without colour, then add the wine. Reduce by half before adding the fish stock
Reduce by half again, then add the cream. Continue to reduce until you have a nice sauce consistency. Add the Noilly Prat, cook gently for a minute or so and adjust the seasoning to taste. Pass through a fine sieve and set aside
When the potatoes are ready, remove from the oven and scoop the flesh out of the skins. Weigh out 500g of the flesh, pass through a potato ricer into a bowl and allow to cool. Mix in the Parmesan, flour, salt and egg yolks, combining lightly into a dough. Check the seasoning then roll into 2cm balls. Roll in polenta to coat, then set aside on a tray dusted with polenta until ready to serve
To make the tomato fondue, sweat the onion, garlic and a good pinch of salt until soft in a little olive oil. Add the tomato flesh and continue cooking until the flesh starts to break up
Add the tomato juice and bring to the boil before turning down to a low heat. Continue to cook until the mixture has reduced and thickened. Blend until smooth, adding salt, pepper and a little sugar to taste. Allow to cool
When ready to serve, bring a large pan of salted water to the boil and preheat a chargrill pan over a high heat. Add the broccoli and cook until the stalks are just tender. Drain well then add to the chargrill pan in a single layer, cooking until charred before repeating on the other side. Season the broccoli and set aside
Heat a pan of oil (enough to shallow-fry) and add the gnocchi, cooking until golden and cooked through. Drain on kitchen paper and season lightly with salt. Gently reheat the sauce, if needed
oil, for shallow-frying
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Lightly season the pollock portions with salt and then top each with a spoonful of tomato fondue. Cut the wild garlic crust to fit each piece of fish and peel back both pieces of paper before pressing it lightly on top of the fondue
