Halibut ceviche with shellfish and spring onion dressing and scorched baby gem lettuce

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Dave Watts' halibut ceviche recipe is a real celebration of the sea, combining meaty halibut fillet with mussels, clams, cockles and brown shrimp. The chef uses palourde clams for this dazzling dish, but regular clams will also work well.

First published in 2015

Ingredients

Metric

Imperial

Halibut ceviche

Shellfish

For the dressing

Red quinoa

To serve

Equipment

  • Muslin cloth
  • Filleting knife

Method

1
Begin by preparing the shellfish. The resulting shellfish liquor will be used for both the dressing and the red quinoa
2
In a large pan, bring the wine, lemon zest, thyme, peppercorns and garlic to the boil and add the shellfish. Place a tight fitting lid on top, allow to cook for 1 minute then stir
3
Continue to cook for a further 1-2 minutes until all of the shells have opened. Drain into a colander, with a bowl placed underneath to catch the juices, and allow the shellfish to cool
4
Discard any shells that have not opened and remove the meat from the shells. Rinse the cockles and clams in a bowl of cold water to remove any grit, then drain. Reserve the shellfish meat in the fridge until required
5
Pass the reserved liquor through clean muslin or a J-cloth to remove any of the sand and grit and set aside until required
6
For the halibut ceviche, place all of the ingredients into a bowl (except the halibut) and combine well. Cover both sides of the halibut in the marinade, wrap in cling film and refrigerate for 30 minutes
7
Meanwhile, prepare the dressing. Measure out 25ml of the reserved shellfish liquor and add to a bowl with the remaining ingredients. Whisk together, check the seasoning and set aside until required
8
For the red quinoa, measure out 120ml of the shellfish liquor and add to a small pan with the remaining ingredients. Set over a medium-low heat with a lid on and cook for 15-20 minutes until all of the liquid has been absorbed by the quinoa. Remove from the heat, allow to cool and set aside
9
After the halibut has been in the fridge for 30 minutes, remove a thin slice of the fish from one end and wash thoroughly under cold water to remove all of the marinade. Taste the fish to see if it seasoned to your liking - if you think it needs longer, leave for another 10-15 minutes
10
Once the fish is ready, wash thoroughly under cold water to rinse off all the marinade and pat dry with kitchen paper. Place onto a clean tray and reserve in the fridge until required
11
To serve, use a sharp filleting knife to cut thin slices of the fish and layer onto plates
12
Cut the spring onion into 3-5cm batons, julienne into thin strips and place into a bowl of ice water to curl and crisp up for garnsihing the final dish. Set aside until required
13
Divide the shellfish and shrimp evenly between the 4 plates, followed by the quinoa, spring onion and micro cress. Mix the dressing again to combine and drizzle over each plate before serving

Dave Watts may have come to cooking relatively late (at the age of twenty-one), but he more than made up for his slow start, winning Good Food Guide’s Chef to Watch accolade in 2013. He now heads up the Crown Inn in Hampshire.

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