Wild turbot with smoked broth and charred vegetables
- Main
- Medium
- 4
- 2 hours 30 minutes, plus 24 hours curing time
PT2H30M
PT24H
Patrick Powell puts the majestic flavour of turbot centre stage in this beautiful summer dish. He smokes the bones before using them to make a delicate broth which is served with the perfectly cooked turbot fillets and some lightly charred seasonal vegetables. Make the broth and oil for the dressing in advance to make things easier on the day you plan to serve.
Ingredients
Turbot
- 4 turbot fillets , weighing approx. 160g each, skinned
- 60g of caster sugar
- 40g of table salt
- 50ml of grapeseed oil
Marigold dressing
- 100g of marigold leaves
- 150g of grapeseed oil
- 50g of Chardonnay vinegar
Smoked broth
- 1kg turbot bones
- 2 shallots , finely sliced
- 4 garlic cloves , finely sliced
- 1/2 fennel , finely sliced
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 sprigs of thyme
- 150ml of white wine
- 1l fish stock
- salt
Charred vegetables
- 4 asparagus spears
- 4 spring onions , tops and outer leaves removed
- 50g of fine beans
- 9 breakfast radishes , finely sliced
- 40g of fresh peas , (small as possible)
- olive oil
Equipment
- Thermomix or blender
- Muslin cloth
- Stove-top smoker
Method
Cure the turbot 24 hours in advance. Mix the sugar and salt together and pat the mixture all over each fillet, ensuring they are completely covered. Leave for 20 minutes then wash off under cold water and pat dry. Place the fillets on a wire rack and leave uncovered in the fridge overnight to dry out. Remember to bring them out of the fridge for 20 minutes to come to room temperature before cooking
- 40g of table salt
- 60g of caster sugar
- 4 turbot fillets , weighing approx. 160g each, skinned
To make the marigold dressing, first make an oil. Place the marigold leaves into a Thermomix with the grapeseed oil and set to 90°C. Blend on the highest speed for 1 minute, then scrape down the sides and blend on speed 3 for 8 minutes. You can use a regular blender if you don't have a Thermomix – just blend until smooth and bright green. Pass through a fine sieve, discard the pulp and chill
- 150g of grapeseed oil
- 100g of marigold leaves
To make the dressing, take 100ml of the oil and mix it with the Chardonnay vinegar (but don’t mix it so vigorously that it emulsifies). Transfer to a small plastic bottle ready for plating. You can freeze any remaining oil so that it stays bright green for other dishes
- 50g of Chardonnay vinegar
To make the smoked broth, wash and dry the fish bones then roast in a 180°C/gas mark 4 oven for 25 minutes until they are completely dried out, then smoke the bones over hay or wood chips for 30 minutes. This can be done either using a smoker or barbecue
- 1kg turbot bones
In a large pan, gently cook down the shallots, garlic, fennel and herbs with a splash of oil until soft without colour
- 2 shallots , finely sliced
- 4 garlic cloves , finely sliced
- 1/2 fennel , finely sliced
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 sprigs of thyme
- vegetable oil
Add the smoked bones to the pan and cover with the white wine and fish stock. Gently simmer for 45 minutes; it mustn't boil or be stirred to maintain a nice clear broth. After 45 minutes, pass through a muslin cloth. Season to taste and keep warm
- 150ml of white wine
- 1l fish stock
- salt
Next, prepare the vegetables. Place a griddle pan over a high heat. Dress the asparagus, spring onions and fine beans with a little olive oil and once smoking hot, place in the griddle pan
- 4 asparagus spears
- 4 spring onions , tops and outer leaves removed
- 50g of fine beans
- olive oil
Once you have nice bar marks on both sides of the vegetables and they are cooked through but retaining a little bite take them off the heat. Slice into 1cm pieces and place in a bowl with the radishes and peas. Dress with the marigold dressing and a pinch of salt
- 9 breakfast radishes , finely sliced
- 40g of fresh peas , (small as possible)
Now you are ready to cook the turbot. Add enough grapeseed oil to cover the base of a large nonstick frying pan over a high heat. Once hot, place the turbot in the pan on the side where the skin would have been and cook for 3-4 minutes until golden brown
- 50ml of grapeseed oil
Remove the fish from the pan and place in a bath of the warm broth (uncooked side-down) for 10 minutes to finish cooking
Carefully carve the rested turbot fillets in half and place both halves in a large warm bowl. Spoon the grilled vegetables around the fish and finish with some of the warm broth and a drizzle of good quality olive oil
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Wild turbot with smoked broth and charred vegetables
