It’s incredible that today there is still a strange stigma about eating fish on the bone here at home. When we are abroad that fear is lost and when it comes to fish, we are happy to eat what is presented to us, bones and all. I’m sure some of your happiest holiday memories will be of fish served that way, with a simple wedge of lemon in beach restaurants, from the Greek islands to the coast of Spain. When fish is that fresh, it really doesn’t need anything else.
Despite working with fish and seafood all year, I still look forward every year to sitting in a restaurant in the south of France with friends, family and sharing plates of fish served that way. It is good, honest cooking where the fish really is the star of the show. What many people fear of course is ending up with a mouthful of bones.
However, like humans, all fish are different when it comes to bone structure and, indeed, size. With bones inside and skin outside, a whole fish retains more moisture during cooking than anything that has been filleted. That equals better flavour, with the added bonus of the crispy skin on the outside if it has been properly prepared.
Round fish are far better left on the bone and to ask your fish merchant to descale or indeed skin your fish may indeed help you. It’s also a great excuse to get to know your fishmonger better and to benefit from the incredible knife skills and knowledge they have.
We normally scale off the fish, then we carefully cut off the frills around the fish, which are the small bones, leaving the main structural body intact. It’s easy to do at home and there is something else as well - serving fish whole on the bone is pure theatre. When you bring it to the table it has a wow factor that serving individual fillets just can’t deliver. Taking it off the bone as you eat is also always much easier than you think it is going to be.
For this recipe, I’m using one of my favourite fish, Brill, which comes in day boat fresh from my good friends Wild Harbour down in Hale in Cornwall. Running Rick Stein’s seafood restaurants in Padstow gave me a great introduction to local suppliers. I’ve been back in Scotland for some time but the area still provides me with inspiration and amazing produce. Jace Bowden and the team send this product directly to us, untouched and super fresh with glistening eyes and ruby pink gills. It is a perfect spring fish dish, great to cook and even better to eat.
Roast Cornish Brill On The Bone With Wild Garlic Mash
Ingredients:
For the Brill:
4x 160gm Brill on the bone, cut lengthways (head off)
160g clams, washed thoroughly
60g shredded wild garlic
100ml fish stock
1 lemon
50ml reduced chicken stock
50ml olive oil
Seasoning
For the wild garlic mash:
500g Maris Pipers
120ml full fat milk
120g unsalted butter
50g wild garlic
Seasoning
Method:
1. To make the wild garlic mash, simply boil the potatoes in seasoned boiling water in a suitable pot.
2. Once the potatoes are tender, carefully remove from the pot and rest on drying paper until they can be handled. Peel off the skin then pass them through a potato ricer.
3. In a separate pan, heat the milk, butter and wild garlic together, then place the mixture into a blender and blitz for five minutes.
4. Now, over a moderate heat, place the potato riced potatoes into a pan and gradually fold in the wild garlic, butter and milk liquor. Season well then set aside.
5. Season the Brill in salt, pepper and olive oil, then in a non-sticking pan on a moderate to high heat, cook the fish for 4 minutes on each side.
6. Remove the fish from the heat then cover in tin foil and set aside.
7. In the same pan, add the fish stock and bring to the boil, then add the surf clams. Cover with a lid and cook for 2 minutes or until just opened.
8. Now add the chicken stock and reduce for 1 minute before adding the wild garlic, then remove from the heat.
9. Carefully peel the skin off the brill, check the seasoning and add a little lemon juice.
10. Place the Brill onto your plate, spoon the wild garlic mash onto the plate, and add the clams and the all important juices to finish.
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