There is nothing difficult about this dish but despite the ease of cooking this tastes sophisticated and has bags of flavour. Inspiration from Mezcla by Ixta Belfrage, a book jam-packed with delicious things! Serve with some grilled sourdough.
Wine Suggestion: A good Sangiovese is our suggestion and we particularly enjoyed the Morisfarms Mandriolo from the Maremma on the Tuscan coast. With crushed raspberry flavours layered over a smooth dark berry core and aromas of violets this cut through any richness and gave it all a lift, adding an extra dimension to the meal. Just what we wanted with this complex and sophisticated meal.
Poached fish and charred tomatoes – serves 4
- 4 x 100g white fish fillets e.g. cod or hake, skin and bones removed
- 1 tbsp lime juice
- 1 tsp fine salt
FOR THE AÏOLI:
- 3 egg yolks
- ¼ tsp fine salt
- ½ a small clove of garlic, crushed
- ¼ tsp sweet paprika
- pinch of saffron
- 50g light olive oil
FOR THE BROTH:
- 250g cherry tomatoes
- 1 Scotch bonnet chilli, whole
- ½ tsp fine salt
- 5 tbsp olive oil
- 3 cloves of garlic, very finely chopped
- ½ tsp paprika
- 1 tbsp tomato purée
- 5g fresh coriander
- 5g fresh basil
- 350g water
- 15g unsalted butter
- 1 jalapeño or green chilli, thinly sliced
- 70g pitted green olives, roughly chopped
- 1 lime, cut into wedges, to serve
- grilled sourdough, to serve
Place the fish in a dish with the lime juice and fine salt. Mix to coat, then aside while you prep everything else.
Make the aïoli by putting the egg yolks, salt, garlic, paprika, some black pepper and saffron into a medium bowl and whisk until smooth. Add half the oil and whisk hard for 30 seconds or until the mixture starts to thicken. Add the rest of the oil and whisk hard again for about a minute, then stir in the vinegar. You should end up with loose mayonnasie consistency.
Heat a large sauté pan over a high heat until smoking hot. Add the tomatoes and Scotch bonnet and cook for about 6 minutes, give the pan a shake now and then to get a bit of char on the tomatoes.
Remove from the heat and add the salt, oil, garlic, paprika, tomato purée, half the coriander and half the basil. Mix well then return to the heat and stir-fry for a couple of minutes. Add the water and butter and bring to a simmer. Simmer gently for 5 minutes, squeezing most of the tomatoes into the broth.
Lay the fish fillets into the broth, then cover with a lid and cook for a few minutes, or until just cooked through. Remove from the heat and leave covered for 2 minutes.
Throw away the Scotch bonnet and top the dish with the green chilli, olives and remaining herbs. Serve with the aïoli spooned on top and with lime wedges and grilled bread on the side.
(Original recipe from Mezcla by Ixta Belfrage, Ebury Press, 2022.)
Jono & Jules do food & wine 