Fillet Of Turbot (or haddock steaks) With Asparagus

“In the darkness of the shed, the white bellies of the turbots, strung up bow-fashion, shine like mother-of-pearl…”
-Henry Mayhew, London Labour and the London Poor, 1851
Turbot is now eye wateringly expensive – I bought five fillets last week and it cost me nearly £70! It may be the king of fishes, but it also costs a king’s ransom. However, you can substitute John Dory, halibut or sole. And haddock steaks are also good.
Recipe for Fillet Of Turbot (or haddock steaks) With Asparagus
Serves 4
Ingredients
- 4 x 175g/6 oz fillets of turbot
- about 20 small, thin asparagus spears
- 4 sundried tomatoes, chopped into small pieces
- 1 banana shallot, chopped
- ½ cup/120ml fish stock
- ½ cup/120ml double cream
- 2 tbsp dry white vermouth – Noilly Prat
- dill or fennel – something frothy – to garnish
- 125g/4 oz/about half a packet of butter
- smoked salt and freshly ground white pepper
- 500g/1¼ lb Jersey Royals
Method
- Cook the asparagus in the packet in the microwave as per the instructions, or boil in salted water for five minutes. refresh under cold water, then keep warm.
- Cut the butter up into small cubes.
- Melt a knob of butter in a frying pan and add the chopped banana shallot.
- Add the fillets to the pan and fry for about a minute on each side.
- Add the vermouth and the stock.
- Cook for another two minutes each side – four minutes in total (halibut steaks may need a little longer).
- Take the fillets (or steaks) out of the pan and keep warm, continuing to reduce the liquid in the pan until it is syrupy.
- Add about three quarters of the cream and bring it to the boil. Then take it off the heat – BE CAREFUL AS IT TENDS TO SEPARATE – if it does add a little extra cream, or you can stabilise with a little dissolved cornflour.
- Whisk in the butter (I use the cappuccino whisk) slowly – in fact you probably won’t need all of it.
- On each plate put a fillet, surround artistically with asparagus.
© 2014 Saucy Dressings