For 6 hungry Lifeboat crew

Tea & Turbot

Tea & Turbot

Ingredients:

  • 2.5kg whole turbot, gutted and fins (wing & tail) trimmed
  • 2 lemons for wedging and serving with

Lyonnaise spuds:

  • 80g butter
  • 30ml olive oil
  • 1.5kg large brown skinned onions, sliced pretty thinly
  • 1.5kg Maris pipers, scrubbed (not peeled) and cut into rough 5cm dice
  • 30ml olive oil
  • 3 cloves garlic, sliced
  • 80g crème fraiche
  • S & P

Brown Shrimp'd Samphire

  • 250g samphire
  • 1 head broccoli, cut into large florettes
  • 80g brown shrimps (pre-peeled in packs)
  • 30g butter
  • ½ tsp ground ginger
  • S & P

Chimichurri:

(This makes more than you need but it's a treat to have knocking round the fridge and lasts for a good 5 days as long as you always keep the solids submerged in olive oil)

  • 1 tablespoon good dried oregano
  • 3 red chillis, seeded & finely chopped
  • 3 cloves garlic, finely minced
  • 75g flat parsley, washed, picked and chopped
  • 25g coriander, washed & chopped
  • 1.5 tbsp sherry vinegar
  • Juice of a lemon
  • 150ml EVOO
  • S & P

Method:

  1. First make the chimichurri: just mix all the ingredients except the olive oil together well, then slowly pour in the oil, stirring all the time. Season well to taste and leave for at least an hour to allow the flavours to break the ice and start to mingle.
  2. Tip the samphire into a bowl and cover with cold water to desalinate. Take a few moments to pick through the stalks, pinching off any tough ends.
  3. Preheat the oven to 220°C to roast the fish, locate a roasting pan big enough to hold it and put 1cm of water and a few knobs of butter in the bottom.
  4. Next, get the onions going by melting the butter in the olive oil in a wide-bottomed pan, and once hot add half the sliced onions. Keep the heat pretty brisk stirring regularly until they start to collapse, then add the other half. Repeat the process of stirring and turning over a high heat until all the onions have halved in volume then turn the heat down to medium and keep going until they are browned and sweet to taste - about 30-40 mins.
  5. Meanwhile put the spud chunks in a saucepan and cover with cold, salted water. Pop a lid on and bring to a boil, then simmer until just cooked. Drain and leave to steam dry thoroughly, but don't let them go stone cold - cover with foil if necessary until the onions are ready
  6. Put a pan on the stove to blanch the greens: only about 10cm water needed in there but it needs to be on a rapid boil.
  7. Lay the fish into the prepared tray, season inside the gut cavity and shove some lemon and parsley stalks in there if you've got any knocking around. Stick it in the oven for 15-20 mins until a slim knife inserted behind the head to the backbone, when you pull it out is warm at the point. Leave to rest for 5 mins.
  8. Once the onions are done to the point of delicious beige sweetness, tip them out and give the pan a quick clean/wipe out. Heat the remaining oil in it then fry the spuds and garlic for a good 10 mins turning from time to time until beginning to crisp up. Now stir through the caramalised onions, crème fraiche and seasoning to taste.
  9. Lastly drop the broccoli into the pan for the greens, put a lid on and two minutes later chuck the drained samphire in there too. After a further 3 mins drain them all into a colander and immediately put the pan on the hob over a high heat. Melt the butter allocated for the greens in it and sauté the brown shrimp in the ginger and plenty of black pepper for a few mins. Throw the greens back in there, and give it all a good taste and season.
  10. Serve it up in whatever fashion you fancy with lemons a-plenty... and don't forget to get the brew on too!

Allegra was cooking for the crew members to help launch the RNLI's Fish Supper campaign which is happening 9-11 October. http://fishsupper.rnli.org/

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