Wild Brill

To Cook:

First cook the clams- heat a medium sized saucepan until it is screamingly hot- you want to cook these quickly – then add the clams and white wine and cover with a tight-fitting lid. The clams will begin to open within a minute or so, gently swirl the pan and give them space to open. Don’t bash them or stir them forcefully as not to break them and keep them happy. As soon as they are open then strain and reserve the cooking liquor and allow the clams to cool slightly before removing from their shells. Strain the clam stock through a fine sieve into a clean pan and place on a low heat whilst you cook the fish.

Heat a non-stick pan until it is also very hot – season the fish liberally and add some vegetable oil to the pan. Lay the Brill in the pan skinned side down and hold down for a few seconds to ensure a crispy finish. Allow the fish to cook for perhaps 3 minutes, until it begins to turn translucent on one side, then gently turn over, add a little butter and lemon juice and baste. Take off the heat as the residual heat will finish off the cooking.

Bring the clam stock to the boil and reduce around 1/3, then whisk in the butter a cube at the time, ensuring each piece is emulsified before you add the next. Taste and season the sauce with pepper and lemon juice, add the clam meat and chopped herbs and warm through.

To Finish:

Blanche the sea vegetables in boiling water briefly and drain, then dress with a little extra virgin olive oil & a few drops of lemon.

Spoon the clam and herb butter onto a plate, place the Brill fillets on top and dress with the sea vegetables. Also goes really well with some simple steamed new potatoes 👌