Sea Bream Fillet with Ginger Beurre Blanc Sauce

1 x Sea Bream ie two fillets per person

Rapeseed Oil / Vegetable Oil

To serve: Ginger Beurre Blanc sauce – have ready before cooking the fish

·      Prepare the bream by scaling, filleting, pinning and trimming

·      Pinch the loin of the fillet and score approx. 1cm apart to break the skin.

·      Heat a frying pan and add a little oil

·      Place two squares of parchment paper into the pan – these help to prevent the fish from sticking to the pan

·      Put the fillet onto the parchment, skin side down and hold for a few moments to prevent it from curling up

·      Allow the bream to cook on a moderate heat until the skin is crispy and golden in colour – the majority of the cooking will happen on this presentation side

·      Turn the fillet over and take the pan off the heat.  The residual heat of the pan will cook the second side.

·      Serve with ginger beurre blanc and your choice of sides.

Ginger Beurre Blanc

65ml white wine

20g of grated fresh ginger

·      Allow the ginger to marinade with the wine – preferably overnight if possible

1 x tsp lemon zest

2 x tbsp of lemon juice

1 x tbsp of white wine vinegar

50g finely diced onion

100ml water

100g cold unsalted butter – diced

1x tbsp double cream

To serve: Finely diced red chilli, finely chopped chives or spring onion greens, lemon zest, cooked matchsticks of fresh ginger (toss in a little veg oil for a few minutes)

·      Place all the ingredients (except the butter & cream) into a small saucepan, bring to the boil and reduce on a moderate heat until most of the liquid has reduced – leaving you approx. 4 tbsp

·      Reduce the heat and gradually whisk in half of the butter, cube by cube- whisk hard to emulsify.  Add the cream. Taste.

·      You are looking for the sauce to thicken and coat the back of a spoon

·      You may not need to add all the butter, the sauce should be creamy with slight acidity. Taste and season as needed, with salt & pepper and may be an extra squeeze of lemon

·      Pass through a sieve to remove the onion

·      Keep warm or re-heat slightly before serving.

To serve

·      Finely diced red chilli,

·      Finely chopped chives or spring onion greens,

·      Lemon zest,

·      Fresh Ginger sliced into fine matchsticks – (cooked in a little veg oil for a few minutes)

 Add the Beurre Blanc sauce to a serving plate, add the chilli and chives.  Place two fillets in the centre of the plate and dress with the remaining chilli, lemon zest and ginger matchsticks