Pan-fried grey mullet with sautéed potatoes and girolles and pickled blackberries, by Madalene Bonvini-Hamel
Ingredients
(Serves four as a main course)
For the pickled blackberries and kohlrabi
80g caster sugar
150ml red wine
100ml red wine vinegar
2 black peppercorns
1/2tsp coriander seeds
1 bay leaf
A sprig of fresh rosemary
200g fresh blackberries
380g kohlrabi
Sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper
For the sautéed potatoes and girolles
400g potatoes, peeled and cut into 1.5cm cubes
1tbs unsalted butter
1tsp rapeseed oil
200g fresh girolles, cleaned (halved or quartered, if large)
50g fresh horseradish
For the pan-fried grey mullet
1tbs rapeseed oil
4 boneless (scaled) fillets of grey mullet (125-150g each), skin on
Salt
Rapeseed oil, for drizzling
Method
First, prepare the pickled blackberries and kohlrabi. Put the sugar, wine, red wine vinegar, peppercorns and coriander seeds into a small saucepan and cook over a medium heat, stirring until the sugar has dissolved. Increase the heat, bring to the boil, then boil rapidly for 8-10 minutes or until the liquid reduces and becomes a syrupy consistency. Remove the pan from the heat, add the herbs and blackberries, then leave to cool at room temperature. Once cold, cover and refrigerate until needed.
Once the blackberry mixture has chilled for two hours, peel, then slice the kohlrabi into 2mm-thick slices and season with salt. Drain 80ml of the pickling syrup from the blackberries and return the remaining blackberry mixture to the fridge. Place the sliced kohlrabi and measured pickling syrup into a clean, small vacuum pouch and seal on hard vacuum. Refrigerate overnight.
Prepare the sautéed potatoes and girolles. Cook the potato cubes in boiling, salted water for 6-8 minutes or until they are nearly cooked but not completely soft. Drain the potatoes and set aside. Heat the butter and rapeseed oil in a large, non-stick frying pan until melted, then add the cooked potatoes, girolles and salt and pepper and sauté over a medium heat for 6-7 minutes or until golden-brown. Remove the pan from the heat and drain the potatoes and girolles on kitchen paper. Peel, then finely grate the fresh horseradish over the top and keep warm while you cook the fish.
To pan-fry the fish, heat the rapeseed oil in a large, non-stick frying pan until hot. Season the fish on both sides with salt, then add the fillets to the pan, skin side down, and cook over a medium heat for 4-5 minutes or until the skin is golden and crisp. Turn the fish over and cook for about two minutes on the flesh side or until the fish is cooked, then remove from the heat and drain on kitchen paper.
To serve, drain the pickled blackberries and kohlrabi. Place the kohlrabi on the plates first, then divide the sautéed potatoes and girolles between the four plates. Place one fillet of fish on each plate and garnish with the pickled blackberries, then drizzle over a little pickling syrup and finish with a drizzle of rapeseed oil. Serve immediately.
