Orford-landed sea bass with warm smoked bacon, broad bean and sea purslane salad
This recipe by Madalene Bonvini-Hamel makes the most of seasonal June ingredients such as sea bass, broad beans and sea purslane, which are at their most flavoursome in the summer months. For more recipes, see our article http://www.caterersearch.com/Articles/2010/06/02/333668/Flavours-of-June.htm" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer">Flavours of June.
INGREDIENTS (Serves four)
For the sea bass
• 4 x 150g sea bass fillets, scaled and pin bones removed
• 2tbs olive oil
• Sea salt
• For the warm smoked bacon, broad bean and sea purslane salad
• 8 new potatoes, washed
• 2 rashers of smoked back bacon
• 2 breakfast radishes, washed
• 20 leaves of sea purslane, washed
• 125g broad beans, shelled and outer skins removed
• 10ml extra virgin live oil
• Sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper
For the broad bean and sea purslane tempura
• 50g broad beans, shelled and outer skins removed
• 20 leaves of sea purslane, washed
• 20g cornflour
• 75g self-raising flour
• 125ml sparkling water
• 1 free range egg yolk
• 2 free range egg whites
• Sea salt
• Sunflower oil for deep-frying
For the seaweed vinaigrette
• 40g baby spinach
• 2 Nori sheets
• 10ml mirin
• 10ml warm water
• 60ml peanut oil
• Sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper
METHOD
To make the seaweed vinaigrette, weigh all the ingredients for the vinaigrette, apart from the oil, and put into a blender. Blend until smooth and then slowly incorporate the oil to form an emulsion. Adjust the seasoning if needed.
For the broad bean and sea purslane tempura, mix the flour, corn flour, salt, egg yolk and sparkling water into a smooth paste. Whip the egg whites until fluffy and stop just before the soft peak stage. Fold the egg whites into the beignet batter and leave to settle for five minutes.
Prepare the broad beans by removing the outer skin, rinse and drain the popped broad beans. Rinse the sea purslane and drain on kitchen paper.
Heat the oil to 160°C. Once it reaches the correct temperature, dip the broad beans and sea purslane in the batter and fry them until golden brown all over. Drain the tempura broad beans and sea purslane on kitchen paper and season immediately with salt and serve.
To make the warm smoked bacon, broad bean and sea purslane salad, cook the new potatoes in salted boiling water until tender, refresh and drain. Peel the potatoes and break them into bite size irregular chunks.
Wash the radishes, remove the leaves and slice the radishes finely using a mandoline.
Blanch and refresh the broad beans and remove the outer skins and finely shred the sea purslane.
Shred the smoked back bacon.
To serve, sauté the salad. When you're ready to serve, heat the oil in a large non-stick frying pan and sauté the potatoes and shredded bacon until golden brown, add the sea purslane and broad beans, taste and adjust the seasoning if needed.
Pan-fry the sea bass: heat the oil in a large non-stick frying pan, season the fish with salt only and sauté the sea bass skin side down first for about 2 minutes until golden brown, but it does depend on the thickness of the fillet. Once golden turn the fish over for one minute on the flesh side, drain and gently place the sea bass on top of the warm salad. Garnish the sea bass with the broad bean tempura and the seaweed vinaigrette.
