Sea bass crispy cannolo with melon and celery
Ingredients (Serves four)
Sea bass
600g sea bass
1 lemon
1 bunch chives
100ml cream
Extra virgin olive oil
Salt
Lemon jelly
100ml water
1 lemon
5g sugar
1 sheet gelatin
Salt
Crispy cannolo
4 slices toast
Fish stock
500g fishbones, best sole or turbot
100g celery
100g carrot
100g onion
1 sprig parsley
2 cloves garlic
100ml white wine
1.5 litres water
Extra virgin olive oil
Melon and celery salad
2 stalks green celery
melon, preferably a Canteloupe
1 bunch chervil
1 bunch tarragon
50ml fish stock
Salt
Port wine reduction
100ml port
Method
Sea bass Gut the sea bass and thread. Reduce into tartare 3/4 of the fish and season it with lemon juice, chives and salt. Cut the rest into small pieces. Add the cold cream and blend. Season with salt and grated lemon peel.
Lemon jelly Wash the lemon and remove the peel. Put it into boiling water and repeat the operation twice, changing water each time.
Boil water together with the sugar and add the lemon peel, leaving it to infuse for 1 hour.
Filter the lemon syrup, add gelatine which has been previously soaked in cold water and season with salt and lemon juice. Once cooled, cut into strips.
Crispy cannolo Slice the toast and spread the sea bass filling over the slices. Place the sea bass tartare and the lemon jelly strips in the centre of each slice of toast.
Roll each slice to form a cannolo. Fry it in a very hot pan with extra virgin olive oil until crispy.
Fish stock Wash the vegetables, cut them into small pieces and brown them in a pan with extra virgin olive oil and the garlic.
Add the fish bones and sprinkle them with white wine, then boil until it is completely evaporated. Add the water, then resume cooking. Simmer for half an hour and filter.
Melon and celery salad Wash the green celery, peel, dice and brown it in a pan with a little extra virgin olive oil. Sprinkle with the fish stock and keep cooking until the celery is tender.
Peel the melon, cut in half and remove seeds. Dice half of the melon and cut the other half into pieces. Blend the pieces and dress with lemon juice, salt and pass through a fine strainer.
Add the celery, the melon, chopped herbs, a little melon sauce and, if necessary, season with salt.
Port reduction Boil the port until it is reduced to 3/4. Cool.
How to prepare
Draw two lines of reduced port on the plate with a brush. Plate the melon and celery salad in the middle; add the cannolo and garnish with the melon sauce.
Recipe by Heinz Beck
RECOMMENDED WINE This is a complex combination of textures and flavours. The acidity of a Falanghina del Beneventano from Campania will balance the crispness of the bread, while the exotic fruity side of the wine will cope with the celery and melon, giving the sensation of harmony. Alternatively, if in the mood for some bubbly, Prosecco is a great alternative to a still white wine.
Enrico Bucci is head sommelier at Apsleys, a Heinz Beck Restaurant
