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Grilled brill with fish skin chicharróns, salsa polonaise and charred celery hearts
Serves 4 Starters and mains
Ingredients
- 2 bunches celery, washed and cut in half (use the top part for soups and stews), then cut in half lengthways (reserve some leaves and finely chop)
- 1tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 15g butter
- 1 brill approx. 1.6kg, filleted into 4 and skinned, reserving the skin for the chicharróns
- 150ml sunflower oil
For the salsa polonaise
- 2tbsp butter
- 1tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 banana shallot, very finely chopped
- 115g fresh breadcrumbs
- 2 thyme sprigs, leaves removed and finely chopped
- zest and juice 1 small lemon
- 4tbsp finely chopped parsley
- 2 hard-boiled eggs
- food thermometer
Method
Take the fish skin and, using a sharp knife, carefully scrape off any fleshy bits left on. Preheat the oven to 100C/210F/Gas 1⁄4 and lay the skins in a single layer on a foil-lined tray to dry them for 1-2 hours, loosening them from the foil after 30 minutes to prevent them from sticking. They should be very dry when ready.
Heat some oil in a deep pan to no hotter than 180C/350F (keep fluctuating the temperature or they will burn) and fry the skins until they puff and crisp up. Drain on kitchen paper and, once cold, store them in an airtight container until ready to use.
Preheat the oven to 180C/ 350F/Gas 4. Heat the oil and butter together in a frying pan and sear the celery hearts on the cut sides. Transfer to a foil-lined tray (large enough to give an overhang) cut-side up and pour over the juices from the pan. Season with sea salt flakes and freshly ground black pepper, wrap over the foil and bake for 30 minutes until tender.
Meanwhile, to make the sauce, heat the butter and oil in a saucepan and sweat the shallot until soft. Add the breadcrumbs and thyme and fry until the breadcrumbs are golden. Add the lemon zest and juice, the parsley and the reserved celery leaves. Transfer the mixture to a bowl. Separate the hard-boiled egg white from the yolk and very finely chop. Grate the yolk so that it has a pollen effect. Fold the whites into the rest of the mixture and scatter over the yolk.
Put the brill fillets on a lightly oiled, foil-lined tray, lightly season and set aside for 10 minutes. Heat the grill to high and set the shelf 10cm from the heat. Pat them with kitchen paper and spoon a little oil over, then grill for 4 minutes on one side.
Place a celery heart on each plate and lay the fish on top. Spoon some of the polonaise salsa around the plate and a little on the fish. Top with the fish skin chicharróns and serve.
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