Get Premium access to all the latest content online
Subscribe and view full print editions online... Subscribe
Pan-fried sea bass with caviar cream
Serves 4 Starters and mains
Ingredients
- 3 medium potatoes, peeled and diced
- 150g butter
- 1 large cooking apple, peeled, cored and diced
- 6 large sage leaves, cut into strips, plus extra for garnishing
- vegetable oil, for pan-frying
- 150ml white wine
- 300ml double cream
- 1 tbsp heaped caviar
- squeeze of lemon juice
- 4 x 125g sea bass fillets, pin-boned and skin lightly scored
- 1tbsp plain flour, for dusting
- 4 x 7cm ring moulds about 3cm deep
Method
Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4. Cook the diced potatoes in a large saucepan of boiling salted water for about 10 minute until soft but not mushy, then drain well. In a separate large saucepan, melt a knob of the butter and sweat the apple over a gentle heat until soft. Add the sage, potatoes and another 50g of the butter and beat together.
Grease the ring moulds with some of the remaining butter. Heat a little vegetable oil in a large frying pan. When hot, place the moulds in the pan and spoon the potato mixture inside, pushing it down inside the moulds so that it is level. Fry on each side for about 3 minutes until golden brown. Keep warm.
Pour the white wine into a saucepan and simmer over a medium heat until reduced by half. Add the cream and continue to reduce until the mixture coats the back of a spoon. Leave the cream mixture to cool slightly, then add the caviar and stir well. Ensure that the cream mixture isn’t too hot, otherwise it will cook the caviar and make it hard. Season to taste with a squeeze of lemon and salt. Keep warm.
Dust the sea bass fillets lightly with the flour. Heat an ovenproof frying pan until hot, add a little vegetable oil and cook the sea bass fillets, skin side down, for 3-4 minutes until the skin is crisp and golden brown. Transfer the pan to the oven and cook for a further 2 minutes. Remove from the oven and turn the fillets over. Add the remaining knob of butter and baste the fish with the juices. Season to taste with salt.
To serve, spoon the cream onto your plates then place the potato cakes from the ring moulds next to the cream. Place the sea bass fillets on top, skin side up.
Advertisement