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Roast turbot studded with rosemary and lemon served with halloumi croutons and marinated courgettes
Serves 4 Starters and mains
Ingredients
- 1 turbot, 1.5kg-2kg, gutted
- 90ml extra virgin olive oil
- 4tbsp Sicilian lemon oil
- 6 rosemary sprigs
- 1 lemon, halved and thinly sliced
For the marinated courgettes
- 100g pale green courgettes, thinly sliced lengthways
- 120g dark green courgettes, thinly sliced lengthways
- 170g yellow courgettes, thinly sliced lengthways
- 5tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 6 mint leaves, roughly chopped
- 3tbsp acetum balsamico bianco
- 2 fat garlic cloves, finely grated
For the halloumi croutons
- 250g halloumi
- 2tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 2tbsp chopped mint leaves
Method
Preheat the oven to 140C/120C Fan/Gas 1. Line two oven trays with baking paper. Toss the sliced courgettes in 1tbsp of the oil and lay them in a single layer on the lined trays. Place in the oven for around 45-60 minutes – to dry out a little without colouring.
Heat 2tbsp of the oil in a large frying pan and fry the dried-out slices of courgette in batches until golden. Drain on kitchen paper. Put all the slices into a bowl and mix in the mint.
Mix the acetum balsamico bianco with the remaining 2tbsp of oil and the garlic. Season with a few sea salt flakes and freshly ground black pepper. Spoon the mixture over the courgette slices; leave to marinade for a few hours or overnight.
Preheat the oven to 220C/ 200C Fan/Gas 7. Trim the fins from the turbot with kitchen scissors. Make an incision down the backbone and around the edges of the fish on both sides. This allows it to cook more evenly and makes it easier to de-bone the fillets when sharing the fish at the table. Cut small slashes at 10 points on both sides of the fish and one on the head.
Mix the lemon and extra virgin oils together, spoon all over the fish and season well with sea salt crystals and freshly ground black pepper. Insert small rosemary sprigs into the slashes and tuck a piece of lemon under each one.
Place the turbot on a large baking tray. Roast for 15-20 minutes until the flesh has separated a little from the skin and turned opaque, flakes from the bone when tested at the thickest part with a skewer, and the skin is just lifting from the edges. Baste the fish with any pan juices a few times during the cooking, which will help to keep it moist.
While the fish is cooking, cut the halloumi in half horizontally, then into approx. 1.5cm cubes. Place in a large frying pan with the oil and, over a medium heat, brown the cubes on all sides. Tip them onto a plate lined with kitchen paper, then into a serving bowl with the mint folded through. The fish will continue to cook in its residual heat until serving.
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