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Whole roasted gurnard with crispy Jerusalem artichokes and rainbow carrots
Serves 2 Starters and mains
Ingredients
- 2 small or 1 large gurnard gutted and scrubbed of any loose scales
- 4 garlic cloves, skin on
- 4 tbsp rape seed oil
- 1 each fat purple, yellow and orange carrots, peed and thinly sliced on a mandolin and left to dry out for 1 hour
- sunflower oil, for deep-frying
For the spinach dumplings
- 100g ricotta, drained
- 1 whole egg, plus 1 egg yolk
- 100g Italian hard cheese, finely grated
- 90g spinach leaves
- 3tbsp flour, plus extra for dusting
- 15g butter, plus a knob for the spinach
- 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Method
First prepare the dumplings. Place the ricotta in a bowl and whisk in the whole egg, the yolk and cheese and season lightly.
Cook the spinach for a few minutes in a little water with the pan lid on. Drain well and refresh under cold water. Squeeze out all the excess moisture from the spinach and chop finely.
Bring a large pan of water to a swift boil and add some salt. Melt the knob of butter in a frying pan and fry the spinach to dry it out more without colouring it. Spread on a plate and, when cold, add to the ricotta mixture. Mix in the flour and tip onto a floured tray.
Gently form into around 16 balls with the help of the flour. Add to the pan of boiling water and cook for around 11⁄2-2 minutes, or until they float to the surface. Lift onto a plate lined with kitchen paper. Wipe out the frying pan and melt the 15g butter and oil together. Fry the dumplings for around 11⁄2 minutes per side until just golden. Place on kitchen paper to drain and cool until required.
To fry the dried-out carrots and Jerusalem artichokes, heat the oil to 190-200C/375-400F. Fry in batches for 30-60 seconds until curled but not coloured. Tip onto a lined tray and continue to fry the remainder. When cold, use immediately or store in an airtight container for up to 24 hours.
To prepare the fish, preheat the oven to 200C/400F/Gas 6. Slash the skin of the gurnards with a sharp knife in 3 places on each side of the body. Transfer to a foil-lined baking tray and insert
the garlic cloves in the cavity. Season. Tie up with kitchen string around the tail and stretching over to the head to form an attractive shape. Season the skin lightly. Spoon the rapeseed oil over the fish. Roast for 20 minutes until just cooked, wrap the foil around the fish and leave to rest.
To heat the dumplings, toss in a little extra butter and oil in a frying pan 5 minutes before the end
of the fish cooking time until just heated through. Serve the fish on a platter decorated with the crispy Jerusalem artichokes and carrots.
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