Crispy-scaled sea bass with creamed potatoes, broccoli mousse and lettuce sauce

  • medium
  • 4
  • 50 minutes
Not yet rated

In this sea bass fillet recipe by Igles Corelli, the chef gives the fish a hedgehog-like effect by ladling hot oil over the skin and scales. To offset this crisp skin, he serves the fish with creamy mashed potatoes, a verdant lettuce sauce, wafer-thin courgette ribbons and a light broccoli mousse, before scattering over some flaked almonds to finish.

First published in 2016

Ingredients

Metric

Imperial

Sea bass fillets

  • 4 sea bass fillets, with skin and scales, weighing 100g each
  • 4 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil

Broccoli mousse

  • 300g of broccoli, preferably wild, washed and broken into florets
  • 50ml of cream
  • salt

Marinated courgette

  • 1 courgette, peeled and sliced into ribbons using a mandoline
  • 2 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 pinches of salt

Lettuce sauce

  • 1 lettuce, green and round
  • 150ml of fish stock
  • salt

Creamed potato

  • 300g of potatoes, peeled and roughly chopped
  • 40g of Parmesan, Parmigiano Reggiano
  • 50ml of vegetable stock
  • 30ml of extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 tbsp of lemon juice
  • salt
  • freshly ground black pepper

To garnish

Equipment

  • Blender
  • Siphon bottle or cream whipper
  • 2 siphon cartridges
  • Mandoline
  • Baking tray
  • Thermometer

Method

1
For the broccoli mousse, bring a pan of salted water to the boil then add the florets. Boil for 4–5 minutes, then drain and cool immediately in iced water
  • 300g of broccoli, preferably wild, washed and broken into florets
2
Transfer to a blender along with the cream and blitz together to combine. Pass through a fine sieve, season with salt and pour into a siphon bottle charged with two gas charges. Leave this to rest in the fridge for at least 30 minutes
  • 50ml of cream
  • salt
3
Meanwhile, season the courgette ribbons with salt and oil, cover with cling film and leave to marinate in the fridge for 20 minutes
  • 1 courgette, peeled and sliced into ribbons using a mandoline
  • 2 pinches of salt
  • 2 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil
4
For the lettuce sauce, place the fish stock in a small pan and bring to the boil. Cook for 5 minutes so that it reduces by half, then set aside and allow to cool
  • 150ml of fish stock
5
Meanwhile, bring a pan of salted water to the boil. Remove the larger leaves from the lettuce, discarding any tough stalks, and blanch for a few seconds in the pan. Drain and cool immediately in iced water, then pat dry with kitchen paper
  • 1 lettuce, green and round
6
Transfer the cooled fish stock and lettuce leaves to a blender and blitz to combine. Pass through a fine sieve before seasoning with salt
  • salt
7
For the creamed potato, bring a pan of water to the boil and add the chopped potatoes. Boil for 10 minutes, or until very soft. Transfer to a blender (or use a hand blender) and combine, then add the Parmesan and blend briefly to emulsify it slightly
  • 300g of potatoes, peeled and roughly chopped
  • 40g of Parmesan, Parmigiano Reggiano
8
Pour the hot vegetable stock into the blended potatoes, blend again then add the oil a little at a time whilst continuing to blend. Stir in the lemon juice and season with salt and pepper and keep warm until required
  • 50ml of vegetable stock
  • 30ml of extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 tbsp of lemon juice
  • salt
  • freshly ground black pepper
9
Preheat the oven to 200°C/gas mark 6. Line a deep baking tray with a grill rack
10
To cook the sea bass, place the fillets skin-side up on the grill rack. Add the oil to an ovenproof frying pan and place over a high heat. When it reaches 200°C carefully ladle the hot oil over the fillets so that the skin shrinks and the scales puff up
  • 4 sea bass fillets, with skin and scales, weighing 100g each
  • 4 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil
11
Carefully discard any excess oil from the frying pan and transfer the fillets to the pan, keeping the spiky skin on top. Place in the oven to finish cooking for 6–8 minutes (depending on the thickness of the fillets)
12
To serve, spread spoonfuls of the creamed potato on serving plates and top with the sea bass. Dot the lettuce sauce over the plates and siphon on some of the broccoli mousse. Garnish with the marinated courgette ribbons, some almond flakes and a pinch of sea salt

Being at the forefront of the Italian nouvelle cuisine movement when he was younger helped form Igles Corelli's playful, creative cooking style.

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