Steamed Sea Bream with Glazed Vegetable Straw Potatoes

 This recipe comes from Michelin-starred, Edinburgh chef, Martin Wishart - Restaurant Martin Wishart, www.martin-wishart.co.uk, 01315533557.

 Serves: 6

Qty Ingridents: 

 Ask you fishmonger to remove the pin bones for you.
6 fillets of sea bream   1 carrot
1 bulb of fennel    2 courgettes
2 celery stalks    ½ bunch of chives
1 clove of garlic    2 fresh tarragon stems
400ml home made chicken stock  100g melted butter

Vinaigrette:

150 ml olive oil    1 tbsp sherry vinegar
½ lemon     pinch of salt
pinch of sugar    2 plum tomatoes skinned and diced

Straw potatoes:

500g of Maris piper or Golden wonder potatoes

Method:

1. Wash and peel the carrot, thinly cut into 10 cm slices. Cut each slice onto thin stripes about the same thickness as the chives. Do the same with the courgette and celery.
2. Cut the fennel in half, remove the top and discard. Break into individual leaves and again slice the same as the carrots.
3. Boil the chicken stock in large wide pan, slice the garlic clove. Add the sliced vegetables and cook for 2-3 minutes so they still have a slight bite to them. Strain the stock into a clean sauce pan, arrange the vegetables onto a tray and season them with salt while they are still hot.
4. Reduce the chicken stock with the tarragon stems, until golden and thick you should have approximately 2-3 tablespoons in the pan, remove from the heat and whisk in the sherry vinegar and olive oil, add the lemon juice salt and sugar. Pass through a sieve and place aside.

Cooking the straw potatoes:

1. Wash and peel the potatoes with the aid of a food processor, shred the potatoes to resemble matchsticks, wash in cold water and then dry by squeezing them in a tea towel to remove all excess moisture.
2. Deep fry the potatoes in vegetable oil (180˚ C) until golden. Drain on kitchen paper and season with salt.

Cooking and serving the fish:

1. Brush the fillets of sea bream with melted butter and season with salt. Place a portion of the vegetables onto a small plate. Lay a fillet of sea bream on top and cover tightly with cling film, place in a steamer this will only take approximately 10 minutes to cook.

2. Arrange the vegetables and fish onto the centre of the plate. Squeeze a little lemon juice on top of the fish. Place some of the straw potatoes on top. Warm the vinaigrette in a pan, add the diced plum tomatoes and a few chopped chives, spoon the vinaigrette around the outside.

 Martin Wishart