Cornish Pollock served with courgette, fennel, hazelnut ragout and courgette basil purée by Alex Povall

Alex Povall

Alex Povall

12th July 2018
Alex Povall

Cornish Pollock served with courgette, fennel, hazelnut ragout and courgette basil purée by Alex Povall

Cornish Pollock served with courgette, fennel, hazelnut ragout and courgette basil purée by Alex Povall

Ingredients

  • Ingredients (serves 4):
  • 4 Pollock portions (approx 140g each)
  • 2 tsp sea salt
  • 15ml vegetable oil
  • 30g unsalted butter
  • Juice of 1/2 lemon
  • 4 sprigs of fresh basil
  • Courgette and basil purée:
  • 2 courgettes, sliced with the seeds removed
  • 1 handful of fresh basil leaves
  • Juice of 1 lemon
  • 50ml extra virgin olive oil
  • Courgette ragout:
  • 2 courgettes, sliced
  • 1 clove of garlic, sliced
  • 15ml extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 bulb of fennel, sliced and lightly salted
  • 1 handful of hazelnuts, roasted and crushed
  • Juice of 1 lemon
  • 3 - 4 fresh basil leaves, chopped
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Method

Courgette and basil purée:
1. Blanch the courgettes in boiling salted water until tender
2. Remove the courgettes from the water and place straight into a blender with around one ladle
of the cooking water and the fresh basil, then blend until smooth
3. Add the lemon juice and the olive oil and blend again
4. Once smooth, pour into a bowl over ice water and chill rapidly
Courgette ragout:
1. Sweat the garlic and courgettes in a pan with the olive oil and a splash of water until tender
2. Once cooked, add the fennel, hazelnuts, lemon juice and fresh basil and cook everything
together for a minute or two
3. Take the pan off the heat and check the seasoning before serving
To serve:
1. Lightly salt the pollock portions with a good sprinkle of sea salt and leave for 10 minutes
2. Dry off the pollock and add to a hot pan skin-side facing down with the vegetable oil
3. Cook the pollock for a couple of minutes until the skin turns golden, then add the butter and flip
the fish over (should take 4 - 6 minutes in total)
4. Squeeze the lemon juice and sprinkle another pinch of sea salt over the pollock to fish. Test the
flesh with a skewer - once the centre of the portion is warm the fish is ready to serve
5. Distribute the courgette and basil purée between four plates, placing this in the centre, then top
with a portion of the courgette, fennel, hazelnut ragout
6. Place one of the pollock portions on top of the ragout with the skin-side facing up, and top with
a sprig of fresh basil

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