Fillet of North Sea John Dory with Thyme-fried Calamari, Pearl Barley ‘Risotto’ of Majoram, Buttered Lettuce and Devilled Crab

Andrew Pern

Andrew Pern

22nd September 2017
Andrew Pern

Fillet of North Sea John Dory with Thyme-fried Calamari, Pearl Barley ‘Risotto’ of Majoram, Buttered Lettuce and Devilled Crab

Chefs often regard crab meat as a two-in-one ingredient. While white meat contains a light and sweet flavour the brown meat is often richer in taste meaning it can be used as a mix and on its own due to its unique flavour. Why not give the following Fillet of North Sea John Dory with Thyme-fried Calamari, Pearl Barley ‘Risotto’ of Majoram, Buttered Lettuce and Devilled Crab recipe a try in your kitchen? This is my recipe for Fillet of North Sea John Dory with Thyme-fried Calamari, Pearl Barley ‘Risotto’ of Majoram, Buttered Lettuce and Devilled Crab available from The Star Inn The Harbour - serves 4

Ingredients

  • 4 John Dory fillets
  • 2 squid, cut into rings
  • 2 egg whites
  • ½tsp thyme, chopped
  • Squeeze of lemon juice
  • 1 Baby Gem lettuce, cut into quarters
  • 100g butter, melted
  • 8 slices of salami, 2mm thick
  • Seasoning
  • For the Salt ‘n’ Pepper Flour:
  • 30g rice flour
  • 1tsp Maldon salt
  • 1tsp Five Spice
  • 1tsp Schezwan pepper
  • 1tsp thyme, finely chopped
  • For the Devilled Crab:
  • 100g brown crabmeat
  • 5 drops Tabasco Sauce
  • A pinch of celery salt
  • 1tbsp tomato purée
  • For the Pearl Barley ‘Risotto’:
  • 10g marjoram, chopped
  • 200g pearl barley, cooked
  • 50ml whipping cream
  • 50g Wensleydale cheese, crumbled

Method

For the squid, first mix together the seasoned flour ingredients with the exception of the thyme in a food processor, sieve and add the thyme. Dip the squid rings into the beaten egg white, then into the flour to coat. Deep-fry in oil at 180ºC until golden. Drain, season and squeeze over a little lemon juice. Keep warm.
For the John Dory, brush the fillets with melted butter, season and place on a tray beneath a medium grill until the flesh is tender (approx 3 to 4 minutes).
For the Baby Gem, lightly brush the lettuce quarters with melted butter. Season and grill with the sliced salami for 2 to 3 minutes on the same tray as the John Dory fillets.
For the Devilled Crab, blitz together the ingredients in a food processor and decant into a squeezy bottle.
For the Pearl Barley ‘Risotto’, warm together the pearl barley, majoram, cream and cheese to a stiff consistency. Check seasoning.
To serve, place the Risotto on the plate with the grilled salami slices on top. Place the John Dory on top of the salami and the Baby Gem and Calamari alongside. Decorate the plate with ‘dots’ of Devilled Crab.

In these challenging times…

The Staff Canteen team are taking a different approach to keeping our website independent and delivering content free from commercial influence. Our Editorial team have a critical role to play in informing and supporting our audience in a balanced way. We would never put up a paywall and restrict access – The Staff Canteen is open to all and we want to keep bringing you the content you want; more from younger chefs, more on mental health, more tips and industry knowledge, more recipes and more videos. We need your support right now, more than ever, to keep The Staff Canteen active. Without your financial contributions this would not be possible.

Over the last 12 years, The Staff Canteen has built what has become the go-to platform for chefs and hospitality professionals. As members and visitors, your daily support has made The Staff Canteen what it is today. Our features and videos from the world’s biggest name chefs are something we are proud of. We have over 500,000 followers across Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube and other social channels, each connecting with chefs across the world. Our editorial and social media team are creating and delivering engaging content every day, to support you and the whole sector - we want to do more for you.

A single coffee is more than £2, a beer is £4.50 and a large glass of wine can be £6 or more.

Support The Staff Canteen from as little as £1 today. Thank you.