- 1kg brill, filleted & skinned (have your fishmonger do this)
- 500g sauerkraut
- A selection of exotic mushrooms
- 1 garlic clove, crushed
- A knob of butter
- A splash of white wine
- Salt & pepper
- Hazelnut gnocchi:
- 1kg potatoes (King Edward), baked
- 100g potato flour
- 100g roasted hazelnuts, chopped
- 3egg yolks
- 100g Parmesan
- 10g salt
- 50ml hazelnut oil
- Fermented rye soup:
- 300g rye flour
- 500ml water, boiled and cooled to blood temperature
- 4 garlic cloves, lightly crushed
- 2 onions, diced
- 10g juniper berries
- 100g smoked sausage, chopped
- 500 ml chicken stock
- Salt
- Nasturtium leaves & three-cornered garlic flowers
Roast brill, sauerkraut, hazelnut gnocchi & local foraged mushrooms with fermented rye soup
Gary Pearce
15th October 2014
Roast brill, sauerkraut, hazelnut gnocchi & local foraged mushrooms with fermented rye soup
Photo credit to Repertoire Food and Design Limited, taken from Penny Ericson’s new cookery book ‘Meats, Eats, Drinks and Leaves
Roast brill, sauerkraut, hazelnut gnocchi & local foraged mushrooms with fermented rye soup
The rye fermentation is chef Gary’s wife, Martyna’s Nan’s traditional recipe and takes 3 days to make. Its Polish name is Zur and can be bought online or at specialty Polish shops. Gary also makes his sauerkraut but recommends that good quality store bought is also fine.
Serves 4
Equipment: deep fryer, ricer, digital scale
Ingredients
Method
For the brill:
Lay the fillets back-to-back and head-to-toe and wrap in cling film and refrigerate until ready to use.
Prepare the fish when all other components of the dish are ready.
For the gnocchi:
Scoop out the potato flesh and pass through a ricer.
Add the rest of the ingredients and mix until well combined.
Roll into 3g balls.
Blanch in boiling salted water until they rise to the top then drain on kitchen paper.
When ready to serve pre-heat deep fryer to 180°C and fry until golden.
Season to taste and serve hot.
For the soup:
Mix together the rye flour, water and garlic in a sterilised jar and rest in a warm place for 3 days stirring everyday.
It should smell a bit sour.
When ready, sweat the onions and juniper in a pan then add the sausage.
Pour in the rye mixture and simmer for a few minutes.
Add the stock in small portions allowing the soup to reduce until you have a nice consistency.
Season to taste.
To serve:
In a lightly oiled pan fry the fish fillets on both sides for 1 minute each
Add a knob of butter and baste for 1 minute.
Dress the plate with the fish, gnocchi and little rondelles of warm sauerkraut and decorate with the nasturtium leaves and garlic flowers.
Serve the warm soup on the side.
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.
