Gurnard fillets with horseradish crust
This makes a very easy and quick fish supper that also has a spicy kick with the horseradish crust.
Ingredients
For the vermouth sauce
- 25g/1oz butter
- gurnard bones, chopped
- 1 banana shallot, peeled and diced
- 125ml/4fl oz vermouth
- 2–3 fresh thyme sprigs
- 2–3 whole peppercorns
- 100ml/3½fl oz double cream
- 1 lime, juice only
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
For the gurnard
- 100²µ/3½´Ç³ú breadcrumbs
- 2 tbsp finely grated fresh horseradish
- 2 free-range eggs, beaten
- 50²µ/1¾´Ç³ú plain flour
- 2 x 200g/7oz gurnard fillets, bones removed and reserved
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 25g/1oz butter
Method
For the sauce, heat the butter in a frying pan. Sweat the bones and shallot in the butter for 5–10 minutes and then add the vermouth, thyme and peppercorns. Cook until the vermouth is reduced and then add the cream and lime juice, to taste. Strain the sauce through a sieve and season with salt and pepper.
Meanwhile, for the gurnard, mix the breadcrumbs with the horseradish in a wide, shallow bowl. Place the eggs and flour in two separate wide, shallow bowls. Coat the gurnard fillets in the flour, then the eggs and then the breadcrumb mixture.
Heat the oil and butter in a frying pan and fry the fish on one side for 3–4 minutes, or until the crust is golden. Turn the fish over and cook for 3–4 minutes on the other side.
Serve the fish fillets immediately with the sauce.