A Fish For Meat Lovers

While scouring for my weekly top-up of food at the Stoke Newington Farmers Market, I was delighted to see some lovely Bream at the fishmonger stall. Bream is a fish that is easily found at many supermarket fishmonger counters, but is often farmed in the Mediterranean with little flavour and a flimsy texture. When fresh from the South Coast, Bream is firm, earthy, with a hint of sweetness and a kiss from the sea. It almost reminds me of a succulent pork roast – that mix of sweet and savoury – yet this pig went for a swim in the sea that softened its flesh a bit. What meat lover wouldn’t say yes?

With its firm earthy sweetness, several flavours warrant exploration to accompany our Bream – earthy flavours, sweet flavours, and to cut them both, a bit of acidic tanginess. In England we are currently blessed with the peak of the asparagus season. I was able to pick up some lovely asparagus from the Islington Farmers Market, though organic asparagus was nowhere to be found. Asparagus has such a vibrant green flavour of spring and is best served simply. To accentuate the tanginess, we shall sprinkle with lemon juice, drizzle with olive oil, and add some Parmesan shavings for a mix of sweet and tang.

Remaining seasonal, yet keeping the spirit of the dish light, what better to accompany the asparagus and Bream than a lovely salad? The Perry Court Farm stall in Stoke Newington had some stunning chickweed on offer and with its bitter herbaceousness, the sweetness of roasted onions (I was out of red onions) and the earthy malleability of Jerusalem Artichokes – also known as sunchokes in North America – seemed perfect. To provide an extra touch of subtle unctuous sweetness, briefly sautée the Jerusalem Artichokes in butter and honey before cooling and decanting into the salad. Finish the salad with a simple vinaigrette with some chopped anchovies, wild garlic, and capers.

To accompany this light yet satiating dish, an Alsatian-style Riesling will do the job well. I considered pairing this with a Sancerre or other Loire Sauvignon Blanc because of the asparagus, but I think the earthy greenness of the dish doesn’t require such a vegetal wine. The Riesling (2007 Grosset Polish Hill, from the Clare Valley in Australia) cut the richness of the fish and Jerusalem Artichokes while not overwhelming the overall combination with acidity. There was just enough perfume in the wine to allow spring to overtake you. Perfect for an afternoon alfresco lunch on the weekend.

As I am overdue for some pictures in this blog, I am pleased to present some for this dish. I must also owe more than a hint of gratitude to Fergus Henderson and Marcus Samuelsson who provided inspiration on this dish pairing.

The cast:

1 Onion (preferably red) per person
Balsamic Vinegar
Olive Oil
4-5 Jerusalem Artichokes (medium) per person
A healthy bunch of Chickweed, washed
Capers
1 tin Anchovies
Wild Garlic
Red Wine Vinegar
Mustard
1 medium sized Bream per person, gutted/cleaned, whole with head on.
Butter
Parsley
Parmegianno-Reggiano
4-5 Asparagus spears per person
Lemon Juice (fresh is better)

Step-by-step

Turn on the grill in your oven to 200 C.

First skin and cut your onion(s) in half. Combine in a bowl with a little olive oil and some balsamic vinegar and place in a small ovenproof pan. Let the onions caramelise for about 2 minutes on each side. Remove and set aside to cool.

Meanwhile, chop the ends off your Jerusalem Artichokes and roughly skin the bumps off, but do not fully peel. Place the Jerusalem Artichokes into some boiling water and leave for approximately 30-40 minutes.

Prepare the vinaigrette as the Jerusalem Artichokes are boiling. Add extra virgin olive oil, a splash of red wine vinegar, and a touch of mustard. Add chopped anchovies, capers, and wild garlic to taste. Vigourously stir and emulsify into a pasty vinaigrette, letting the ingredients get acquainted.

When there are 10 minutes left on the Jerusalem Artichokes, prepare the Bream. In the cavity where your fishmonger cleaned the fish, add some small knobs of butter, salt, pepper, and chopped parsley. Add a few more pats of butter, salt, pepper, and parsley on the top of the fish. Place in an oven try that has ever so lightly been brushed with olive oil and bake for 15-20 minutes at 180 C, or a medium oven if you prefer.

As the fish is baking and the Jerusalem Artichokes are finished, drain and let steam-off for a minute. Cut the bottoms off the asparagus and place the asparagus in a boiling water for 3-4 minutes. Cut the Jerusalem Artichokes in large pieces and place in a pan with melted butter, sautéing for 2-3 minutes. Add a splash of vinegar – I prefer rice wine vinegar – and then dollop a bit of honey and let caramelise. Meanwhile, drain the asparagus. Remove the Jerusalem Artichokes and let briefly cool. Dress the asparagus with extra virgin olive oil, some lemon juice, and Parmesan shavings, season to taste.

Mix the chickweed, onion, remaining chopped parsley, Jerusalem Artichokes, and vinaigrette. Let the ingredients have a party – really mix them well. Season to taste.

Serve the asparagus and salad onto large plates. Remove the pieces of Bream from the oven, place whole on the plates and offer a lemon. Enjoy a wonderfully local and sustainable dish prepared in just an hour, with intervals of rest (during the boiling) to catch up with the odd email or perusal through the newspaper.

Bream, while delicious, is not quite as easy in the bone department as Brill or Dover Sole. Use caution as the bones can be particularly prickly, though the odd poke is worth the deliciousness of the flesh. Save the bones, skin, and head for a fish stock should you wish to use it the future. See the previous entry ‘Taking Stock’ on the method for doing so. It’s easy and if there are two of you, it can be done while the other person is washing up.