Preheat the oven to 220ºC/Gas 7. Scale the fish and remove the eyes and gills. Slit the belly and remove the guts. Rinse well under cold running water and pat dry with kitchen paper.
Peel the fruit and segment, removing all the pith, holding the fruit over a bowl to collect the juices.
Slash the skin of the fish three times on each side, and season with salt and pepper. Cook in a non-stick ovenproof pan with a drop of olive oil over a high heat to crisp the skin, turning the fish after 3 minutes. When both sides are browned, place in the oven for about 5 minutes, depending on the size of the fish.
Take the fish out of the pan and place them on plates or a serving dish to keep warm. Put the shallots in the same pan with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil and cook briskly for 1 minute. Add the fruit juices and reduce by a third; pour in any juices from the fish. Add the fruit segments and the remaining olive oil, then immediately take the pan off the heat and pour over the fish. Sprinkle with the basil leaves and serve; this should be warm not hot.
Soufflé aux fraises
Strawberry crumble soufflé
Strawberries go so beautifully with Kirsch and these little Soufflés are gorgeous. Make them in individual ramekins of about 8 x 6cm and serve them with some clotted cream if you like.
Serves 8
Ingredients
600g strawberries
4 tbsp demerara sugar
juice of 1 lemon
2 tbsp Kirsch
2 tbsp cornflour
10 free-range egg whites
80g caster sugar, plus extra for dusting
unsalted butter, for greasing
clotted cream, for serving (optional)
Wash and hull the strawberries, then place them in a pan with the demerara sugar, lemon juice and 2 tablespoons of water. Bring to a simmer, stir gently and cook until tender. Remove 1 or 2 strawberries per person to serve as a garnish and douse them with the Kirsch.
Put the rest of the strawberries in a food processor with the cooking juices and blitz them to a purée. pass the purée through a fine sieve into a clean saucepan. Mix the cornflour with 2 tablespoons of water to make a paste and add this to the purée. Bring to the boil, stirring constantly to avoid any lumps. Leave the mixture to cool, but do not refrigerate.
To make the crumble topping, mix all the ingredients together and spread the mixture over a non-stick baking tray. Preheat the oven to 220°C/ Fan 200°C/Gas7. Toast the crumble for a few minutes, then remove and turn the oven down to 200°C/Fan 180°C/Gas 6.
Whisk the egg whites until frothy, then add the 80g of caster sugar and continue to whisk until stiff peaks form. Take a third of the egg whites and beat them into the cold purée, then gently fold in the rest of the egg whites. Butter your ramekins thoroughly and coat insides with sugar. Always work upwards when buttering soufflé dishes as this helps the soufflés rise.
Half fill the ramekins with the strawberry mixture, then add the reserved strawberries and Kirsch. Fill the ramekins to the top, level with a palette knife and place them in a preheated oven for 8 minutes. Sprinkle on some crumble topping and continue to cook for a further 2-3 minutes. Serve with a spoonful of clotted cream if you like.
Soft boiled egg with smoked salmon, asparagus and caviar
Serves 6
Ingredients
30 small asparagus tips
salt and pepper
4 slices of smoked salmon
2 tablespoons double cream
2 tablespoons horseradish
4 eggs
3 tablespoons of Sevruga caviar
12 round brioche bread toasts about 1cm thick, 3-5 cm wide
Peel the asparagus and trim to 4 cm lengths. Cook in a pan of boiling salted water for about 5-7 minutes or until just tender, then immediately refresh in ice-cold water and drain well.
Cut the smoked salmon slices into 18 circles, using a cutter the same diameter as the brioche.
Whip the cream and add to the horseradish.
Cook the eggs in boiling water for 3½ minutes, then hold under running water for 10 seconds and peel while still hot. Put the eggs into a warm dish and break them up with a fork (the yokes should be runny and the whites solid) Season with a little pepper and gently fold in the caviar.
Reheat the asparagus in a pan of boiling salted water, drain and roll in a little olive oil to make them glossy.
Put a small dollop of horseradish cream in the centre of each serving plate, then a smoked salmon circle, more horseradish and then the lightly toasted brioche slice. Repeat the layers to finish with two brioches and 3 smoked salmon circles on each plate. Arrange the asparagus on top and spoon on the egg and caviar mixture.
