Nathan outlaw’s fish revolution

The technique Braising

“Plaice and bass are a great pairing and, with this rich sauce, make a dish that’s sure to please. The important things here are to make sure the braise is reduced well and seasoned perfectly before adding the fish, then to keep the sauce to a simmer – be gentle, be nice!”

Plaice and bass braised in red wine with shallots, peas & oyster mushrooms

Serves 4 Hands-on time 20 min Simmering time 40 min

• 175g unsalted butter

• Olive oil to drizzle

• 20 small shallots, peeled but
left whole

• 2 tbsp caster sugar

• 5 garlic cloves, finely chopped

• 4 thyme sprigs

• 4 bay leaves

• 100ml red wine vinegar

• 500ml full-bodied red wine

• 500ml fish or chicken stock

• 50g dried shiitake mushrooms

• 400g oyster mushrooms

• 1 plaice (around 1kg), filleted and cut into portions

• 1 sea bass (around 1.5kg), filleted and cut into portions

• 200g peas, defrosted if frozen

• 2 tbsp chopped flatleaf parsley

• Boiled new potatoes to serve

1 To prepare the fish braising liquid, heat a large, wide pan and add 75g of the butter with a drizzle of oil. When the butter has melted, add the shallots and cook for 6 minutes. Add the sugar and cook until it caramelises, allowing the shallots to colour well. Add the garlic, thyme, bay and vinegar, then bubble until reduced to almost nothing. Pour in the red wine and return to a simmer, continuing until reduced by half. Now pour in the stock, add the dried mushrooms and bring to the boil. Skim off any impurities from the surface and simmer for 5 minutes.

2 Fry the oyster mushrooms in a little oil, then add to the braise.

3 To cook the fish, submerge the plaice and bass in the liquid, cover with foil or a lid and cook gently for 6 minutes. Remove the foil/lid, carefully turn the fish and add the peas and parsley. Cook for 2 minutes, then take off the heat.

4 Carefully pour off the braising liquid into a pan, put over a medium heat and whisk in the remaining 100g butter, in pieces. Pour th