From Serge Dansereau, The Bathers’ Pavilion
Recipe appears in Serge’s “French Kitchen” Cookbook
INGREDIENTS – Serves 4
1 small handful flat leaf parsley, roughly chopped
1 small handful chervil, roughly chopped
100 grams dry breadcrumbs
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
Finely grated zest of 1 lemon
50 grams freshly grated parmesan cheese
125 grams butter, diced, at room temperature
4 x 180 grams boneless kingfish fillets
1 tablespoon olive oil
Fresh tomato sauce (See following recipe) or tomato passata, warmed, to serve
METHOD
Put the parsley and chervil in a food processor or blender and process untilcrushed and combined. Add the breadcrumbs and blend until you have a smooth green paste. Add the garlic, lemon zest, parmesan and butter and pulse until well incorporated. Scrape onto a large piece of baking paper, cover with another sheet of paper and roll out to make a thin dough, about
3mm thick. Refrigerate until needed.
Preheat the oven to 200˚C.
Wipe the fish fillets with paper towel to remove any moisture. Take the herb dough from the refrigerator and sit it in the paper on a clean work surface. Peel off the top layer of paper and place one piece of fish at a time onto the dough. Use a sharp knife to cut the dough and paper around the contour of the fish.
Heat the oil in a large ovenproof frying pan over medium heat. Gently transfer the fish to the pan, paper side down. Cook for 3 minutes, or until you achieve some colour on the crust. Turn over and cook for a few minutes in the oven.
Remove from the oven and serve immediately on warm plates with the fresh tomato sauce on the bottom. This dish goes well with a simple salad or steamed greens.
Variations: Jewfish, snapper or swordfish could all be used
FRESH TOMATO SAUCE – Makes 500 grams (2 cups)
INGREDIENTS
2 thyme sprigs
2 oregano sprigs
1 handful basil leaves
1 tablespoon olive oil
8 roma tomatoes, halved
METHOD
Preheat the oven to 160˚C.
In a baking tray, scatter over the garlic, thyme, oregano and basil. Drizzle
on the olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Put the tomatoes, cut side
down, on top of the herbs. Roast in the oven for 30 minutes. Remove from
the oven and allow to cool slightly, then peel off the skins. Reserve the garlic
and discard the herbs.
Reduce the oven temperature to 140˚C, return the tomatoes to the baking tray
and roast for 1 hour. Remove from the oven and allow to cool slightly before
using a stick blender to purée into a smooth sauce. Alternatively you could
do this in a food processor. Strain to remove the seeds. Mash the garlic and
add to the sauce. Pour the sauce into a saucepan over low heat and cook for
30 minutes, or until it thickens. Adjust the seasoning and reserve until ready
to use.
The sauce can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to
4 days. Gently reheat the sauce, adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper
before using.
