Thai Spiced Seabass
Thai spiced seabass with coconut broth and curry emulsion
Created by Carlisle College (2018/19)
Course: Starter
Servings: 4
Students: Bianca Bennett, Kerry Pitt, Molly Elliot
Lecturer: Sean Downes
2 seabass
5g Thai spice mix
Broth:
1 red chilli
2 garlic cloves
25g ginger
1/4 bunch fresh coriander
1 stick lemongrass
10ml sesame oil
1 limes and leaf
10ml fish sauce
400ml coconut milk
150ml chicken stock
Tempura:
50g gluten free self raising flour
10g rice flour
20g samphire
50g red/yellow pepper
Curry emulsion:
1 lime
1/2 tsp curry powder
10ml white wine vinegar
1/4 bunch coriander
1 tsp Dijon mustard
2 egg yolks
4 edible flowers
12 pieces micro coriander
150ml vegetable oil
- Scale and gut the seabass, rinse clean.
- Remove head and fillets on both sides of fish.
- Present bones.
- Pin bone the fillets and wipe the fillets clean if required.
- Clearly score the skin on both fillets, trim head end of fillet to neaten, trim off 2cm of tail end.
- Cut each fillet in half on the diagonal slant, to give you 4 even portions.
- Clean section.
Broth
- Very roughly chop the garlic and ginger.
- Remove top from the chilli and cut in half lengthways.
- Trim root of coriander end of stalks by 25mm and discard root , roughly chop the coriander.
- Heat a small pan, add the sesame oil, and fry the garlic ,ginger , bruised lemon grass and chilli over a medium heat for 1-2 minutes without colour . Add coconut milk , chicken stock chopped coriander, lime leaf ,lime juice and zest and simmer for 15 minutes or until reduced by 1/3rd , remove from heat and infuse to allow flavours to develop.
- Pass through fine strainer into a clean saucepan and correct seasoning , adding fish sauce if required. Cover sauce and keep warm.
- Clear section.
Curry emulsion
- Blend all emulsion ingredients except egg yolks and vegetable oil , together with hand blender to a smooth paste . Add the egg yolks.
- With motor running pour oil onto egg mix gradually until the desired consistency required.
- Correct seasoning.
- Let it down with a little water if required.
Tempura Batter
- Mix flours together in a bowl.
- Lightly mix in the cold water until a thin batter consistency is achieved (similar to double cream consistency).
- Allow Batter to stand until needed.
- Rinse samphire in cold water to remove debris, pat dry.
To Plate:
- Reheat sauce gently.
- Heat a non-stick pan with a tbpsn of oil over a medium heat, season fish fillets and lightly coat skin side with seabass spice.
- Turn up heat until pan is quite hot and place fish fillets in skin side down, press lightly on fish to stop it curling.
- Cook for 2-3 minutes until skin is turning golden and crispy.
- Carefully turn fish over and remove pan from heat, let it stand for a couple of minutes until the fish is just cooked.
- Meanwhile take samphire and drop into batter, remove from batter and deep fry on 180C for 1 minute until light golden, colour.
- Drain on paper and season.
- Place a splatter of emulsion on plate.
- Put fish in centre of plate skin side up.
- Add the crispy samphire and decorate with micro coriander and flowers.
- Put broth into a jug to serve.