As part of a series of podcasts for food delivery service 44 Foods, chef James Strawbridge has shared a new turbot recipe. Unusually, the recipe combines the turbot and strawberry salad – a pairing that works surprisingly well.
Working with farmers and producers across the country, 44 Foods delivers fresh food direct to customers’ doors, supporting producers in a fair and sustainable way. In addition to a greengrocer’s section, the platform also showcases butchers, fishmongers and bakers, as well as having a larder section.
A large, meaty flatfish prized for its delicate flavour, turbot is widely recognised as one of the finest fish in the sea. While the global supply of wild turbot is steady it’s fairly limited, totalling around 5,000 tonnes a year, historically found throughout the Mediterranean, through to the Bay of Biscay, British Isles, and northern Norway. Given its value, however, turbot was one of the first fish to be farmed, with a supply exceeding that of wild. Europe alone produces around 10,000 tonnes of farmed turbot per year.
With flaky white flesh holding together when cooked well, turbot has a rich flavour and is particularly well suited to being cooked whole, on the bone, as is the case with James Strawbridge’s recipe. Not only does a whole turbot provide an impressive centrepiece, it makes use of the delicious offcuts such as the fin muscle which runs along the edge of the fillet, with a rich, oily texture. Here, the turbot and strawberry dish is accompanied by a strawberry salad complete with balsamic vinegar, chervil, and chives.
Ingredients
- 1 whole turbot
- 1 fennel bulb sliced
- 1 orange sliced
- 100 ml rosé wine
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 tsp sea salt flakes
For the strawberry salad
- 1 punnet British strawberries sliced
- 1 tsp caster sugar
- 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 1 tbsp chervil chopped
- 1 tbsp chives chopped
- Pinch sea salt and cracked black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180˚C/Gas 4. On a roasting tray lay a vegetable trivet of sliced fennel, rosé, and orange slices. Drizzle your turbot with oil and season generously with sea salt.
- Roast for 30-35 mins in the oven until it is cooked down to the bone and the skin is crispy. (Timings can vary based on the size of your fish). Baste in the juice halfway through cooking to keep the turbot moist and build the layers of flavour.
- For the salad, macerate the sliced strawberries with a teaspoon of sugar for 10-15 mins. Then toss gently in a bowl with balsamic vinegar and freshly chopped herbs. Season with a pinch of salt and pepper.
- Serve the turbot with strawberry salad and some new potatoes on the side.
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