3675. BRAISED TURBON in BEER with BACON, SHALLOTS and PEAS

serves four

8 rashers streaky smoked bacon 

1 tablespoons light rapeseed oil 

3½ oz unsalted butter 

20 small shallots, peeled and left whole

12 garlic cloves, peeled and left whole

1 sprig rosemary 

3½ fl oz red wine vinegar 

26 fl oz beer 

18 fl oz fish stock 

3 lb 5 oz turbot, fins trimmed, split down the centre and cut into steaks with the bone in

7 oz peas fresh or frozen

3 tablespoons chopped fresh flatleaf parsley, plus extra for garnish 

salt and freshly ground black pepper

Heat the grill and cook the bacon until crisp. Set aside to cool and then chop into small pieces.

To make the braising liquid, heat a large pan and add the oil and 2½ oz of the butter.

When the oil is hot, add the shallots and the garlic. Cook for four minutes and then add the rosemary and cook for a further two minutes so the garlic and shallots begin to colour.

Add the vinegar and cook until reduced in volume to almost nothing.

Add the beer and reduce in volume again to half the amount.

Add the fish stock and bring to the boil. Skim off any impurities that rise to the top and simmer for five minutes.

To cook the fish, place the portions into the beer liquor and cover with foil, with the foil touching the surface of the liquid. Cook on a low heat for 12 minutes. Remove the foil and carefully turn the fish and add the peas and parsley. Cook for one minute and remove from the heat.

Warm a large serving platter, then carefully remove the fish from the beer and place it onto the platter.

Heat the braising liquor and whisk in the remaining 1 oz butter. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

To serve, spoon some of the liquor over the fish and sprinkle over the crisp bacon and a little more parsley.

bacon recipe source: Nathan Outlaw, Spring Kitchen with Tom Kerridge, BBC Food

3082. PAN-FRIED TURBOT with RED WINE BUTTER, BACON, PUMPKIN and CHESTNUTS

serves four 


12 small shallots, blanched until soft 
300 grams pumpkin, flesh only, cut into bite sized chunks 
120 grams chunky lardons of bacon 
12 cooked chestnuts 
1 tablespoon vegetable oil 
2 tablespoons unsalted butter

For the red wine butter 

200 ml red wine 

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar 

2 tablespoons soy sauce 

2 shallots, peeled and finely diced 

1 tablespoon whipping cream 

120 grams unsalted butter 

sea salt and freshly ground black pepper 

sugar, to taste 

For the turbot 

1 tablespoon vegetable oil 

4 turbot fillets, each about 160g each, skin removed 

2 tablespoons unsalted butter 

10 sprigs flat leaf parsley, leaves picked 

Preheat the oven to 190C/gas 5. Blanch the shallots and pumpkin chunks for 3-4 minutes, until just softened.

Place the bacon, shallots, pumpkin, and chestnuts on a baking tray that is just large enough to hold them. Add the vegetable oil, season with salt and pepper and toss until well coated. Dot the butter over the top and roast for 12-15 minutes until golden.

For the red wine sauce: pour the red wine, red wine vinegar and soy sauce into a saucepan and add the shallots. Cook over a medium heat for several minutes, until the liquid has reduced to about 4 tablespoons. Whisk in the cream.

Add 100g of the butter, a little at a time, stirring constantly. Do not let the sauce boil.

Season to taste with salt, black pepper and sugar (you shouldn't need much salt because of the soy). Keep warm.

For the turbot: heat the oil in a large frying pan. Season the turbot and fry for 1 minute over a very high heat.

Add the butter, lower the heat slightly and fry for a further 2 minutes. Turn and fry for 3 minutes more.

Once the fish is cooked, stir the parsley into the bacon mixture.

Spoon the red wine butter onto four plates, put the fish in the middle and scatter the bacon mixture over the top. Serve immediately.


bacon recipe courtesy of: Alex Mackay, Market Kitchen, Good Food Channel, UK TV

2503. PAN-FRIED FILLET OF TURBOT on a bed of BRAISED PEAS, LETTUCE and BACON and BUTTER MASH

serves four


For the braised peas, lettuce and bacon:
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
50 grams rindless streaky bacon, to be finely diced or chopped
1/2 onion, to be peeled and very finely chopped
1 small garlic clove, to be peeled and crushed
2 little gem lettuce hearts, finely shredded
6 tablespoons fish stock
350 grams shelled fresh peas or frozen petit pois
a pinch of caster sugar
50 grams unsalted butter
2 tablespoons fresh chives, to be chopped
freshly squeezed lemon juice, to taste

For the turbot:
1 tablespoon sunflower oil
50 grams unsalted butter
4x 175 grams skinless turbot fillets
freshly squeezed lemon juice, to taste
salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the butter mash:
1.25k grams floury potatoes
50-60 grams unsalted butter, cubed
150ml double cream, warmed
Maldon salt and freshly ground black pepper


For the mash, peel the potatoes and, if very large, cut into even-sized pieces. Don't make the pieces too small or they may absorb too much water and start to break up.

Place in a pan of cold salted water and bring to a very gentle simmer so that the water is barely trembling. Cook gently until you can push in a knife point without resistance, about 20 minutes (but don't allow them to start disintegrating).

Once cooked, drain well, return to the pan and place the pan back on a low heat for a minute to dry them out. When they're dry, you'll see white spots of starch appearing on the surface.

Pass the potatoes though a mouli or potato ricer into a clean bowl. Immediately, return the potato to the pan, add the cream and butter, season to taste with salt and pepper and heat gently, beating well.

Heat the olive oil in a pan, add the bacon and fry until crisp and lightly golden. Add the onion and garlic and cook for another 5 - 6 minutes until the onion has softened and is very lightly browned.

Add the shredded lettuce, fish stock or water and some seasoning and bring to the boil, then turn down and simmer for 2 minutes.

Next, in go the peas and a pinch of sugar, simmer for another 2 minutes. Add the butter and chives to the peas and season to taste with salt, pepper and lemon juice. You may have to add a bit more liquid or stock if it looks a bit dry. Keep warm.

Heat the sunflower oil in a large frying pan then add the turbot fillets (presentation side first). Add the butter and cook over a medium/high heat for 2-3 minutes on each side (depending on the thickness of the fillets), basting with the butter to keep them moist until just cooked through. Lift them out of the pan and onto a tray/plate to prevent them from cooking any further, season with salt, pepper and a little lemon juice and keep them warm.

Spoon a quenelle of potato onto the warmed plate, top with a turbot fillet and spoon the pea and lettuce garnish around the outside.


bacon recipe courtesy of: Nick Nairn, for The Hour, STV Programmes, STV, Pacific Quay, Glasgow G51 1PQ Scotland, April 3, 2009

2222. BRAISED TURBOT in SHERRY VINEGAR with BROWN SHRIMP and BACON

6 turbot fillets

For the braising liquor
90 grams smoked bacon, rind removed, cut into small strips
60 grams shallots, finely chopped
30 ml olive oil
60 grams unsalted butter
1 sprigs thyme
60 ml sherry vinegar
2 cloves garlic, crushed
210 ml fish stock

For the sauce
30 ml whipping cream
60 grams unsalted butter
lemon juice, to taste
180 grams brown shrimps, cooked and peeled
2 plum tomatoes
15 grams parsley

To serve
buttered spinach
creamed mashed potatoes

Preheat the oven to 160C/gas 3.

For the braising liquor: put the bacon strips in a small saucepan, cover with cold water and bring to the boil. As it boils it will throw a scum or froth: remove this with a ladle and discard. Boil the bacon for 2 minutes. Drain and set aside.

In a shallow ovenproof pan, heat the olive oil and add the butter. As soon as the butter has melted add the chopped shallot and cook for about 2 minutes, or until tender but with no colour.

Add the thyme and stir in the blanched bacon strips. Cook for a further 2 minutes. Pour in the sherry vinegar and boil to reduce its volume by two thirds or until syrupy.

Add the garlic and stir in the fish stock. Bring the stock back up to the boil and stir in all the surfacing fat with a small ladle.

Turn down the heat to a gentle simmer and carefully place the turbot (flat or skin side down) into the pan. Cover with buttered baking paper, cover with a lid and cook in the oven for 10 minutes.

When cooked remove the turbot from the braising liquor to a tray. Cover with the butter paper and keep warm above the stove.

For the sauce: strain the braising liquor through a fine mesh strainer into a clean pan and bring the liquid to the boil. Reduce by half.

Add the cream and bring back to the boil. Dice the butter and whisk into the sauce piece by piece. When the butter has been fully incorporated strain the sauce.

Check the seasoning adding salt, pepper and lemon juice to taste. Add the shrimps, tomatoes and parsley.

Pour any liquid that has leached out of the turbot into the sauce. Serve with the turbot, buttered spinach and mashed potato.


bacon recipe courtesy of: John Burton Race, Market Kitchen, Good Food Channel, UK-TV

781. PAN-FRIED TURBOT with MUSHROOM, BACON and RED WINE SAUCE

serves 1


For the pan-fried turbot
1 turbot fillet, skin removed
1 tablespoon plain flour
1 tablespoon olive oil

For the mushroom, bacon and red wine sauce
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 oz. butter
¼ onion, finely chopped
2 rashers streaky bacon, chopped
3½ oz. mushrooms, sliced
3½ fluid oz. red wine
2 fluid oz. hot fish stock
salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the pan-fried turbot, dredge the turbot fillet in the flour and shake off any excess. Heat the olive oil in a frying pan and fry the turbot for 1-2 minutes on each side, or until completely cooked through. Meanwhile, for the sauce, heat the olive oil and butter in a pan, add the onion and bacon and gently fry for 4-5 minutes, or until the onion is softened and the bacon is lightly browned. Add the mushrooms and cook for 1-2 minutes. Add the red wine and fish stock, turn up the heat and simmer until the liquid has reduced by half. Season, to taste, with salt and freshly ground black pepper. To serve, place the turbot onto a serving plate and pour over the sauce.


courtesy of: Brian Turner, Ready Steady Cook, BBC Food