Serves 4 portions
Ingredients
1 line caught seabream of 1.5kg to 2kg, cut in fillets, skin removed
Octopus stew
500g japanese octopus; mizutzko
50g carrots, peeled and cut in 5mm square
50g white onions, peeled and cut in 5mm square
50g celery stalks, peeled and cut in 5mm square
50g fennel, peeled and cut in 5mm square dice
100g butter echire, non salted
100g japanse fruit tomato, peeled, seeded and cut in 5mm square
50ml dry white wine
150ml fish stock
50ml extra virgin olive oil
1 organic lemon
Garnish
100g salicornia, trimmed and remove woody parts in the stalk
50g fennel flower
Fine sea salt
Maldon seasalt
White pepper from the mill
4g black pepper mignonettes
Method
Octopus
Add 50g butter in a heavy bottom saucepan, add all the aromatic vegetables (besides the tomato) and sweat for 1 minute. Then add the raw tentacles of octopus, add the white wine and cover with the fish bouillon. Add salt to taste. Bring to boil and lower the heat and simmer slowly for 20 minutes. Take of the heat and let it cool down in the liquid for 30minutes. Remove and peel the tentacles from their skin. Cut the large side of the tentacles into thin slices of max 2mm thick. Cut the small side into small cubes. Reserve both separately. Strain the cooking liquid of the octopus and reserve. Keep the stewed vegetables for later.
Finish the stew
Take the stewed diced vegetables and the diced octopus and add 50ml of the cooking liquid. Bring to boil slowly and lower the fire. Add the diced tomato and leave to simmer until all liquid is reduced and absorbed by the vegetable and octopus. Add 2 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil and season with salt and pepper to taste and keep warm until later.
Prepare the fish
Prepare the fillets into 4 equal portions of 120g to 140g each. Season fish both sides with fine sea salt and pepper. Heat a heavy bottom sauté pan and add 30g butter. Simmer the fish slowly, without coloring both side. Add the liquid of the octopus and simmer over low heat for 6 minutes. Remove the fish from the braising liquid and place on a tray. Place 2 tbsp of the octopus and vegetable stew on top of each cooked fillet. Cover the scale side with the slices of octopus, and give it a brush with extra virgin olive oil. Sprinkle with sea salt, black pepper mignonettes and with a micro blade, grate some fresh lemon peel over each fish. Season the salicornia with extra virgin olive oil and garnish each fish.
Finish the sauce
Reduce the braising liquid to a nice and well balanced concentration. Add the leftover butter and a squeeze of organic lemon juice. Taste and season with salt and pepper if required.
To serve
Take four hot plates. Place the fish covered with octopus in the centre of each plate and spoon the hot sauce around. Serve immediately.