Pan-fried sea bass recipe by Eliot Seabourn-Wren, Chef Patron at The Carlton Hotel in Ilfracombe, Devon.
Eliot, our co-owner and head chef here at The Carlton, is a true advocate for British ingredients and he is always talking about how grateful he feels to have direct access to what he calls “North Devon’s larder.” From fresh fish landed in the nearby harbour to high-quality meats and regional groceries, he enjoys working closely with local suppliers who have his best interests at heart when it comes to helping him pull together his menus. We are incredibly lucky to be right on the coast and this means that the fresh seafood available in Ilfracombe is caught on day boats and landed daily, ensuring the highest quality for our Brasserie guests.
But you don’t have to come to Ilfracombe to experience the delicious dishes that Eliot cooks up for our guests. Here he shares one of his favourite recipes that he serves up in The Brasserie so that you can also indulge from the comfort of your own home.
Ingredients – Serves 4
4 seabass fillets (150g each)
Vegetable oil
250g mussels, cleaned, debearded and washed
150g new potatoes
1 large onion, sliced
350ml dry white wine
100ml single cream
5g mild curry powder
½ lemon, juiced
Salt
1 courgette, washed & ribboned
1 carrot, peeled & ribboned using a peeler
½ leek, white stem, cut into ribbons, wash well
For Parsley Oil
150g curly parsley
75ml rapeseed oil, plus extra for frying
Method
1. Bring a small pan of water to the boil whilst prepping a small tub of iced water. Drop the bunch of parsley, including stems into the boiling water for 10 seconds. Then transfer to the iced water. Take out the herbs and dry thoroughly. Blend the herbs with the rapeseed oil in a blender, and strain through a muslin cloth or coffee filter paper overnight.
2. Add new potatoes to a pan of salted boiling water. Cook until potatoes readily slide off a sharp knife. Drain the hot water into a jug and keep the potatoes warm by covering them.
3. Poach the fresh mussels in 250ml of the white wine for 3 minutes at a high temperature. The mussels should open. Discard any that remain closed. Remove the cooked mussels. Strain the cooking liquor and reserve for use in the next step.
4. In a heavy bottomed pan, heat a dash of vegetable oil, then add the onions and leave to soften for 5 minutes. Reduce the liquid to a syrup consistency, then add in the reserved liquor from poaching the mussels.
5. Add the curry powder and the cream, bringing the sauce to a boil. Allow this to cool off, then blend. Sieve after blending and season with the lemon and salt. Keep this warm for serving shortly.
6. Score the skin side of the fish, brush both sides with vegetable oil and season.
7. Place each fillet skin side down into a non-stick frying pan. Gently press the fillets as they will want to curl or fold in on themselves. After 45 seconds flip the fillet.
8. Drop the ribboned courgette, carrot and sliced leek into the jug of water that was retained from cooking the potatoes.
To Serve
Add the potatoes to each plate. Portion the sauce between each bowl. Add the ribboned vegetables, place the warm mussels into the curry velouté, drizzle with parsley oil and then place the fish fillet on top.
Chef’s Tip
Make the parsley oil the day before.
If cooking isn’t your forte and you’d rather have your pan-fried sea bass cooked for you by a chef, we would love to have you come and dine with us in the Brasserie.
Please call 01271 862446 to book your stay and your meal at The Carlton or email eliot@ilfracombecarlton.co.uk for further information.