A stunning centrepiece dish that combines delicate roast turbot or brill with the aromatic flavours of fennel, saffron and clams, finished with smoky, caramelised chorizo pigs in blankets for a truly indulgent feast.
Prep Time: 25 mins
Cook time: 45 mins
Serves: 4-6
Ingredients
Main Dish
- 3 fennel bulbs, thinly sliced (use a mandoline if possible)
- 400 g small Charlotte potatoes, thinly sliced
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 lemons – zest and juice of 1, the other halved to serve
- 3 star anise
- Small pinch of dried chilli flakes
- 250 ml white wine
- 1 small bunch flat-leaf parsley leaves, chopped
- Pinch of saffron strands, steeped in 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 1.5 kg turbot or brill, gutted and scaled
- 50 g unsalted butter
- 1 kg clams, cleaned (discard any that remain open before cooking)
- Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1tsp fennel seeds
- 1 small bunch of chives
Chorizo pigs in blanket
- 1 x 95 g pack pancetta
- 4 sprigs of sage leaves
- 200 g good-quality chorizo cocktail sausages
- 8 rosemary sprigs (to use as skewers)
- Olive oil, for drizzling
- 2 tbsp orange blossom honey
- Freshly ground black pepper
Method
- Preheat to 190°C fan (210°C conventional) / 400°F / gas 6.
- Arrange the fennel and potatoes in a large roasting tin. Drizzle with olive oil, season well, and add the lemon zest, juice, fennel seeds, star anise and chilli flakes. Roast for 10 minutes, turning halfway, until just starting to caramelise.
- Lay out the pancetta slices and flatten slightly with a rolling pin. Add a few sage leaves and a chorizo sausage to each slice, then roll up tightly. Thread onto rosemary sprigs, drizzle with olive oil and honey, season with pepper and roast for 10–15 minutes until golden and sticky.
- Remove the fennel and potatoes from the oven and pour in half the white wine. Stir through most of the herbs along with the saffron and its lemon juice. Pat the fish dry, drizzle with olive oil, season with sea salt and place it over the vegetables. Dot with butter and roast for about 20 minutes, or until the flesh begins to lift easily from the bone.
- Remove the dish from the oven, scatter in the clams and pour over the remaining wine. Return to the oven for a few minutes until all the clams have opened (discard any that don’t).
- Rest the dish for 4–5 minutes, then scatter with the remaining herbs. Arrange the chorizo pigs in blankets on top and serve immediately, straight from the roasting dish, with lemon halves on the side.