A fresh, seasonal seafood dish that celebrates the flavour of the sea, this steamed brill is served with mussels and Jersey Royal potatoes in a rich, buttery mussel sauce. Finished with monk’s beard for a delicate, slightly bitter crunch, it’s an elegant plate that balances richness with bright, coastal flavours.
Ingredients
Fish and shellfish
- 4 brill fillets, approx. 140g each
- 750g mussels
Sauce base
- 1 small shallot, finely sliced
- 1 garlic clove, finely sliced
- 100ml dry white wine
- 100ml fish stock
- 1 tsp seaweed salt
Parsley oil
- 100g flat-leaf parsley
- 100ml rapeseed oil
Garnish
- 24 Jersey Royal potatoes (small)
- 200g monk’s beard (agretti), cleaned
- 100g cultured butter
- 1 shallot, finely chopped
- 1 garlic clove, finely chopped
- 50g flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
- 2 preserved lemons (peel only, cut into matchsticks)
- Sea salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
Method
Make the parsley oil (prepare in advance)
Blanch the parsley in salted boiling water for 15 seconds, then transfer to iced water for 5 minutes. Drain and squeeze completely dry using a tea towel. Blend with the rapeseed oil for around 5 minutes. Strain through a muslin-lined sieve set over a bowl and refrigerate for several hours or overnight.
Prepare the mussels
Clean the mussels under cold running water, scrubbing and debearding as needed. Discard any that do not close when tapped.
Cook the mussels
Heat a large lidded saucepan over a high heat. Add the mussels, sliced shallot, garlic, fish stock and white wine. Cover and cook for 2–3 minutes until the mussels open. Transfer immediately to a bowl set over iced water to cool.
Extract mussel meat and liquor
Remove the mussel meat from the shells and place in a clean bowl. Strain the cooking liquid over the mussels to collect the liquor. Cover and refrigerate.
Cook the potatoes
Wash and scrub the Jersey Royals. Place in a pan, cover with water, add salt and bring to a simmer. Cook for 10–15 minutes until just tender, then allow to cool in the water.
Start the sauce
Half-fill a steamer with water and bring to the boil. In a separate saucepan, melt the butter over a medium heat.
Finish the mussel sauce
Add the chopped shallot and garlic to the butter with a pinch of salt and cook gently for 2 minutes until soft. Pour in the reserved mussel liquor and reduce until slightly thickened. Season with black pepper and keep warm.
Steam the brill
Season the brill fillets with seaweed salt and place in the steamer. Steam for 4 minutes, then add the monk’s beard on top and steam for a further 2 minutes until cooked through.
Warm the garnish
Add the mussels, cooked potatoes and chopped parsley to the sauce and gently heat through.
Serve
Divide the sauce, mussels and potatoes between four warm bowls. Drizzle with parsley oil, then place the brill fillets on top. Finish with the monk’s beard and preserved lemon matchsticks, adding a few extra mussels to garnish.