Apr 182 min read

Braised Turbot in Beer with Bacon, Shallots & Peas

Updated: May 14

by Nathan Outlaw from Nathan Outlaw’s Fish Kitchen (Quadrille)

Photography © David Loftus

This dish for some reason, says rich man/poor man to me. The king of the sea braised in good old beer with bacon & peas. I’ve portioned the turbot & cooked it on the bone, because that’s how I like it, but if you’ve got one of those turbot kettles you could braise the whole thing. That would be cracking as well!

Serves 4

Prep time 15 mins

Cooking time 30 mins

Ingredients

1 turbot, about 1.5kg, fins trimmed, split down the centre bone & cut into steaks with the bone in (ask your fishmonger to do this ...see pictures below)

Light rapeseed oil for cooking

75g unsalted butter

20 small shallots, peeled

12 garlic cloves, peeled

1 rosemary sprig

100ml red wine vinegar

750ml beer (Doom Bar or any good quality bitter)

500ml fish stock

8 rashers of streaky smoked bacon

200g peas (fresh or frozen)

3 tbsp flat-leaf parsley, chopped

Sea salt & freshly ground black pepper

Turbot prepared by Off The Hook Fishmongers in Wadebridge, Cornwall

Method

1. To prepare the fish braising liquid, heat a large, wide pan & add a drizzle of oil & half of the butter. When the oil is hot & the butter has melted, add the whole shallots & garlic.

2. Cook for 4 mins, then add the rosemary & cook for a further 2 mins, allowing the shallots & garlic to colour slightly.

3. Add the wine vinegar & let it bubble until reduced to almost nothing, then pour in the beer & reduce by half. Now pour in the fish stock & bring to the boil. Skim off any impurities from the surface & simmer for 5 mins.

4. Meanwhile, heat your grill to high. Lay the bacon rashers on the grill rack & grill until crispy, turning once. Leave until cool enough to handle, then chop the bacon.

5. To cook the fish, place the turbot portions in the beer liquor & cover with foil. Cook over a low heat for 12 mins. Remove the foil, carefully turn the fish & add the peas & parsley. Cook for 1 min, then take off the heat.

6. Carefully pour off the braising liquor into a saucepan, place over a medium heat & whisk in the remaining butter, in pieces. Pour the liquor back over the fish & scatter over the crispy bacon. Serve at once.