Pan-seared gurnard with roast red pepper salsa

Tamara West

Unsure about whether your fish is fresh? Click here: How to choose fresh fish.

Fish

2 Tbsp	Flour, optional
400 g	Gurnard (Main)
1 tsp	Oil
1 tsp	Butter
1 to taste	Lemon juice
1 to taste	Salt & freshly ground pepper

Salsa

2	Spring onions, sliced
1	Red pepper (Main)
¼ cup	Fresh coriander
½ Tbsp	Fish sauce
1 to taste	Olive oil
1	Lime, or lemon

Directions

1. Wash the fish under running water. Pat dry with a paper towel.
2. Dredge lightly in flour if you wish, the fish can be cooked without flour and is just as delicious.
3. Heat a frying pan over a medium heat. When hot, add about 1 tsp each of oil and butter.
4. Carefully place the fish in the frying pan and cook for 2-3 minutes, then turn, season with salt and squeeze over a splash of lemon juice. Cook for a further 2-3 minutes.
5. Remove fish on to warm serving plates.
6. Add the red pepper salsa (recipe below) to the fish juices and butter/oil in the frying pan and warm the
   salsa for 2 minutes. Pour on to the fish and season with freshly ground black pepper.

Roast red pepper salsa

1. On the barbecue, stovetop or in a hot oven (180C) blacken the skin of the pepper.
2. Remove and place in a plastic bag. Close bag to steam pepper and leave to cool.
3. Peel and pour off any juices back into the bowl. Slice the pepper in half and remove the seeds, then slice in long strips.
4. Add the spring onion and coriander to the bowl, add the fish sauce and pour over enough olive oil to give the mixture a good sheen without making it too runny.
5. Squeeze over the fresh lime or lemon juice.