Whiting is a great fish and can be used as a substitute for hake and haddock in most recipes. It is surprisingly simple to cook, packed full of goodness and absolutely delicious.

Ingredients

  • 4 whiting fillets, about 150g each, skin on
  • 12 slices of thinly sliced streaky bacon
  • 2 tablesp. olive oil
  • 25g shallots, peeled and very finely chopped
  • 4 tablesp. dry white wine
  • 2 tablesp. water
  • 1 tablesp. cream
  • 125g unsalted butter, diced
  • Salt and freshly-ground pepper
  • Freshly squeezed lemon juice, to taste
  • 6 tableps. olive oil
  • 1 shallot, finely diced
  • Handful of basil leaves, roughly torn

Method

  1. Grill the bacon until crispy, keep warm.
  2. Place the shallots, white wine and water in a heavy-based pan and bring to boil.
  3. Let it simmer until reduced to a quarter. Add the cream and boil for one minute.
  4. Reduce the heat and add in all the butter. Whisk vigorously until you have a lovely
  5. silky sauce - do not let the sauce boil or it will separate. Remove from the heat, season and keep warm.
  6. Season the whiting with salt and pepper. Heat a frying pan over a medium heat and add 2 tablesp. of olive oil. Add the fillets skin side down and cook for 3-4 minutes, the skin should be crisp. Turn and cook the other side for 2-3 minutes.

Serving Suggestions

  • Place the whiting on serving plates, lay the crispy bacon on top and spoon the sauce around the fish. Lovely served with a salad of watercress and rocket, and potato wedges.