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
- Grill the bacon until crispy, keep warm.
- Place the shallots, white wine and water in a heavy-based pan and bring to boil.
- Let it simmer until reduced to a quarter. Add the cream and boil for one minute.
- Reduce the heat and add in all the butter. Whisk vigorously until you have a lovely
- silky sauce - do not let the sauce boil or it will separate. Remove from the heat, season and keep warm.
- 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.