For months, I have been threatening to bake a whole fish for Sunday dinner, but work keeps getting in the way. Last Sunday, however, all the stars aligned as I got the chance to cook for the family.
For many of us, Sunday family dinner consists of beef or lamb. Unfortunately, fish rarely seems to edge its way in. Perhaps this is because for so long we used fish as a vehicle for self-imposed denial.
Fish seems to suggest a poverty of experience for many. I have my own awful memories of eating floured whiting, so full of bones I was sure that the fish would be the end of me. Was I the only one who grew up afraid of fish?
A 3-4kg turbot will feed 6-8 people in my experience. If it is too big for your oven, get the fishmonger to take its head off. If not, leave it on, as the meat in the head is a fine thing indeed. Trim the turbot of its fins on both sides with a sharp scissors. Dry the fish with a cloth and then rub the living hell out of it with butter. You’ll need at least half a block. Don’t be shy. Next, sprinkle coarse sea salt liberally over both sides of the fish.
In a large oven tray, layer slices of vegetables (I go for fennel, leek and garlic) on the bottom. Season with salt and scatter a load of herbs over the vegetables (I go for rosemary, thyme and lovage). Next, rest the fish on top of the herbs. Finally, open a bottle of sparkling wine and pour half the contents around the fish. Drink the rest. Bake the turbot for 20 minutes at 190 degrees Celsius.
Remove the fish from the oven. Scrape the skin off the top of the fish. With the aid of a palette knife lift off the top two fillets, then remove the whole bone frame to reveal the bottom two fillets. Strain the vegetables of the sauce and reduce the sauce by half. Season the fish with a little lemon and serve with the sauce and vegetables.