Keep it reel

Alaska pollock with pan-fried girolles

Name: Alaska pollock with pan-fried girolles
Prep time: 40 min
Total time: 1 h
Yield: Serves 3
Ingredients: 1 whole Alaska pollock or 3 fillets 15g Exmoor caviar1 sweetcorn on the cob200g girolles100ml vin jaune100ml double cream2 shallots, thinly sliced3 egg yolks1 punnet of sweetcorn shoots

Andy Beynon, head chef at the Michelin-starred Behind restaurant, pan-fries Alaska pollock with fresh girolles

by Andy Beynon

Andy Beynon's Alaska pollock with pan-fried girolles

Photography & videography by Mindless Group

Published: Monday 9th December 2024

Fish

Serves 3

Preparation time 40 minutes

Cooking time 20 minutes

A lean, meaty fish – even more so than cod – pollock is a really special fish to cook with. Spending much of its life in super cold water ensures that Alaska pollock is firm, with robust fillets that are less flaky than other white-fish alternatives.

Michelin-starred chef Andy Beynon shows us how to cook this fish perfectly. Carefully pan-fry the fillets – being careful not to overcook them – and then deglaze the pan with Valdespino sherry to soak up all that flavour and mix through a drop of cream.

In the meantime, make a stock with the offcuts of the fish, alongside any other aromatic vegetables you have around, before making a foam out of the cooked-down liquid.

Pan-fry girolles – the perfect autumnal element to any dish – with shallots, and then put it all together on the plate. The finishing touch? A dollop of caviar, for that little dose of luxury.

Ingredients

1 whole Alaska pollock or 3 fillets
15g Exmoor caviar
1 sweetcorn on the cob
200g girolles
100ml vin jaune
100ml double cream
2 shallots, thinly sliced
3 egg yolks
1 punnet of sweetcorn shoots

Method

To prepare the fish, fillet, pin bone and then skin the pollock.
Cover the pollock fillet with rock salt and leave for 8 minutes, before washing off in ice water and leaving to dry in the fridge.
Clean the girolles gently with the back of a knife and brush off any excess dirt.
With all the girolle mushroom trim, boil this in 500ml water to make a very light stock which can be used later in the sauce.
Cook the sweetcorn whole by wrapping it in cling film and blanching in simmering water for 15 minutes.
To make the sauce, sweat the shallots without letting them gain any colour in the pan. Add the vin jaune and reduce on the heat for 5 minutes.
Add the pollock bones and cover until just submerged with water.
Simmer the sauce for 20 minutes to reduce further and then pass it through a sieve. When back in the pan, reduce the remaining liquid some more until it’s more viscous, before letting it out again with the double cream.
For the fricassee of girolles, roast the mushrooms in a hot pan with a knob of butter.
Cook down the mushrooms slightly and add in the mushroom stock from the griolle ends before mixing in the sweetcorn.
When the stock has reduced, emulsify with another knob of butter until you have a glossy sauce.
Cook the whole fillet of pollock by placing it skin side down in a hot pan with some oil. Cook the pollock 80% skin side down before adding butter and flipping, cooking for the further 20% and then leaving the fish to rest.
To finish the sauce, make a quick sabayon by whisking the three egg yolks in a large bowl with 2 litres of hot water to create a foam. Once the egg yolks are all foamed up, fold this into the vin jaune sauce and, ready to plate immediately.
To assemble, arrange your mushrooms and sweetcorn in a bowl, carve the fish into 100g portions and place one portion on top of the mushroom fricassee mix.
Pour around the warm vin jaune sauce and finish with a generous spoon of Exmoor caviar on top and a few of the crunchy pea shoots.

For more information visit wildalaskaseafood.co.uk