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Food

Crispy-Skin Pickerel With Field Peas And Pancetta

Tender pan-fried fish with a crispy, succulent skin is about as good as it gets. Freshwater fish is perfect for that; its thinner skin is ideal for crispy-skin frying.

Ingredients


Serves 4

  •  1 tsp vegetable oil
  • 125 g pancetta, cut into 1/4″ cubes
  • 1 1/2 – 1 4/5 lb. whole pickerel, filleted
  • Salt and freshly ground pepper
  • 1 cup chopped onions
  • 2 tsp chopped garlic
  • 1 1/2 cups shelled fresh field peas
  •  1/2 lb. asparagus, trimmed, cut into 1″ pieces
  • 1/3 cup white wine
  • 2 tbsp butter
  • 2 tbsp picked chervil leaves
  • 1 tsp finely grated lemon zest
  • 1 tsp lemon juice

Directions

Cook Pancetta

  1. Heat cast-iron pan over medium-low. Add oil, then pancetta, and cook until fat is rendered and pancetta is crisp, 5 to 6 minutes. Using slotted spoon, remove pancetta to plate and reserve. Leave fat in pan.

Cook Fish

  1. Cut each fish fillet in half to make four pieces. Season with salt and pepper. Increase pan heat to medium-high. Working in batches, cook fish, flesh-side down, for 1 minutes. Flip and gently press with spatula to ensure all skin has contact with pan. Cook for 5 to 7 minutes or until flesh is opaque and skin is very crisp. Remove to platter and repeat with remaining fish. Set aside.

Make Sauce

  1. Add onions and garlic to pan and stir to coat in pan drippings. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes or until onions are tender. Stir in peas and asparagus, and cook for 2 minutes. Add wine and cook until it has almost evaporated and vegetables are tender-crisp. Stir in butter, chervil, lemon zest and lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Serve Fish

  1. Spoon pea mixture onto plates and top each with fish.

Source

House & Home July 2017

  • Photographer Stacey Brandford
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