3 litres water
250g salt
50g caster sugar
60g cultured butter
10g white miso
20g honey
20ml lemon juice
2g Maldon salt
Sea salt
Freshly cracked black pepper
Extra virgin olive oil
100g diced butter
30g finely chopped shallots
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 tbsp capers, half of them chopped
Juice and zest of 1 lemon
½ tbsp chopped parsley
Small pinch of smoked paprika
1g freshly crushed black pepper
Large pinch of Maldon salt
2-3 fennel bulbs, very thinly sliced
12 or so mint leaves, ripped, added at the end
3 tbsp Greek yogurt
2 tbsp fresh lemon juice, from one lemon, plus zest
1 tbsp honey
½ tsp curry powder
¼ tsp turmeric powder
Large pinch of toasted cumin seeds
1 tbsp white wine vinegar
1½ tsp honey
1 clove garlic, minced
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
½ tsp salt
6-8 turns of black pepper
½ tbsp chopped fresh dill
1 large red onion, peeled and finely sliced
250ml white wine vinegar
125ml water
60g caster sugar
10g sea salt
1 garlic clove, bashed
12g sliced ginger
1 bay leaf, scrunched
1 tsp coriander seeds
½ tsp black peppercorns
Remove the gills and eyes.
Rinse and wash the head well.
Whisk the brine ingredients together until the salt and sugar have dispersed.
Plunge the head into the brine and leave for 2-3 hrs.
Drain on a wire rack, then leave in the fridge for at least 6 hrs to air dry, turning over at the halfway point.
Melt the above together and whisk well.
Brush the top of the head with this during the last few minutes of cooking.
Leave the head out of the fridge for 30 minutes before cooking.
Use a charcoal barbecue.
Oil and season the head well, then place onto the grill, skin side down, slightly to the side.
Cook for 12-15 minutes with the lid closed if possible, so the temperature is around 350°C.
Turn over and move more into the middle, then cook for a further 6-8 minutes, basting with the miso butter sauce.
Remove and leave to rest for 15 minutes, then place onto a platter with the salads below.
The collagen around the jaw should be soft, and the cheek meat just opaque.
Place the butter over a medium heat and let it go to a brown beurre noisette colour, whisking so it colours evenly. Remove from the heat and add the shallots and garlic, then add the lemon juice and zest, followed by the capers, then the chopped parsley last.
Spoon the sauce over the fish just before serving.
THE BEST BITS TO EAT
Don’t just take the cheek — also look for:
Cheeks
Collar meat
Gelatinous jaw sections
Flesh around the eye socket
The rich meat behind the skull
Many consider the head more flavourful than the fillet itself. The combination of smoky charcoal, crispy skin and melting collagen makes a barbecued turbot head one of the great seafood dishes.
Serve with either fennel salad and/or pickled red onion.
Cut the bulbs in half widthways, then slice thinly on a mandolin so the fennel slices stay intact.
Mix all together in a jar, or mix together in a bowl.
Place the sliced onions in a bowl.
Bring the vinegar, water, sugar, salt, bay leaf, coriander seeds and peppercorns to the boil.
Pour the hot pickling liquor over the onions.
Press the onions down so they are fully submerged.
Leave to cool completely.
3 litres water
250g salt
50g caster sugar
60g cultured butter
10g white miso
20g honey
20ml lemon juice
2g Maldon salt
Sea salt
Freshly cracked black pepper
Extra virgin olive oil
100g diced butter
30g finely chopped shallots
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 tbsp capers, half of them chopped
Juice and zest of 1 lemon
½ tbsp chopped parsley
Small pinch of smoked paprika
1g freshly crushed black pepper
Large pinch of Maldon salt
2-3 fennel bulbs, very thinly sliced
12 or so mint leaves, ripped, added at the end
3 tbsp Greek yogurt
2 tbsp fresh lemon juice, from one lemon, plus zest
1 tbsp honey
½ tsp curry powder
¼ tsp turmeric powder
Large pinch of toasted cumin seeds
1 tbsp white wine vinegar
1½ tsp honey
1 clove garlic, minced
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
½ tsp salt
6-8 turns of black pepper
½ tbsp chopped fresh dill
1 large red onion, peeled and finely sliced
250ml white wine vinegar
125ml water
60g caster sugar
10g sea salt
1 garlic clove, bashed
12g sliced ginger
1 bay leaf, scrunched
1 tsp coriander seeds
½ tsp black peppercorns
Remove the gills and eyes.
Rinse and wash the head well.
Whisk the brine ingredients together until the salt and sugar have dispersed.
Plunge the head into the brine and leave for 2-3 hrs.
Drain on a wire rack, then leave in the fridge for at least 6 hrs to air dry, turning over at the halfway point.
Melt the above together and whisk well.
Brush the top of the head with this during the last few minutes of cooking.
Leave the head out of the fridge for 30 minutes before cooking.
Use a charcoal barbecue.
Oil and season the head well, then place onto the grill, skin side down, slightly to the side.
Cook for 12-15 minutes with the lid closed if possible, so the temperature is around 350°C.
Turn over and move more into the middle, then cook for a further 6-8 minutes, basting with the miso butter sauce.
Remove and leave to rest for 15 minutes, then place onto a platter with the salads below.
The collagen around the jaw should be soft, and the cheek meat just opaque.
Place the butter over a medium heat and let it go to a brown beurre noisette colour, whisking so it colours evenly. Remove from the heat and add the shallots and garlic, then add the lemon juice and zest, followed by the capers, then the chopped parsley last.
Spoon the sauce over the fish just before serving.
THE BEST BITS TO EAT
Don’t just take the cheek — also look for:
Cheeks
Collar meat
Gelatinous jaw sections
Flesh around the eye socket
The rich meat behind the skull
Many consider the head more flavourful than the fillet itself. The combination of smoky charcoal, crispy skin and melting collagen makes a barbecued turbot head one of the great seafood dishes.
Serve with either fennel salad and/or pickled red onion.
Cut the bulbs in half widthways, then slice thinly on a mandolin so the fennel slices stay intact.
Mix all together in a jar, or mix together in a bowl.
Place the sliced onions in a bowl.
Bring the vinegar, water, sugar, salt, bay leaf, coriander seeds and peppercorns to the boil.
Pour the hot pickling liquor over the onions.
Press the onions down so they are fully submerged.
Leave to cool completely.
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