John Torode's pan-fried sea bass and jersey royal potato salad
The fresh earthiness of a good Jersey Royal can't be beaten. So to celebrate the first harvests, John's taken himself to Jersey to get his hands dirty digging up some spuds to cook up live, serving them simply steamed and buttered with the freshest local pan-fried fish.
Pan-fried sea bass and jersey royal potato salad with bacon and spring onions
Serves: 4-6
Ingredients
4-6 sea bass fillets, skin on, pinbonedA little oil, for frying
For the Jersey Royal Potato salad:1kg Jersey Royal potatoes10 slices bacon Bunch of spring onions, chopped, keeping the white and green parts separate150g mayonnaise30g Dijon mustard1 tbsp white wine vinegar100ml double cream
Method
1. To make the potato salad, place the potatoes in a large pan and cover with cold water. Bring to the boil then simmer for about 20-25 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender.
2. Meanwhile, cook the bacon in a frying pan until crisp, reserving the cooking fat. Chop the cooked bacon into small pieces.
3. Drain the potatoes and slice them thickly, then mix with the whites of the spring onions - the hot potatoes will cook them a little.
4. Mix together the mayonnaise, mustard and vinegar in a bowl. Add the reserved bacon fat, then whisk well until it turns dull. Fold in the cream.
5. To fry the fish, add a little oil to the frying pan which the bacon was cooked in, and place a couple of fillets into the pan, skin-side down. Weight the fish down with a second pan or a heatproof plate, and fry over high heat until golden and crispy around the edges. Do not move the fish as it cooks.
6. Remove the pan/plate, and flip the fish over carefully in the pan. If the fillet is thick, fry on the second side for half the time it took to fry the skin side. Transfer the fish from the pan and keep warm, whilst repeating the process with the remaining fillets.
7. Add the greens of the spring onion and chopped bacon to the cooled potatoes, and mix well together.
8. Add a couple of spoons of the dressing in with the potatoes and mix to coat. Serve on a plate, and top with the fried sea bass.
Jersey Royals and baked cheese fondue
Serves: 4
Ingredients
800g Jersey Royal potatoes30g salted butter1 good size Camembert or small Brie1 small glass of white wine
Method
1. Preheat the oven to 200C/gas mark 6.
2. Place the potatoes in a large pan and cover with cold water.
3. Bring to the boil then simmer for about 20-25 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender.
4. Meanwhile, make the cheese fondue: Place the cheese in a piece of foil and make a case from the foil leaving the top open. Criss cross the top of the cheese and pour over the white wine, then place in the oven on a baking tray for 20 minutes until melted.
5. Drain the cooked potatoes and place in a bowl with a good knob of butter and sprinkling of chives.
6. When ready to serve, place the melted cheese onto a skillet that can sit on a board on the table. Serve with the potatoes to dip in the melted cheese.