Bream with garlic mash and mustard & tarragon sauce

Bream is a beautiful fish with delicious, soft white meat and it’s perfect for those who aren’t that keen on the stronger tasting fish such as salmon, mackerel or sardines. Get a crispy skin on it and you’re in for a real treat.

Serves 2
Cooking time: Approx. 30 minutes

INGREDIENTS

• 2 bream fillets, skin scored a few times with a sharp knife
• half a savoy cabbage, shredded finely
• 500g of potatoes, peeled (Maris Piper would be fine)
• 3 cloves of garlic
• 50 g of freshly grated parmesan
• a bit of milk
• butter
• 4/5 teaspoons of whole grain mustard
• 1 tablespoon of creme fraiche
• a small handful of tarragon leaves, finely chopped
• salt, pepper, olive oil
• mustard or salad cress

METHOD

Start by putting your potatoes on for the mash. Fill a pan with enough water to cover the potatoes and add a pinch of salt. Bring to the boil, then simmer for about 15/20 minutes or until tender. When the potatoes are cooked, drain the water and mash them up with a potato masher or ricer until smooth. Add the garlic with a garlic crusher, the parmesan and a large knob of butter. Mix together well, then pop the lid back on and set aside. (Don’t add the milk yet as it will cool the mash)

Now get two frying pans on the stove, both on medium-high heat. Add a small splash of oil to one of the pans and toss in the cabbage with a bit of salt & pepper. Cook for about 4/5 minutes, giving it a stir every 30 secs so it won’t burn. A add a small knob of butter a minute before it’s done.

At the same time cook the fish. Rub the skin with a little oil, season with salt and pepper and lay the fillets skin-side down in the pan. Hold them down for 10 secs so they don’t curl up too much, then cook for about 4-5 minutes until the skin is crisp. Then turn the fillets gently, add a very small knob of butter, switch off the gas and cook for another minute or so using the residual heat in the pan. When the fish is done, take it out the pan and leave to rest in a warm place.

Switch the gas back on (high heat), then in the same pan you cooked the fish in add the mustard, creme fraiche and chopped tarragon and give it a stir. Cook the sauce for a minute or so while you finish off the mash with the milk. Finish off with salt and pepper to taste.

To serve, spoon on a good dollop of mash, followed by the cabbage and then the fish. Stir