Variation of noble fish in lobster sauce

Ingredients for 6 servings:

• 1 fish (turbot), approx. 1.2 kg
• 3 small fish(s) (red mullet)
• 3 small fish(s) (sea bass, approx. 300 g per fish)
• 1 salmon fillet(s) (approx. 400 g)
• 4 tbsp olive oil
• 2 sprigs of thyme
• 1 sprig(s) rosemary
• 1 can saffron
• 6 pinch(s) five-spice powder
• salt and pepper
• 200 ml stock (lobster stock)
• 200 ml white wine
• 1 shot of vermouth (Noilly Prat)
• 1 tsp butter
• 1 shallot(s), finely chopped
• 1 garlic clove(s), finely chopped
• 1 can saffron
• 100 ml cream
• 50 g butter, cold, diced
• 1 tbsp tarragon, finely chopped,
• 3 tbsp olive oil for drizzling, if desired

Instructions

Working time approx. 45 minutes; Rest time approx. 3 hours; Cooking/baking time approx. 20 minutes; Total time approx. 4 hours 5 minutes

Turbot, sea bass, salmon and red mullet

Fillet the fish or have the fishmonger do it for you. The four turbot fillets of different sizes must be skinless, and try to portion them into about six equal fillets. Unfortunately, the turbot fillet will only make 1/3 of the total weight. Remove the skin from the salmon fillet as well, trimming off the thin side and reusing it to create a fillet of equal thickness, which will then be cut into six pieces. Fillet the red mullet and sea bass fillets with the skin on but without the scales, removing the bones, and carefully scoring the skin of the sea bass fillets crosswise with a sharp knife. Mix 2 tablespoons of olive oil with the contents of a small jar of saffron and thyme. Marinate the red mullet fillets in this mixture for three hours, turning frequently. Then make the sauce. Sauté the shallot and garlic clove in 1 teaspoon of butter until translucent, add the wine, and reduce by half. Add the stock and reduce this amount to 50 ml. Then add the cream and Noilly Prat and reduce again to at least 50 ml. Add the saffron, season with salt and pepper, and keep warm, stirring frequently. Shortly before serving, add the cold butter, a little at a time, whisking occasionally. Rub a little five-spice powder into the skin of the sea bass fillets. Set aside all the other fish. First, fry the salmon, skin-side down, in the remaining olive oil for 2 minutes at a relatively high temperature. Season with salt and pepper, turn over, and let stand for 1 minute without heat, then place in a preheated oven at 120 degrees Celsius. Now add the turbot fillets, season with salt and pepper, and fry for 2-3 minutes at a relatively high temperature, depending on their thickness, in the oil, which is now flavored with the rosemary sprig. Add these fillets to the oven with the salmon. Now fry the sea bass fillets skin-side down in olive oil for 2 minutes and let them rest for about 1 minute on the other side without heat. Season with salt and pepper. During this last minute, fry the red mullet fillets very briefly in the marinade, for 30 seconds on the skin and a few seconds on the other side. Season with salt and pepper. Pour 3 tablespoons of the sauce into the center of the plates and arrange all the fillets on top. Drizzle with a little olive oil, if desired. The oil should be of the highest quality. Add side dishes as desired. I recommend pan-fried potatoes and leaf spinach, steamed artichokes, broad beans, gratinated asparagus, or ratatouille. You can find all of these under side dishes in my recipe collection. A small turbot is very difficult to fillet. If in doubt, cook it whole with a little olive oil for just under 20 minutes at 145°C. Keep in mind the extra work of skinning and portioning the cooked fish. If you only have one oven, the salmon pieces will need to be cooked for a slightly shorter time at 145°C. All cooking times are based on the weights specified above. For larger fish, the cooking time will be longer accordingly.