Flawless John Dory

John Dory is not the kind of fish that you will generally find at the supermarket, but since I’m a great fan of the local fishmonger, this is a dish you will dream about in the Summer while your family and friends gather together on a Saturday afternoon!

Freshness of this creature mixed with chorizo is just asking for some flamenco moves and white Rioja!

Its meaty flesh is deliciously succulent and, I think, works really well with the spicy chorizo. The earthiness of the superpower curly kale and puy lentils creates a good balance for this healthy but fabulous dish.

Serves 4

coconut oil, enough for frying

John Dory fillets 4 x 180g (with the skin left on)

sea salt or pink Himalayan (if you have) and freshly ground black pepper….(did you know that Peppercorns contain an impressive list of plant derived chemical compounds that are known to have disease preventing and health promoting properties. Peppers have been in use since centuries for its anti-inflammatory, carminative, anti-flatulent properties AND speeds up the metabolism )!

cooking chorizo 200g, cut into ½ cm dice

curly kale 200g ( will tell you is there to know about the kale, some other time)

coriander ½ bunch, leaves and stalks, finely chopped

lemon juice of ½

For the lentils

extra virgin olive oil 40ml

onion 1, finely diced

garlic 2 cloves

ginger 2 slices

1 Lemon grass chopped

puy lentils 250g (if you have time, it’s good to soak them for an hour beforehand)

chicken or vegetable stock 1 litre (a good quality cube will do, make sure there is no msg in it )

To cook the lentils, pour olive oil into a heavy-bottomed saucepan and gently cook. Add the onion, garlic, ginger and Lemon grass and cook for 3 minutes. Add the lentils, stir well and then the stock. Bring to boil and simmer until the lentils are soft to taste, but not mushy. This should take around 20 minutes. The consistency should be like sauce. When ready.

Heat a non-stick frying pan and add coconut oil – you can add a small pinch of salt to take off the coconut aroma ( a little tip from another chef)

Season the John Dory fillets and gently cook, skin-side down for 4 minutes. Turn over and cook for a further 3 minutes.

At the same time as you cook the fish, heat a heavy-bottomed frying pan and add the chorizo for a few minutes (the natural oils will come out). Then add the kale and, when wilted, add the cooked lentils and check the seasoning.

To serve, spoon the lentils onto warm plates, place the John Dory fillets on top and finish with chopped coroander and lemon.

Enjoy

Ania x

Category: John Dory Seafood – Finfish

In Season:Summer/Winter

To Buy:Sold mainly as fillets but can be purchased whole. To buy whole, look for bright skin, bulging eyes, firm flesh and a pleasant sea smell. Fillets should also be lustrous with no brown markings, have a pleasant sea smell and not ooze water.

To Store:Wrap whole fish or fillets in plastic wrap or put in an airtight container. Keeps 2-3 days in the refrigerator or up to 6 months in the freezer providing your freezer operates at -18°C.

Tips & Tricks:Because the recovery rate of fillets from whole fish is only 30% the cost of purchasing fillets will be much higher than buying the whole fish. As John Dory has delicate flesh the skin is best left