Sea Bass, Prawn Tortellini, Fennel Purée & White Wine Sauce - Serves 4

Simon Hulstone

Simon Hulstone

31st January 2017
Simon Hulstone

Sea Bass, Prawn Tortellini, Fennel Purée & White Wine Sauce - Serves 4

My recipe for Sea Bass, Prawn Tortellini, Fennel Purée & White Wine Sauce which can be found in the latest ‘Signature Chefs’ recipe book for 2016/17. Get your copy today - bit.ly/2jlFg8F

Ingredients

  • Prawn Tortellini:
  • 500g Pasta flour
  • 4 Eggs
  • 1 Egg Yolk
  • 12 King Prawns, peeled, cleaned & chopped into
  • small pieces
  • 30g Breadcrumbs
  • 50ml Double cream
  • Salt, to taste
  • Lemon juice, to taste
  • 30g Melted butter
  • Olive oil, to taste
  • Fennel purée
  • 20g Butter
  • 2 Bulbs of fennel, finely sliced
  • 200ml Full fat milk
  • 100ml Double cream
  • Garnish:
  • 4 Baby leeks, washed
  • Salt, as needed
  • 100g Wild mushrooms
  • 20g Butter
  • Salt, to taste
  • 4 Dried courgette flower
  • White Wine Sauce:
  • 1 Shallot, peeled
  • 25ml White wine vinegar
  • 100ml White wine
  • 180g Butter, cold & diced
  • Salt, to taste
  • Roasted Sea Bass:
  • Rapeseed oil, as needed
  • 4 Sea Bass fillets, 50g each
  • Butter, as needed
  • Salt, to taste

Method

Place the flour for the tortellini into a food processor, pulse and add three of the eggs and the yolk, one by one. Stop processing as soon as the mixture comes together. You may not need all
of the eggs; if you add too much, thicken with a little flour. Tip the mix out on to a floured surface and knead for three to five minutes or until smooth. Divide in half, wrap in cling film and leave to chill in the refrigerator.
For the filling, place the prawns into a bowl with the
breadcrumbs. Add the double cream and mix until combined. Season the filling with salt and lemon juice to taste. Cut eight circles of pasta using a 7cm pastry cutter. Lightly beat the remaining egg and brush the egg to coat the edges of the pasta circle so that the tortellini will seal. Place a ball of filling into the center of each disc. Enclose by folding each
disc of pasta in half to form a semi-circle using your thumb and forefinger to force out any air and seal the edges. Press the straight-line side of the tortellini on a flat edge to form a base, this will ensure the pasta stands upright when served. Brush
the pasta with melted butter and place on to a tray lined with baking parchment. Set aside in the refrigerator to chill.
Place a large saucepan over a medium heat for the fennel purée. Add the butter and fennel to the pan and sweat for five minutes. Add the milk and cream and bring to the boil. Reduce to a gentle simmer and cook for 10-15 minutes until the fennel is soft. Remove from the heat and strain off the liquid; reserve. Place the fennel into a blender with enough cooking liquid to cover the fennel and blend until smooth. Pass through a sieve, adding more liquid to ensure the finished purée is smooth but holds firm, and set aside until needed.
Trim the roots from the baby leeks, but make sure you keep the base of the leek intact. Cut 3cm off the top of each leek and cut in half. Add a large handful of salt to a pan of boiling water and drop in the baby leeks for 30-45 seconds. Remove the water and plunge in a bowl of iced water for five minutes. Drain and place on absorbent kitchen towel.
For the white wine sauce, place the whole shallot,
vinegar and white wine in a medium saucepan.
Bring to the boil, turn down to a simmer and reduce to approximately 30ml. Remove the shallot and reduce the heat to the lowest setting. Slowly add in the butter whilst whisking vigorously. When most of the butter has been added, remove the pan from the heat and whisk in the last of the butter to achieve the desired consistency: the sauce should coat the back of a spoon. Season to taste with salt and keep warm.
For the wild mushrooms, heat the butter in a small pan over a medium to high heat. Once the butter begins to foam, add the mushrooms and cook for five minutes. Season to taste with salt and keep warm.
For the sea bass, place a large non-stick pan over a medium to high heat and pour in enough rapeseed oil to cover the base. Once the oil is hot, place the fillets skin-side down into the pan. Press down the flesh of the fish lightly with a spatula to ensure it cooks evenly. After two to three minutes, turn the sea bass over and add a knob of butter and the blanched leeks to the pan. Remove the pan from the heat and transfer to a preheated oven at 200°c for three minutes. Remove from the oven, season with salt and allow the fish to rest whilst plating the dish.
Drop the tortellini into a pan of boiling water and cook for two to three minutes or until the pasta is tender but not soggy. Remove the tortellini from
the water and toss through a little olive oil.
To serve, divide the warm fennel purée across four plates and place the sea bass fillets on top. Add the tortellini beside the fish along with the warm leeks, mushrooms and courgette flower. Drizzle with the white wine sauce and serve immediately.

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