Australian Gourmet Traveller - (07)July 2019 (1)

86 GOURMET TRAVELLER

6 KingGeorgewhiting

fillets(100gmeach)

1 tbspvegetableoil

½ cupwatercresssprigs,

toserve

1 lemon,segmentedand

segmentscutinto5mm

pieces

SWEET-AND-SOUR

PICKLEDONION

3 smallpicklingonions,

halved,withrootintact

1½ tbspmaltvinegar

30 gmcastersugar

PICKLEDCUCUMBER

125 ml(½cup)white

winevinegar

75 gmcastersugar

1 Lebanesecucumber,peeled,

halved,seedsremoved and

cut into 2cm pieces

KingGeorgewhitingwithbrown

butter,pickledonionanddill

SERVES 6 // PREPTIME 45 MINS// COOK 30 MINS(PLUSPICKLING,COOLING)

“KingGeorgewhitingis oneofmyall-timefavouritelocalfish,”

saysMcConnell.“Thisis a classiccombinationthatI don’tever

tire of.” Start this recipe a day ahead to pickle the onions.

BROWN-BUTTERSAUCE

150 gmunsaltedbutter,diced

2 tsplemonjuice,plus

extratotaste

2 eggs

¼ cup(mediumpacked)

dillfronds

1 Forpickledonion,combine

onion,vinegar,sugarand

1½tbspwaterin a saucepan,

cover,andcookoververy

lowheat,turninghalfway,until

onionhassoftenedslightly

(20minutes).Refrigerate

overnighttopickle.

2 Forpickledcucumber,bring

vinegar,sugarand375ml

watertotheboilina medium

saucepan,thenremovefrom

heat. Place cucumber in a

container,pourliquidover,

andrefrigeratetopickle(at

least1 hour,orovernight).

3 Forbrown-buttersauce,

cookbutterin a saucepan

overmediumheatuntilfoaming

andnut-brown(4-6minutes).

Addlemonjuice,swirlto

combine,transfertoa bowl,

andkeepatroomtemperature.

Meanwhile,boileggsin a

smallsaucepanofwateruntil

verysoft-boiled(5minutes).

Refreshinicedwater,then

peel.Blendeggsina talljug

witha hand-heldblender,then

slowlyaddwarmbrownbutter,

blendingtoemulsify(if mixture

splits,add1 tbspwarmwater,

ormoreasnecessary,tobringit

back).Blendin dillandseasonto

tastewithlemonjuiceandsalt.

4 Separatelayersofpickled

onionandplacecut-sidedown

in a hot,dryfryingpanover

medium-highheatuntiledges

arecaramelised(1-2minutes).

5 Meanwhile,seasonfleshside

ofwhitingwithsalt.Addoiltoa

large non-stick frying pan over

mediumheat,thenaddfish,

skin-sidedown,andfryuntil

sidesareopaqueandwhite

(1½-2minutes).Removepan

fromheat,leavingfishinpan.

6 Spoonbuttersauceonto

plates.Draincucumberand

placeontopofsaucewith

onionpetalsandwatercress.

Flipthefishinthepan(still

offtheheat),justtoletthe

fleshsidetouchthewarm

pan,thengentlyliftfilletsonto

plates.Topwithlemontoserve.

WinesuggestionThekeyto

thisdishis thedelicateflesh

ofthewhiting.Rieslinghas

thepuritytohighlightthis,

anda rieslingblendsuch

as 2017 SinapiusClemBlanc

rieslingblend,fromPipers

Brook,Tasmaniaoffersa

dynamicrangeofscents,

flavours and textures.