PAN-ROASTED TASMANIAN WHITE FISH WITH VELOUTE

Serves 4 (See photograph, page 73) 2 tablespoons olive oil 750g boneless blue-eye trevalla or trumpeter fillets, skin on 100g snow peas, trimmed, halved diagonally ½ cup baby peas 2 medium cleaned calamari tubes, cut into 2cm-thick rings snow pea tendrils, to garnish* chervil sprigs, to garnish VELOUTE 1 tablespoon olive oil 2 golden eschalots, peeled, sliced 5 black peppercorns 2 bay leaves ¾ cup sparkling wine 3 cups fish or vegetable stock ½ cup pure cream 50g crème fraîche ½ lemon, juiced

To make velouté, heat oil in a saucepan over a medium heat. Cook eschalots, stirring, for 4 minutes or until soft. Add peppercorns, bay leaves and wine, and bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes or until liquid is reduced to one-quarter of original amount. Add stock and simmer for 20 minutes or until reduced to one-quarter of original amount. Stir in cream and simmer until reduced by half. Strain through a fine sieve set over a heatproof bowl. Add crème fraîche and lemon juice, and stir to combine. Season with salt and white pepper. Keep warm. Preheat oven to 180°C. Heat oil in a large non-stick frying pan over a medium-high heat. Cook fish, skin-side down, for 3 minutes or until golden. Place fish, skin-side up, on a baking tray and set frying pan with pan juices aside. Roast fish for 10 minutes or until just cooked through. Blanch snow peas and baby peas in a saucepan of salted boiling water for 1 minute or until bright green. Drain. Meanwhile, reheat frying pan over a medium heat. Cook calamari for 1 minute or until just cooked. Place fish in shallow bowls. Pour warm velouté around fish. Spoon calamari and pea mixture around fish. Garnish with snow pea tendrils and chervil to serve. *Available at specialty greengrocers, farmers’ markets and Asian grocers. >