Cooking with Barry
Barry Bryson of Cater Edinburgh is Edinburgh's leading private events chef. www.cateredinburgh.com Smoked Fish Ravioli, Lemon Butter Sauce with Caper and Toasted Hazelnuts
This quick simple recipe can all be made, filled and served within an hour or two, the rich smoked fish filling is perfect for late winter/ early spring and the sauce is one you’ll go back to time and time again as it will work with pan-fried fish and poached egg dishes. Ravioli filling:
• 400g smoked fish trimmings (mackerel and trout but salmon and cod will also work)
• Handful of freshly chopped dill
• 2 egg yolks
• Salt and pepper
• 25g crème fraiche
• One beaten egg to brush with later
Pasta:
• 400g 00 Flour
• 4 free range eggs
• Tablespoon olive oil
Sauce:
• 250g unsalted butter in small cubes
• 2 finely chopped shallots
• 50ml white wine vinegar
• 100ml white wine
• Juice of one lemon
Garnish:
• 50g toasted chopped hazelnuts
• Zest of one lemon
• Finely chopped sage or basil
• 25g capers
Method:
On a clean kitchen surface sieve flour onto the bench. Make a well in the middle and crack eggs into the well. Add the olive oil. Use a palette knife to combine the wet into the dry. Once it’s flaky and drawn in, use your hands and knead for a good 10 minutes to strengthen the gluten. It it will work into a smooth pasta dough, wrap this in clingfilm and put in fridge for 30 minutes.
Next the smoked fish filling. Add all ingredients apart from the egg yolks to a food processor and blitz into a thick paste. Gradually add the egg yolks and seasoning and place into a bowl. Cover and put in fridge. Take dough out. Using a rolling pin, ridge it out flat enough to start putting through the pasta roller, start at the thickest setting and roll into sheets. Reduce thickness each time to the thinnest. You now have long thin sheets.
On a lightly floured surface cut out 8cm discs with a pastry cutter. Beat one egg in a small bowl. Put a neat tbsp of smoked fish filling into the centre of half of the discs and brush around the clean edges with egg yolk, now using the other half of pasta discs press neatly over the top and secure tight in the egg mixed edges to seal, trim discs with 7cm pastry cutter to get a clean edge. Lay them out flat - pop them in the freezer for 20 minutes to firm up or the fridge while making the sauce.
In a saucepan add the shallots, white wine and white wine vinegar and bring to a gentle simmer, reduce by two thirds then strain the shallots out and return the reduced liquor to the pan with a touch of seasoning. Gradually whisk in your butter cubes and it will thicken nicely and go glossy yellow. Keep adding the butter bar a few cubes and put to one side. Bring a large pan of salted water to boil and add ravioli. Simmer gently for 5-6 minutes.
Assemble the dish by whisking in the last few cubes of butter in the sauce, a good dash of lemon juice and pour it into warmed pasta bowls. Remove ravioli from the water, pat dry and then place 5-6 ravioli per portion on top of the sauce and garnish with capers, lemon zest, chopped nuts and any nice green garnish you have to hand.