Enjoy cracking taste of the sea
By Peter Bruce PETER BRUCE, chief executive of Entier Services won the Food & Drink Entrepreneur award at the Grampian Food Forum Innovation Awards 2016. Now running under the name North East Scotland Food & Drink Awards, the awards are open for entries. Visit http://www.nesfoodanddrinkawards. co.uk for more information.
He said it was something of an easy call to nominate his favourite dish. He was born in St Combs on the east coast of Scotland, where sea fishing is a mainstay of the local economy. Many members of his family were involved in fishing as well as many relations and close friends.
Shellfish was always enjoyed by the family over the years so fish remains high on his list of favourite dishes, in particular, the king and queen of the sea, namely halibut and lobster.
Peter was one of the family who bucked the trend and entered into the catering business firstly as a chef through to his present position as chief executive of Entier.
He said he has many favourite dishes that have been prepared by the firm’s award-winning chefs but this particular dish remains top of his list, adding that the sweetness of the lobster combined by the rich textures in the halibut and the thermidor sauce always hit the spot. INGREDIENTS: 200g halibut fillet skin off 450g Scottish lobster 3 baby leeks Samphire Dijon mustard Noilly Prat 30g butter 1 shallot 285ml fresh fish stock 100ml double cream ½ tsp English mustard 2 tbsp chopped parsley ½ lemon METHOD: 1. Start with a pan of boiling water and submerge the lobster for 5-6 minutes then remove and immediately place into ice cold water. 2. Crack the tail shell and decant the tail meat and set aside for later. 3. Remove the claw meat and dice into small cubes for the sauce. 4. For the sauce, put the butter in a pan, add the shallots and cook until softened. Add the stock, wine and double cream and bring to the boil. Reduce by half. Add the mustard, lobster claw, herbs, lemon juice and seasoning. 5. Blanch and refresh the samphire and baby leeks then put into a pan of foaming butter. 6. To reheat the lobster place in a pan of garlic butter and gently saute. 7. Pan fry halibut until golden brown and nap in burnt butter with a squeeze of lemon juice. In association with Taste Communications.