Preparation time
Preparation 10 minutes (plus 20–25 minutes cooling time)
Cooking time
15 minutes
Serves
4
Lyndey Milan's fish with quick-pickled snake beans and radish pairs perfectly with the clean flavours of Vermentino.
Ingredients
4 x 180g even-sized fillets snapper, kingfish or blue eye, skin on
1 tbsp (20ml) butter
1 tsp (5ml) extra virgin olive oil
1 tbsp baby capers, rinsed, drained, and smashed
Bunch of watercress, washed and picked
Quick pickle
1 cup (250ml) apple cider vinegar
½ cup (110g) caster sugar
½ tsp fine salt
½ tsp brown mustard seeds
1 tsp black peppercorns
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
1 bunch snake beans, trimmed, cut into 5cm lengths
6 radishes, sliced
½ bunch dill leaves, chopped
Method
1. For the pickle: Combine vinegar, caster sugar, salt, mustard seeds, peppercorns, garlic and ½ cup (125ml) water in a small saucepan over medium-low heat and stir until sugar and salt are dissolved. Strain pickling liquid over snake beans in a heatproof bowl and rest for 20 minutes, add radish, stir well and leave to cool completely. Stir in dill. Refrigerate until needed.
2. To cook fish: Dry the skin by scraping the back of a knife across it and season with salt and pepper. Heat butter oil in a heavy frying pan over high heat. Fry the fish, skin-side down, pressing it down flat for a couple of minutes or until beginning to brown. Press capers into the flesh side. Reduce the heat to medium, after another two minutes turn fish over and cook caper side down for an additional two minutes or until cooked through and capers are golden.
3. Immediately before serving, toss watercress through the pickle and divide mixture between four plates (leaving any pickling juices behind in the bowl). Place a piece of fish on each plate and serve immediately.
Lyndey’s Note: If you prefer softer beans, blanch in salted boiling water for one minute, then refresh in cold water, drain when cold, and proceed.