On Fish: Steamed Brill with Pea, Shallot & Cider Stew Recipe
- Apr 20
- 2 min read
Michelin-starred Nathan Outlaw distils three decades of experience as a foremost fish chef in a brand new handbook on cooking fish.
Steamed Brill with Pea, Shallot & Cider Stew
Serves:
Ingredients:
2 teaspoons fennel seeds
2 teaspoons sea salt
8 slices of smoked streaky bacon or pancetta
2kg (4lb 8oz) brill, filleted and portioned into 4 x 120g (4¼oz) portions
2 tablespoons olive oil
A drizzle of extra virgin rapeseedoil, to finish
For the pea, shallot & cider stew:
50g (1¾oz) unsalted butter
2 tablespoons rapeseed oil
12 shallots, peeled and left whole
200ml (7fl oz) dry cider
1 sprig of rosemary, finely chopped
300ml (10fl oz) fish stock
200g (7oz) fresh peas, podded
100g (3½oz) clotted cream (ideally Cornish, of course!)
1 tablespoon chopped mint leaves
1 tablespoon chopped flat-leaf
Parsley leaves
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepperto taste
Method
A filleted portion of brill from a good-sized fish, lightly steamed, is a comforting and pleasurable delight. Brill is such a delicate species that harsher techniques of cooking tend to dry out the edges of the fish. In this recipe, I’ve paired the fish with a subtle fennel salt that brings out its character. Beneath the fish pools a fresh, but rich, stew of peas, bolstered with cider and clotted cream. A wonderful, delicate plate of food, I hope you’ll agree!
To make the stew, heat the butter and oil in a medium saucepan over a medium heat. When the butter is bubbling, add the shallots and gently let them colour all over, stirring occasionally, for 15–20 minutes. Don’t cook them too quickly – if they start to colour fast, reduce the heat. Once the shallots are well coloured, add the cider and rosemary and increase the heat to allow the cider to reduce quickly. When the cider has reduced by three-quarters, pour in the fish stock and simmer until reduced by half.
Add the peas and simmer for a further 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, set up a large bamboo steamer or switch on your steamer oven. Crush the fennel seeds and sea salt together in a mortar and pestle and set aside. Cook the bacon until crispy under a hot grill or in a frying pan and set aside.
Season the brill with 2 teaspoons of the fennel seed salt and drizzle with the olive oil. Place the fish on a sheet of baking parchment and steam for 4–5 minutes.
While the fish is cooking, add the clotted cream to the stew. Bring to a simmer and whisk it in, then add the chopped herbs. Taste and add salt and pepper as you like.
To finish, ladle the stew into bowls. Peel the skin away from the brill and sprinkle the flesh with 1 teaspoon of the fennel seed salt. Place the fish on top of each portion of stew and add 2 slices of crispy bacon to each bowl. Drizzle a little extra virgin rapeseed oil over the fish and serve. I would serve this with either new or mashed potatoes.
