Pan-fried Skrei with cannellini beans and squid

Name: Pan-fried Skrei with cannellini beans and squid
Total time: 1 h 30 min
Ingredients: 4 Skrei loin fillets; 30g of unsalted butter; 2 tbsp of olive oil; salt; freshly ground black pepper; 100g of cannellini beans, dried (or tinned if short on time); 1 shallot, quartered; 1 garlic clove, crushed; 1 sprig of fresh rosemary; 1 sprig of fresh thyme; 500ml of chicken stock; 2 tbsp of olive oil; 200g of squid, including tentacles (optional) cleaned and sliced into rings; 2 shallots, finely chopped; 1 garlic clove, minced; 1 tsp smoked paprika; 200g of cherry tomatoes; 2 tsp tomato purée; 125ml of white wine; 60g of unsalted butter; 1 bunch of flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped; 2 tbsp of olive oil; sea salt; black pepper; 1 lemon, cut into wedges

by Louise Robinson

Item 1 of 1

Main
easy
4
1 hour 30 minutes

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

5.00

Louise Robinson serves up buttery cannellini beans with braised squid and pan-fried Skrei – a sustainable cod from the Barents Sea. Considered a Norwegian delicacy, Skrei is only in season between January and April. We recently visited the fishermen of Tromsø with some of the UK's top chefs to learn more about Skrei.

First published in 2016

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If you have never heard of Skrei you would be forgiven. Until a couple of weeks ago I had never heard of it either. Skrei, pronounced ‘skray’, is the name of a migratory Norwegian cod so special that it must be Norway’s best kept secret.

Every winter something remarkable happens, when driven by instinct great multitudes of cod return from the Barents Sea to their original spawning grounds around the islands of Vesterålen and Lofoten. Their epic 1000km swim through turbulent Arctic waters give the Skrei their sublime succulent white flesh. I do not say this lightly, but this is without doubt some of the best fish I have ever tasted. It is as far removed from ordinary cod as it could possibly be, and the pristine white fillets have an incredible texture and flavour. Simply pan-fried or steamed en papillote, the flesh comes apart in thick meaty flakes.

I have come up with an uncomplicated dinner party dish that I think is worthy of this wonderful fish. Lightly pan-fried Skrei loin fillet, served on a bed of cannellini beans and tender squid braised with smoked paprika, tomato and white wine. I like to use dried cannellini beans as I prefer their texture and flavour, but you could use canned cannellini beans instead – just simmer them gently in the stock for 10 minutes instead of an hour if you do.

Ingredients

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Imperial

Pan-fried Skrei

Cannellini beans

100g of cannellini beans, dried (or tinned if short on time)
1 shallot, quartered
1 garlic clove, crushed
1 sprig of fresh rosemary
1 sprig of fresh thyme
500ml of chicken stock
2 tbsp of olive oil

Braised squid

200g of squid, including tentacles (optional) cleaned and sliced into rings
2 shallots, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
1 tsp smoked paprika
200g of cherry tomatoes
2 tsp tomato purée
125ml of white wine
60g of unsalted butter
1 bunch of flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
2 tbsp of olive oil
sea salt
black pepper

To serve

1 lemon, cut into wedges

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Method

The day before serving, place the dried cannellini beans in a bowl, cover with water and soak overnight

To prepare the cannellini beans, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a small saucepan and add the shallot, garlic and the sprigs of rosemary and thyme. Fry over a low heat for 5 minutes

Drain the beans and add to the pan along with the chicken stock. Bring to the boil, turn the heat down and simmer very gently for about an hour until the beans are soft but still intact. The stock should have almost evaporated by the time the beans are cooked. Remove the onion and herbs, drain any remaining liquid and set aside

For the braised squid, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a medium saucepan and add the shallots. Fry over a low heat for 8 minutes. Add the squid rings and tentacles, garlic, cherry tomatoes, smoked paprika and tomato purée and cook for 3 minutes

Add the white wine and reduce by half before adding the beans. Stir and keep on a very low heat while you cook the fish

To prepare the Skrei, heat a non-stick frying pan and add the olive oil. Season the Skrei fillets with salt and pepper and add to the pan, skin-side down. Cook on a low heat for 5 minutes, turn the fillets and add the butter to the pan. Cook the fish for a further 4 minutes, basting with the butter from time to time