Pan-fried John Dory with Norfolk mussels, celeriac, apples and chives
Item 1 of 1
- medium
- 4
- 60 minutes
William Drabble's pan-fried John Dory recipe lovingly pairs the firm, white-fleshed fish with mussels, earthy spinach, apple and celeriac. Also known as St Peter's fish, tradition says that the characteristic black spot found on either side of the body is an impression of the saint's thumb. John Dory is rather fiddly to handle, so ask your fishmonger to fillet the fish for you – but keep the bones as you will need them for the wonderful cider sauce.
First published in 2015
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Ingredients
Metric
Imperial
Pan-fried John Dory with Norfolk mussels, celeriac, apples and chives
- 2 John Dory, each weighing 800g, filleted
- 40 mussels, cleaned and de-bearded
- 2 shallots, sliced
- 500g of spinach, stalks removed and washed
- 10 chives, finely sliced
- 100ml of double cream
- 2 Granny Smith apples, cut into 5mm dice
- 125g of butter
- 2 garlic cloves, sliced
- 2 celery sticks, sliced
- 250ml of dry cider
- 1 celeriac, small
- 1 tbsp of olive oil
- salt
SAVE RECIPE
Method
1
Cut the John Dory fillets straight down the centre so you have 8 pieces, then score the centre of each piece
- 2 John Dory, filleted
2
Chop the bones, remove the gills from the head and wash the bones and head under running water for 20 minutes. Drain and set aside
3
Place 100g of the butter into a pan and melt gently. Sweat down the shallots, garlic and celery until soft but not coloured. Add the bones and sweat for a couple of minutes
- 100g of butter
- 2 shallots
- 2 garlic cloves
- 2 celery sticks
4
Add 200ml of the cider and enough water just to cover the bones. Bring to the boil and cook very slowly for 15 minutes
- 200ml of dry cider
5
Strain through a sieve lined with a muslin cloth into a pan. Reduce the stock over a medium high heat to 250ml. Add the double cream, re-boil and set to one side
- 100ml of double cream
6
Cut the celeriac into 5mm dice and cook in boiling salted water. Refresh in iced water then drain and set to one side
- 1 celeriac
8
When the shells have opened, tip them into a colander set in a bowl to retain the liquid
9
Remove the mussels from the shells and put to one side. Pass the liquid through a sieve lined with six layers of muslin cloth and set aside
10
To cook the fish, get a large non-stick pan and add the olive oil. Place the fish into the hot oil skin side down and pan fry gently until half cooked
- 1 tbsp of olive oil
11
Turn the fish over and remove the pan from the stove, the fish will cook through in the residual heat
13
Bring the sauce up to the boil and add some of the mussel stock to taste. Add the celeriac, apple and mussels, bring back to the boil then add the chives
14
Divide the spinach between four bowls, arranging it in mounds in the centre of each bowl
15
Pour the sauce around and arrange the apple, celeriac and mussels around the bowls
16
Place two fillets of John Dory per portion on the spinach and serve immediately
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