Recipe Tip: Pan-fried Pike Fillets with Beans and Brown Butter

Top Recipe for 4 Persons by Lukas Nagl. All ingredients and tips for getting it right. Firm white-fleshed fish such as pike is a natural with its classic accompaniment, browned butter. Add a twist of lemon and a trio of green vegetables and there really is no finer fishy feast.

Ingredients

• 150 g butter
• 1 lemon, zest peeled into thin strips
• 100 ml water
• 50 g sugar
• 500 g green beans (trimmed), peas and mange-tout
• 1 white onion, finely sliced
• 4 pike fillets (150-200g each)
• ground coriander
• plain flour, for dusting
• vegetable oil, for frying
• 2 stalk(s) lovage
• savory oil (alternatively oil and fresh savory), to drizzle
• salt

Steps

1. Put the butter in a small, heavy-based pan over a low heat and brown slowly until it smells nutty (don't let it burn). Set aside.
2. Put the lemon zest strips in a pan with the water and sugar. Bring to the boil, turn down the heat and simmer until soft.
3. Put the prepared beans, peas and the onion in a pan with 1–2 tablespoons of the browned butter, cover with the lid and sweat until tender. Season well with salt.
4. Season the the pike fillets with salt and coriander, then dip the skin side in flour.
5. Heat a thin layer of oil in a frying pan and, when hot, add the fillets, skin-side down, and fry for 4–5 minutes or until the skin is brown and crisp. Carefully turn and fry for a further 1–2 minutes.
6. Meanwhile, drizzle the vegetables with savory oil, lovage, and 1–2 tablespoons of the sweet cooking water from the lemon.
7. To serve, arrange the pike fillets on top of the vegetables, garnish with the lemon strips and spoon over the remaining brown butter.