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 gbutter
- 1lemon, zest peeled into thin strips
- 100 mlwater
- 50 gsugar
- 500 ggreen beans (trimmed), peas and mange-tout
- 1white onion, finely sliced
- 4pike 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
Instructions
Step 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.Step 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.Step 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.Step 4
Season the the pike fillets with salt and coriander, then dip the skin side in flour.Step 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.Step 6
Meanwhile, drizzle the vegetables with savory oil, lovage, and 1–2 tablespoons of the sweet cooking water from the lemon.Step 7
To serve, arrange the pike fillets on top of the vegetables, garnish with the lemon strips and spoon over the remaining brown butter.