This recipe for john dory fillet  has delicious light and fresh flavours that complement this tasty fish perfectly.

John Dory is also called “St Peter’s fish” (sometimes “St. Pierre”, or “Peter’s Fish”). Legend would have it that the distinctive dark spot on the side of the fish is the saints thumb print.  The origins of the English name John Dory is thought to derive from the French jaune for yellow and doré which means  gilded or golden.

It is quite an unusual looking fish with a very large head and quite a few sharp spines particularly on its dorsal fin. We will be happy to fillet it for you in the shop. (The head and bones can be used to make a good fish stock. ) Just ask.

Preparation time is only five minutes. Cooking time will also be about five minutes. The quantities in the recipe below are for two people.

Ingredients For John Dory Fillet

2 portions John Dory fillet
2 baby gem lettuce (cut in half lengthways)
2 tsp of baby capers

For Smoked Garlic Dressing

1 clove of smoked garlic (chopped) From Walter Purkis & Sons
Half tsp of Dijon mustard
Squeeze of lemon juice
Good pinch of smoked paprika
Dash of olive oil

Cooking Method for John Dory Fillet

Heat a frying pan and when hot add a little oil, place in the John Dory fillet, cook for approx 2 min (depending on size the larger thicker fillets will take a little longer) then turn over to cook the other side.

At this point add the baby gem (cut side down) in the same pan as the fish.

Using a hand held blender blitz all the ingredients for the dressing and add a pinch of salt to taste

When the fish is cooked, remove and keep warm.

Turn the baby gem to cook briefly on the other side but try to keep it crunchy. Add the capers to the pan.

Place the cooked crunchy baby gem on the serving plates, lay the fish up against the lettuce and spoon over the smoked garlic dressing. A crispy rasher of pancetta or streaky bacon is also a nice addition.

This John Dory fillet recipe comes from www.fishisthedish.co.uk give them a visit for more fishy recipes