Try this delicious recipe for Brill fillets. Simple poaching keeps the flavour and texture of the fillets perfectly. The addition of the two contrasting sauces adds an extra dimension of flavours plus looking good on the plate. This would be a great dish for entertaining.
About Brill
Brill is a flatfish known for its firm flesh and sweet taste, it is part of the Turbot family. Like most flat fish Brill has a cream/white underside and a darker brown top usually with distinct white speckles. In a similar way to its larger cousin Turbot, the skin colour of Brill will changes depending on where it is caught. The lighter colour fish come from sandy seabeds, with darker colours being found on muddier sea beds.
This recipe will serve 4 people
Brill Fillets with two sauce ingredients
2 x 450g (1lb) Brill fillets from Walter Purkis (plaice or lemon sole are a good substitute)
For the Chive Sauce
140ml (5fl oz) fish stock
30g (1oz) shallots ( finely chopped)
60g (2oz) leek (finely chopped)
85ml (3fl oz) dry white wine
115ml (4fl oz) double cream
Finely chopped chives
30g (1oz) butter
For the Tomato Sauce
285g (10oz) tomatoes chopped
1 sprig tarragon
1 sprig parsley
1 sprig rosemary
1 sprig basil
1 bay leaf
30g (1oz) fennel chopped
30g (1oz) onion chopped
30g (1oz) leek chopped
30g (1oz) carrot chopped
1 tsp sugar
30ml (1fl oz) olive oil
30ml (1fl oz) wine vinegar
60ml (2fl oz) white wine
cayenne pepper
2 cloves garlic (thinly sliced)
Brill Fillets and sauces cooking method
Chive sauce
Put the fish stock, shallots, leek and wine into a pan. Bring to the boil and reduce by half.
Add the cream and chives and bring back to the boil. Whisk in the butter a little at a time until melted. Adjust the seasoning and strain.
Tomato Sauce
Mix all the ingredients together in a saucepan, bring to the boil and simmer for 15-20 minutes, season, remove from the heat, cover and leave to infuse. Pass the sauce through a blender and then sieve. Adjust the consistency and the seasoning.
Fillet and skin brill (we can do this for you in the shop – please ask) and poach for 5 minutes in fish stock.
Pour the sauces onto a plate, one sauce on each side of the plate and lay the fish in the centre