The best places to eat, stay, shop and visit in the South West

Sea bass with porcini and onion ragu

Serve beautiful wild sea bass with a delish porcini and onion ragu
Boringdon Hall

Scott Paton, head chef at Boringdon Hall near Plymouth, shares his wild sea bass with porcini and onion ragu recipe

www.boringdonhall.co.uk

Serves    4-5
  • Wild sea bass 1.5-2kg, portioned into 140g fillet pieces, descaled and pin boned
  • Oil to fry
  • Butter a knob

For the porcini and onion ragu

  • Frozen porcini 200g
  • Butter 50g
  • Onion 1 large, finely sliced
  • Chestnut mushrooms 400g, roughly sliced and diced
  • Portobello mushrooms 200g, roughly sliced and diced
  • Double cream 200g
  • Fresh dill 50g, chopped
  1. For the ragu: defrost the porcini on a clean towel to absorb the moisture that’s released. Use a food processor to mince them to a coarse pâté consistency.
  2. Lightly cook the onions in the butter over a gentle heat for about 20 minutes to release their sweetness.
  3. In another pan, shallow fry the chestnut and portobello mushrooms. Once they turn slippery, add the onions, cream and minced porcini. Cook for 5 minutes then set aside.
  4. For the sea bass: place the fish skin-side down in a hot, heavy frying pan greased with oil, pressing lightly on the back of the flesh to keep contact on the pan. Cook until you see a golden crust forming around the base. Add the butter and flip the fish, then turn off the heat and leave to rest in the pan so that the residual heat cooks it gently.
  5. Reheat the ragu. Once hot, add the dill and stir through.
  6. Serve the sea bass and ragu with new potatoes and tenderstem broccoli.

Supported by

FOOD Magazine issue 187

You will need

  • Wild sea bass 1.5-2kg, portioned into 140g fillet pieces, descaled and pin boned
  • Oil to fry
  • Butter a knob

For the porcini and onion ragu

  • Frozen porcini 200g
  • Butter 50g
  • Onion 1 large, finely sliced
  • Chestnut mushrooms 400g, roughly sliced and diced
  • Portobello mushrooms 200g, roughly sliced and diced
  • Double cream 200g
  • Fresh dill 50g, chopped

Method

  1. For the ragu: defrost the porcini on a clean towel to absorb the moisture that’s released. Use a food processor to mince them to a coarse pâté consistency.
  2. Lightly cook the onions in the butter over a gentle heat for about 20 minutes to release their sweetness.
  3. In another pan, shallow fry the chestnut and portobello mushrooms. Once they turn slippery, add the onions, cream and minced porcini. Cook for 5 minutes then set aside.
  4. For the sea bass: place the fish skin-side down in a hot, heavy frying pan greased with oil, pressing lightly on the back of the flesh to keep contact on the pan. Cook until you see a golden crust forming around the base. Add the butter and flip the fish, then turn off the heat and leave to rest in the pan so that the residual heat cooks it gently.
  5. Reheat the ragu. Once hot, add the dill and stir through.
  6. Serve the sea bass and ragu with new potatoes and tenderstem broccoli.
Churchill Recreate
South West 660
SW660
You may also like
Churchill Recreate
Churchill Recreate
Most popular recipes
food newsletter banner
food newsletter banner
  • Wild sea bass 1.5-2kg, portioned into 140g fillet pieces, descaled and pin boned
  • Oil to fry
  • Butter a knob

For the porcini and onion ragu

  • Frozen porcini 200g
  • Butter 50g
  • Onion 1 large, finely sliced
  • Chestnut mushrooms 400g, roughly sliced and diced
  • Portobello mushrooms 200g, roughly sliced and diced
  • Double cream 200g
  • Fresh dill 50g, chopped
  1. For the ragu: defrost the porcini on a clean towel to absorb the moisture that’s released. Use a food processor to mince them to a coarse pâté consistency.
  2. Lightly cook the onions in the butter over a gentle heat for about 20 minutes to release their sweetness.
  3. In another pan, shallow fry the chestnut and portobello mushrooms. Once they turn slippery, add the onions, cream and minced porcini. Cook for 5 minutes then set aside.
  4. For the sea bass: place the fish skin-side down in a hot, heavy frying pan greased with oil, pressing lightly on the back of the flesh to keep contact on the pan. Cook until you see a golden crust forming around the base. Add the butter and flip the fish, then turn off the heat and leave to rest in the pan so that the residual heat cooks it gently.
  5. Reheat the ragu. Once hot, add the dill and stir through.
  6. Serve the sea bass and ragu with new potatoes and tenderstem broccoli.

Don't miss a thing

Get the lowdown on our latest finds – from boutique hotels and special places to stay to events, restaurant openings and more – delivered direct to your inbox via the Food Lifestyle email newsletter.