Equipment
Ingredients
For the Bone Gravy
- 50 g turbot bones
- 75 ml white wine
- 75 ml vermouth
- 300 ml chicken stock
- 2 makrut lime leaves
- 14 g butter, unsalted
For the Cauliflower
- 15 ml olive oil, extra virgin
- 1 cauliflower, medium
- 30 g butter, unsalted
- 1 g vadouvan spice
- 10 makrut lime leaves, ground
- 1 lime, halved
- 1 lime, zest and juice
- salt, to taste
For the Turbot
- 10 g lardo di colonnata, thinly sliced
- 400 g turbot fillets, skinless
- 20 g butter, unsalted
- salt, to taste
- black pepper, freshly ground, to taste
For the Yogurt
- 200 g yogurt, plain, full-fat
- 15 ml lime juice, freshly squeezed
- salt, to taste
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 465 kcal
- Protein
- 27 g
- Carbohydrates
- 22 g
- Fat
- 27 g
- Fiber
- 5 g
- Sugar
- 13 g
- Sodium
- 1147 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 13 g
- Trans Fat
- 1 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 7 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 2 g
- Cholesterol
- 82 mg
- Potassium
- 1097 mg
- Calcium
- 183 mg
- Iron
- 1.7 mg
- Magnesium
- 89 mg
- Phosphorus
- 250 mg
- Zinc
- 0.9 mg
- Vitamin A
- 145 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 106 mg
- Vitamin E
- 1.1 mg
- Vitamin K
- 35 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 0.6 mg
- Vitamin B12
- 2.2 mcg
- Thiamin
- 0.18 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.21 mg
- Niacin
- 3.3 mg
- Folate
- 125 mcg
- Water
- 286 g
Sources: Aggregated Public Data, USDA FoodData Central
Method
Preheat the oven to 220°C (425°F). Place the turbot bones on a roasting tray.
Roast the turbot bones for 15 minutes, until lightly browned.
While the turbot bones are roasting, in a heavy-based saucepan, add white wine and vermouth. Bring to a simmer over medium heat and reduce by half, until slightly syrupy (about 5 minutes).
Add the roasted turbot bones, chicken stock, and makrut lime leaves to the saucepan. Bring to a gentle simmer, and cook for 10 minutes to infuse the broth. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve, discarding the bones and leaves. Stir in the butter.
For the cauliflower, heat the olive oil in a large ovenproof casserole over medium-high heat. When the oil is shimmering, add half of the quartered cauliflower, cut-side down, and cook for 5-7 minutes, until deeply browned.
Add the butter, vadouvan spice, and ground makrut lime leaves to the casserole. Continue cooking and stirring for 2 minutes to infuse the cauliflower.
Meanwhile, place the remaining cauliflower pieces in a saucepan and cover with water. Bring to a boil and cook for 10-15 minutes, or until very tender. Drain the cauliflower.
Transfer the cooked cauliflower to a food processor and blend until completely smooth. Season with salt to taste. Keep warm.
Spoon the browned butter from the casserole over the cauliflower pieces. Place the casserole in the preheated oven for 10 minutes, or until the cauliflower is tender and lightly browned, stirring occasionally.
Squeeze the lime juice over the roasted cauliflower. Sprinkle with lime zest and the flesh from the finger lime. Season with salt.
For the turbot, heat lardo di colonnata or olive oil in a frying pan over medium-high heat until the lardo is rendered and the fat is lightly smoking.
Season the turbot fillets generously with salt and pepper.
Add the seasoned turbot fillets to the hot pan, skin-side down (if present, otherwise either side). Sear for 2 minutes, until the skin is golden brown and crispy.
Reduce the heat to medium-low. Add the cubed butter to the pan (without turning the fish). Spoon the melted butter over the fish continuously for another 2 minutes.
Turn the fish fillets over, and let them rest in the melted butter for another 1 minute. Remove the fish, and place onto a plate.
For the yogurt, combine the plain yogurt and lime juice in a small bowl. Season with salt to taste.
To serve, place a spoonful of the lime yogurt and cauliflower purée onto each plate. Top with the roasted cauliflower. Place the turbot fillets on top, and garnish with lardo di colonnata if using. Pour a generous amount of bone gravy around the plate.
Chef's Notes
- High-quality turbot is essential for this dish. Look for fillets with a pearly white appearance and a fresh, clean smell.
- Basting the turbot in butter ensures moist and flavorful fish.
- Don't be afraid to experiment with the spice blend. Vadouvan spice is a great starting point, but you can also add other warm spices like cumin or coriander.
- For the best results, use a properly seasoned cast iron pan for searing the fish.
Storage
Refrigerator: 2 days — Store the turbot and gravy separately in airtight containers. Store cauliflower purée in a separate container.
Freezer: 2 months — Freeze the gravy in an airtight container for up to 2 months. Thaw completely before reheating. Freezing is not recommended for turbot.
Reheating: Reheat the gravy gently on the stovetop. Reheat the cauliflower purée in the microwave or on the stovetop. Reheat the turbot carefully in a pan with a small amount of butter, or in the oven at 150°C (300°F) until warmed through.
Troubleshooting
Turbot overcooked and dry.
Cause: Overcooking the fish.
Fix: If slightly dry, drizzle with extra butter or bone gravy. Otherwise, it is best to start again. Consider using a thermometer next time to ensure the proper internal temperature.
Prevention: Use a meat thermometer, and remove the turbot from the pan when it reaches an internal temperature of 63°C (145°F).
Bone gravy is too thin.
Cause: Not reducing the white wine and vermouth enough. Not enough chicken stock.
Fix: Continue to simmer the gravy until it has reduced to your desired consistency. If still too thin, gently whisk in a cornstarch slurry. (1 tsp cornstarch mixed with 1 tsp cold water).
Prevention: Ensure the white wine and vermouth are reduced to a glaze. Use less stock to begin with.
Cultural Context
This dish represents modern fine dining, showcasing high-quality ingredients with French culinary techniques, particularly the use of rich sauces and precise cooking methods. The use of turbot (a prized flatfish) and bone gravy are examples of classic French culinary traditions.
