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Sunday 17 June 2012

Mitch Tonks' Sicilian Messina inspired John Dory roaster

It's the time of year when skippers and crew on a handful of inshore trawlers (like the Elisabeth Veronique) off the coast of Cornwall have one fish they will wanting to see on the deck when they open the cod end........
there's a seriously flavoursome dish in Mitch Tonks' latest book Fish Easy that takes its inspiration from the Sicilian shores of Messina.......
 that takes advantage of the very seasonal and truly delicious John Dory, "three baskets of JDs last haul skipper"........
 popping three toms in boiling water for 3 or 4 minutes will allow the skins to be removed easily......
 golden garlic in olly oil kicks off the cooking process.......
 after adding the salt anchovy fillets, a handful of black olives and coriander in goes the squeezed toms......
 
 and the mix is given a few minutes on top of the stove to cook through.......
 and it's time for the JDs to sit in the pan - top chefs tip - use your kitchen scissors to trim round the fish to remove the many small bones - saves fussing with them after cooking - though here's an alternative view sent in, - "Non chefs tip: Don't trim round the edge of flats with a scissors, it leaves the part bones, pull them out with your fingers or a pliers, then you're left only with the 'frame' bones on the plate"........
 before basting with the sauce.......
 an abundance of dill in the herb garden just had to be added......
after cooking the dish can be served from the roasting tray - the meaty fillets pull away from the bones frame very easily - truly tasty!


Just landed fresh on the tables today at the Seahorse restaurant where Mitch plies his trade is today's new menu - and one first fish dish to share is none other than John Dory