Recipe: Stone bass with crushed potatoes and peas

Our executive chef Andrew O’Connor shares our recipe for line-caught wild stone bass with crushed new potatoes and English garden peas — the Kin House twist on fish and chips. Plus, wine shop Cave Bristol pairs the dish with the ideal white.

Ingredients & Method (serves 4) 

For the crushed new potatoes

500g new potatoes

2 tablespoons olive oil

Maldon salt or seasoning

Boil the potatoes in a saucepan in hot salted water. Once soft enough to push a fork into, drain and remove to cool. Once semi-cool, lightly crush (but keep intact) each potato with the palm of  your hand. Drizzle with olive oil and season well with salt. Place on baking tray and roast in oven at 180 degrees until extra golden and crispy (20-30 mins).

For the tartare sauce

240g  mayonnaise

1/2 cup chopped dill pickles 

1 tsp capers, chopped 

2 tsp Dijon mustard 

2 tsp chopped shallots 

2 tbsp chopped scallions 

Salt and pepper to taste

Combine all of the above well. Add lemon juice and tabasco to taste.

For the Garden Peas

350g peas

4-5 mint leaves, torn

Generous knob of butter

Half a lemon

Cook the peas in salted boiling water. Drain and return to the saucepan. Add a generous knob of butter, mint and season generously.

For the stone bass

4 x stone bass supreme fillets approx. 120g each

Cold pressed rapeseed oil to fry

75g lilliput capers 

75g macadamia nuts

1 tbsp malt vinegar

Maldon sea salt flakes for seasoning

Toss nuts in malt vinegar and season liberally with salt. Roast nuts on baking tray (160 degrees) until golden brown, allow to cool and crush with a rolling pin. In a hot pan, shallow fry capers for a minute or so until they ‘puff’ and crisp. Remove carefully with a slotted spoon onto paper towel to drain oil. Place fish fillets skin-up on flat surface, pat skin dry. Sprinkle salt onto the skin and allow to rest for 5 minutes. Pat dry again. Heat flat bottom non-stick pan to medium hot. Lightly oil and allow to heat. Place fillets skin side down, season flesh with salt and lightly press down on each fillet so the skin cooks evenly (5-8 mins). Gently check the skin is crisp and golden. Flip the fish over and continue to cook for a minute or two until the fish is cooked through. Coat the flesh side with the malted macadamia crust, remove from pan and allow to rest.

For the buerre blanc

 9 tbsp unsalted butter divided, cold, cubed

1 medium shallot finely chopped

120ml dry white wine

2 tbsp white wine vinegar

2 tbsp fresh lemon juice about ½ large lemon

2 tbsp heavy cream

Maldon sea salt flakes to taste

Sweat the shallot. Heat 1 tbsp butter in saucepan over medium heat. Add minced shallot and cook until translucent (2-3 mins). Add liquid. Pour in white wine, white wine vinegar and lemon juice. Cook over medium-high heat till the mixture reaches a simmer. Reduce temperature to medium, then let sauce thicken and reduce (4 mins). Add heavy cream, stir, then turn the heat down to low. Add 2-3 tbsp of cold, cubed butter, swirl the pan (or whisk) until the butter has emulsified into the sauce. Repeat with remaining butter. Taste, then season with a pinch or two of Maldon salt. 

Plate your fish, drizzle with sauce and toss over some crispy capers. Bowl up your side dishes and serve immediately.

Wine pairing:

Toques Et Clochers, Limoux Chardonnay, Limoux AOC, France, 2019 — a serious Chardonnay that could be mistaken for a top Burgundy, its richness and texture will match up to the butter sauce and nut crust; cavebristol.co.uk

Find out more about Kin House here, or do get in touch with us — we’d love to hear from you.