This is how chef Paolo Barrale revisits the classic mussel appetizer, transforming them into a flavorful accompaniment for turbot.
IMPEPATA DI ROMBO (Peppered turbot)
Recipe for 4 people
Ingredients
- 1 filet of turbot weighing 1 kg
- 1 kg of mussels
- 1 bunch of parsley
- 1 head of garlic
- 2 fennel bulbs
- 2 spring onions
- 2 lemons
- 2 kombu seaweed leaves
- 10 g of bonito flakes
- Peppercorns
- Squid ink to taste
- Anisette liqueur to taste
Procedure
Fillet the turbot and pair the fillets; wrap them tightly in plastic wrap and steam for 20 minutes at 47°C. Allow to cool and cut into 80 g portions. Set aside.
Clean the fennel and keep the scraps for the base. Cut the fennel heart into slices with a slicer (about 1.5 mm thick). Place in a vacuum bag with a sprinkling of mixed seaweed flakes; spread out well and seal tightly. Cook for 10 minutes at 90°C and leave to cool.
Place the well-washed fish bones in a pot covered with a finger of water. Add the fennel scraps, fresh spring onion, a few peppercorns, and a sprig of parsley. Bring to a boil for about 20 minutes, skim, and let rest for about an hour, then strain. Freeze the liquid obtained in a tray, then filter again to remove collagen and impurities. Set the broth aside.
Leave the well-cleaned mussels to open with garlic and parsley. Add the zest of a lemon, filter the liquid obtained and set aside. Shell the mussels, remove the byssus and place in a Thermomix. Add 50 g of their water and 20 g of olive oil to 250 g of mussel pulp. Season with salt if necessary. Pass through a sieve and load the mixture into a siphon.
For the persillade sauce, remove the parsley leaves and weigh out 50 g. Blanch for about 30 minutes in boiling salted water. Clean 2 cloves of garlic, remove the core and blanch, changing the liquid 7 times. Combine the parsley, garlic and a small amount of the mussel water, then blend with a hand blender and pass through a sieve. Store in a bottle.
For the pepper sauce, soak 10 g of black peppercorns in 50 g of boiling water. Leave to rest for 10 minutes. Add a teaspoon of squid ink and blend with a hand blender. Adjust with a pinch of xanthan gum and pass through a sieve. Store in a baby bottle.
For the lemon dashi, prepare the lemon dashi by adding 2 g of bonito flakes and a kombu seaweed leaf to 100 g of mussel water. Bring to 80°C in a vacuum-sealed bag for about 10 minutes, strain and season with lemon juice and a pinch of xanthan gum.
Dish composition
Lightly salt the turbot filets, sear them in a hot pan on both sides with a drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil, then bake in the oven for 5 minutes at 80°C. Remove from the oven, pipe the mussel foam on top, and finish with a drizzle of persillade and black pepper sauce to create contrast.
Plate and accompany with the warm fennel salad, previously dressed with lemon dashi and a few drops of parsley oil.
Serve the cold turbot broth, flavoring it with a dash of Anisetta and a few drops of lemon oil.
