Elegant, light and delicious, this raw fish dish makes for a perfect starter or sharing platter
Diana Henry The Telegraph's award-winning cookery writer
Diana Henry is the Telegraph’s much-loved cookery writer. She shares recipes each week, for everything from speedy family dinners to special menus that friends will remember for months. She is also a regular broadcaster on BBC Radio 4, and her journalism and recipe books, including Simple and How to Eat a Peach, are multi-award-winning. A mother of two sons, Diana can satisfy even the fussiest of eaters.
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This looks beautiful and is, of course, very light. You can use smoked salmon instead of smoked trout but the trout is a lovely colour and the flavour is more delicate. I get cold-smoked trout from chalkstreamfoods.co.uk.
Requires pickling time
Overview
Prep time
30 mins
Cook time
5 mins
Serves
8
Ingredients
For the pickled radishes
- 275g radishes
- 25g sea salt flakes
- ice cubes
- 60g granulated sugar
- 200ml white wine vinegar
- ¼ tsp black peppercorns
- ¼ tsp fennel seeds
For the fish
- 5 tbsp lemon-infused extra-virgin olive oil (Belazu does one) or regular extra-virgin
- 1½ tbsp rice vinegar
- 1 preserved lemon, skin only, very finely chopped, plus 2 tbsp juice from the jar
- 1 tsp honey
- 1 shallot, very finely chopped
- 650g sea bass
- a 300g cold-smoked trout, sliced
- a handful of samphire (optional)
- lemon, for squeezing
- 50g jar salmon or trout roe (also called salmon/trout caviar or keta)
Method
Step
Prepare 275g radishes several days before you want to use them. Trim them top and bottom. Wash well – it’s vital that all trace of dirt is removed – then halve lengthways and layer in a sieve with 25g sea salt flakes and about a dozen ice cubes, set over a bowl to catch the water. Leave for an hour, then pat the radishes dry with kitchen paper.
Step
Meanwhile, put 60g granulated sugar and 200ml white wine vinegar in a pan with ¼ tsp black peppercorns and ¼ tsp fennel seeds and bring to the boil. Add the radishes, bring to the boil again, then transfer to a sterilised jar. Seal with a vinegar-proof lid, leave to cool and keep this in the fridge until you want to serve the dish.
Step
Make the dressing for the sea bass. Whisk together 5 tbsp lemon-infused oil or extra-virgin olive oil, 1½ tbsp rice vinegar, 1 finely chopped preserved lemon rind and 2 tbsp juice from the jar, 1 tsp honey, 1 finely chopped shallot and a pinch of sea salt flakes with a fork. Leave this to sit until you’re going to use it – the flavour will get better.
Step
Slice the pickled radishes wafer-thin, lengthways, using a very sharp knife or a mandolin.
Step
Cut 650g sea bass into thin slices as you would if you were preparing smoked salmon: hold the tail of the sea bass – you might be using individual small fillets or one larger piece – and slice the fillets thinly across their width. Spoon the dressing over the slices and leave for no longer than an hour.
Step
On a serving plate arrange the sea bass and 300g trout slices, along with a handful of samphire if using. Squeeze a bit of lemon over the trout. Put dots of salmon or trout roe on both fish – I usually use the handle of a teaspoon to scoop up little chunks – then scatter on the sliced radishes.