Grey Mullet Recipe - Great British Chefs

Grey mullet is served on a bed of pearl barley and supported by a black garlic purée in this stunning recipe from Steve Drake. A Jerusalem artichoke purée gives the pearl barley pudding its creamy edge, providing a nice counterpoint to the unctuous fish.

Ingredients

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Grey mullet

4 grey mullet
rapeseed oil
salt

Lemon oil

1 lemon grass stalk
100ml of olive oil
2 lemons, zest only

Jerusalem artichoke purée

1000g of Jerusalem artichoke
200ml of milk
cream
salt
pepper

Black garlic purée

1 head of black garlic
water

Cep soil

400g of butter, soft
80g of icing sugar
180g of cep powder
7g of salt
300g of plain flour

Pearl barley

250g of pearl barley
2 shallots
500ml of fish stock

Spring onions

2 spring onions
salt

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Mandoline
Muslin cloth
Silpat mat
Squeezy bottle
Sous vide equipment

First make the lemon oil. Seal all of the ingredients in a vac pac bag and cook at 50°C in a water bath for 12 hours, then drain through muslin. At the same time, soak your pearl barley, also for 12 hours, then drain

1 lemon grass stalk
100ml of olive oil
2 lemons, zest only

For the Jerusalem artichoke purée, peel and thinly slice the artichokes using a mandoline. Transfer to a pan, pour in the milk and seasoning and bring to a gentle boil

1000g of Jerusalem artichoke
200ml of milk
salt
pepper

Turn down to a simmer and cook with the lid on until there is no liquid left. Transfer to a blender, blitz until silky smooth and pass through a sieve. Store in the fridge until required

For the black garlic purée, separate the garlic cloves and simmer gently in enough water to cover until soft. Strain the garlic, reserving the water, and pop the garlic out of their skins. Purée in a blender with enough cooking water to form a thick paste. Store in a squeezy bottle until ready to serve

1 head of black garlic
water

In a food mixer with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar until light and pale in colour, then on a low speed, add the cep powder, salt and flour and just bring together. Roll into 6 equally sized logs and freeze until set

400g of butter, soft
80g of icing sugar
180g of cep powder
7g of salt
300g of plain flour

Preheat the oven to 160°C/gas mark 3

Remove the logs from the freezer and grate onto a silpat. Place in the oven for 3 minutes

Remove from the oven and leave to cool before lightly breaking up with a fork into a fine crumb. Store in an airtight container until ready for use

For the pearl barley, sweat the shallots until soft but not coloured, add the pearl barley and a pinch of salt and pepper. Cover with the fish stock, bring to the boil then simmer for approximately 30 minutes, or until soft

250g of pearl barley
2 shallots
500ml of fish stock

Bring a pan of lightly salted water to the boil and add the spring onions. Blanch for 2-3 minutes then drain

2 spring onions
salt

Cut the spring onions in half lengthways and place, cut-side down, on a very hot griddle pan. Cook until they have nice char lines, remove and leave in a warm place

Return the Jerusalem artichoke purée to the pan and warm through. Add a little cream to achieve a silky-smooth consistency

cream

Combine 1 small ladle of pearl barley with the artichoke purée and warm to risotto consistency

To cook the fish, season the skin of each fillet. Place a large non-stick frying over a medium-high heat with a dash of rapeseed oil. Once the pan is hot, place each fillet, skin-side down, into the pan and apply gentle pressure to ensure that each fillet is flat

4 grey mullet
rapeseed oil
salt

Allow to cook for 2-3 minutes, until the skin is crispy and lightly golden. Remove the pan from the heat, turn each fillet over and allow the residual heat of the pan to cook the fish for a further 1 minute

Divide the pearl barley pudding into the centre of each plate, followed by a drizzle of the lemon oil. Squeeze out dots of black garlic purée alongside and place each fillet on top of the pearl barley, sprinkle a thin line of cep crumb over the fish. Finish with the charred spring onion and serve immediately

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Steve Drake

Steve Drake started cooking while attending South End Technical College. Only a few years later, he started working his way up the ladder at The Ritz and earned a prestigious Roux Scholarship. Now he cooks at Sorrel, a modern British restaurant in Dorking, Surrey.

Grey mullet with pearl barley pudding, black garlic and spring onion

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