Fillet of brill in prawn sauce

 The original recipe was based on lobster, which I cannot afford, so my sauce was made from a pre-made prawn bisque from my freezer.

Each time I cook with prawns I freeze the shells and heads. 

When I have about 500 gr its time to make a nice bisque. It is simple:

Put them in 1,5 litre of water, add a glass of white wine, 2 halved onions (unpeeled, the skin colours the bisque), 2 bay leaves, 1 clove of garlic, 10 peppercorns, a couple of halved tomatoes,1 tbsp tomato paste, a couple of celery stalks (incl some leaves), half a bunch of parsley, some chopped carrots.

Bring it all up to a boil with a splash of cognac and allow to simmer for 30 minutes, covered until the stock is well infused by the shells. Then I take everything out and reduce the liquid till a nice brown bisque is the result. Which goes into the freezer for opportunities like today.

For the sauce you need 200 ml. Add 25 ml cream and bring to the boil again. Then set aside

Use a mandoline to shave 3 green asparagus lengthways before cooking for 3 mins with 100 gr samphire.

Season 2 fillets of brill and place them, skin-side down, in a hot pan with a little olive oil. Cook until golden brown. To replace the lobster I fried some prawns  along them (and kept the shells and heads of course). Turn the brill over and then take the pan off the heat. Allow the fillets to cook through off the stove. 

Put the samphire in the centre of warmed bowl plates. Add the shaving of asparagus and place the brill on top.

Reheat the sauce and whisk in 30 gr unsalted butter. 
Season to taste, then pour on and around the brill. 
Finish with the prawns, a spoonful of caviar 
(which I cannot afford so I used black seaweed pearls 
from... IKEA) and an edible flower. 

(Here is the original recipe by Simon Hulstone)

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