Roast Hapuka with Basil, Parmesan and Panko Crust

By Mark Harman, Salt Restaurant

Roast Hapuka with Basil, Parmesan and Panko Crust

Roast Hapuka with basil, parmesan and panko crust, baby kumara, buttered spinach and a Riesling beurre blanc by Mark Harman, Executive Chef of Salt restaurant, Castor Bay.

400g hapuka

10g parmesan cheese grated

½ cup panko crumbs

40 ml cream

2 tablespoons SEASONS™ Gourmet basil pesto

2 small kumara

4 cups baby spinach

50g butter

Salt and pepper

Beurre Blanc:

250ml white Riesling wine or Verjuice

1 shallot

1 garlic clove

Sprig of thyme

Bay leaf

5 peppercorns

250g unsalted butter, cubed and chilled

Salt and pepper

Micro herbs

Place kumara into a pot and cover with water, adding a pinch of salt. Bring to the boil and simmer until tender.  Once cooked remove from the water, allow to cool completely, then slice into 1 centimetre thick rounds. It would help to do this stage in advance – simply store the kumara pieces in an airtight container in the fridge.

To make Beurre blanc:

Peel the shallots and garlic, roughly chop and place into a small pot. Add the wine, bay leaf, thyme and peppercorns.  Bring to the boil and simmer until reduced by half.

Turn the heat onto low, slowly whisk in the butter a little bit at a time until the butter is dissolved, make sure not to boil at this stage, or it will split. Take off the heat and strain through a sieve back into a pot and keep warm, ready for serving.

To prepare the hapuka:

Trim the hapuka into 2x 150g rectangle portions.  Place the hapuka off-cuts into a food processor, add the parmesan, pesto, salt, pepper and the cream and process until smooth. Using the back of a spoon, spread this mixture on the top of the prepared hapuka.   Place panko crumbs into a bowl, then dip the hapuka into the crumbs.

In a heavy based frying pan, place onto a low heat and add a small amount of olive oil, place hapuka into the pan, crumb side down while the oil is cold, slowly bring the heat up to a medium temperature. Allow the crumb to go golden, lifting the fish carefully to check this. Flip the hapuka over once it is golden, then place into the oven for 8 minutes on 180c.

Place a knob of butter in a pan, once the butter begins to bubble, add spinach into the pan and sauté. Season with salt and pepper.  Remove from heat and place onto paper towels.

To plate up:

Reheat kumara by lightly panfrying to add a bit of colour.  Place 5 kumara pieces onto the centre of each plate. Place half the spinach on top of the kumara, rest the hapuka on top of the spinach and spoon over the beurre blanc.  Garnish with micro herbs.

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