Coley with tarragon sauce vierge

White fish served in a classic sauce vierge made from olive oil, lemon juice, chopped tomatoes and herbs. Simple and sophisticated.

Ingredients

For the sauce vierge

• 120ml/4fl oz extra virgin olive oil
• 1 lemon, juice only
• 2 tomatoes, skins and seeds removed, flesh diced
• 1 shallot, peeled, finely chopped
• 1 small garlic clove, peeled, finely chopped
• 3 tbsp chopped fresh tarragon

For the coley

• 4 x 175g/6oz coley fillets
• salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• ½ lemon, juice only
• lightly dressed green salad, to serve

Preparation method

1. For the sauce vierge, pour the olive oil in a non-reactive pan. Whisk in the lemon juice until well-combined. Add the chopped tomatoes, shallot and garlic.

2. Heat the pan over a medium heat until the sauce vierge mixture is just warmed through. Add the tarragon and season, to taste, with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Set aside.

3. For the coley, season the coley fillet with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

4. Heat the oil in a non-reactive frying pan over a medium heat. Add the seasoned coley fillets, skin-side down, and fry for 1-2 minutes until golden-brown.

5. Turn the fillets over using a fish slice and cook for a further 1-2 minutes, or until just cooked through.

6. Drizzle the lemon juice over the fish fillets and remove from the heat.

7. To serve, arrange the coley fillets into the centre of a serving plate. Drizzle over the tarragon sauce vierge (whisk the tarragon sauce vierge again before serving until well combined). Spoon the green salad alongside.

Required techniques

• Knife skills: how to finely chop
• Knife skills: how to finely chop