Kingclip with Mushroom & Leek Risotto

I love Risotto, but have never tried to make it myself.  It was relatively easy, but requires quite a bit of manual labour!  Worth it in the end, and it worked really well with the Kingclip. 

Kingclip with Mushroom & Leek Risotto 

Ingredients:

Kingclip:

- 4 Kingclip Fillets

- 2 lemons

- 2 cloves of garlic

- Fresh Thyme and Sage, finely chopped

- Salt and Pepper

- 4 small slices of butter

Risotto:
- 6 leeks, trimmed and cut into 1cm slices
- 1 pack/6 - 8 Portobello mushrooms, cut into thin slices
- 1 tbsp salted butter
- 1 onion, minced
- 1 tsp fresh chopped parsley
- 1 cup uncooked Arborio rice (Risotto rice)
- 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 4 – 6 cups chicken broth
- 1 cup dry white wine (I chose chardonnay)

- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- Sea salt & pepper to taste

Method:

The Risotto takes quite a bit longer to cook than the Kingclip, but you need to prep everything before you start cooking the Risotto as it has to be stirred constantly.  Pop the Kingclip into the oven when the Risotto is nearly ready.

Kingclip:

1. Preheat oven to 180C

2. Place Kingclip fillets onto a baking tray

3. Place butter, garlic and fresh herbs over fish fillets, and season with salt and pepper

4. Squeeze lemon juice over the fillets, and finish off with lemon slices on each fillet

5. Bake for 15 min, and Grill for an extra 5min (or until golden brown)

Risotto:
1. Have a large pot with chicken stock medium to high heat, ready to add to the risotto when necessary

2. Melt butter in another large pot.

3. Add shallots; cook, stirring frequently, until translucent.

4. Add leek, mushrooms, parsley and rice and toss to coat; cook for 2 minutes.

5. Add lemon juice; cook, until all lemon juice has been absorbed, stirring continuously so rice does not stick to sides of pot, about 1 minute.
6. Add 1 cup of hot broth to the risotto pot at a time; stir until absorbed. Repeat with remaining broth, making sure each addition of broth is absorbed before adding more. This process takes about 20 – 30 minutes. When rice turns creamy and just done (should be slightly chewy and not mushy), remove pot from heat.

7. Add the parmesan cheese and stir well.

8. Season with salt and pepper, and an extra squeeze of lemon juice.

Kingclip with Peperonata

Fresh fish is my new favourite weekday dinner - it is so quick to prepare and cook, but full of flavour.  This recipe serves 4.

Kingclip with Peperonata and baby potatoes

Ingredients

For the Fish:
3 to 4 Kingclip tails depending on their size (and the appetite of those you are serving)
A handful of fresh Thyme
25g salted butter
1 lemon
2 cloves of garlic finely chopped
Salt
Pepper

For the Peperonata:
2 medium onions sliced finely
1 large red bell pepper sliced finely
1 large yellow bell pepper sliced finely
500g cherry tomatoes
4 cloves of garlic chopped
1 cup fresh basil (to cut, gather leaves into a ball, and slice through without cutting over the same section twice, so as not to loose the fresh flavour from these fragile leaves)
1 lemon

Method:

1.  Start with the Peperonata.  Fry onions, peppers and garlic until onion is lightly browned.  Add cherry tomatoes and season with salt and pepper.  Leave to simmer while you start the Kingclip.

2.  Slice the skin side gently, and rub salt and pepper into the slices before adding to the fry pan with melted butter and chopped garlic (skin side down).  Press the fish lightly to prevent from curling. Squeeze lemon juice over the fish, and sprinkle with Thyme.  Cover the fry pan and leave to cook for 5 minutes.  Should cook through 2/3 of the fish before turning to cook the remainder.

3.  While the fish finishes cooking, add the basil leaves to the Peperonato, and plate the mixture.

4.  Finish off by plating the fish.

I cheated and made the quick microwave potatoes so that the whole meal was ready in only 12 minutes.

Kingclip and Peperonata with baby potatoes