Thomas Rode gives you here a recipe for zander with various types of onions - a flavorful dish with the light zander and the onions that have been allowed to caramelize and become sweet.
If you make the dish on the large griddle like Thomas Rode, you can cook the fish and onions at the same time thanks to the large cooking surface. With just a few good ingredients, this recipe is both simple to prepare and impressive to serve.
Ingredients
Serves 4
4 x 75 g zander fillets, carefully scaled and deboned
4 new onions, trimmed of roots, outer layer, and tops. Save the tops
16 fine spring onions, trimmed of roots, outer layer, and tops. Save the tops
1 dl olive oil, preferably fruity
1 handful of flat-leaf parsley
Optional aromatic herb such as rosemary, lemon thyme, sage, etc.
1 shallot, peeled and finely chopped
2 tbsp pickled gherkins, finely chopped
Juice of half a lemon
Salt and freshly ground pepper
Method
Sauce
Put the olive oil, onion tops, parsley, and the aromatic herb you want to flavor the sauce with in a blender and blend until the oil starts to heat from friction. It should be about 53 degrees Celsius.
Pour the oil through a fine sieve and let it drip through.
Add the finely chopped shallots and gherkins, and season with lemon juice, salt, and freshly ground pepper.
Onions
Split the new onions in half.
Heat your griddle over flames or on the stove.
Drizzle the moderately hot griddle with olive oil and sprinkle with flake salt directly on the griddle.
Place the split onions on the griddle with the cut side down.
Let the onions cook until the cut side is caramelized and the onions are almost tender. Turn them over.
Drizzle more oil on the griddle and place the spring onions on the griddle. Cook until they are tender and slightly charred.
Zander
Buy the zander fresh and keep it covered in the fridge overnight.
Season the fish with salt and freshly ground pepper.
Heat your griddle over flames or on the stove.
Sprinkle flake salt directly on the hot griddle and place the fish on it with the skin side down.
Press the fish pieces flat against the griddle using your spatula and cook over high heat.
Do not touch the fish until all the moisture has evaporated from the skin and it starts to set and become crispy.
When the fish flesh starts to turn white all the way around the edges and the skin is golden, loosen the fish and turn it over. Let it heat for about 15 seconds, then remove from the griddle and drain.
Serving
Arrange the spring onions and new onions on a warm platter or plates. Place the fish on top with the crispy skin side up and sprinkle with flake salt.
Add a little of the sauce around the fish and serve the rest on the side.
