FILETTO
DI SAN PIETRO
E FUNGHI

JOHN DORY WITH MUSHROOMS

John dory (‘Saint Peter’ in Italian) is a fish from the Adriatic that’s highly prized for its firm and tasty flesh. It’s recognised by its oval, flattened shape but above all by the black spot on each side, which according to legend are the marks of the Apostle Peter’s thumb and forefinger …

SERVES 6 PREPARATION TIME: 15 MINUTES COOKING TIME: 25 MINUTES

500 g (1 lb 2 oz) wild mushrooms, or mixed mushrooms

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 garlic clove, halved

1 rosemary stalk

1.2 kg (2 lb 10 oz) john dory fillets

Plain (all-purpose) flour

40 g (1¹/₂ oz) butter

Preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F/Gas 6). To clean the mushrooms, immerse them in water twice, remove immediately and wipe dry. Cut the largest ones into two or three pieces. Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a frying pan with the garlic and rosemary on medium heat. Pan-fry the different mushrooms separately, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes and season with salt and pepper. Lightly flour the fish fillets, season them with salt and pan-fry them in the butter and the remaining oil on medium heat for 2 minutes on each side. Place the mushrooms in the bottom of an oiled baking dish, lay the fish fillets on top and bake for about 4 minutes.

SUMMERTIME VERSION: CARLINA’S WAY

Carlina is the daughter of Giuseppe Cipriani, the owner of the legendary Harry’s Bar in Venice. Preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F/Gas 6). Flour the fillets and cook them for 2 minutes on each side in a little butter and olive oil. Lay them in a buttered dish. Sprinkle over 2 tablespoons rinsed and chopped capers, 4 peeled and chopped tomatoes, the juice of 1 lemon and 30 g (1 oz) butter, cut into pieces. Bake for 4 minutes.

NOTE

Allow about 400–500 g (14 oz–1 lb 2 oz) gross weight per person (there’s a lot of wastage!). Like turbot, john dory is cooked whole or as fillets.