Kingfish with Sherry Reduction and Vegetable Salad

There was a new man working at the seafood supplier, he was keen to talk about the fish on offer and equally keen to talk about how I was planning to cook the fish. On his recommendation I purchased Kingfish cutlets.  I had intended to purchase rockling fillets but was very pleased with the suggested Kingfish. My plan was to dust the fish with some spiced flour, lightly pan fry and then simmer it in sherry. I thought it would go nicely with a salad made with the last of the zucchinis, kale and cherry tomatoes from the garden.

The Salad

The salad vegetables should be at room temperature and are placed underneath the fish and the sherry reduction poured over the fish and drips down into the salad so that it acts like a warm dressing. 

The salad is a combination of zucchini, shredded kale or silver beet, chopped cherry tomatoes, finely chopped chopped parsley and mint with some toasted almonds for crunch.  As a guide a large zucchini, a punnet of cherry tomatoes, half a bunch of Tuscan kale,  a quarter cup of almond slivers and about a third of a cup of chopped parsley and mint will serve four.

The Kingfish

I like to use a deep pan with a lid.

Coat each cutlet with the spiced flour. 

Spiced flour

1 tablespoon plain flour

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon smoked paprika

1 teaspoon Ras el Hanout or Middle Eastern Spice or other spice blend 

Generous grind of black pepper and pinch of salt.

Mix all ingredients together

Heat a small amount of oil in a non stick pan, add the fish and cook for five minutes or a bit less if the cutlets are not very thick. These were approximately two cm thick.

Turn the fish over and cook for a minute.

Pour sherry into the pan, it will bubble up so cover with a lid and allow fish to cook a few minutes. The sherry will reduce and the sauce will thicken slightly. I use enough sherry to come approximately halfway up the sides of the fish.

Place a pile of the salad in the middle of each plate, top with a Kingfish cutlet and spoon over a little of the sherry reduction. Garnish with chopped parsley.