Black Sole and New Irish Potatoes


Make a stock to cook the new potatoes by gently simmering the stock, saffron, garlic, bay leaf and thyme for five minutes. When infused, add ¼ of the butter and the potatoes and simmer for approx. 20 mins.
While your potatoes are simmering, gently sweat the shallot in olive oil without colour and blanch the samphire for 30 seconds in unseasoned, boiling water and refresh in ice water.
Now onto the fish, heat a couple of non stick pans, large enough to hold two fish each. When the pans are very hot, add olive oil, and gently place the fish in the pans away from you to avoid any unnecessary splashes of hot oil. Dont disturb the fish, only to take a peek at the colour of the fish. Cook for around four minutes and turn when the fish is a nice golden colour. Cook for another 3 – 4 minutes. To test if the fish is cooked, the tip of a knife should reach the bone without any resistance.
While the fish is cooking,strain the potatoes and crush lightly with a fork, fold in the cooked shallot and olive oil and season with salt and lemon juice.
To complete the dish, let your fish rest somewhere warm and add the butter to one of the fish pans with the heat up high. The butter will start to foam and as soon as the butter turns golden brown, lift the pan from the heat and add the lemon juice, parsley, capers and samphire. 
Genrously coat the fish with this butter sauce and serve with the crushed potatoes. Â