Sometimes I wish there was a dial-a-chef hotline that you can call whenever you get stuck in the kitchen because instructions in the recipe you’re using are unclear or downright wrong. Yesterday, for example, I was instructed to put rather large chunks of red pepper through a sieve, while it was very clear to me that this would never result in the coulis I was after. Did I do something wrong? Was a step omitted from the recipe? Oh, what I would have given for a reassuring chef who could tell me what to do! In the end, I decided to go with my own instincts and I puréed the lot, after which I strained it. But for the remainder of the evening I couldn’t quiet the nagging voice in my head which was telling me I might have screwed up the entire meal… Yes, dial-a-chef would definitely be a plus for me!

But on to the recipe which gave rise to my quandary: gilt-head bream with black risotto and red pepper coulis. Impressive as this may sound, it was actually really easy to put together. Well, apart from the gilt-head bream, which had to be filleted with a dull knife, since I am not in the possesion of a fillet knife. I’m afraid I rather butchered those poor breams, and I promise I will do better to them in the future!

Anyway, first you have to prepare the red pepper coulis, which is very easy to assemble and tastes delicious. For this, you’ll need:

- 3 red peppers

- 2 shallots, minced

- 2 tbsp. olive oil

- bouquet garni (thyme, parsley and a laurel leave)

- pimentón

- salt and pepper, to taste

- butter

Remove the seeds from the peppers and cut them in rather large chunks. Melt the butter in a sauce pan and add the shallots. Reduce the heat and let the shallots simmer, without browning them. Add the red pepper, the herbs, pimentón and salt & pepper. Let simmer for about 20-30 minutes. Purée the lot with a hand blender and put it trough a sieve. Add more pimentón, salt en pepper if needed. The final result should look something like this:

 

See, that wasn’t too difficult, was it? Now on to the  black risotto. I was able to lay my hands on some squid ink a while back, and this was the perfect opportunity to use it. You just prepare the risotto as usual, with stock, and add the ink. The result is, well, black risotto. It looks very pretty with the vivid colours from the pepper coulis, I can tell you!

 

You’ll need:

- 200 grams of risotto

- 2 shallots, minced

- 0.5 litre chicken stock, heated

- 1 bag of squid ink

- 40 grams of butter

Melt the butter in a large pan and add the shallots. Fry very slowly for about 5 minutes, without colouring the shallots. Add the risotto rice and fry for 2-3 minutes longer. Add some of the stock and the squid ink, and keep stirring until all the stock has incorperated. Then add some more. Repeat this until all the stock has been used and the risotto is cooked (taste every once in a while). If more liquid is needed, add some water.

 

Now, for the final plating you will need two breams for four people. Ask the fishmonger to clean and fillet them for you, or attempt to do it yourself if you are feeling very brave (and are in the possesion of a sharp fillet knife!). You’ll also need:

- a green, red and yellow pepper, chopped very finely

- 30 grams of butter

- some chives, minced.

Melt the butter in a saucepan and add the chopped peppers. Fry for about 5 minutes on a low heat, and add the red pepper coulis. Heat through, add the chives and take the pan off the heat. In the meanwhile, fry the bream fillets in some olive oil or butter on medium heat. This will take about 5-7 minutes for both sides. On with the plating:

Put some coulis on the plate, and place the black risotto in the middle. Position the bream fillets on top of the risotto. Unfortunately, I didn’t have enough light and patience to take a pretty picture, but it should look something like this:

 

I promise I will train myself to take better pictures in the future (or be more patient when I’m hungry, that might help as well), but I do hope this picture is inspiring enough to try this recipe for yourselves!