Pan-fried John Dory with Sage

Name: Pan-fried John Dory with Sage
Yield: 2
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients: 2 x 180g dory fillets, skin on (6½oz); Plain flour, for dusting; Salt flakes and freshly ground black pepper, to taste; 8 sage leaves; 30g butter (1oz); Spinach with Lemon, for serving

This pan-fried john dory recipe has a cross-cultural heritage. It’s a pescatarian-friendly take on the Roman veal dish saltimbocca alla Romana inspired by classic French à la meunière. La meunière is the miller’s wife, and à la meunière is anything cooked with a dusting of flour (which a miller’s wife always has on hand). It’s an especially popular way to cook flat fish (see video below). Whether it’s veal or fish, the flour adds a crisp finish and a lovely golden colour. Allowing the butter to get quite dark (beurre noisette in French) adds a lovely nutty flavour to complement the herbal sage in this delicious Italian/French fusion. If you can only get large sage leaves, cut them in half or quarters discarding the central stem. Dory fillets are also sometimes quite large, if so cook 1 large fillet between 2 people, it will still only take a minute or so each side. In a classic à la meunière, a squeeze of lemon is added to the butter; instead I serve my pan-fried john dory with a side of lemon-spiked spinach. I love a glass of aromatic Dal Zotto riesling from Victoria’s cool King Valley with this pan-fried john dory.

Serves 2

Ingredients

2 x 180g dory fillets, skin on (6½oz)
Plain flour, for dusting
Salt flakes and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
8 sage leaves
30g butter (1oz)
Spinach with Lemon, for serving

Method

Remove fish from the fridge about 30 minutes before cooking.
Trim off any thin edges or skin flaps and set aside to come to room temperature.
Combine flour, salt and pepper in a plastic bag.
Add the fish and shake to coat well.
Heat butter in a large frying pan over medium-high heat.
Let the butter cook until the foam subsides and it starts to turn brown then remove frish from bag, shake off excess flour and place into the pan, skin side-down; if fish starts to curl, hold down firmly with a fish slice or spatula.
Sprinkle with salt and cook for a minute, then turn, sprinkle with salt and cook for a further 30–60 seconds, until browned.
Remove from the pan to a warm plate.
Add sage and cook for 15 seconds or so, until crisp.
Arrange spinach on 2 warm serving plates and place the fish alongside.
Pour the sauce over and serve pan-fried john dory immediately.