ESTURIÓN EN MANTEQUILLA NOISETTE CON JAMÓN CURADO

Ingredients

• 2Pink Lady apples
• 2 tbspcider vinegar
• 2 tbspicing sugar
• 2 slicescured ham
• 200 gsliced new potatoes
• 2 tbspextra-virgin rapeseed oil
• 1 small bulbfennel
• 1shallot
• 1lemon, juiced
• 2 × 200 gsturgeon fillets
• 400 glightly salted butter
• 1pink grapefruit
• 1 small bunchchopped dill
• to tastesalt and pepper
• 1 tbspextra-virgin rapeseed oil, for drizzling

Instructions

1. 1

   Make apple purée

   Cut the apples into pieces and put them in a small bowl with the cider vinegar and icing sugar. Mix, season with a little salt, cover with cling film and microwave for 4–5 minutes, until the apples look translucent. Leave to cool slightly, blend with a hand blender and pass through a fine sieve into a small bowl.

2. 2

   Crisp the ham

   Preheat the oven to 180°C. Put the ham on a small baking tray lined with baking paper and bake for 6 minutes, or until golden and crisp. Remove from the oven, leave to cool, then break into large pieces.

3. 3

   Cook potatoes

   Boil the new potatoes in a small pan of salted water for 15 minutes, or until tender when pierced. Drain, toss in a small bowl with the rapeseed oil and season with a little pepper.

4. 4

   Prepare fennel

   While the potatoes cook, finely slice the fennel and shallot. Put them in a bowl and mix with the lemon juice and a little salt.

5. 5

   Season the fish

   Season the sturgeon fillets with salt and pepper.

6. 6

   Cook in butter

   Melt the butter in a medium, shallow saucepan. Increase the heat until it begins to brown, then carefully add the sturgeon fillets. Turn the heat down very low and cook for 6–8 minutes, until the fish is cooked through.

7. 7

   Prepare grapefruit

   While the sturgeon cooks, use a sharp knife to remove the grapefruit peel, then cut the fruit into segments.

8. 8

   Plate and serve

   Serve the sturgeon with the apple purée, potatoes, grapefruit segments, fennel and shallot. Finish with the crisp ham, dill and a drizzle of extra-virgin rapeseed oil, then serve.

What is sturgeon with beurre noisette?

Beurre noisette is butter heated until its milk solids turn golden and give off a toasted, nutty aroma. This recipe pairs that rich cooking fat with sturgeon, a firm-fleshed fish associated with European and Eurasian cooking traditions.

The apple purée, grapefruit and lemon-dressed fennel bring acidity and sweetness to balance the butter, while crisp ham adds a salty finish. The mix of textures is what makes this plate work.

Nutrition and macros by portion

The nutrition label shows one serving as written: 1120 calories, 24g protein, 25g carbs, 107g fat.

Sturgeon provides most of the protein, while the potatoes, apples and icing sugar contribute carbohydrates. Butter and rapeseed oil account for much of the fat; serve a moderate amount of the buttery cooking fat and add extra fennel or another green vegetable to balance the plate.

The apple purée

Cook the apples with cider vinegar and icing sugar until translucent, then blend and sieve them for a smooth purée. The recipe gives a microwave time of 4–5 minutes; check the apples are soft enough to blend before straining.

Browning the butter

Watch the butter as it melts and browns: it can change quickly from golden to burnt. Once it smells nutty and begins to colour, add the fish carefully and lower the heat to very low as instructed.

Checking the fish

The fillets cook for 6–8 minutes over very low heat. The method does not specify fillet thickness, so use the stated time as a guide and check that the fish is cooked through before serving.

Keeping the sides fresh

Fennel and shallot are served raw, thinly sliced and dressed with lemon juice and salt. Keep the slices fine so they soften slightly in the dressing without losing their crispness.

Getting each component ready

Start with the apple purée and crisp ham, which can both be prepared before the fish. Boil the potatoes and dress the fennel while those components are cooling, then cook the sturgeon close to serving time.

Serving the plate

Arrange the apple, potatoes, fennel and grapefruit around the sturgeon rather than mixing everything together. Add the ham and dill at the end so the ham stays crisp and the herbs remain fresh.

Recipe notes & tips

• Use a fine sieve to make the apple purée smooth.
• Keep a close eye on the butter as it browns so it does not burn.
• Lower the heat before the fish cooks in the butter.
• Cut the fennel and shallot thinly so they take on the lemon dressing.
• Add the crisp ham just before serving to preserve its texture.

Variations

• Use another apple: choose a crisp, tart variety if Pink Lady apples are unavailable.
• Swap the herbs: use finely chopped parsley in place of dill.
• Add extra citrus: serve with a little more grapefruit for a brighter finish.
• Change the potatoes: use small waxy potatoes and slice them after boiling.
• Make the salad sharper: add a little extra lemon juice to the fennel and shallot.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Burning the butter: lower the heat as soon as it starts to brown and smells nutty.
• Overcooking the fish: begin checking at 6 minutes and stop once it is cooked through.
• Leaving the apples chunky: cook until translucent, then blend and pass through a fine sieve.
• Serving limp ham: let it cool completely before breaking it up and adding it to the plate.
• Cutting the fennel too thickly: slice it finely so the lemon dressing can soften it.

How to store

Store leftover components separately in airtight containers in the fridge and use within 1–2 days. Reheat the fish and potatoes gently; the ham is best kept separate and may lose its crispness in storage.

Frequently asked questions