Roast thyme-crusted hoki with warm shallot dressing and herb salad

Tamara West

The thyme gently perfumes the flesh of the hoki in this recipe. Tom packs his salad with fresh flavours and says “In this recipe each mouthful will be different” — one with more mint, another with parsley, rocket or basil. This is a lovely light dish where the hoki is supported and not overshadowed by the herbaceous elements of the dish.

Dressing

125 ml	Extra virgin olive oil
3	Parsley stalks, reserve leaves for salad
2 stalks	Basil, reserve leaves for salad
4	Shallots, finely chopped
1 clove	Garlic, crushed
20	Cherry tomatoes, cut in half
1	Lemon, juiced
1 Tbsp	Red wine vinegar

Herb salad

3 sprigs	Mint
3 sprigs	Chervil
100 g	Wild rocket
1	Parsley, and basil leaves, reserved from the dressing
1 bunch	Celery, yellow central leaves only
100 g	Mixed salad leaves, peppery, such as mizuna, mustard, radicchio and belgian endive

Hoki

2 Tbsp	Thyme leaves, chopped
4 pieces	Hoki, about 180g per portion, cut from the deep top of the fillet (Main)
2 Tbsp	Olive oil

Directions

For the dressing

1. Heat the oil in a small saucepan and add the herb stalks, shallots and garlic. Cook gently without letting it brown.
2. Remove from the heat and leave to cool for 20 minutes to allow the ingredients to infuse. Remove herbs stalks and add lemon juice and vinegar. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Just before using add the tomatoes.

For the herb salad

Place washed and well dried herbs and salad leaves in a large bowl. Cover and refrigerate.

For the hoki

1. Heat the oven to 200C. Heat a large, heavy-based ovenproof frying pan over a medium-high heat.
2. Sprinkle the thyme over the hoki, then season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
3. Heat the oil in the pan and pan-fry the hoki without moving it, for 4 minutes, then gently turn it over and spoon oil over the flesh. Place in the oven and roast hoki for 6 minutes, depending on thickness of hoki.
4. Arrange hoki on warmed plates. Holding the frying pan (from the oven) with a cloth, pour in the warm dressing and swirl it around to pick up any juices and pieces of thyme. Dress the herb salad with a little of the warm dressing, then spoon the rest around the hoki. Arrange a small amount of salad alongside the hoki. Serve any remaining salad separately.