RECIPE: MIEKOJÄRVI FRIED ZANDER

  • 4 zander filets, with scales (about 800g in total)
  • Grated white pepper
  • Sea salt
  • Olive oil
  • Butter
  • A few sprigs of thyme
  • 2 cloves of garlic
  • ½ lemon

Gourmet addition:

  • White wine
  • Parmesan cheese

Thaw the filets if frozen. If the filets are not already boneless, remove the bones. You can also use descaled filets, but they are not as tasty. Once at room temperature, salt and pepper both sides of the filets. Put a few teaspoons of white wine on the skinless side of the filets. Allow the filets to marinate at room temperature.

Add the thyme and sliced garlic cloves to the frying pan. Cover them with a few tablespoons of olive oil.

Fry the filets shortly before serving, when the whole batch is ready. The cooking time is only a few minutes. Over high heat, with the oil sizzling, add the filets, skin down, to the pan. Do not place the filets directly atop the garlic or thyme. Lower the heat to medium-high. Allow the filets to fry to 80%. Then add approx. 8 teaspoons of butter to the ban. Mix the melted butter with the oil while the filets fry to completion. Remove from heat. Add parmesan, if desired, and squeeze lemon juice over the filets. Just before serving, baste the fish with the oil-lemon juice mixture for a beautiful and tasty surface. If you don’t use parmesan, you can add a pinch of salt … with caution not to oversalt the filets.

Serve with salad, mashed potatoes, risotto, or our favorite side of carrots, parsnips, sweet potatoes and fennel. For sauce, combine melted butter, cream, the juice from half a lime, as well as grated peel and turmeric for color.