Pan-fried mirror dory

Ingredients

• 80 ml (⅓ cup) ghee
• 4 mirror dory fillets, skin on (about 250 g each, see note)
• 2 tbsp rice flour
• Sea salt
• Olive oil, for drizzling
• Juice of ½ lemon

Instructions

Heat 2 large cast iron or heavy-based frying pans over medium-high heat. Add half the ghee to each pan and heat until it starts to haze. Dust the skin-side of the fish fillets in the rice flour and when the ghee is hazing, add the fillets, skin-side down. Place a heavy-based frying pan or several dinner plates on top of the fish and cook for 2 minutes (the weights should be around 800 g- 1kg). Several times during cooking, lift off the weights and move the fish gently to make sure it isn’t burning.

When the flesh side of the fish feels lukewarm and the bottom is golden and crisp, turn the fish and cook the flesh side for 4-5 seconds. Remove from the heat, divide among plates and season with salt. Drizzle with a little olive oil and a squeeze of lemon juice and serve immediately.

Note

• If mirror dory is hard to find, you may use John Dory fillets instead. 

• Cooking times for the fish will vary depending upon the size of the fillets. If you prefer, place a piece of baking paper between the fish and the weights, then remove just before turning to cook the flesh side.

Photography by Sharyn Cairns. Styling by Lee Blaylock. Food preparation by Rachel Lane. Creative concept by Belinda So.

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