Sometimes, I Surprise Myself

At The Bentley on Saturday night one of the dishes for the degustation, which wasn't anywhere to be found on the menu, was a square of steamed white fish dressed in an avocado and jamon sauce. It was just so good that it was pretty much all I could think about this week. The delicate, clean-flavoured fish balancing with this interesting sauce, slightly tacky on the palate. I had to have it again. So last night I went about recreating it, amidst clicking for Spice Girls tickets, curing another salmon and making my own icecream (more on that later).

And, it was 9 out of 10 close to the original version. I was mighty impressed.

Quality Spanish jamon is fairly new to our shores and while iberico is the Chanel of Spanish hams, serrano is perfect for this sauce. At $99 a kilo (as opposed to $360 for iberico), $10 worth will give you a few very happy moments, including this sauce. I think Spanish ham is better in this dish than Italian, it needs that meaty oomph, that macho-ness, as opposed to the delicate sweetness of prosciutto.

It was as simple as pureeing an avocado and thinning it with a little cream, although light stock would be just as good. Finely, finely dice a thick slice of jamon serrano, and warm it in a frypan. Don't add oil as it will start to release it's own oil which will flavour the sauce. Add the avocado and warm through, season, then set aside.

Cut a fillet of bream or white fish in half, and steam for 4-5 minutes till cooked. Remove, and serve with the sauce. On the side I sliced a King Brown mushroom and sauteed it seperately until just coloured. It's such a meaty mushroom that was the perfect, minimal accompaniment.