Red snapper with chickpeas, lentils and chorizo

Ingredients
(serves four)

4 x 10cm chorizo sausages
4 red snapper (or sea bream) fillets
Flour
Soft butter
Salt and pepper
Oil for cooking
½ lemon
8tbs mashed potato
For the sauce
142ml veal jus
8tbs cooked chickpeas
8tbs cooked Puy lentils
Red wine vinegar
For the garnish
Olive oil
Sliced spring onion tops
Crème fraîche
Cayenne pepper

Method

Cook the sausages on a charcoal grill, cool and cut into 1/4in dice. Set aside.

Cut each snapper fillet into three even pieces, dust the skin lightly with flour, brush with soft butter and season lightly.

Cook the fish in butter and oil in a non-stick pan, skin side first, until crisp. Squeeze over some lemon juice and baste with any pan juices while cooking.

Remove from the pan and keep warm.

Heat the mashed potato through, heat the veal jus and add the chickpeas, lentils and diced chorizo to it. Add a splash of red wine vinegar, taste and adjust seasoning if necessary.

To serve, divide the hot mash beween four plates, placing it in the centre, and pile the fillets on top. Spoon around the hot sauce and sprinkle with the spring onion tops. Drizzle a little olive oil around and place a quenelle of crème fraîche on top, sprinkled with cayenne.

Photo © Nick Smith