Whitefish with Agretti

The Swiss lakes and rivers offer a variety of fresh fish – one of the most delicate of them is whitefish. A light summery evergreen of the classic cuisine is whitefish fillets à la meunière and a wonderful way to enhance the tender flavour. Serving the fillets with Agretti or Barba di Frate as the Italians call it and butter-lemon sauce, sprinkled with Atlantic nori flakes – gave the dish a Mediterranean touch.

The Nori flakes sprinkled over the fish added an extra delicate flavour from the Atlantic. I bought them from simplyseagreens.ch

 

Ingredients | Serves 4
8–12 pieces
Whitefish fillets depending on size
50 g
Flour for dusting
 
Salt and white pepper for seasoning
1 Tbsp
Oil for frying
200 g
Unsalted butter
2 Tbsp
Lemon Juice
250 g
Small potatoes
400 g
 Agretti
 
Atlantic nori flakes for sprinkling

 

Preparation | Serves 4

  1. Melt 150 g butter and let it brown until it smells slightly nutty – be careful not to burn the butter.

  2. Take the butter off the heat, let it cool down a bit and mix in the lemon juice, then keep it warm.

  3. Cut off the roots and unsightly twigs from the Agretti and wash thoroughly.

  4. Wash the potatoes – I leave the skin on – and cook them in a saucepan with salted and simmering water for 8 minutes. After this time, add the Agretti to the potatoes and cook for another 2–3 minutes. Pour the water off and keep both warm.

  5. Pat the whitefish fillets dry and season lightly on both sides with salt and white pepper, and then dust with flour.

  6. Heat some oil and a nob of butter in a frying pan and fry the fillets on each side for about 2–3 minutes until lightly browned.

    SERVING | Arrange the Agretti and the potatoes on the plates, then place the whitefish fillets on top. Drizzle with the butter and lemon sauce and finally sprinkle with the Atlantic nori flakes.