Recipe #12: Trevally in "weird" 1940 vintage port with baby bok choy & caramelised mushrooms sans cream

My experiments with fish continues, this time with trevally, a medium- to firm-fleshed, flavoursome fish.

I have been fortunate enough to acquire a bottle of 1940 vintage port. Matured in wood for 32 years before being bottled in 1972, then allowed to age in the bottle. Unlike tawny port, vintage port does improve significantly with bottle ageing. While I have mentioned before that Australia's tawnies are amongst the best in the world, the finest vintage port without a doubt comes from Portugal. The port I acquired (pictured) comes in a really weird-looking bottle; hence the nickname I gave it...

A great thing about buying foreign wines in Australia is that it is quite easy to obtain aged wines cheaply at auction as they don't seem to attract the same degree of interest as say, premium Australian wines. At least, this is my experience when bidding at a particular auction house that specialises in a variety of collectables.

This particular port is soft and mellow, and when decanted, didn't have very much sediment or encrustation. Because it is sweet, cooking mushrooms in it caramelises them, turning them deep golden brown. However, the sweetness doesn't overpower at all; in fact, it complements the fish really well.

Of course, you don't need a 1940 vintage; any good vintage port will do as long as it isn't overpowering or too sweet.

The key here is experimentation. Feel free to try different things, be intuitive, and avoid being restricted by what others say. I have never been one for prescriptive cooking, which is why I don't specify measurements or quantities. I realise that this is a contentious matter amongst cooks and especially food critics. However, I am not a food critic. I just enjoy eating!

Of course, it is very important to cook ingredients in the right proportions and combinations to get the right chemistry. However, what is right for me may not be right for you. Which is why I feel that the best way is to do frequent taste checks, be open-minded, and, above all, trust your intuition.

Perhaps I really should call these "food suggestions" instead of "recipes" as that is what they really are: suggestions that you can try at home and feel that you're having gourmet meals at a fraction of what they would cost in a high-end restaurant.

Ingredients

• Fresh trevally fillet with skin on
• Vintage port
• Fresh mushrooms
• Baby boy choy
• Creamy butter (less salt or unsalted)
• Sea-salt
• Black pepper

Preparation
Rinse trevally fillets in salt water then dry thoroughly. Rub some salt on skin of fillet and allow to stand for a few minutes.
Heat butter in a fry-pan, toss in sliced mushrooms and allow to simmer until mushrooms turn slightly golden. Sprinkle salt and black pepper to taste.
Place trevally fillet in fry-pan, skinned side facing down then turn heat up slightly until skin begins to crisp.
When skin is crisp and golden, turn fillet over and allow other side to simmer until cooked. As simmering butter starts to brown at edges of pan, quickly toss some port over fish and mushrooms.
Mix in port thoroughly, stirring mushrooms continuously until they become caramelised.
Remove cooked fish from pan, then turn heat to high very briefly, toss in baby bok choy, turn off heat completely, then quickly remove vegetables to serve with fish.

To Serve
Place caramelised mushrooms and baby bok choy around trevally fillets, then garnish with parsley.

Complement with a zesty Sauvignon Blanc or if you prefer, a lightly oaked Chardonnay. Avoid overpoweringly oaked whites.

<Previous
Next> Recipe #13: Baked whole rainbow trout stuffed with chili, garlic, onion & mushroom