Pan-seared gurnard with seafood and tuscan olive risotto

From The New Zealand Seafood Cookbook - Recipe by Steve Roberts
Pesce con risotto ai frutti di mare is one of my favourite dishes.  It is also very versatile – use your favourite fish and change the seafood in the risotto to suit whatever you have to hand.
Try with snapper, tarakihi, hapuku or kingfish
 
Serves 4
 
1.25 litres good-quality fish stock
12 live clams or cockles
8 prawns, shelled and de-veined
8 scallops, cleaned
8 live mussels, cleaned and beards removed
2 tbsp olive oil
2 cloves garlic, crushed
½ onion, finely sliced
500g Arborio rice
250 ml white wine
 
50g selection fresh herbs, chopped (I use Italian parsley and basil)
40g sliced Kalamata olives
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 x 150g gurnard fillets
100g mixed herbs or micro leaves
 
Lime halves – caramelised (cut limes in half and dip cut side in white sugar.  Place a frying-pan on a medium heat.  Add lime halves cut-side down to the dry frying-pan and cook quickly until golden.)
 

1. Preheat oven to 180º C
2. Place fish stock in a small saucepan and bring to a gentle simmer.  Individually poach all the seafood, excluding fish, and set aside.  Strain stock and set aside until required.
3. Place a large saucepan on a medium heat, add oil and gently sweat garlic and onion without colouring.  Add rice and coat with the onion and garlic mix, then deglaze with white wine.  Simmer for approximately 3-5 minutes, reducing the liquid until it is almost gone.
4. Slowly add stock to the rice, gently and continually stirring as it cooks, adding more liquid as the mixture requires it until the rice is al dente (cooked but firm to the bite) and the risotto is fairly sloppy.  Add seafood to the risotto to reheat.  Add fresh herbs and olives also.
5. Season gurnard fillets with salt and pepper.
6. Place a frying-pan on a high heat and add oil.  Sear fish fillets on both sides, transfer to a baking dish and place in the oven for a few minutes or until cooked through.  Thicker fillets will need longer cooking time.
7. To serve, arrange risotto in the centre of each bowl, place fish on top and drizzle with a little olive oil.  Garnish with herb salad and lime halves.

COPYRIGHT DETAILS:
An extract/image from The New Zealand Seafood Cookbook. Text by Auckland Seafood School and contributing chefs; with food photography by Sean Shadbolt. Published by Penguin Group NZ. RRP $50.00. Available at all good booksellers nationwide. ©Auckland Seafood School, 2009.