Les Filets De Merlan Vallee D'Auge

Sounds posh doesn't it? In reality it's a simple dish of whiting in a cider sauce.
I bought some whiting for the first time and didn't really know what to do with it so I consulted the fish bible by Jane Grigson called 'Fish Book'.

This is really simple and really lovely so try it. Whiting is part of the cod family so it's a firm white fish and should be cheaper than cod, it has a really nice earthy flavour. I served this with olive oil mash and creamed leaks, both were yummy but in hind site I wouldn't recommend as all together the texture of the meal was too soft and would have been better served with a really good crusty white bread.

6 whiting fillets
S&P, cayenne pepper
5 tbls butter
2 small-medium chopped onions
300ml dry cider - use good cider, I used Aspals - use cider you would want to drink, not white lightning!
6 tbls grated Gruyere cheese

Chop the onions and as normal I would recommend half moons, some how they are just prettier than chopped onions. You need to use a pan which can go in the oven or a oven dish with a diffuser on the hob.
Season the whiting with S&P and a sprinkle of the cayenne.
Melt the butter in the pan and they fry the onions until soft, don't let them go brown. Place the whiting in the pan skin side down.
Coven with the cider and then the grated cheese.
Place in an 180 oven for 5 mins but do not over cook the fish so keep checking after about 4 mins.
Et voila

This is a lovely meal and an easy dinner party winner, as ever this was a dinner for 3 and Blix had extra cider to get him off to bed, no not really I just roasted his with a bit of butter!

xx