Nannygai Eye & Wattleseed "magnum" Recipe

Prepare fish

Pat the nannygai fillets dry with paper towels. Place them skin-side down on a tray. Score the skin lightly with 2–3 shallow diagonal cuts to prevent curling.

Whisk together olive oil, lemon juice, sea salt and black pepper. Brush both sides of the fillets lightly with the marinade (small amount on skin). Let rest at room temperature for 10–15 minutes while you prepare the crust and sauce.

Make crust mix

In a bowl combine ground wattleseed, panko breadcrumbs, lemon zest, chopped parsley and a pinch of sea salt. Toss to distribute the wattleseed evenly.

Prepare adhesive

In a separate small bowl whisk the whole egg with the dijon mustard and mayonnaise until smooth. Stir in the chopped capers and minced shallot. This mixture will act as the 'eye' and binder for the crust.

Heat a small nonstick skillet over medium heat, add 1 tbs neutral oil and the diced cold butter. Swirl until butter foams and just melts; remove from heat. Pour the warm beurre noisette (browned butter) into the panko-wattleseed mix and toss quickly so breadcrumbs absorb the butter. Allow to cool slightly so it remains crumbly rather than paste-like.

Lightly brush the top (flesh side) of each marinated fillet with the egg-mustard-cap­er mixture, leaving a 5 mm border to the edges. Press a generous, even layer (about 2 tbs) of the wattleseed-panko crumb on top to form the crust. Press gently so crumbs adhere. Chill the crusted fillets in the fridge for 10 minutes to set — this helps the crust stay intact when cooking.

Preheat a large sauté pan over medium-high heat and add the remaining 1 tbs neutral oil. When oil is shimmering, place fillets skin-side down. Cook without moving for 3–4 minutes until skin is crisp and golden and the crust starts to brown. Press gently with a spatula for the first 30 seconds to ensure contact.

Flip fillets carefully (crust side down) and reduce heat to medium. Cook for 1.5–3 minutes depending on thickness, spooning pan juices over the crust side once to keep it glossy and to finish cooking gently. Fish is done when opaque and flakes easily but remains moist (internal temp ~55–60°C / 130–140°F). Remove to a warm plate, crust-side up, and tent loosely with foil while you make the sauce.

Deglaze pan

With the sauté pan still over medium heat, add the white wine (or 50 ml white wine + 50 ml fish stock if you prefer) to deglaze, scraping up any browned bits. Reduce by half, about 1–2 minutes.

Add the remaining fish stock and simmer for 2 minutes. Whisk in the heavy cream and reduce gently until sauce coats the back of a spoon, about 2–3 minutes. Lower heat and swirl in the cold butter cubes a few at a time to emulsify the sauce, creating a glossy finish. Season to taste with salt and black pepper.

Stir in the 0.5 tsp whole wattleseed and chopped chives into the sauce for aroma and a subtle nutty coffee note. Taste and adjust seasoning with lemon if desired (a few drops).

Place each crusted nannygai fillet onto warmed plates. Spoon a small pool of magnum sauce alongside, and a little over the crust if desired (avoid soaking the crust). Garnish with extra chopped chives, a light grind of whole wattleseed over the top for texture, and a lemon wedge.

Serve each fillet immediately with your chosen side (buttery mashed potato or charred fennel) and lemon wedges. Provide extra sauce at the table.