(serves four)

300ml fish stock
50g butter
1 shallot, finely chopped
50ml dry white wine
16 oysters
2 x 550g brill, cross-cut filleted (see note below on preparation)
Salt
2tbs double cream
1tbs chopped chives
Freshly ground black pepper

Boil the fish stock in a small pan until reduced to about 120ml.

Melt a knob of the butter in a medium-sized pan. Add the shallot to the pan and cook gently for five minutes until soft. Add the wine and simmer until reduced to about two tablespoons. Add the reduced stock and keep warm.

Open the oysters, reserving the juices, and remove from their shells. Clean four of the deeper shells and set them aside for serving.

Season the fish fillets on both sides with a little salt, and steam for four minutes.

Add the oyster juice and the cream to the sauce and simmer vigorously for three minutes. Then whisk in the rest of the butter. Add the oysters and poach very gently for one minute.

Stir in the chives and season with some freshly ground black pepper and a little salt if necessary.

To serve, put the fish fillets skin-side down on to four warmed plates. Rest one of the oyster shells alongside the fish. Put one poached oyster into each shell and position the rest over and around the fish. Pour the sauce over and serve.

Note: Cross-cut fillets are two large topside and underside fillets.

Make a cut around the back of the head and across the tail but not down the centre of the fish.

Cut the fish away from the bones so you get two double fillets from each fish instead of four thinner fillets.

Rick Stein

Photo © Sam Bailey