Brill with Thai-style shellfish and coconut broth

This Thai-inspired seafood soup is a luxurious and flavourful dish that combines a variety of seafood with aromatic herbs and spices. The preparation takes about 30 minutes, making it a relatively quick yet impressive meal. The coconut milk base, infused with lemongrass and lime leaves, creates a rich and fragrant broth that perfectly complements the assortment of seafood. This dish is moderately complex but well worth the effort for its delicious taste and impressive presentation. Brill is a delicious, delicate flatfish loved by chefs and foodies alike.

Matt Tebbutt recipe

Preparation time
less than 30 mins

Cooking time
10 to 30 mins

Serves
Serves 4

By Matt Tebbutt
From Saturday Kitchen
Here’s the recipe rewritten according to your specifications:

 

Nutri-score B

This seafood soup is rich in protein and healthy fats from the variety of seafood and coconut milk. It’s relatively low in saturated fats and contains no added sugars. The abundance of vegetables and herbs provides essential vitamins and minerals. more about nutri-score

Ingredients

  • Vegetable oil: 4 tbsp
  • Banana shallots: 2, sliced
  • Fresh root ginger: 1 knob, grated
  • Garlic cloves: 4, crushed
  • Thai chilli paste: 2 tsp
  • Shrimp paste: 1 tsp
  • Fish stock: 200ml/7fl oz
  • Coconut milk: 400ml/14fl oz
  • Lemongrass stalk: 1, smashed
  • Lime leaves: 3
  • Mussels: 300g/10½oz, scrubbed and debearded
  • Clams or cockles: 300g/10½oz, scrubbed and debearded
  • King prawns: 6, peeled and heads removed
  • Shitake mushrooms: 6
  • Cuttlefish: 3 small or medium, cut into small pieces
  • Fresh coriander: 1 bunch
  • Brill fillet: 200g/7oz, cut into 4 pieces
  • Thai fish sauce: 20ml
  • Lime: 1 (juice of ½, ½ cut into 4 wedges)

Method

Prepare the Broth

  • Warm the oil in a saucepan over medium heat.
  • Add shallots, ginger, and garlic. Sweat gently for 2-3 minutes.
  • Stir in chilli paste and shrimp paste. Cook for 2 more minutes.
  • Add fish stock, coconut milk, lemongrass, and lime leaves. Simmer for 5 minutes.

Cook the Seafood

  • Discard any mussels, clams, or cockles with broken shells or that don’t close when tapped.
  • Add shellfish and mushrooms to the pan. Cover and steam for 3-4 minutes until shells open.
  • Discard any shellfish that remain closed.
  • Stir in cuttlefish pieces and sprinkle with coriander.

Grill the Brill

  • Preheat the grill to high.
  • Grill brill pieces on both sides for 1-2 minutes until cooked through.

Finish and Serve

  • Add fish sauce and lime juice to the broth.
  • Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary.
  • Serve the soup alongside the grilled brill and lime wedges.

Nutri-score Health Check

This Thai seafood soup receives a Nutri-score of B, indicating it’s a well-balanced dish. Here’s how the score was determined:

  • Positive components: The dish is rich in protein from various seafood sources. It also contains healthy fats from coconut milk and fish.
  • Vegetables and herbs like shallots, ginger, garlic, and coriander provide essential vitamins and minerals.
  • The soup is relatively low in saturated fats and contains no added sugars.
  • Negative components: The dish is somewhat high in sodium due to the fish sauce and shrimp paste.
  • The use of coconut milk contributes to the overall fat content, though these are primarily healthy fats.

Not the highest ‘A’ category due to its sodium and fat content, this seafood soup is still a nutritious choice with a good balance of proteins, healthy fats, and vegetables. To improve the score, consider reducing the amount of fish sauce or using a low-sodium alternative.

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