Ingredients

• 1 onion
• chopped
• 1 bulb fennel
• sliced
• 100g/3½oz celery
• sliced
• 100g/3½oz carrots
• sliced
• 25g/1oz button mushrooms
• washed and sliced
• 1 sprig thyme
• 2¼ litres/4 pints water
• 1kg/2lb 4oz flatfish bones (such as brill
• sole
• plaice) or fillet (ask your fishmonger for bones)
• 6 tbsp olive oil
• 4 garlic cloves
• finely chopped
• 1kg/2lb 4oz well-flavoured tomatoes
• peeled or 2 x 400g tins chopped tomatoes
• salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 4 John Dory fillets
• 50g/1¾oz plain flour
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• plus extra to serve
• 1 lemon
• halved
• 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
• 2 small gherkins
• finely chopped
• 2 tbsp capers
• 1 tbsp finely chopped and 1 tbsp whole
• 2 tomatoes
• peeled
• de-seeded and finely chopped
• 3 tbsp tomato sauce (see above)
• 250ml/9fl oz fish stock (see above)
• small handful flatleaf parsley
• chopped

Directions

• For the fish stock
• put all the ingredients except the fish bones into a large pan
• bring to the boil
• then turn down the heat and simmer gently for 20 minutes.
• Add the fish bones (or fish fillet) and bring back up to a simmer
• skimming off any scum as it rises to the surface. Simmer for a further 20 minutes. Strain through a sieve into a clean pan and simmer a little longer
• if necessary
• until reduced to about 1.2 litres/2 pints. If not using immediately
• cool and refrigerate or freeze for later use.
• For the tomato sauce
• heat the olive oil and garlic in a saucepan. As soon as the garlic starts to sizzle
• add the tomatoes and simmer for 15-20 minutes
• breaking them up as they cook. Cook until the sauce has reduced and thickened
• then season with salt and pepper. The sauce is ready to use. If not using immediately
• leave to cool
• then refrigerate for up to a week or freeze for later use.
• Season the John Dory fillets with some salt and pepper and lightly dust with flour. Heat the olive oil in a frying pan
• add the fillets skin-side down and fry for 2-3 minutes until lightly browned. Season with a squeeze of lemon juice
• turn the fish over and cook for a further minute. Remove from the pan and keep warm.
• Add the Worcestershire sauce
• gherkins
• whole and chopped capers
• tomatoes
• tomato sauce and fish stock to the pan
• bring to the boil then reduce a little to create the sauce. Add the fish carefully back to the pan for a minute to warm through in the sauce.
• Serve immediately
• drizzled with a little more olive oil and sprinkled with fresh parsley.