When Ryan Flaherty finished working at Heston Blumenthal’s famed English restaurant The Fat Duck, he wanted to move someplace where he could learn French or Spanish to bolster his culinary vocabulary. He wound up in San Sebastian in Spain’s Basque region, learning the less common Basque language instead and picking up a wealth of time-honoured knowledge about food and wine.
Flaherty taps into that wisdom every day at Sorolla, a Spanish-inspired fine diner on the seventh floor of the AC Hotel by Marriott Melbourne Southbank. The 40-storey hotel opened earlier in the year, with the prestigious Peter Rowland Group looking after the restaurant side of things.
Though the menu changes seasonally and according to available local produce, Flaherty’s Spanish and Basque influences come through in the house-made churros and the popular crema catalana, among other touches.
The Spanish inspiration isn’t just in the restaurant. AC Hotel stands for Antonio Catalán Díaz, the Spanish hotelier who has developed hotels in collaboration with Marriott International around the world (this one is the first to debut in Australia).
The restaurant serves hotel guests, residents who live on the upper levels, as well as Melburnians who come for the sweeping city views from the floor-to-ceiling windows – as well as Flaherty’s cooking. “It’s special because you’re looking onto the city from a step away,” says Flaherty. “It’s got a great energy, with that large, open space.”
As for those Spanish flavours, Flaherty has carried them over into a John Dory recipe he’s developed for Broadsheet readers to make at home. In Spain, he would use a lot of homegrown vegetables for sauce bases, often utilising capsicum and tomatoes as a foundation for paella. He’s doing something similar here, creating a luxurious sofrito sauce that balances citrusy sweetness and fragrant spices for a hearty fish dish steeped in Spanish flavours. The fish itself is the easiest part to cook, just needing a quick pan fry.
“I’ve always had a soft spot for John Dory,” Flaherty says. “I find it carries meaty, heavy flavours really well. You can get a beautiful brown caramelisation to it too – it’s that nice size point. It’s not an overly fishy fish either.”
The recipe should only take a little over an hour, between the prep and cooking time. Flaherty advises you to make sure everything is on hand when you start, and to reduce the orange juice until it’s sticky – otherwise it will be too watery. Then you’ve got that sweet element shining through along with the crunchy green beans and a bold, memorable sauce. It’s almost enough to transport you to sunny Spain – in spirit at least.
John Dory with green beans, orange and sofrito
Serves 2
Preparation and cooking time: 65 minutes.
Ingredients:
2 John Dory fillets, approximately 200-230g each
350g green beans
Olive oil
Sofrito sauce
40g shallots, finely diced
10g garlic, finely diced
50g olive oil
80g red banana chillies, finely diced
80g green tomato, finely diced
110g red capsicum, finely diced
5g smoked paprika
10g chipotle chillies in adobo
1 small pinch saffron
5g cumin powder
5g brown sugar
Zest and juice of one large orange
200g chicken stock
¼ bunch fresh coriander leaves, finely sliced
20g unsalted butter
Snow pea tendrils
Lemon
Salt and pepper to taste
Method
Sauté shallots and garlic in olive oil on medium heat for 3 minutes, then add banana chillies, tomatoes and capsicum. Sauté for another 4 minutes. Add smoked paprika, chipotle, saffron, cumin and brown sugar. Sauté for another 3 minutes then add orange zest and juice. Reduce until sticky, then add chicken stock and reduce by 1/4. Remove from the heat. Add coriander, butter and season to taste with salt and pepper. Gently stir to incorporate the butter, herbs and slightly cool the sauce to allow it to emulsify. Keep warm.
For the green beans, top and wash them, then split them lengthways. Blanch in boiling water for 5 seconds, then let cool naturally and drizzle with olive oil.
For the John Dory fillets, let a thick cast-iron pan get nice and hot on high heat, then add a little oil. Season the skin of the fillets well and then place in the pan, skin side down. Reduce heat to low once the fish is in, placing a light weight on the fish and allowing to cook for 5-6 minutes. Turn the fish and cook for 2-3 minutes. Remove from pan and allow to cool.
To plate, warm the green beans, then drizzle with olive oil and salt. Place on the plate and lay atop a fillet of John Dory. Warm the sofrito in a small saucepan and cover the fish with the sauce (the more the better). Garnish with snow pea tendrils and a lemon cheek.
Looking for more ways to cook with capsicum? Check out Broadsheet's capsicum recipes hub for inspiration.
