Fillet of hake, baby asparagus with watercress and mussel infusion

Ingredients

For the watercress and mussel infusion
2 large bunches watercress, washed and drained
500g/18oz dark red, over-ripe tomatoes, peeled, coarsely chopped
1 fennel bulb, trimmed and chopped
2 celery sticks, chopped
1 large shallot, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, thinly sliced
25g/1oz light soft brown sugar
1 tsp fresh basil
1 tsp fresh chervil
1 tsp fresh coriander leaves
20ml/¾fl oz aniseed liqueur
1 tsp Tabasco sauce
½ tsp Worcestershire sauce
salt
cayenne pepper
For the vegetable garnish
red pepper
red onion
For the mussels
16 fresh mussels, washed and drained, beards removed (discard any mussels that remain open after washing)
2 small shallots, finely chopped
150ml/5¼fl oz dry white wine
For the asparagus
16 small thin asparagus
For the hake
1 tsp olive oil
4 x 115g/4oz hake fillets
salt and freshly ground black pepper
To serve
1 bunch fresh watercress, washed and drained, to garnish
4 fresh chervil sprigs, to garnish
small handful fresh coriander leaves, to garnish
1 tomato, skinned, seeds removed, finely chopped, to garnish

Method

1. For the watercress and mussel infusion, place all of the infusion ingredients into a food processor with 250ml/9fl oz cold water. Blend to a smooth purée, then strain through a fine sieve placed securely over a bowl. Place the sieve and bowl into the fridge and leave to slowly strain overnight.
2. For the vegetable garnish, slice the uncooked red pepper and red onion into long narrow julienne strips. Place into a clean bowl and refrigerate until ready to serve.
3. For the mussels, heat a large pan with a lid over a medium heat. Add the mussels, shallots and white wine and cook with the lid on for 3-5 minutes, or until all of the mussels have opened (discard any mussels that have not opened after five minutes).
4. Allow the mussels to cool for 4-5 minutes, and, once cool enough to handle, remove the mussels from their shells and place the mussel flesh into a clean bowl. Discard the shells. Cover and refrigerate until required.
5. For the asparagus, place the asparagus into salted boiling water and cook for two minutes. Remove from the hot water and place into a bowl of ice-cold water to refresh. Refrigerate until required.
6. For the hake, heat a frying pan until hot and add the olive oil. Season the hake fillets with salt and freshly ground black pepper and add to the pan. Cook for 2-3 minutes on each side, or unti lightly browned and just cooked through. Do not overcook - the centre of the fish should still be slightly translucent.
7. To serve, heat the watercress infusion in a clean pan until it is just warmed through. Add the cooked mussels and transfer the infusion into a heatproof jug.
8. Divide the asparagus equally among four soup bowls and top with a handful of fresh watercress.
9. Add equal quantities of the watercress and mussel infusion to each bowl, then add a fillet of hake to the centre of each bowl.
10. Garnish with the reserved julienne of onion and red pepper, watercress, coriander leaves and diced tomato flesh. Serve immediately.