Recipe: Pan-roasted kingklip with Paul Clüver Estate Pinot Noir

Created in collaboration with chef Scott Parker, this dish is designed to highlight the delicate character of Paul Clüver Family Wines' Estate Pinot Noir. Here, flaky white fish is paired with toasted hazelnuts, sweet exotic tomatoes and a rich balsamic beurre noisette – each element chosen to echo the wine’s red-fruit purity and earthy undertones. Simple in approach, but layered in flavour, it is a pairing that brings elegance and balance to the table.

This dish proves that white fish can stand up to a light-bodied red. The roasted nuts and balsamic butter provide the bridge to the earthy, red-fruit profile of the Pinot Noir.

Recipe: Pan-roasted kingklip with toasted hazelnuts, exotic tomatoes and balsamic beurre noisette

Pairing: Paul Clüver Estate Pinot Noir

Serves: 4

Prep time: 10 mins | Cooking time: 15 mins

Ingredients

• 4 x Kingklip fillets
• 200g Blanched hazelnuts
• 400g Exotic tomatoes, halved
• 1 tbsp Chives, finely chopped
• 25g Butter
• 4 tbsp Olive oil
• 2 tbsp Capers
• Sea salt
• Black pepper
• Lemon juice

Method

1. Toast the nuts: Heat half the olive oil in a heavy-based pan. Add the hazelnuts and toast for about 5 minutes, tossing constantly until golden. Remove the nuts and set aside, leave to cool and crush.
2. The salad: In a small bowl, toss the halved tomatoes with the remaining olive oil, chives, capers, and seasoning. Arrange the salad at the base of your serving plates.
3. The fish: Using the same pan (and the leftover hazelnut-infused oil), season the kingklip and place skin-side down. Cook for 80% of the time on the skin side to get it crisp. Flip, add the butter, and cook for another 2 minutes until the fish is opaque and flakes easily. Place the fish atop the tomatoes.
4. Lemon brown butter: Return the pan to the heat. Let the butter bubble until it begins to smell nutty and turns brown (beurre noisette). Immediately whisk in the lemon juice to stop the cooking process.
5. Finish: Season the sauce to taste and spoon generously over the fish and hazelnuts.