Fish Baked In Vine Leaves With Fennel And Lemon Food

FISH AND FENNEL STEW

Steps:

• In a stock pot over medium heat, add the olive oil, onions, fennel, bay leaf and season with a pinch of salt and a grind or two of pepper. Cook, stirring, until both the fennel and the onions are very tender, but not browned, 6 to 8 minutes. Cook's Note: Be careful to not break up the bay leaf during this process.
• Add the lemon slices, garlic, and tomato paste stirring to combine. Cook until the tomato paste turns a deep reddish brown, then add the tomato slices and season with another pinch of salt. Allow to sit and bubble a bit, then stir, repeating until the tomatoes are completely broken down and some moisture has evaporated from the pot, about 10 minutes.
• Add the wine and scrape up any bits on the bottom of the pan and bring to a simmer. Simmer uncovered until most of the wine has evaporated, about 10 minutes. Add the fish stock, raise to a simmer and nuzzle the fish into the pot, and simmer until fish is cooked through, 6 to 8 minutes. Serve warm with a sprinkle of chopped parsley.

FISH BAKED IN VINE LEAVES

Steps:

• In a large, shallow ceramic or glass baking dish, combine the olive oil, lemon juice, chopped fennel leaves, salt, and pepper. Pat the fish dry with paper towels and add to the marinade, turning to coat evenly. Cover with plastic wrap and marinate in the refrigerator 15 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
• Spread 3 or 4 vine leaves on a work surface, overlapping them to form a large, sturdy wrapper. Place a few slices of fennel in the center. Cover with a fish fillet and scatter a few more slices of fennel on top. Top with a half lemon slice and drizzle with olive oil. Wrap the fish in the vine leaves and lay it, seamside down, in a large baking dish. Repeat with the remaining fillets, placing them in a single layer in the dish.
• Bake 20 to 30 minutes, until the fish is opaque throughout; open one package to check for doneness. Immediately transfer to serving plates and have guests unwrap the fish at the table.

BAKED SEA BASS WITH FENNEL

Steps:

• Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Rinse and dry the fish. Season all over, then stuff the cavity with some fennel slices, lemon and basil. Scatter the olives and any leftover fennel, basil and lemon into a roasting tin.
• Place the sea bass on top. Drizzle each fish with the oil and bake for about 30 mins or until cooked through and starting to brown.