Sea Bass With Fennel Food

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.

PAN-SEARED SEA BASS IN TOMATO FENNEL BROTH

Steps:

• For the sauce: In a saucepan over medium-high heat, sweat the fennel, onions, and carrots in the olive oil. Cook until the vegetables are softened, 10 to 15 minutes. Next, deglaze with the white wine. Once the wine has reduced, add the stock and orange juice. Reduce the heat and allow the liquid to cook until it has reduced by half. Once reduced, add the tomatoes and garlic and allow the sauce to further simmer for 15 minutes. Taste and season. Remove saucepan from the heat, pour through a strainer, and return to the pan. Finish with the butter. Keep warm.
• For the fish: Season the skin side of the fish fillets with the ground fennel, salt, and pepper, and then season the flesh side with salt and pepper.
• In the oil in a nonstick saute pan over high heat until it reaches the smoking point. Reduce the heat and add the seasoned fish, skin side down, and cook for 2 to 3 minutes. Flip, reduce the heat, and continue to cook for 5 to 6 minutes, carefully spooning the hot oil over the fish to keep the skin crisp. Once the fillet is cooked, remove from the pan and serve with the sauce.

SEARED BLACK SEA BASS WITH BITTER GREENS, FENNEL, GRAPEFRUIT AND FETA SALAD

Steps:

• Coat a large saute pan with olive oil and bring to a high heat. Coat the bottom of another smaller saute pan with olive oil. Sprinkle the fish with salt on both sides. When the large saute pan is screaming hot but not quite smoking, lay the fish fillets in the pan, skin-side down. Do not crowd the pan, you may have to work in batches. After you put the fish in the pan, place the other small saute pan directly on top of the fish fillets. This applies gentle pressure to the fish and forces the skin to have contact with the pan and will create crispy skin. Cook the fish for 3 to 4 minutes, and then remove the top pan. Shake the pan a little to unstick the fish. Use a fish spatula to flip the fish fillets, and cook for 2 more minutes on the other side. Remove from the pan and serve, or keep warm until the remaining fish is cooked.
• In a large mixing bowl, dress the greens, fennel and red onions with olive oil and the grapefruit juice. Season with salt. Toss in the olive slivers and grapefruit supremes.
• Divide the salad between 2 serving plates and sprinkle with the feta. Lean a fish fillet on each salad. Serve immediately.

MEDITERRANEAN SEA BASS WITH FENNEL AND PERNOD

Steps:

• Season the sea bass filet with salt and pepper and rub it with extra virgin olive oil. Remove the stalks from the bulb of fennel. Rinse and split in half.
• Slice the fennel bulb thinly and place it in a baking dish. Add the star anise, sea bass filet, the garlic clove with the skin on and the Pernod®. Cover the top of the baking dish with aluminum foil, sealing the edge. Place the baking dish on the stove until the aluminum foil begins to pop from the internal steam. Bake at 450 degrees Farenheit for 7 minutes.
• Remove the aluminum foil and the olives and sprinkle with the freshly chopped dill. Serve the sea bass filet with the fennel garnish and the cooking liquid.

SEA BASS WITH FENNEL, LEMON & SPICES

Steps:

• Heat oven to 220C/200C fan/gas 7. Mix all the spices together. Brush a large square of foil with the oil, then scatter over the fennel. Sprinkle with a third of the spices, half the chilli and some seasoning. Rub the remaining spices and chilli all over the fish and in the cavity, put the fish on top of the fennel and stuff with the lemon slices.
• Bring the edges of the foil together and scrunch well to seal. Place the parcel on a baking tray and cook for 15 mins. Unwrap, scatter with coriander and serve with lemon wedges, if you like.

CRISP SEA BASS WITH MINTED FENNEL & RADISH SALAD

Steps:

• Boil a small pan of water, then blanch the fennel for 15 secs. Drain and cool under cold running water, then drain again and dry. Whisk together the lemon juice, extra virgin olive oil and sugar, then toss half with the fennel. Set the other half of the dressing aside and leave the fennel to marinate while you prepare the rest of the ingredients.
• Heat the olive oil in a large heavy-bottomed pan over a medium heat. Season the sea bass fillets. Place the fish in the pan, skin-side down, and cook for 4-5 mins until the skin is golden and crisp - you might want to press the fillets with the back of a spatula for the first 30 secs to prevent them curling. Turn, leave for 30 secs to 1 min more, then remove from the heat.
• Toss the radishes, herbs, capers and reserved fennel fronds into the marinated fennel slices with some seasoning, then pile onto two plates. Carefully place the fish on top, drizzle with the remaining dressing, and serve with Lemon-roasted new potatoes, see 'goes well with'.