Mood: feeling a bit extra. Not been out to eat in a while, want to treat yourself to some good food that keeps on giving
This took me around 40 minutes to cook. I had food in the fridge that needed cooking and wanted to make something different.
When I go out to eat and see pickled fennel or roasted fennel on the menu I automatically gravitate towards it – I love it! I had no idea how to cook it but I felt it was time to get out of my comfort zone and try it. Best thing about trying is that sometimes it might work, sometimes it won’t – but you learn! Luckily this time it was a success.
INGREDIENTS:
Seabass and Fennel
⁃ Seabass fillets (boneless)
⁃ Fennel bulb
⁃ Dill
⁃ Tarragon
⁃ White wine
⁃ Creme fraiche
⁃ Leeks
⁃ Spring onion
⁃ Half a white onion
⁃ Balsamic vinegar
⁃ Olive oil
⁃ Salt and Pepper
⁃ Butter
⁃ Garlic
⁃ Potatoes
⁃ Lemon
METHOD:
1. Peel and cut your potatoes into 1 inch cubes (cooks faster!) and place in a pot of boiling water with salt until soft.
2. Prepare your fennel. Wash the fennel under cold water. Remove the stalks and the bottom of the fennel (see photo at the end of the blog)
3. Cut the fennel in half and then half again. Remove the inner bulb if it’s tough. Slice into half inch strips and place on a baking tray which has been drizzled with olive oil
4. Add salt, olive oil, juice from a quarter of a lemon and a teaspoon of balsamic vinegar to the fennel. Mix.
5. Put the baking tray into a preheated oven at 210c – this will now roast for 20 minutes.
6. Prepare your sauce. Add a knob of butter to a pan, add white wine and let the wine evaporate. Add chopped garlic.
7. Cut strips of white onion and add to the pan with chopped leeks and spring onions.
8. Add 3-4 sprigs of tarragon
9. Let the onions and leeks soften. Remove the tarragon
10. Add half a cup of creme fraiche and simmer gently
11. Add chopped dill, squeeze half a lemon and mix well
12. At this point your potatoes should be soft and ready to be drained. Drain well and return to the pot.
13. Add a splash of milk (optional)
14. 2 knobs of butter. Salt and pepper
15. Mash well until creamy
16. Prepare Seabass by scoring the skin in one direction only. Add salt on the skin side and season the fillet with lemon, olive oil, salt, pepper and dill.
17. Heat a frying pan with a drizzle of olive oil.
18. Place Seabass skin side down in the hot pan. Reduce heat to medium and do not move the fish whilst the skin is crisping.
19. Fry for 4 minutes skin side down and carefully flip the fish over for 1-2 minutes. Add additional seasoning to the skin side (optional)
20. Place the mash into the serving plate, surround with the tarragon sauce
21. Add the Seabass skin side up
22. Add fennel around the plate
23. Garnish with fresh dill and lemon (optional)
Enjoy!
It’s definitely a little “extra” but also super light and fresh. Perfect for a dinner party meal or a treat meal. You can use double cream instead of the creme fraiche but I’ve recently fell in love with creme fraiche since Tash recommended it as a healthier alternative.
Let me know what you think!
⁃ Raj xo
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