Pan-fried Sea Bass with Sauté Potatoes

Roasted fennel and crispy pancetta help to make this sophisticated and delicious dish

Ingredients:

500g (1lb 2oz) Jersey Royal potatoes
1 large bulb of fennel,
chopped
75ml (21⁄2fl oz) olive oil
175g (6oz) unsalted butter
1 Spanish onion, finely
chopped
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
1 small bunch of fresh curly
parsley, finely chopped
plain flour, for coating
4 sea bass fillets
2 tbsp baby capers, rinsed
juice of 1 lemon, plus
2 lemons, halved, to serve
75g (21⁄2oz) thinly sliced
pancetta
salt and ground white
pepper
1 small bunch of fresh
flat-leaf parsley, finely
chopped, to garnish

Method:

1 Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F/Gas 4). Bring a large pan of salted water to the boil over a high heat, add the potatoes and par-boil for 10–15 minutes. Drain, leave to cool, then slice.

2 Place the fennel on a baking tray, toss with 60ml (2fl oz) of the olive oil and bake for 25 minutes.

3 Heat a wok or large frying pan over a medium heat and add 30g (1oz) butter, then add the onion, garlic and sliced potatoes. Cook, stirring, for 10 minutes or until turning crisp at the edges. Add the curly parsley.

4 Meanwhile, put the flour on a large plate and season with salt and white pepper. Roll the sea bass fillets in the flour and pat off any excess. Melt 50g (13⁄4oz) of the butter and the remaining 1 tbsp oil in a large frying pan over a medium heat, add the fish skin-side down and fry for 5 minutes.

5 Melt the remaining butter in a
saucepan with the capers and lemon juice, taste and season. Put the pancetta on a baking sheet and bake in the oven for 3 minutes or until crisp.

6 To serve, put some potatoes on each of 4 warm plates, place the sea bass on top and add the fennel and pancetta. Whisk the sauce until amalgamated, then spoon it over, scatter with the flat-leaf parsley and serve each with a halved lemon.

Prep time 15 minutes
Cooking time 50 minutes
Difficulty - Medium

Where to Buy:

Shoreway Fisheries (Knott End)
Shoreway Fisheries (Garstang)
Out of the Deep at Blackburn Market
Wellgate Fisheries
Out of the Deep at Huntleys