Pan Fried Sea Bass, With Ratatouille, Jersey Royals and Asparagus

Delicious fresh sea bass, a nod to the mediteranean, and fresh in season British veg! What more could you want? Get cracking...

Ingredients 

(Serves 2)

2 fillets sea bass, skin on, boned.

Approx 10 spears asparagus

Approx 10-12 jersey royal potatoes 

8 cherry tomatoes

1/2 courgette

1/2 red onion

3 cloves garlic

8 green queen olives, pitted 

1 small red chilli, seeds removed

Handful of basil (approx 8 leaves)

Salt and pepper 

Olive oil

10g butter 

Method

1. Finely chop the onion, garlic and chilli, halve the cherry tomatoes and olives, and slice the courgette half lengthways then thinly slice.

2. In a small pan with a little olive oil, begin to fry the onion on a low- medium heat for a few minutes until softened. Add two cloves of garlic and the chilli and fry for a few further minutes, before adding the courgette, tomatoes and olives. Tear in the basil leaves and leave to stew away on a low heat while you prepare the rest of the dish, stiring occasionally.

3. Give the potatoes a wash and set to boil in salted water.

4. Remove the woody ends from the asparagus spears.

Holly's Hints- Hold the spear in the centre with one hand and at the bottom end with the other, then just snap them! They will snap exactly between the woody and good part of the spear!

Then place in a bowl and cover with just boiled water from the kettle, set aside.

5. Slice along the skin of the seabass fillets, then pat the skin dry with some kitchen roll and season with salt.

Holly's Hints- the cut in the skin will stop the fish curling up when you fry it, and drying and salting it will ensure it crisps up nicely. 

6. Prepare some garlic butter by crushing a clove of garlic and stiring it into the butter, set aside.

7. Once the potatoes are nearly done but still a little too firm, preheat a non-stick frying pan to a medium high heat with a very small splash of olive oil. Once got, add the fillets skin side down and leave to fry completely untouched for four minutes. This allows the skin to crisp up. 

8. Drain the potatoes and melt the garlic butter over them, then season with a little salt and pepper. Keep warm.

9. After four minutes, turn the heat on the figs pan to low, and flip the fillets onto the fleshy side. Fry for a further two minutes.

10. Meanwhile, drain the asparagus and dry with kitchen roll.

11. Serve the fillets onto the plate, turn the heat on the fish pan up to high and add the asparagus. Toss the asparagus occasionally whilst topping the fish with the ratatouille and serving up the potatoes.

12. Finally, serve up the asparagus into the plate. Then you're ready to go!