Sea bream with potatoes, fennel and olives
A lighter dish of roasted sea bream, with potatoes and fennel. Caper and olives add a salty twist.
By Theo Randall
From Saturday Kitchen
Ingredients
For the fish
- 12 Charlotte or roseval potatoes, peeled
- 1 large fennel bulb, cut in half and then cut into 1cm/½in half-moon slices
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, plus extra for rubbing
- 1 whole sea bream, scaled, filleted and lightly scored on the skin side
- 2 heaped tbsp pitted black olives, preferably taggiasca
- 200g/7oz datterini or cherry tomatoes, cut in half
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
For the sauce
- 50ml/2fl oz white wine
- 100ml/3½fl oz fish stock
- 50g/1¾oz unsalted butter
- 1 tbsp capers in vinegar, drained
- 2 tbsp chopped fresh flatleaf parsley
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
Method
To make the fish, cook the potatoes in a saucepan of boiling salted water for about 10 minutes or until just tender. Drain, leave to cool and then cut into 5mm/¼in slices.
Cook the fennel in another saucepan of boiling salted water for about 5 minutes or until tender. Drain.
Preheat the oven to 200C/180C Fan/Gas 6.
Heat the oil in a large non-stick, ovenproof frying pan over a medium heat and rub some oil on the flesh side of the fish. Cook the fish, skin-side down, for 2 minutes. At the same time, add the potatoes to the pan and cook the potatoes on either side until they start to colour. Add the fennel and fry for 1 minute.
Season the fish with salt and pepper, then transfer the fish so it is skin-side up on the top of the potatoes and fennel. Scatter the olives and tomatoes over the fish.
Place the pan in the oven and cook for 5 minutes.
To make the sauce, reduce the wine and stock in a small saucepan. When reduced to a third, add the butter, capers and parsley. Cook for 2–3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and set aside.
To serve, place the potatoes and fennel on a serving plate and add the sea bream, tomatoes and olives on top. Fish by spooning over the sauce.
