For the sauce, in a pan sweat off the onions, leeks, celery, fennel, carrots, red pepper in sunflower oil for 2-3 minutes, adding the anchovies, tomato purée and thyme to the pan
110g of large white onions
45g of white leeks
100g of celery
85g of fennel
80g of carrots
110g of red pepper
1 pinch of thyme
15g of anchovy fillets
25g of tomato purée
20ml of sunflower oil
2
Add the stock to the pan. Reduce the heat and simmer for 1 hour
1l fish stock
3
Add the plaice and gently simmer for 10-15 minutes
250g of plaice
4
Transfer the contents of the pan to a food processor and blend for 2-3 minutes. Pass through a sieve into a clean pan
5
Add the cream, saffron, Tabasco, Worcestershire sauce, salt, sugar, garlic and vinegar. Stir and set aside to keep warm while you prepare the fish
50ml of double cream
1 saffron strand
Tabasco to taste
Worcestershire sauce to taste
salt
1 tsp caster sugar
1 tsp white wine vinegar
1/2 garlic clove, roughly chopped
6
Place a pan over a high heat and add the oil. Turn the heat down and place the cod fillets into the pan, skin-side down, for 4 minutes. Season and turn the fillets over and cook for a further 3 minutes, or until golden all over. Set aside to keep warm
4 cod fillets
black pepper
20ml of sunflower oil
7
Fry the sea bass using a similar method, but fry for 3 minutes, skin-side down, and for 2 minutes, flesh-side down. Set aside to rest
4 sea bass fillets
8
Place a saucepan over a medium heat. Add the white wine and mussels and cook for 1-2 minutes with the lid on. Drain and add some of the cooking liquor to the sauce
200ml of white wine
16 mussels
9
To serve, divide the cod and sea bass fillets across 4 large soup bowls. Add 4 mussels to each bowl and pour over the sauce. Garnish with some sprigs of dill and serve with some crusty bread