Sea bass with smoky pea and mint sauce and grilled courgettes
Peas and courgettes are a classic vegetable pairing for fish. Try this smoky pea sauce with mint and smoked paprika to accompany fried sea bass, finished with a salty bacon pangrattato and some lemon-marinated and griddled courgettes. This dish would work beautifully with some roasted new potatoes, a layered potato dish such as pommes boulangère, or homemade chips or panisses.
Ingredients
Metric
Imperial
- 4 sea bass fillets, pat dry with kitchen paper
- 1 knob of unsalted butter
COURGETTES
- 2 courgettes, thickly sliced
- 2 tbsp of olive oil
- 1 lemon, zested and juiced
PEA SAUCE
- 25g of salted butter
- 1 shallot, finely chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, finely grated
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 500ml of vegetable stock
- 500g of frozen petit pois, or peas
- 75ml of double cream
- 1/2 bunch of mint leaves, plus extra leaves picked, to serve
- 1/2 lemon, juiced
PANGRATTATO
- 100g of smoked streaky bacon, finely chopped
- 50g of panko breadcrumbs
- 1/4 bunch of parsley, finely chopped
- olive oil, for cooking
Equipment
- Blowtorch
Method
Toss the courgettes in the olive oil, lemon zest and juice and a pinch of salt and pepper. Set aside to marinate for 20 minutes
- 2 courgettes, thickly sliced
- 2 tbsp of olive oil
- 1 lemon, zested and juiced
For the sauce, melt the butter in a saucepan over a medium-high heat. Add the shallots and cook for 5 minutes until softened. Stir in the garlic and smoked paprika and cook for a further minute. Pour in the vegetable stock and bring to the boil
- 25g of salted butter
- 1 shallot, finely chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, finely grated
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 500ml of vegetable stock
Meanwhile, place the peas on a baking tray and, using a blow torch, char the peas until blackened (or you could use a sieve over a gas hob or barbecue, if you prefer)
- 500g of frozen petit pois, or peas
Reserve some peas for garnish, then stir the rest into the sauce along with the cream, mint and lemon juice
- 75ml of double cream
- 1/2 bunch of mint leaves
- 1/2 lemon, juiced
Simmer for 2 minutes then transfer to a blender and blend until smooth. Strain through a sieve and taste and adjust the seasoning. Keep warm
For the pangrattato, place a frying pan on a medium heat and add a splash of olive oil and the bacon. Cook until the fat has rendered and the bacon has started to crisp
- 100g of smoked streaky bacon, finely chopped
- olive oil, for cooking
Add the breadcrumbs and cook for 4 minutes until golden and crunchy, stirring regularly. Remove from the heat and mix through the chopped parsley. Set aside on kitchen paper
- 50g of panko breadcrumbs
- 1/4 bunch of parsley, finely chopped
Meanwhile, preheat a griddle pan until very hot. Grill the marinated courgettes for 3 minutes on each side until you have achieved nice bar marks and the courgettes are cooked through but retain a little bite (you can do this on a barbecue if you prefer). Set aside
For the sea bass, season the fish on both sides with salt. Heat a small knob of butter in a frying pan over a medium-high heat. Place the fish skin-side down in the pan, pressing gently for the first 30 seconds to prevent curling. Cook for 2-3 minutes, or until the fish is almost cooked through then flip over and cook for a further 1-2 minutes, basting with the butter until just cooked through
- 4 sea bass fillets, pat dry with kitchen paper
- 1 knob of unsalted butter
To serve, divide the smoked pea and mint sauce between plates. Arrange the grilled courgettes on top. Place the sea bass skin-side up in the centre. Scatter over the bacon pangrattato and reserved charred peas. Garnish with a few small mint leaves and a drizzle of olive oil
- mint leaves, extra leaves picked, to serve
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