Sea bass with herb crust, pepper and balsamic dressing
A delightful fish supper for two, with a herb crust and balsmaic dressing.
Ingredients
For the herb crust
- 150g/5½oz fresh breadcrumbs
- 1 lemon, zest only
- 2 tbsp fresh parsley, finely chopped
- 2 tbsp fresh chervil, finely chopped
- 2 tbsp fresh chives, finely chopped
- 75g/2½oz vegan butter, melted
For the sea bass
- 2 sea bass fillets, skin removed (140g/5oz each)
- 1 sprig fresh thyme
- 2 tbsp rapeseed oil
- 3 banana shallots, peeled and sliced
- 4 red peppers, peeled and sliced
- pinch smoked paprika
- balsamic vinegar, to taste
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
Method
To make the herb crust, put the fresh breadcrumbs and lemon zest into a dry frying pan over a medium heat and cook until toasted. This will take around 1–2 minutes.
Remove from the heat and allow to cool. Once cool, add the fresh herbs and gradually add the butter until a paste is formed.
Put the paste between 2 sheets of baking parchment and roll out thinly. Place in the fridge to set for at least 1 hour. Once chilled, cut the crust to fit your seabass fillets.
To make the sea bass, preheat the oven to 200C/180C Fan/Gas 6. Remove the skin from the fish and press the herb crust on the sea bass.
Add a generous splash of water to an ovenproof pan, season it with salt and pepper, add the thyme and bring up to a simmer. Add the sea bass to the pan and transfer to the oven for 5–6 minutes.
Heat the oil in a pan over a medium heat and add the shallots and peppers. Season with salt and pepper and cook until soft. Add the smoked paprika and cook until fragrant and most of the juices have evaporated.
To serve, divide the red pepper mix between two bowls, place the sea bass on top, and finish by drizzling over the balsamic vinegar.