This is a great way to cook sea bream because the fat from the fish melts into the potatoes and makes them taste delicious, as well as giving them a lovely colour and crisp texture. Sea bream is of course best when it is wild but farmed gilt head bream is very good, affordable and easy to get hold of. Have a great week!
Serves 4
12 charlotte potatoes, peeled
1 large fennel bulb
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, plus extra for drizzling
2 whole sea bream scaled filleted and lightly scored on the skin side (do this yourself or ask your fishmonger)
2 heaped tbsp pitted black olives, preferably taggiasca
1 tbsp capers in vinegar, drained
2 tbsp chopped parsley
200g datterini or cherry tomatoes, cut in half
Lemon juice
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Cook the potatoes in a pan of boiling salted water for about 10 minutes until just tender; drain and cut into 5mm slices. While the potatoes are cooking, cut the fennel bulb vertically in half, then cut each half into 1cm half-moon slices. Cook the fennel in another pan of boiling salted water for about 5 minutes until tender; drain.
Heat the olive oil in a large ovenproof frying pan Add the potato slices to the pan and cook them on either side so they start to colour. Add the fennel and fry for a minute longer. Season the Sea bream fillets with salt and pepper, then place skin side up on top of the potatoes and fennel. Scatter the olives, capers, parsley and tomatoes over the fish.
Place the pan under a medium hot grill and leave to cook for five minutes. Take skewer and if it goes through the fish with out any resistance, the fish is cooked.
Drizzle over some good olive oil and a squeeze of lemon. Serve with a nice glass of soave classico.