Sea bass with smoky pea and mint sauce and grilled courgettes
Method
- 1
1. 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
2. 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
- 3
3. 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)
- 4
4. Reserve some peas for garnish, then stir the rest into the sauce along with the cream, mint and lemon juice
- 5
5. 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
- 6
6. 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
- 7
7. 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
- 8
8. 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
- 9
9. 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
- 10
10. 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