stuffed seabass

method

Pre heat your oven to 190 oC. Finely slice the whole fennel, lightly crush your fennel seeds, melt ½ the butter in a pan with the olive oil then add in the finely sliced fennel and fennel seeds, and sauté for 5 minutes slowly on a medium heat. Finely chop your garlic and add to the fennel, cook now until the fennel is soft, golden brown and sweet when you taste it. Set aside to cool.

Finely chop all your herbs together and add to the remaining butter, mix well then set aside.
Take your seabass and ensure it is clean inside and out. Pat dry with kitchen paper. Make 3 diagional cuts in one side of the fish down to the bone. Stuff these cuts with the herb butter. Fill the cavity of the fish with 2 slices of lemon then with the stewed fennel try to use all the fennel in both fish.

Gently transfer the fish to the inside of the foil bag or onto the foil. Add in the whole ½ cooked potatoes, capers, tomato sauce and white wine. Seal the foil bag at the end (if you are using foil fold up like a parcel).

Place the steam bags onto a baking tray and pop into the oven. Bake for 20-25 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to sit for 2-3 minutes. Serve immediately after resting. Place the steam bag onto a serving plate, carefully open and enjoy with a crisp green salad or steamed vegetables.

serves: 2

ingredients

• 2 whole seabass (cleaned and gutted) – head and tail on
• 1 whole fennel
• 5 gms fennel seeds
• 2 garlic cloves
• 50 mls olive oil
• 70 gms butter
• 3 gms Dill fresh
• 3 gms Parsley flat leaf
• 3 gms Basil fresh
• 3 gms Mint fresh
• 10 each baby potatoes
• 20 each capers
• 1 lemon
• 200 mls white wine
• 200 gms tomato and basil sauce
• 2 steam bags or foil