Raw sea bass with pickled samphire

Serves 4-6

(Jason Lowe)

I always think it's such a shame to cook really freshly caught sea bass – and this raw sea bass recipe makes the perfect light and healthy dish for a beach picnic. (If you can't get hold of sea bass, you could always substitute any firm-fleshed, very fresh, white fish.)

One thing you must make sure about, however, is that once you have sliced the sea bass, it's placed directly on to frozen ice-packs. This will ensure that it's kept as cold as possible and stays fresh during your picnic.

You can buy those neat little takeaway sushi boxes from shops such as Muji – they will fit neatly on top of an ice pack within another container.

400-500g very fresh sea bass fillet, skinned and boned
150-180g samphire with the woody stalks removed
3-4tbsp cider vinegar
1tsp caster sugar
1tsp freshly ground black pepper

First make the pickled samphire; mix the vinegar, sugar and pepper together and pour over the samphire. Leave for 2-3 hours, then strain off the liquid. Cut the sea bass vertically with a sharp knife into ¼cm slices; lay neatly on a serving dish with the slices overlapping. Serve with the samphire scattered over the fish.