Sea bass with fennel purée

Serves 4

Fennel has a natural affinity with seafood (Lisa Barber)

Fennel has a natural affinity with seafood – and this is a nice, gentle way of serving it – clean, light and just a little bit nutty. This purée is also lovely with roast chicken.

For the purée

3-4 fennel bulbs
40g/2oz unsalted butter
2tbsp mild-tasting extra-virgin olive oil
3tbsp crème fraîche
Sea salt and black pepper

Remove the tough outer skin of the fennel and roughly chop it. Now place it in a heavy-based pan and cover with cold water. Add a generous sprinkling of salt, place over a medium heat and bring to the boil. Once boiling, turn down the heat slightly and simmer until very tender. Drain in a colander and place the fennel in a blender – add the butter, olive oil and crème fraîche and purée until smooth. Season with a good pinch of salt and a few grindings of black pepper. Return to the saucepan and reheat gently. Serve alongside the fish.

For the fish

Allow 180g/6oz sea bass per person
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper
35ml /11/2fl oz olive oil

Season the sea bass well on both sides and brush with olive oil. Place under a hot grill and cook, skin-side up, for four to five minutes until the skin is slightly blistering and the flesh is cooked through. Serve straight away, alongside the fennel purée.