Personal

Car Stuff

Extras

Sea Bass with Lemon Potatoes

Baking a joint of meat or a large fish on a layer of potatoes is a reliable way of ensuring they stay moist. The juices from the roast are soaked up by the potatoes, making sure that not a drop of flavour is wasted. Large fish such as sea bass and sea bream can be cooked this way as can Cornish mullet. Line-caught, ocean-friendly sea bass is not too difficult to find. I reckon on 1kg fish being enough for two. From Nigel Slater. Serves 2

For the fish
A whole sea bass, cleaned but left on the bone
Olive oil
A little dried or fresh oregano
For the potatoes
500g waxy-fleshed potatoes such as Anya or Pink Fir Apple
4 tbsp olive oil
1 large lemon
12 anchovy fillets
250 ml vegetable stock

Set the oven to 200°C/Gas 6.

Slice each potato three or four times. If you do this lengthways you will end up with long elegant pieces. Warm a couple of tbsp of olive oil in a roasting tin over a moderately hot flame, then put the potatoes in and let them colour on both sides. They cook best if you leave them alone alone for several minutes in between stirring. You want them to be pale gold on both sides.

Cut the lemon in half, then into thick segments. Add to the potatoes with the anchovy and a grinding of black pepper and then pour over the stock.

Lay the fish on top of the potatoes, brush with a little olive oil, then add the herbs and a mild seasoning of salt and black pepper. Bake in the preheated oven until the flesh will slide easily from the bone in big easy pieces. This will take 25-30 minutes.

Serve the fish with the potatoes and spoon over the stock.