Eating seasonally means really savouring the first taste of the season, never taking food for granted and being really glad the season is over. Without fail, however much I overdo a food, when the season comes around again I’m so glad to taste it!
Seabass comes in to season in spring in the UK. I nearly always have it salted and pan-fried with samphire and a potato of some kind… It’s a salty sea-side dish. Packed with phytochemicals and rich in vitamins it’s a food combo to feel really good about…
‘All Hail Samphire, The Salty Veg of The Sea’
Ingredients (serves 2):
2 seabass fillets
2 large potatoes
250g punnet cherry tomatoes
90g samphire
1 large shallot
2 cloves garlic
1 handful fresh mint
olive oil
salt & pepper
1 tsp maple syrup
Method:
1) Peel and quarter the potatoes, place in a pan of lightly salted water on the hob. Bring to the boil for around 10 minutes, or until the potatoes are soft and can be mashed.
2) Heat a tbsp olive oil in a pan on the hob. Finely chop the shallot, crush the garlic and begin to soften in the pan. Cut the tomatoes in half and place in the pan. Finely chop a fistful of fresh mint and add. Season with salt and pepper and a tsp of maple syrup in needed. Stir and allow the veg to soften and reduce. Add a little extra water if it becomes too dry.
3) Heat a tbsp olive oil in another pan on the hob. Generously salt the skin side of the seabass fillets. Place skin down in the pan and keep the heat medium to high. The seabass will cook through in 8-10 minutes and you’ll know it’s cooked because the flesh will be white. If in doubt turn it over briefly for a couple of minutes.
4) Add the samphire to the pan with the seabass about 5 minutes in and allow to soften.
5) Mash the potato along with a pinch of salt and some olive oil, or add a grate of pecorino.
Serve immediately!
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