Ingredients

• 4x170g/6oz fillets of sea bass
• skin on
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 4 fennel bulbs
• tough outside leaves removed
• 175ml/6fl oz extra virgin olive oil
• 400g can of chopped tomatoes
• 1 head of garlic
• split into cloves and peeled
• 150ml/5fl oz boiling water
• 120ml/4fl oz dry white wine
• 2 tbsp chopped fresh oregano leaves
• 24 black olives
• stoned and halved
• 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
• 12 basil leaves

Directions

• Preheat the oven to 170C/325F/Gas 3.
• Slash the skin of the sea bass fillets and place in the fridge.
• Cut the fennel lengthways into quarters. Heat the olive oil in a heavy-based ovenproof pan and add the fennel. Cook the fennel over a medium heat
• turning frequently
• for 20 minutes or until starting to brown.
• Add the tomatoes
• garlic
• boiling water
• wine
• oregano and some black pepper. Bring to the boil
• cover and cook in the oven for 1½ hours.
• Remove the pan from the oven and add the olives
• balsamic vinegar and basil leaves. Place on a low heat
• season and simmer gently.
• Take the sea bass from the fridge
• rub the surface with the olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Heat a large frying pan. Add the sea bass fillets
• skin side down and cook for 3-4 minutes until the skin is crisp. Turn the fillets over and cook for a further minute or until the fish is just cooked through.
• Place a spoonful of the fennel and tomatoes into the centre of each plate and top each with a piece of sea bass.