SEA BASS WITH MUSSELS AND SAFFRON CREAM SAUCE
Ingredients
- 75g/2¾oz unsalted butter
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 shallot
- diced
- 5 tbsp white wine
- 400g/14oz mussels
- cleaned and debearded
- 4 x 175-200g/6-7oz sea bass fillets
- skin on
- 50g/1¾oz butter
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 2 shallots
- roughly chopped
- 150ml/5fl oz white wine
- 1 yellow courgette
- balled with a Parisian scoop
- 1 green courgette
- balled with a Parisian scoop
- 3 tomatoes
- peeled
- seeds removed
- chopped
- 110ml/3¾fl oz double cream
- pinch saffron strands
- 2 tbsp roughly chopped fresh chervil
- 300g/10½oz samphire
- 100g/3½oz sea aster (available online)
- 50g/1¾oz unsalted butter
Directions
- For the mussels
- discard any with cracked shells and any open ones that do not close when given a sharp tap. Heat half of butter and oil in a lidded saucepan. Once hot add the shallots
- white wine and mussels and cover.
- Cook for 2-3 minutes
- or until the mussels have opened (discard any mussels that have not opened). Remove from the heat and drain
- keeping the liquor. Remove some of the mussels from their shells and keep a few in their shells for presentation.
- For the cream sauce
- heat a frying pan and add the butter and oil. Add the shallots and cook for a couple of minutes
- add the mussel liquor and white wine. Reduce the heat and cook until the volume of liquid has reduced by half.
- Add the courgette and tomatoes and cook for 1-2 minutes. Add the cream and saffron and cook for a further 1-2 minutes. Just before serving add the mussels and chervil.
- Heat a medium saucepan of boiling water and blanch the samphire and sea aster. Drain and set aside.
- In a separate frying pan add the butter and fry the samphire and sea aster for a few minutes.
- To cook the sea bass
- heat another frying pan and add the remaining oil and butter and place the sea bass fillets skin side down in the pan. Cook on each side for 2-4 minutes
- or until the skin is crispy and cooked through.
- Spoon the sauce and vegetables around a serving plate and place the fish in the centre. Garnish with the mussels
- samphire and sea aster.
